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First tattoo tips?
Heyyy Tilderinos! I'm getting my first tat tomorrow - planning on a Lopunny and Mega Lopunny on my bicep that I'd love to turn into a patchwork sleeve of my other favorite Pokemon down the line. Bouncing between really excited and really nervous! What's some general advice you'd give?
Good luck on your tattoo!! I have a couple of tattoos, including my most recent one gotten in Japan!
How big is it going to be and are you gonna be doing it in color? Most of my tattoos are in black and white besides the one I linked, and I can safely say that color tattoos hurt SO much more. Don't be afraid to take breaks! I didn't have too much time in Japan to get my tat so I had to power through but I really wish I took a break - my whole thing took about 4 hours.
I've heard some artists don't love numbing cream but you could totally contact your artist about it if you're nervous about that.
Otherwise just sit back and enjoy! The biggest thing tbh is the aftercare more than the actual tattoo process. In America, the shops I went to mostly just wrapped it with saran wrap but in Japan they used a thing called "second-skin" which I feel like healed faster/more easily. We use Aquaphor in the states, make sure you have some, but I know online stores like Mad Rabbit sell their own aftercare products, which I've heard were pretty good too. Generally your artist will have their own recommendations, listen to them!
Be prepared to be itchy! Don't do it! Don't pick at your flaky skin either when you're healing, let everything fall off naturally. If it's unbearable, I found that lightly smacking the skin helps a bit, or just applying more Aquaphor/after care product.
Overall just enjoy the process! It's fun and I'm itching to add more to my arm this year too, especially with the Year of The Dragon I might be going for an East meets West kind of theme on my body.
Second Skin is growing in popularity in the states too, I have received it at two shops relatively recently and my wife got it at a third shop just a few months ago.
I've had it on one tattoo. I didn't like it. I asked another artist I trust his thoughts and his feedback was that most shops don't really do it correctly. It should be replaced between 1-2 days after the initial application.
I prefer to just clean with dr. bonner's or dial and apply aquaphor or unscented shea butter twice daily.
Good to know, tbh my second skin fell off/leaked in like 2 days so i got rid of it earlier than expected, but i think the experience is still better than having saran wrap haha. I haven't gotten a tattoo in the States in like 5 or 6 years now, so my experience with American shops might be outdated.
Seconding Aquaphor as well! That stuff is awesome and kept me from loosing my mind with how itchy my foot tattoo became. It's a great product for dealing with dry skin around winter time too. My tattoo shop also recommended to avoid any highly perfumed soaps and body washes since those can irriate the affected area.
That's a beautiful tattoo and an even cooler story on how you got it!
thank you! oh yeah definitely no high perfumed soaps, not getting it wet is important but i assume most artists will mention that too
Second skin is also known as tegaderm (medical context) and waterproof transparent bandages (generic). If you buy it online, try to avoid any manufacturers that are suspiciously cheap as the material they use might be not as breathable (chances are they're gonna be made in the same factories anyways so you'll likely be fine with whatever, but if you're paying a few hundred for a tattoo don't cheap out on the aftercare and let it degrade in quality!). Using these bandages will help immensely with how itchy it gets as well as how inflamed and crusty it will get, so highly suggest picking up extra in case it falls off or gets too loose.
Oooh good shout, I forgot what the medical term was called but I do remember my artist calling it tegaderm. I should have bought some extra because mine happened to burst right as I was getting on the flight back to America :'(
I've had a few different tattoo artists, and they have all preferred to shave you at your appointment rather than you coming in shaved.
On the assumption that you're going to someone established, I'll skip the aftercare as you'll get recommendations from your artist and others here. I used aquaphor and lubriderm during healing. There's also nothing wrong with a pain numbing roll on, spray, or gel and pain is not some badge you have to earn to get a tattoo. If your artist refuses to allow them based on some pre-conceived notion they interfere with the tattoo, find a new artist.
Now for my recommendation which is related to pre-care:
Your skin should be in the best shape of your life before you get your tattoo. If you haven't been moisturizing the area already for the last couple of weeks, there's no better time to start than now, again lubriderm. Drink a ton of water starting now. You don't want your skin/body to be dehydrated and, for lack of a better word, the plumper you are the better things will go.
