The Dos' & Don'ts of Tattoos

In this day and age it's hard to believe that tattoos, at one time, were considered taboo and socially unacceptable. Years ago tattoos were connected with bikers, gang members, and other social outcasts, as well as island people and African tribes. During the last few decades tattoos have become less frowned upon and more acceptable in society. Today you can find tattoos on people of all walks of life, from construction workers and soldiers to doctors and priests. They have grown especially popular among Generation Xers. But before you just go out and get a tattoo there are a few things you should really do to prepare yourself.

Decide on a Design
This is the main problem with tattoos these days, alot of people just go out and take 5 minutes to look through a book and find something they "like", not love, just like. A tattoo should have some form of special meaning because it will, most likely, remain with you for the rest of your life. You should think about your life and find something that stands out to you, whether it be a specific person or event or something you care deeply about, like your religion or heritage. After deciding on that you need to pick an image or word that you can connect with it. For your first tattoo, it should be something fairly straight forward and not too complex. The more lines and color changes you have in your design will transfer to more money, more time, and, possibly more pain. Once you see how the gun feels, if you decide to get more tattoos then you could start adding more details.

Size is also fairly important when it comes to selecting a tattoo. If you DO want to add more detail then you'll have to, to some extent, increase the size of your image. A large, simple design may be expensive but a smaller design with lots of detail will, most likely, be more expensive in comparision. To give you an example, I have a large, simple design that stretches across my my upper back that cost $260 (a great deal considering the amount of ink). I also have a Celtic cross on my bicep that cost $160 (a slightly high to average price) and is just slightly bigger than a tennis ball. The back piece cost more money wise but if the amount of ink and detail were compared between the two, then the Celtic piece cost alot more. A good general rule of thumb for the size of your first tattoo would be to lay your hand flat on a table with the fingers loosely spread. Anything bigger than that should be considered to big until you get used to the feel of the gun.

Pick Your Placement
Once you select your design the next step is deciding placement. This is completely up to you, whether you want the tattoo easily displayed or hidden is your choice but I'd recommend younger people avoid the neck, hands, and anything not covered by a short sleeved shirt. While tattoos have become acceptable, they're still not the social norm, some employers may frown upon tattoos that are displayed that openly.

A more important aspect of placement would be knowing your pain threshold. Certain areas of your body will naturally hurt more than others. Anytime the needle runs on thin skin where there's not alot of muscle between the bone and flesh (such as the ribs or collarbone) will hurt the most. Anywhere the needle is running on mostly fat (like the back of the arm or stomach) will hurt alot as well. General bad areas for your first tattoo would be anywhere on the back, torso, forearm (for pain reasons, not placement), or buttocks. The bicep and calf muscle are two of the least painful spots to get tattooed because they provide a nice, solid muscle to work on.

Find a Professional Artist
Yes there are tattoo studios springing up all over the place but that doesn't mean the people that work in them are always good. Artists have different degrees of skill and their price ranges are based on this. A young, inexperienced artist is likely to charge less money than someone who has been tattooing for 10 years, even if the tattoo is the same. Your best bet would be to find someone who has been working for around 3 to 4 years because they're good enough to give you a quality tattoo but haven't gotten to the point where they can basically demand a large amount of money. The most important thing here is that you find a real professional (most tattoo artists have Art degrees), you shouldn't let someone you don't know give you a tattoo out of their house or garage just because they can follow a pattern with some cheap ink and a guitar string.

Also, some artists are simply better than others at certain pieces. Some artists excel at portrait tattoos while other are better at doing tribals, abstracts, or cartoons. The best way to find out what an artist is best at doing is to simply ask them. Sure, there's a chance they could lie and say they can do something when they really can't but most artists are bad (or a better term would be "not good") at doing a certain type of tattoo for 1 simple reason: they don't like to do it. If an artist doesn't like a particular style then they won't practice it as much and are more likely to turn that style away, they may even point out another artist who could do what you want.

Most artists also keep binders with pictures of their work and are more than happy to show them. Look around the shop, if you don't see a binder with the artists' work in it then simply ask. It will give you a good idea as to how good the artist is and it may even help you develop your concept some more.

And finally tattoo artists ARE artists. After you show them your design they may have a few ideas to help the flow of the image, don't just shoot the concept down. The artist will normally have to redraw your image again so ask them to make a few sketches of their own design as well, just point out the most important parts of your concept. They may come back with something completely different but still using the elements of your original design and you may like it. It happened to me, it could happen to you.

After you've got your tattoo, you've picked its placement, and found your artist the next step is to actually sit down in the chair. There are a few things you should know before sitting down. First, although I'm sure it's a given, is to make sure you wash the area. Yes the artist will (or should) disinfect the area before he even starts but you should just take somethings into your own hands. Also, for at least 24 hours before your tattoo you shouldn't take or drink anything that will thin your blood. This includes any prescription medications, aspirin, and even alcohol. This will cause you to bleed profusely during your tattoo which will cause the ink to come out. Trust me, I've seen the effects of a "bleed out" and it's not pretty.

