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Tattoos do hurt but it’s a totally bearable pain. You hear all sorts of stories about how much tattoos hurt and most of the time there seems to be a large element of exaggeration and extremes. You’ll hear things ranging from its absolute agony to I didn’t feel a thing. The truth is it feels like a hot scratch and it’s a totally bearable pain. That’s what around 90% of people getting their first tattoo would agree. Around 3% survive but would rather not get another, and the other 7% are complete psychopaths that didn’t feel a thing!

2

Too small is heading for disaster. People get small tattoos for their first tattoo because they want to test how it feels getting the tattoo but also to know what its like to have one. The problem is the skin can only hold so much detail, some areas much better than others. As the skin changes over time so does the ink in the skin. This can sometimes cause a slight thickening of lines and loss of colour or detail. On a larger tattoo these small changes are not so noticeable but with smaller tattoos it can completely loos its definition and structure. Writing that’s too small can become unreadable in just a couple of years. A huge amount of tattoo laser removal in our business is small tattoos that people regret because its blurred and its stuck in the middle of a large area of prime skin for an amazing new tattoo, so it needs to go!

3

Tattoos are addictive. We see this all the time. It’s the big day, someone comes in for their first tattoo. There has been no talk of what’s next, what other ideas for tattoos they have. It’s all about this first tattoo. But once that first tattoo is over and the realisation that it’s not as bad as they expected. It just feels like a hot scratch and it’s a totally bearable pain. Then a flood gate of possibilities opens and a new ink addict is born. There are many reasons why tattoos are known to be addictive from biological to psychological but I think the main reason is that good tattoos are very empowering things. They change the way you feel about yourself and give you confidence in your identity.

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How to choose the right artist for you. Look for artists that have something similar to what you’re looking for in their portfolio. If someone’s portfolio is mainly black geometric patterns and line work then it’s not a good idea to ask them for a colour realism portrait. And if someones portfolio is full of large colour realism its probably not a good idea to ask them to do your infinity symbol. Im not saying that either of them couldn’t do what you’re asking but artists post the work they enjoy and want to do more of. Trying to talk a tattoo artist into something they really don’t want to do is not a good idea. They want to be as proud of your tattoo as you are. If you can’t find someones portfolio that fits with what you’re looking for then look for a good quality portfolio with plenty of variety. You’ll find that these artists are well experienced with all styles of work and will be able to easily adapt to create what you’re looking for.

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About your design and consultation. If you’ve contacted a studio or artist and been told you need to come in for a consultation then your design idea is probably more complex and the artist needs to see the area that is being tattooed and discuss the creation of the design. Bring as much reference as you can to help the artist understand your ideas and how to incorporate them into a design that works for you. Sometimes a rough design might be drawn out for you to help you understand the artists ideas and concept but a completed design will usually not be completed until the day before or even the morning of your tattoo. Once the artist has a better idea of what needs to be done then they can work out how long your tattoo will take, give you a price and arrange your appointment. A consultation is also a good opportunity for you to meet the artist and decide if they are the right person to do your tattoo. If you don’t click with them during the consultation or you don’t feel inspired by their confidence and enthusiasm then you may be with the wrong artist. The experience of your first tattoo will be as locked into your memories as the ink is in your skin, so do your best to make sure they are the best they can be.

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