Top Tips For Getting Your First Tattoo

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As an alternative clothing brand we know a lot of our customers (yeah you lovelies!) are often old hats at the tattoo game. There will also be lots of you that haven't taken the plunge yet, and you never will cos it’s just not your thing, but a few of you might be at that point of thinking about getting your first tattoo. And for those of us that have them already it’s easy to forget how nervous or ill informed we were (meaning we’ve ended up with something we hate). With this in mind we’ve complied our top tips for those looking at getting inked for the first time.

  • Don’t Cheap Out

    • You’re preparing to get your body permanently marked so you want to pay for quality. If you see some cheap deal then be wary as chances are there is a good reason they aren’t charging a lot! So it’s better to be paying more now for a great tattoo you're gonna love for the years to come, than working to a low budget to get something crap you’ll end up wanting covered up further down the line! Trust us on this. And if that means you have to wait a few more months to put those precious pennies aside then so be it, you’ll have it for the rest of your life so it should be worth the wait.

  • Take your Time

    • Following on from the above point just because you’ve decided you want a tattoo doesn’t mean you have to rush out and get it done the next day! Although it’s exciting it’s worth taking the time to think through your design, research artists and work with them to get it right. No point getting a tattoo just for the sake of it, that way you save yourself embarrassment down the line. Don’t be that person explaining your tattoo history with the statement ‘when I was drunk in….’

  • Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace

    • You’ve saved up your $$$$, done the research and then the tattoo artist shows you the designs and you’re panicked because something isn’t right. Speak up! This is not the time to be polite and worry about offending them as it’s going to be on your body. Plus a decent tattoo artist won’t be upset if you let them know it’s not quite what you were thinking. They aren’t mind readers but with a little bit of solid communication they will be able to get what you’re after. But remember they are the experts so if they tell something can’t be done then listen to them, at the end of the day they’re trying to ensure you get something great.

  • Get Some Chill Time

    • Don’t go out for a heavy session the night before getting a tattoo. Your chosen tattoo artist will tell you this so this is us just reiterating it. Don’t Drink! Drinking the night before will likely thin out your blood making you bleed more which will affect the artist's work. Also getting a tattoo is quite intense on your body, adding a hangover to that just isn’t worth it so save it for another night. With this in mind some people will react differently to getting tattoos so to be on the safe side try and make sure you’ve had something to eat before you go in, and a decent sleep so your body is all set.

    Location, Location, Location

    If it’s your first tattoo perhaps the face or neck shouldn’t be your first choice of where to get it. Have a long think about where you want it. And think about how it could affect other areas of your life, as much as we think it’s bullshit to judge someone by their choice of tattoos or piercings, you could be limiting your job choices by getting your tattoo somewhere that’s difficult to cover up. And no job means no more tattoos (nevermind saying bye to buying the latest KILLSTAR clothing!) Other considerations on where to get your tattoo placed are your pain threshold (because yes it’s going to hurt, and some places more than others) and how the position will affect the look of the artwork - so talk it through with your tattoo artist to see if what they think.

    And was last thing - prepare to become addicted as often one is never enough!