Your artist cannot read your mind, discuss position, size, and any questionable parts of the design beforehand. Take your time to look at it closely before the stencil is applied to your body. You're excited, it's easy to miss tiny details, but miss them now and it's permanent later.
Have fun!
Follow the advice of your specific artist on care and cleaning, at least during the healing process. Don't do whatever random care you hear online without knowing the full context.
Eat something like an hour or so before going in. You don't want to have low blood sugar or anything like that.
Bring some sugary snacks. After the adrenaline wears off you'll need a break and will want something to perk you up a bit.
Stay hydrated, and get plenty of rest tonight. Eat a good meal a couple of hours before your appointment.
Make sure you've got some kind of moisturiser ready and waiting at home. My tattooist always recommends Bepanthen, but I also like E45.
Make sure you're wearing comfy and warm clothes. I've always found tattoo studios to run slightly chilly, but again when the adrenaline wears off you're going to feel really cold and much less comfortable.
Tattoos hurt, so don't be afraid to ask for a break if you need one. Nobody's going to give you a medal for needlessly toughing it out.
Finally, enjoy! All of my tattoo-getting experiences have been great. The atmosphere in the studios is always super (in my experience), everyone's lovely, and the enjoyment the artists get out of their work is infectious.
Congrats! I'm always so hyped before I get a tattoo. I'm hoping to get my fifth this spring.
As other's have said: follow your artist's aftercare recommendations. I have my preferred aftercare but will stick with products they recommend because they know their ink.
While healing (~1month)
After it is healed:
Edit: take advantage of touch ups! Especially after it is healed you might want to schedule a touch up for areas that may have healed weird. Most reputable shops provide these for free on their own work.
Edit2: Before the tattoo be very vocal about your thoughts on positioning and size. Your artist should be able to print out as many outlines as possible to get positioning, sizing, and orientation to your liking. DO NOT BE SHY about artistic decisions.
Edit3: After every tattoo I've gotten I have an adjustment period. Really small things like "this line intersection isn't perfect." But I'm like that about most changes in life. After a day or two those little "human fingerprints" feel more natural. If you're inclined in this way understand your self-image is changing to incorporate this new aspect of your body. It will feel natural and integrated very quickly.
Everyone else has offered enough aftercare advice, but I still want to emphasize using sunscreen every day after it’s healed.
Another thing I don’t see people mention often in tattoo discussions is mild body dysphoria, for lack of a better term. After I got my first tattoo it was jarring seeing it on my body in the mirror the first few days, like it was unnatural. I think that’s normal and if it happens to you don’t sweat it, you’ve got some killer art to be proud of. Good luck!
While some pain is to be expected, be prepared for it to tickle you in some spots. The top of your bicep might be no issue, but the inner area near your armpit might give you some goosebumps.
When I got my first and only tattoo on the top of my foot, I was prepared for a lot of pain since that is supposed to be one of the most sensitive areas. The pain level was way lower than expected, but the slight tickling surprised me. I had to take a couple of breaks and focus on other things during those moments, but it was worth it!
Have a good amount of work done so my general advice is
Eat something before you go in, maybe an hour or so before so it give you time to use the bathroom if needed.
Dress in something comfortable but loose. Sweats, joggers, etc. If it's winter where you are, consider wearing a well fitted tank top underneath your clothes so you stay relatively warm without obstructing your artist.
Bring something to do to distract yourself. A would read, watch tv on my phone, or talk to the artists who were super cool and wanted to chat.
Be obsessive about your aftercare. Clean it gently and frequently as your artist recommends. Moisturize with what they recommend (personally I love Aquaphor). You're paying money for this and the last thing you want to do is fuck up the good work your artist has done
General though, biceps aren't the worst in terms of pain but it's never going to be not-unpleasant. The more you can distract yourself the more still you can be and the better the final product will be.
Enjoy yourself!
Your tattoo might leak/ooze some ink the first night or two, so if you don’t have second skin on it, consider wearing a loose long sleeve t-shirt to bed so that you don’t get ink on your sheets.
Inner bicep? Bicep is fine, much less pain than a lot of other places, but if it is the inner bicep the pain sucks when getting near the armpit.
Anyway you will find the pain tolerable in the beginning, but after ~90 minutes is where the suffering starts.
My tattoo artist works slow and I had tattoos that took 5+ hours and after 3h I just want to die.