So you know what you want and you have your appointment booked. Here I will guide you through few things you should do to best prepare yourself for a tattoo session:
- Sleep well the night before
- Eat healthy, drink enough water (obvious but very important!), don't consume alcohol the day before
- Plan well: Make sure you have enough time for getting your tattoo. Sometimes things can take more time than expected. Don't be in a rush to go to work or pick a kid from school. You don't want to stress or any factor like this to have an impact on your tattoo.
- Have enough cash on you (or money in your bank, depending on what you agreed the payment method would be) Again, why stress?
- Have right products for aftercare: you can read my article where I talk about that
(if its a big tattoo or it gets late, there might not be any shop open any more, so I suggest you have everything at home)
- Dress (very) comfortable clothes. Those that will easily uncover the body part that will be tattooed as well as will not rub against the irritated skin later. Ink might get them dirty eventually so be prepared (old, black, oversized sweatpants and sweatshirts would be ideal!)
- Plan well 2.0: Make sure you are not going to a swimming pool, sauna or doing any work where your tattoo would be exposed to dust and dirt in the following days.
It might also be a good idea to have someone come and pick you up after your tattoo session as you might be really tired.
- if you are someone very nervous or energetic: maybe don't drink 3 coffees before your tattoo ;)
What you might want to bring with you for the tattoo session:
- a healthy snack in case you get hungry
- an 'unhealthy snack' to help you with energy or in case you feel weak (f. ex. chocolate or candy)
- drink
- headphones (your tattoo artist might not want to hear your movie or your voice messages because he/she needs to stay focused to make your tattoo truly beautiful)
- something to watch or listen (Im not about staring at your phone all day, but.... in case of some tattoos it might be great to have a distraction that is easy and also doesn't make you move)
- don't bring work stuff, this day is mostly about your tattoo and not your work so just relax and enjoy
Should you bring a friend with you?
The answer might be a little complicated. A lot of studios and artists actually prefer you to come alone. (some studios actually forbid bringing another person)
I understand both sides of the coin here. You want to feel supported by your beloved during a big decision like one about your tattoo, off course!
On the other hand, its most important that after you decided on your tattoo with every detail you are sure you made this decision and not someone else. Therefor remember its your tattoo and only your opinion about it is what truly matters in the end. You can consult your beloved any time before your session and you can bring them for the tattoo consultation too.
Yet another thing to take into consideration is that you want yourself and your tattooer to be at ease to focus on your tattoo.
Personally I don't like when I have to take care of more people then my client. I don't like it when people talk too much around me while Im focused. Its not that Im not social but I want to give all my energy to you as my client and to your tattoo.
If you decide to bring another person with you (and your tattooer is ok with it) make sure you choose someone who cares for you and your well being. Someone who wishes the best for you and your tattoo and will not give you troubles and drama. A person of support and not an attention seeker. Bringing more then 1 person with you is a no-go for me. Those two will just take a lot of space and attention. They will talk between each other and that's not even related to your tattoo. In those cases I will normally just suggest for them to wait outside or go for a coffee somewhere else.
Again, this has nothing to do with me (or fellow tattoo artist) being an awful human being. This is work and we want to do our best. We need to be very focused and give all of our attention and love to you and your tattoo.
Enjoy!
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