1. Avoid Alcohol or Drugs
Though joking about getting tattooed after drinking heavily might be humorous, arriving drunk at your appointment should never be done. Not only can alcohol dilate blood vessels, causing excess bleeding that interferes with healing. Be careful when taking in large amounts of caffeine or stimulants like alcohol before your session; these substances can thin the blood. They should also be avoided as these could interfere with its ability to work effectively. Consuming too much caffeine may leave you jittery and cause disruptions for the artist.
2. Avoid Exercising
Exercising during the healing process should usually be avoided, particularly swimming at your local pool and natural bodies of water. Swimming exposes your tattoo to sweat, oils, and unmentionable body fluids, which may impede its healing process. Gyms also pose a potential threat due to bacteria-rich environments, potentially contaminating them further. If you must exercise, avoid high-intensity cardio and weight lifting, as these activities could stretch the skin and disrupt its healing process. Furthermore, sweat can wash away any protective creams or ointments necessary for your tattoo to heal correctly. Body parts such as your torso, arms, knees, and elbows tend to stretch and sweat more during physical activity; this could make new tattoos challenging to apply evenly and securely. When exercising outdoors or wearing loose-fitting clothing for fitness classes, make sure that they won’t rub against each other too heavily – loose clothing helps ensure maximum protection!
3. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
A good night’s rest allows your immune system to dispatch white blood cells directly to damaged areas to promote rapid recovery. Your new tattoo is an open wound and requires proper care to heal properly. Sleeping on dirty bedsheets exposes it to harmful germs, that could infiltrate and inflict infection onto its delicate skin, potentially leading to infection or complications during its healing. Make sure to change your bed sheets often, mainly if they are light-colored, as ink is known for staining them. Furthermore, be sure to moisturize your tattoo using specific tattoo ointment (not Vaseline) to keep it hydrated, preventing it from drying out too much and leading to irritation.
4. Don’t Show Up Too Tired
Arriving at your tattoo appointment when tired can make it more challenging for you and the artist to remain alert and in sync. Furthermore, fatigued bodies tend to be more sensitive to pain during tattoo sessions making the session longer and more challenging than expected. As part of your appointment preparations, it is also crucial that you do not arrive starving for your appointment. Eating well-balanced meals before sitting through a two-hour tattoo appointment will give your body the energy it requires for maximum performance. On the day of your tattoo appointment, lotions or moisturizers should be avoided as this could interfere with how the stencil and needle of the tattoo machine adhere to the skin. However, you should still apply a daily moisturizer to keep hydrated skin healthy after tattooing, which will aid healing afterward.
5. Don’t Ask for a Copy
Requesting that your artist copy designs found on Pinterest is one surefire way of being turned down for a tattoo, since such behavior disrespects both their work and the time invested in creating custom tattoos for you. Plus, paying for one should come first! Before arriving at your appointment, ensure you have enough money set aside for tipping your artist. Tipping is a standard in the tattoo industry, and acknowledges their extra effort when creating your experience.
