1. Tattoo size, style, motive, placement

Before you get a tattoo you should make sure of a few things (always assuming you already found a good and trustworthy artist if you came this far ). First, get a general idea what you expect of your tattoo, how big and where it’s supposed to go, and what tattoo styles you like. Consider wether the motive you want really fits onto the spot you have in mind (you don’t want a  tiny little ‘birth mark’ in the middle of your back, nor can you squeeze a detailed backpiece design around your ankle). The best tattoos don’t have the feel of randomly placed bumper stickers, but harmonize with the ‘layout’ of your body.

This is the point where you should probably go in and have a talk with your tattooer.

If you want to visit me that would be at Action Tattoo in Auburn, any day 12 – 8 PM, except Sunday and Monday
You don’t necessarily need to have the exact motive figured out. Of course you will find a huge collection of prefab Flash online and in most studios. So if you’re okay with a catalogue motive that is just fine.

If you want a unique tattoo designed just for you, or if you feel your tattoo artist can work with your ideas and design your dream tattoo from scratch – even better. I certainly love this part of my work most – designing and implementing an individual piece of flash for a customer who appreciates it.
Gather your ideas, maybe bring some print outs of stuff you like (can be photos of flowers, animals, etc or pics of tattoos that will NOT be imitated but used as a guide to which styles you like.  e.g.: ‘that motive is really cool, but I don’t like the stuff in the background’ or ‘those flowers from my biology book but in a Japanese type setting’ etc).
If you believe in your artist and like his/her style (-and I do hope you checked out skill and style in the portfolios first, or better yet, saw some of his/her tattoos in real life!!-) then my belief is it’s never a mistake to just give them a few directions and information (placement, and maybe a budget) and then just let them do what they do best! That’s our job.

2. Budget
Be ready to adjust your budget to the size and complexity of the tattoo. That means, if you can’t afford the piece you really desire, DON’T shrink it down to a pea to accommodate the cash in your pocket! Wait and save, and then get the real stuff and do it right. It doesn’t pay to save fifty bucks on the tat for a new purse you’re gonna throw out after a year anyways, and be stuck with a not-so-nice tattoo for the rest of your life.
You can’t expect a badass color tattoo for the price of a lunch burrito (not even with backyard tattooers – as covering up crappy ink gets more expensive than paying the regular price at a competent studio the first time). Luckily you don’t need the complete price for a big, multi session tattoo up front, as you usually pay per session as you go.
To get an appointment you usually need to leave a deposit with the artist, which will be deducted from your last session. This will also enable him to start designing your tattoo. The drawing itself is usually for free, but of course nobody wants to sit and draw for hours for a customer who isn’t really committed and never shows up…

3. Before your appointment
It always helps to be well-rested, hydrated and fed before getting tattooed. That way your body can deal with the inconvenience of sitting motionless and being poked at for a while. Getting tattooed usually involves the release of adrenaline and endorphines, which drains some energy from your body. Bring softdrinks and some sweets to sugar yourself back up during the session.
If you have very dry skin and get tattoed at e.g. the ankle or foot it’s also a good idea to apply some creme to the spot daily for a week before getting inked (of course you don’t want to overdo it and end up breaking out). This keeps the skin flexible and makes the job easier for the tattooer and less painful for you
It’s also good to know that some substances like aspirin, alcohol and big amounts of caffeine thin the blood. This can be counterproductive in the process of applying ink beneath some of your skin layers. You would want to use advil or ibuprofen based pain med for any non tattoo related aches the day prior to your appointment. And just don’t get raging drunk the night before – you wouldn’t want to be hung over while the artist of your choice insists on finishing the outlines on all of your back anyways
Other than that, don’t be nervous. It hurts more or less depending on each person’s pain threshold and the spot you picked. But you can be pretty sure: whatever part of the body you get tattooed at, your artist got tattooed there before you and survived it!

4. Aftercare
There are almost as many opinions about the correct aftercare as tattoo artists. Foremost: use your common sense if available, and secondly: listen to what your tattooer says and not to what some friend found on the internet
Basically: You don’t want to get an infection when it is fresh, so keep it clean. You want the tattoo to heal as smoothly as possible, so take care of it with some ointment to prevent big, dry scabs. You don’t want any ointments containing alcohol, aloe, weird perfumes, or any substances that suck ‘dirt’ out of normal wounds. Lubriderm or A&D ointment (if the latter is not too rich for your skin) work fine. Neosporin doesn’t hurt but is usually unnecessary. And you certainly don’t want to EVER scratch off any scab, because that could take color out!

In Detail – This usually works for me: wash the tattoo 2 hours after you get home with just water or mild antibacterial soap. Dab dry with paper towel. Apply THIN layer of ointment (Lubriderm or A&D, or of course special tattoo ointment). Don’t drown your tattoo in a layer of fat, let it breathe to heal. If it’s a pretty massive or solid colored in tattoo you should protect it during the first and second night with Saran wrap. That’s because you don’t want it to stick to your blankets if it’s still a bit gooey. If it’s NOT too hot and you’re NOT sweating too badly you can even protect the tattoo in the first 2-3 days with loose Saran wrap – but DO be careful to wash tattoo and change wrap at least 3-4 times a day, you don’t want a private sauna with a bacterial breeding ground that can cause an infection!!!
In any case, wash and apply ointment 3 times a day for the first 3 days, then apply ointment as needed for the rest of the first week. Just to keep it flexible and from drying out – you don’t want big scabs.
Never scratch your tattoo, your color is in the uppermost layer of skin (until it is fully healed and the skin layers are rebuilt)!
Shower as usual, but no baths or swimming or other soaking of your fresh tattoo in the first week!
No sun tanning for 14 days after getting tattooed! After that DO use sun blocker on your tattoo. FYI: In the process of tattooing, the layer of pigmentation that protects your skin and later your tattoo against the sun, gets destroyed – until it has rebuild itself after a couple months I strongly recommend to use some extra protection to make up for it!

Don’t fret too much – just be a bit careful and it should heal just fine.
My tattoos usually don’t need retouching. If you think it does, come in after 3 weeks (NOT months and months or years later!) and get if needed, a free retouch.

Enjoy your new tattoo!