Hello Lovelies.
Tattoos are becoming more popular despite not being everyone's cup of tea. I love tattoos and have just had my 5th one done a few days ago. I find that some people make massive mistakes when getting tattoos and these are mistakes that can easily be avoided. Hopefully this post will help to educate those who are looking to get a tattoo and those who have made some tattoo mistakes.
Tattoos are becoming more popular despite not being everyone's cup of tea. I love tattoos and have just had my 5th one done a few days ago. I find that some people make massive mistakes when getting tattoos and these are mistakes that can easily be avoided. Hopefully this post will help to educate those who are looking to get a tattoo and those who have made some tattoo mistakes.
What is Tattooing?
A tattoo is a form of body modification, made by inserting different coloured ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. This is done by a professional artist using a tattoo gun (see picture above). This is a permanent procedure.
Why do People get Tattooed?
People get images/portraits/text tattooed on to their skin for many reasons. Sometimes it is done to remind the person of a special someone or event in their life or something that inspires them. However, tattooing is art, which of course means that your tattoo doesn't have to mean anything at all, as long as you are happy with it.
Things to Do/ Consider When Getting a Tattoo:
1. Find a qualified, well established tattoo artist that works within a tattoo parlour. Research into their work and look at reviews of the tattoos they have done previously. If they're not on the internet or you've not seen any tattoos they have done previously, chances are they're not a very good artist and probably aren't even qualified. This could be dangerous as cases of homemade tattoo guns being used on willing people have provided nasty tattoos and infections.
2. Prepare to pay good money. If you're shopping price, you're probably getting tattooed for all the wrong reasons. Don't go to a tattoo artist that is going to charge you £40 for a whole sleeve. If your paying cheap, the chances are you're going to get a cheap service and this is not what you want from something that is going to be a part of your body for the rest of your life.
3. Think about what you want. Don't rush into getting a tattoo just because your best friend is and think about the design and placement before you book in. Take a sharpee pen and draw a rough image of the tattoo you want and leave it on for a few days to see if you like it, because once you've been tattooed, there's no going back.
4. Wait till you're 18 and it is legal for you to be tattooed. If someone is going to tattoo you underage or you know of an artist who has done this, then the chances are, their tattooing service isn't going to be of a high standard which could be very dangerous to you. If artists are willing to break age laws, the chances are they'll be breaking other ones too such as hygiene, which increases the risk of cross- contamination.
5. Never get a tattoo abroad, especially whilst under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In most countries, it is illegal to tattoo someone who is intoxicated, however in your holiday destinations such as Malia and Aiya Napa, they wont bat an eyelid. This is not only very dangerous as these parlours do not follow the same hygiene procedures as we do, but stupid as you will probably regret the tattoo the next day. Remember, alcohol thins your blood, meaning that if you get tattooed, you increase the risk of blood loss and cross- contamination.
6. Know the risks. Knowing the risks of getting a tattoo should hopefully get you on the right track when looking to get one done. Know that there are unqualified artists out there performing "tattoo parties" where you can get a dodgy tattoo for £20. Know that a tattoo artist that doesn't follow strict hygiene rules could cause you to contract infections such as Hepatitis C.
Tattoo Myths:
1. All good artists are good tattooists- Wrong! Before getting a tattoo, you should make sure that your artist is capable of using both a tattoo gun and a pencil. Tattooing requires technical skill and knowledge and without this, you tattoo could turn into an unsightly lump of scar tissue within months. Not every tattoo artist has artistic talent, and this is proven by other artists spending their time covering up peoples previous "talent".
2. The tattoo needle touches your bone- Although the needle you see may be very long, the majority of it is threaded through the tattoo gun. A tattoo needle only enters your skin by 2 millimeters so no need to worry about an 8 inch needle dragging its way across your rib cage. Yes, it hurts and can be extremely uncomfortable, but no bones!
2. The tattoo needle touches your bone- Although the needle you see may be very long, the majority of it is threaded through the tattoo gun. A tattoo needle only enters your skin by 2 millimeters so no need to worry about an 8 inch needle dragging its way across your rib cage. Yes, it hurts and can be extremely uncomfortable, but no bones!
3. Never choose your tattoo from the artists wall flash- Why not? The designs produced by tattoo artists now are top notch and just because you've chosen it from their flash display, doesn't mean your mum, granny, best friend and next doors dog are going to have it.
4. You're going to regret it when you're 80- Most people who are 80 years old aren't as appealing as they once were, so just because you've not got tattoos doesn't mean that you're going to look a million dollars better than the rest of us.
5. You will get AIDS- There has never been a reported case of HIV/AIDS in "developed" countries due to tattooing. Most shops follow strict hygiene rules and are often checked by assessors.
6. A tattoo artist can do any tattoo- Whilst most tattoo artists are capable of tattooing most things, they often have a few areas that they excel in. That means it is up to you to find an artist that you think would be enthused to tattoo you in the style that you would like e.g. dot work, traditional, tribal.
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Hopefully this post covers most things you need to know when looking to get tattooed.
Leave any comments below as you know they mean a lot to me!
All my love
K
4. You're going to regret it when you're 80- Most people who are 80 years old aren't as appealing as they once were, so just because you've not got tattoos doesn't mean that you're going to look a million dollars better than the rest of us.
5. You will get AIDS- There has never been a reported case of HIV/AIDS in "developed" countries due to tattooing. Most shops follow strict hygiene rules and are often checked by assessors.
6. A tattoo artist can do any tattoo- Whilst most tattoo artists are capable of tattooing most things, they often have a few areas that they excel in. That means it is up to you to find an artist that you think would be enthused to tattoo you in the style that you would like e.g. dot work, traditional, tribal.
~
Hopefully this post covers most things you need to know when looking to get tattooed.
Leave any comments below as you know they mean a lot to me!
All my love
K
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