Hi everyone and welcome to my blog! I’m Ashley and I’ve been getting tattoos since I turned 18 three years ago. I now have a total of six tattoos with plans to get many more. I’ve gotten tattoos from three different shops in Virginia so far but, that’s enough about me.
Let’s get into what you all are actually here for. This week’s blog is all about the basic do’s and don’t’s of getting tattooed and being a part of the tattoo world.
DO
1. Do your research! Do thorough research of the shop(s) and artist(s) you are considering. Even ask around to friends and family to see who they recommend. Look at the shop’s reviews on Yelp and on social media. Most artists also have social media profiles that are basically digital portfolios so you can look through their past work and style. Find an artist that does a lot of the style you are looking at getting well. Ryan Ashley is a tattoo artist known for black and grey realism, specifically extremely detailed jewels and using white highlights to accent them. Her Instagram, while also somewhat personal, shows a lot of her specialty work. Below is an example of her style that she is known for. An Instagram like this is also helpful in finding an artist you like.
2. Do eat and hydrate! Do not get tattooed on an empty stomach because it will make your blood sugar drop making the tattoo hurt more and you possibly faint. Plus no one likes being hungry or thirsty and this could make your experience worse than it would have been.
3. Do speak up! If you don’t like even the littlest thing about your tattoo’s design or placement, say something about it before they start tattooing. They can always redraw the design or move the stencil. I had a tough time speaking up during my first tattoo but, I’m glad I did. One thing I told myself was that it will be on your body forever, so you want it to be perfect to you. The photos below are of my first (left) and most recent (right) tattoos. My first one has a lot of personal meaning to me, so it had to be perfect. I ended up having the artists that did the tattoos both redraw them several times and I’m always glad I speak up to get exactly what I want.
4. Do tip your artist! They are providing you a service like a hair stylist or nail technician. Artists also go through a lot of training during their apprenticeship to work in a shop. Some shops also require that artists pay rent for their space in the shop. You tipping your artist not only shows your appreciation for them but, can also help them pay that rent or for materials. Typically, when I get a tattoo done I bring cash in varying bill sizes to tip with. I'll tip 20%, if not more, because I know my artist worked hard and did work that I love. Around 20% is a typical amount and I wouldn't recommend tipping below 15%.
DON’T
1. Don't culturally appropriate! If you don’t know what a symbol means or are not from that culture or background, don’t get it tattooed on you. Some of these symbols have historical or religious meanings to those cultures and will take offense to someone not part of that getting the tattoo. This website goes into more detail about what cultural appropriation is and has examples of tattoos that would be considered appropriated.
2. Don't get tattooed under the influence! You would think this is common sense but, people do try to get tattooed under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Any self-respecting artist won’t tattoo you if they can tell you aren’t sober since you can’t always make the right decision. It will also be much harder to tattoo you.
3. Don't scratch or submerge your fresh tattoo! This will mess up its healing process and lead to scarring on your skin. You can also pull the ink out of your skin, causing more touch ups later on. In some cases, your skin can even get infected from picking at your tattoo.
Hopefully this blog helped answer some initial questions you might have had and got you excited about getting tattooed. Thank you for coming to my site and reading my first blog ever! Come back next week when I’ll be talking about some of the most well-known tattoo artists!
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