People get tattoos for different reasons, but no matter what your motives, it always pays to do your research beforehand. There’s a few things you need to be aware of before getting your first tattoo…
Avoid alcohol
Having a wee drink before you get your first tattoo may seem like a good idea, just to give you that little bit of Dutch courage, but don’t be tempted. Alcohol is an anticoagulant, which means it thins the blood. This thinning makes you bleed more during the tattooing, making it more difficult for the ink to settle properly. This can skew your new design, and make the recovery process take longer. Alcohol of course also impairs your judgment, so getting drunk before going into a tattoo parlour is never a good idea for obvious reasons.
Aftercare is crucial
Getting a tattoo isn’t like getting an injection; it’s not over once you leave the room. The next few days are extremely important for the healing process. You may have seen people with cling wrap around a new tattoo, but this isn’t a good idea. Your skin needs oxygen to breathe and heal itself, and wrapping it in plastic turns it into a bacterial playground, which can lead to infection. Clean and moisturise the tattoo the week after getting it, and you should be fine.
Know what you’re getting
Many people have foreign words or symbols tattooed on their bodies, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Chinese, Japanese or Arabic characters can look amazing, but make sure you know what they translate as. No matter how good they look, if you’re new ink means “Roundabout ahead” then you’re going to look like a bit of a dick in any language.
Come see us at Sunset Tattoo and we’ll make your first tattoo something special that you’ll never regret.