Before you get inked…

People enjoy styles in different ways. We must respect all of them because it is their decision what they put on their body. Tattoos are swiftly becoming the norm. Tattoo is a kind of a love it or hate it thing. Individuals interest in tattoos are surprisingly different. Some like to get their whole body tattooed. Some like simple tiny tattoos. Whatever the style you like tattoo is an amazing art. Tattoos are not a new thing to the world. Most of the ancient tribes had got their bodies tattooed. Different styles of tattoos were unique to their tribes.

However, in the modern world tattoos have become a style. If your dream is to get your body tattooed, you need to consider many factors before doing it.

Where in your body & the design?

Deciding the area of the body that you are going to have the tattoo is a very important thing. You can have your tattoo anywhere in your body. But there are some body parts that you need to seriously be careful of having a tattoo.

Some people love to have tattoos in the genitals. Genitals are an extremely sensitive parts in our body. If you get your genitals inked, you will be recovered over time. But it will be enormously dangerous if it gets infected. The consequences of the infections are quite high. So, it’s always a wise idea to keep your private parts clear.

Another least recommended area is lips. Getting your lips inked is totally possible and lip tattoos are very popular among many people. As the genitals, lips are highly sensitive and extra special care should be given to lip tattoos.

After deciding which body part that you are going to get inked, you can decide the art or the design. It’s always better to decide the place of the body and then decide the design matching to that area, rather than having your favorite design anywhere you want. Tattoo is a permanent addition to your skin. Nice piece of art would definitely give a better look for you. But think not only twice, but hundreds of times before adding someone’s name as your tattoo. Of course, you can remove the tattoo later if you don’t want it. But it still involves pain and lots of money. Be specific when giving your design to the artist. Explain it clearly and provide pictures if you have any. If possible, let them know the dimensions of the tattoo that you want to have. This will help you to get the exact cost estimate and ultimately the perfect masterpiece that is in your mind. When you select colorful tattoos, discuss with your artist whether those colors match with your skin color. If you decide to get your tattoo in another language, verify it with your native language. Don’t always trust Google translator 😊

Choosing a shop

Masterpiece of your tattoo is in the artist’s hand. Your safety depends on the hygienic procedures they follow in the shop. Don’t just walk into any tattoo shop you see. Search online, read reviews and understand the sanitary process they follow. Make sure the place you are planning to go has good reputation and well established. After selecting the shop, talk to the artist about your design. Make sure the artist has proper experience to do your tattoo. You are going to live with your tattoo for the rest of your life. Don’t hesitate to pay extra money for a lasting pretty tattoo.

Wear appropriate clothing

Use your common sense and walk into your tattoo shop with appropriate clothing. If you get your tattoo on your chest or shoulders, wear a loose t-shirt or bring extra dresses. If you get your legs tattooed make sure not to wear tight jeans. Instead, you can wear loose bottoms or shorts. It’s not a good idea to wear your most favorite or expensive dresses to the tattoo shop. There can be chances of spilling ink into your dresses.

Sitting for your tattoo

Select a comfortable position to sit or lay down. When the process starts try to be still as much as possible. If you need a break or if you cannot bear the pain let your artist know about that. Check whether you can take a buddy with you to the studio.

Make your mind distracted

Tattoo is a painful art. Some people apply numbing creams on the area to get rid of the pain. Or else, you can have something to watch on your phone to entertain yourself and get your mind distracted from the pain.

Always get a good night’s sleep before night. Have plenty of water. Eat enough food. And make your mind relaxed.

After tattoo care

Finally, you got what you always wanted. Tattoo is not just a piece of art to show your style. It involves a medical procedure too. So, it’s crucial to take care of it to make sure you don’t get any infections. After getting your body inked, if the place gets infected the situation would be much more dangerous. Hence, you must take care of the place after having a tattoo. Healing process of the tattoo depends on different factors like size, shape and the colors of the tattoo and your body healing process. There is no exact rule regarding the tattoo healing. Ultimately your body decides when it heals, and we need to take care of the tattoo until it heals completely. Other than these factors, if your tattoo is done in a place where there are constant movements, stretching or bending, those tattoos take little longer to heal. (E.g., Knees, Elbows, Ankles). After care starts as soon as your tattoo is done. Here are some tattoos after care dos and do not for you.

Things to DO

Make sure your tattoo artist covers your tattoo in recommended, correct, and safe way. Get recommendations from your artist regarding how long you need to keep this dressing on.
After coming home, don’t forget to re-wash and re-wrap your tattoo area after 04 or instructed hours. After washing pat drying the area is a must. You can use an antibacterial soap to wash, a clean tissue to pat dry and clean cling wrap or a similar thing to wrap. Continue this process every 04 hours until you go to bed.
Apply a good quality tattoo after care cream until the place heals. You can get good recommendations from your tattoo artist or from a dermatologist.
Have a bath and always keep the area clean. You can use antibacterial soaps. After washing pat dry the newly tattooed area. Don’t even think of rubbing the place.
Eat healthy and balanced diet to help your body to heal your tattoo faster.
Make sure towels, bedding and clothing’s are super clean during the healing process.
Wear loose clothing.
If you feel like your tattoo got infected and it takes too long to heal, go for a doctor.

Things you should NOT do

No swimming for at least 02 weeks. Swimming in places like pools, lakes or ocean can increase the risk of getting your tattoo infected.
Don’t expose your tattoo to direct sunlight. It will burn the place a lot and disfigure the tattoo.
Don’t cover your tattoo with tight clothes. Let your tattoo have enough air in the first few days.
Don’t exercise too much or engage in activities that cause excessive sweating in the first five days. Excessive sweating can lead to infection and delay the healing process.
If you tattoo develops hard layers or dry skin don’t worry. It’s normal. But never try to scratch or peel them off.