Nail the Pre-Game: 5 Tips for Sitting for a Tattoo
Nail the Pre-Game
5 Tips for Sitting for a Tattoo
Ok folks, let’s be honest - while tattoos are awesome, the process of actually getting a tattoo sucks. It hurts, it can take hours, and sometimes the positions you have to sit in just so the artist can work in the right spot are more painful than the needles.
The good news, however, is that there are ways to make it suck less! If you take care of your body and your skin, you’ll not only make things easier on yourself and your artist, but you’ll also have a better chance of a good heal as well.
Everybody is different, but here are some general best practices that I’ve learned make for a better tattoo experience:
1. Get a Good Night’s Rest
Y’all, the most painful tattoos I’ve received were on different body parts and from different artists, but the one thing they did have in common was that I was sleep deprived when I got them. It’s pretty simple - the more rested you are, the better your stamina and pain tolerance will be. Try to get a full 8 hours the night before your appointment if you can, or take a nap if your appointment isn’t until later in the evening.
2. No Alcohol for 24 Hours Before
While alcohol is fun when enjoyed responsibly, it’s the exact opposite of fun to get tattooed while hungover. Even if you don’t overdo it the night before, any level of alcohol in your system dehydrates you and thins your blood. This can lead to excessive bleeding (not good) for you, and decreased visibility for your artist (also not good).
3. Stay Hydrated
The easiest skin to tattoo is healthy skin, and healthy skin is hydrated skin. Personally, I drink about 2-3 glasses of water every day, and I try to up that to 5 glasses the day before my tattoo appointments.
4. Eat a Good Meal
Never try to get tattooed on an empty stomach! That is just asking to pass out mid-appointment. If you’re too nervous to eat before your appointment, even a small snack will be better than nothing.
5. Bring a Sugary Snack &; Even More Water
No matter how well you prepare, getting tattooed could cause your blood sugar to drop as this is a natural biological response to pain and injury. Every artist is different as to what they keep on hand, so I always bring a bottle of water (see #3) and a sugary snack in case I start to feel woozy. Even if I don’t get light-headed, the snack can be a helpful distraction from the more intense spots during longer sessions.