Relax
You artist will tell you this repeatedly during the course of your tattoo and I'm going to say it now. Relax. Keep yourself calm, talk to the people around you (your friends if they're nearby or the artists themselves), and breathe. If you feel yourself getting lightheaded then ask the tattooer to stop for a few minutes. Drink a little water. Do whatever you have to do to stay relaxed and still. The vibrations of the gun will, most likely, cause your muscle to twitch uncontrollably so do whatever you can to keep what you can control still. You can't erase a scar and that's essentially what a tattoo is.

If you're a smoker then don't worry because alot of tattoo artists are, too. Your tattoo is just as nerving for them as it is for you, think of the vibrations and the intense concentration they're going through. Every tattooist I've seen will generally offer you a smoke break after the outline is done and every 30-45 minutes into coloring, even if they don't smoke.

It is also important that you stay loose during the tattoo. It's understandable if you're tense and tightening the muscle, as long as you don't do it while the needle is moving through it (wait to the artist stops to reload with ink), won't hurt the tattoo but it WILL hurt you. If you stay tensed up through your tattoo you WILL feel it the next day.

Aftercare
After your tattoo is done the artist will give you a chance to inspect it then they'll wrap it up. Most of the time they'll give you an aftercare card, sometimes they'll just explain to you what to do. It is important that you follow these basic instructions exactly. These normally include: no direct sunlight/tanning for 1 month, no swimming/soaking for 2-3 weeks, and don't scratch during the peeling stages. There are also a few other things you'll need to know.

After your tattoo is bandaged it should stay that way for about 1 or 2 hours to make sure the bleeding stops. After no more than 2 hours you need to remove the bandage and expose your tattoo to hot water, as hot as you can stand it, for 10 minutes, 15 at the most. Most tattoo artists will tell you to expose your tattoo to water as little as possible during the first few weeks but this short exposure will save you alot of pain over the next few days. What it does is kills the nerve endings that were exposed in the tattooing process so you don't feel alot of soreness during the healing. I went through 3 tattoos before I was told about this and it really does work.

After your scalding soak you really should avoid letting your tattoo soak. No swimming and shower if at all possible, avoid bathing. You should also wash the tattoo 3-4 times a day during the first week using warm water and a mild soap (No More Tears baby shampoo works perfectly). Remember, don't scrub, massage. The same goes for drying, no scrubbing, pat the area dry and you're good to go.

There's also the lotion factor, some tattoo studios will give you a few small packs of ointment to get you through the first few days, but you'll need to buy enough to last for about 10-14 days. You don't have to spend big bucks to get the same kind of cream that the studio has, go to your local pharmacy and pick up a tube of A&D Ointment for a few bucks. Whatever you do DON'T use Neosporin or any Neosporin-like ointments. Neosporin does keep wounds clean but it is made to heal scars and a tattoo IS a scar! I'm not knocking the Neosporin people, they make a quality product, it just isn't a good thing to use here. And if my warning isn't strong enough the first time you try it and feel the incredible burn you won't want to try it again.

You should also give your tattoo lots of air. After you remove the bandage that was put on at the studio you really shouldn't but another one on it. If you're afraid of bleeding while you're in bed or something just spread a towel or two under the area where the tattoo will be resting.

And finally there's the peeling. After about the 2nd week your scabs will begin to flake off and the itching will come. Whatever you do, try not to scratch it. Scratching here rips the scabs off before the healing is done and you'll be right back to the beginning of the healing process. It's also a good way to cause infection. And the worst part about peeling your scabs off is that alot of ink comes with them. Once your tattoo is fully healed you may notice some areas that weren't inked at all or some areas where the ink bled out. There's no need to freak out because about 99% of the tattoo studios out there offer some form of free touchup. Generally they'll fix their mistakes for free once and then they'll offer a reduced rate if it needs fixed again in the future. I've even found studios that will fix other artists mistakes for free if you're getting tattooed by them (a deal I took immediate advantage of).

The most important thing about getting a tattoo is that you need to get something you're going to be happy with in 30 to 40 years. It is possible to get a tattoo removed but the process is expensive and more painful than getting the tattoo itself. You should decide on your design and find a good artist in your area. Don't base your decision on the fact that you know somebody who got a tattoo from some guy that looked good. Do your own research, look for samples of the artists work in his shop. The more you can find the better off you'll be. Make sure you follow the aftercare instructions that I've provided and the artist provides, they go a long way in keeping your tattoo clean and making sure it still looks good after the healing process. Tattoos are an expression of self so, like the song says, express yourself!