Tell me about your Tattoo Preparation?

[Igrapeape]

DON’T PICK AT THE SCABS.

You’ll want to pick it, if you pick it, the ink generally comes with it (in the first few days)

Don’t purchase the high prices salves that most shops try to sell you, keep the area conditioned, but not wet.

Each area of the body has a different type and length of pain. I have 7 tattoos on all different limbs and parts and each hurts in it’s own way.

The people who say it doesn’t hurt are usually trying to be cool. Now you wont cry out like a baby, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t hurting you, you are just good at keeping it in. Most artists will talk to you while it’s going on.

If you’re in doubt, don’t do it. It’s pretty permanent unless you want to pay for the laser removal.

[Shawn_K_1]

@nashiitashii

Agreed. Acid Lamp and I see the same guy for our work, and one thing that started our professional relationship with him was that I felt very comfortable around him right away. Tattooing, especially extensive tattooing starts to form a relationship between the collector and the artist. When we were living close to our artist, we would see him somewhat regularly, stop by the shop on occasion to shoot the shit, and for a while we were training at the same dojo as him (on his recommendation of the place to us).

.

How did you find training after? I play hockey as a goalie and also practice tkd & bjj, so there’d be good potential for impact and/or scrapeage. Did you cover it for training to prevent discomfort or bacteria infection or just took a few days off until the scab came off?

@Acid_Lamp

Sure. HERE you go. Color is off and dull since it’s just the webcam, but you get the idea.

My aftercare procedure is as follows: Keep the bandage on for no more than an hour, (I coagulate extremely rapidly) then air it out for an hour more if possible. Then shower with warm water, and a little soap to remove plasma, blood, and other residue. After showering, I coat it liberally with a decent unscented lotion, (I like aveeno) and that is it. Keep it it lotioned and I usually begin peeling on the third day. in a week I’m tender, but healed. NO SUN. NO SUN. NO SUN. Did I make that clear enough? No swimming or baths for the first week. I dislike ointments that have any anti-bacterial properties to them for this purpose as well. They seem to mess up the healing process. Lotion works just fine.

Everyone is different though. If you find that you are an oozer, keep your bandage on longer, and be careful when washing your new tattoo.

There is no such thing as “setting” a tattoo. It was “set” when it was injected into your skin. Healing poorly can result in the body expelling too much ink and messing it up, but it is pretty much in there forever.

Thanks for the pic AcidLamp. I usually clot up pretty good over the years I’ve found. I’ve heard baby bum lotion from a lot of people as well.

Is it possible for a tattoo artist to go to deep? I’ve heard that complaint about a couple people in my area

[Soliloquy]

@Shawn_K_1

How did you find training after? I play hockey as a goalie and also practice tkd & bjj, so there’d be good potential for impact and/or scrapeage. Did you cover it for training to prevent discomfort or bacteria infection or just took a few days off until the scab came off?

Thanks for the pic AcidLamp. I usually clot up pretty good over the years I’ve found. I’ve heard baby bum lotion from a lot of people as well.

Is it possible for a tattoo artist to go to deep? I’ve heard that complaint about a couple people in my area

It’s been a few years, but I used to train at a TKD studio. I avoided training for the first week after a new tattoo. The possibility of unclean mats could lead to a staph infection. I imagine BJJ increases that, with more mat contact. I’m borderline germophobic, though. I work in a filthy environment.

[Becky2844]

Oh. I was going to tell you how drunk I got.

[nashiitashii]

@Shawn_K_1

How did you find training after? I play hockey as a goalie and also practice tkd & bjj, so there’d be good potential for impact and/or scrapeage. Did you cover it for training to prevent discomfort or bacteria infection or just took a few days off until the scab came off?

Take a few days off, at least until it’s fully scabbed and starting to come off. Since you’ve got the worries of the cleanliness the mats in your dojo*, it’s best to not encourage infection. Also, at one point in my tattooing I had a fresh, not quite scabbed tattoo and was doing a lot of packing and heavy lifting while we were preparing to move. Probably not the smartest idea on my part, but the work looks great despite any rough handling it got.

*Even with really thorough cleaning, porous surfaces like mats will often hold something behind. Better safe than sorry.

[kushiel]

If you can’t reach your tattoo (on your back or something) make sure you got someone to check and lotion it regularly. You might be tempted to skimp a bit on the aftercare if it’s inconvenient, but trust me, stick with it.

The question about certifications came up earlier, but check if your state has any sort of licensing program. The dental college at my local university issues certifications to tattoo artists who complete a safety course.

[Lasciel]

If you start feeling woozy (mainly because you didn’t follow the excellent directions above about food, rest, and hydration) then TELL THE ARTIST!

Don’t think you’re going to tough it out - if you pass out, the artist may screw up the design while you’re slumping towards the floor. A reputable artist will not give you any grief if you need a short break, drink of water, or chance to put your head between your legs. Much preferable to take a little break and go back into a design which was paused on purpose than to hit the floor and now the artist has to fix the screw-up in the design.

(My brother didn’t so much listen to me when I offered advice, because he was a manly man, unlike weenie big sister. He regretted this when he passed out and the tat got an extra line or two. )

[Illuminatiprimus]

Have two myself, one major (full thigh) one minor (little one to the side of my chest).

1. Know the design you want - picking something out of a book/magazine/that someone suggested to you is a surefire way to regret it very quickly.

2. Agree with everyone else on cleanliness standards and the requisite standard of customer engagement. If the tattooist seems to be rushing you, not taking you seriously or makes it clear they have plenty of other customers who don’t ask so many irritating questions then GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE!

3. Make sure the lotion you use for your aftercare is water based and not petroleum based. If you use a petroleum based lotion it will create a seal on the tattoo/wound and it won’t allow the crap (technical term) to come out of it, meaning you end up with a shitty smear for a tattoo. Don’t use vaseline, use something like E45.

4. DON’T USE VASELINE. I mean it! Girl at my workplace got one at the same time as me and insisted she’d been told to use it (despite the reasons I gave as above why you shouldn’t) and her tattoo was a wreck when it had healed, whereas mine looks great.

5. Final, but possibly most extreme tip (worked for me though). Once you’ve decided you want to get the tattoo and are ready to do so then get your diary, go ahead to that date six months in the future and write “I can now have my tattoo”. If you can’t wait that long to get it you’re not ready for it.