first tattoo tips

Photo: Amazing Gérard

Tips for a first tattoo

We are often asked if there are things to do to prepare for a first tattoo, in addition to "psychological preparation" here are some tips:

We can't say it enough: no alcohol in the 48 hours before and after your tattoo appointment. A beer won't kill you, but avoid the hangover of the century the day before. First, because you'll have a bad session due to your hangover, but also and above all because it will affect the fluidity of your blood. And if you bleed a lot during the session, it will have a big impact on the tattoo's result, requiring touch-ups. It's a simple principle: if we try to put ink under your skin and at the same time blood comes out... the math doesn't add up!

This is partly why it is not recommended for people with heart conditions on anticoagulants to get tattooed, at least not without the agreement of their doctor and on a case-by-case basis.

For almost similar reasons as for alcohol, avoid all types of drugs in the 48 hours before and after your appointment as well.

There is often a lot of stress for a first tattoo, and it's easy to say, but: try to relax! The day before your appointment, you can go to bed early and try to get a good night's sleep. If you are well relaxed and rested, the session can only go well :)

You can also hydrate your skin well in the days before your session, especially if you have naturally dry skin, but it's not mandatory. However, do not use cream or balm on the day of the appointment. You can also exfoliate two or three days before the session.

You may be asked to shave the area of your future tattoo the day before the appointment. If your tattoo artist doesn't specify anything about this, it can be done on site, no need to panic. Do not epilate the area to be tattooed in the week preceding the session. Be careful, you should never get laser hair removal on your tattoos if you care about them!

In the North, we are not really concerned (in fact, we are almost never concerned 10 months out of the year) but if you expose yourself to the sun before a tattoo, take good care of your skin! We do not tattoo on sunburn or on skin damaged by UV rays. So it is advisable to avoid basking in the sun just before your session to preserve your skin as much as possible.

Another important point: don't come to your appointment on an empty stomach! An empty stomach combined with a good dose of stress rarely makes people happy. You can bring a sugary drink or a small snack just in case, it won't hurt you.

No anesthetic cream on the area to be tattooed! This alters the texture of the skin and the result risks being really ugly. The pain of a tattoo is not insurmountable; if it were, many of us would only have one... and yet we continue once we've tried it ;)

A point that may seem obvious but isn't always: we do not tattoo pregnant women.

Some of these points are valid for piercing: it is advisable to come to your appointment well-rested, with a full stomach, no alcohol or drugs, and not pregnant, and everything will go very well :)

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us directly via TattooKawaii@gmail.com