Things you should know before getting your first tattoo
Getting your first tattoo is both scary and exciting, and you probably already have a million questions. How much will it hurt? How do you know if a salon is safe? How much will it cost? Before you permanently place anything in your body, you need to make sure that any and all of your pressing questions are answered.
Even though I have nine tattoos and counting, I am still far from being an expert in tattoo care. So I enlisted the best professionals in the business (a celebrity tattoo artist and two dermatologists) to spill all that tattoo-related tea: removals, reactions, prices, and more. Along with his expert medical advice, I also shared a few things I learned when I personally went under the needle, both the good and the very, VERY bad. Read on for all the things you NEED to know before getting your first tattoo.
Prices vary by size.
Tattoo parlors adjust prices based on the size and style of tattoo you want. And FYI, if they know you're a vi*rgin, they might try to jack you up. It's a good idea to call and get a quote before you go in, although that number may change slightly once the design is drawn. If you can, bring someone who has gotten tattoos before to help you negotiate or research prices beforehand to make sure you don't get ripped off.
DO NOT go bargain hunting.
Many salons have minimum prices (usually $50 or $100), so a small heart tattoo, for example, shouldn't cost much more than that. If someone is willing to give you a tattoo for $15...something is wrong. Incomplete artists could mean infections and shoddy work. Since your tattoo will be on your body for life and your health could be at risk, it is a worthwhile investment.
That said, some parlors do totally legitimate tattoo sales for holidays, like Halloween or Friday the 13th (I've even seen some for Harry Potter's birthday). They're called "flash sales" and you pick a pre-drawn design for a discounted price.
Other than that, however, tattoo purchases are not the time to haggle. Instead, save up for a reputable, professional tattoo artist. "If you can't afford to get tattooed by the artist you want, you should wait until you can instead of settling for 'fast food,'" says celebrity tattoo artist Bang Bang McCurdy, who has tattooed celebrities like Kylie Jenner. . , Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. "You won't regret waiting, but you may absolutely regret not waiting."
Allergies to the ink and allergic reactions to the preparation process and aftercare may occur. How can I know? Well, it happened to me and it fu*cking su*cked.
Dr. R Madhavan MD FADA, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, says that ink allergies, while rare, are not unheard of. But if you're experiencing a reaction, it's likely due to a substance used in the tattoo process or aftercare products (which is what happened to me).
"True allergic reactions to tattoos and ink are very, very possible, but thankfully not very common. People with sensitive skin often have a reaction to the preparation process that cleanses and sterilizes the skin, which is more common." than a real allergy. reaction to the ink and the tattoo itself.
If you react badly, the tattoo can lead to an itchy red rash like mine, but Dr. Nazarian says it can be treated with steroids from your doctor or extra strength hydrocortisone cream. That's what I used and my tattoo healed up nicely after treatment, FYI.
You have to be 18 to get one.
Yes, like voting and scary movies, you have to be 18 to get a tattoo. However, some states will allow you to get a tattoo earlier with your parents' permission while you are still a minor.
Look in the hall beforehand.
Just because the tattoo parlor is within walking distance of your bedroom doesn't mean it's a quality shop (I learned this the hard way, by the way). Visit the salon, ask about their artist licenses, and also check online reviews – Yelp will give you all that tea. Tattoo laws differ by state, so you should research the guidelines in your state and make sure that any venue you're considering is properly licensed and adheres to those guidelines.
"It's very important for a client to feel comfortable with how clean the studio is," says McCurdy. "Ask an artist: What do you do to clean between tattoos? How often do you clean this station where I'm getting tattooed? What kind of surface do you get tattooed on?"
The salon must be spotless (like, spotless, spotless).
Getting a tattoo is not a minor change, like dyeing your hair. Another human being is *literally* creating an open wound that can become infected if the shop doesn't take proper precautions. Although it is much more important how surfaces and tools are sanitized, the workshop should look and smell as clean as a hospital.
Make sure the artist uses a new disposable needle and ink bottle, and wears clean gloves.
Reusing needles can spread an infection or cause you to get a serious illness, like HIV or hepatitis B. Yes, this is serious. Therefore, your artist must use a new single-use needle and use brand new cups, napkins, and gloves. Watch to make sure they open the needle package in front of you to make sure it is clean.
Porous materials, like wood or marble, can be difficult to fully disinfect, so it's not a good choice for a tattoo station. "A porous surface, like rock and marble, would not be something your tattoo station should be made of," says McCurdy. "It must be made of stainless steel or a sterilisable material such as stainless steel."
Follow the artist you are considering on Instagram.
After choosing the salon, check out their artists' work on Instagram and decide which one you want to work with. Different artists specialize in different styles of tattoos – some are great with color, others with portraits or a delicate script. Don't forget to read the comments to see what their customers think.
The way the design looks on the sketch is how it will look on your skin.
The artist will draw the outline of your tattoo before applying it, so be sure to be especially vigilant when you approve the design. The drawing you approve will go directly onto your body and the artist will use it as a tracing for the final tattoo. Be very careful with your spelling (it's not common to get a misspelled tattoo, but it does happen) and don't be afraid to speak up about the changes you want. Remember: this is forever.
If the artist makes you feel uncomfortable, leave.
If they get bo*ld when you ask them to adjust the design, walk away. If they embarrass your tattoo idea, walk away. If they generally make you feel awkward or uncomfortable, walk away. Getting your first tattoo is scary and shouldn't get on your nerves or make you feel bad.
"I think it's common in our industry for a young girl to walk in to talk to an artist and be met with a nose-in-the-air attitude, like, 'I don't want to do this girl's silly tattoo,'" says McCurdy. "I don't think that's fair or that a client should put up with that. You should find someone who wants to tattoo you."
Larger tattoos may require more than one session to complete.
Larger or heavily colored designs may require multiple sessions to complete, so your tattoo may not be complete after your first visit. A larger design with a lot of detail or color may require two sessions, while a full sleeve can take months (and hundreds or thousands of dollars) to complete. On the other hand, a simple tattoo, like a small black star, should only take about 5 minutes. If you want a better idea of the timeline, ask your artist to give you an estimate of how long it will take before you start.
Think about your tattoo for at least a year before committing to it.
"When you're designing, try to think of the word 'timeless,' because your tattoo will be timeless, even if your design isn't," says McCurdy. What you think will look great can change, so you need to put a lot of thought into the design and make sure you'll still be interested in it months later. Remember: your tastes may change over time but this will last forever.
Getting a tattoo might seem like a fun thing to do with your friends on spring break or before graduation, but getting an impromptu tattoo probably isn't a great idea. "Think twice before getting a tattoo," adds Dr. Cameron Rokhsar, a cosmetic dermatologist who often handles tattoo removal. "Don't do it on a whim, don't do it when you're drinking, those are all the stories I get from my patients. Boyfriend and girlfriend tattoos [are] a no-no, people always regret it."
Don't get a tattoo before your beach vacation.
The quote you want on your ribcage will look great in that cut-off swimsuit, but tattoos take at least two weeks to heal, so you won't be able to swim (pool chemicals and ocean bacteria are bad for healing a tattoo) or hang out in direct sunlight (even healed tattoos are UV sensitive) if you get it on or right before spring break. Your best bet: Just wait until you get home, and make sure you stay out of the sun, sea, or pool for at least two weeks after getting inked.
You will probably have to touch up your tattoo.
Tattoos fade over time, no matter how well you treat them, because your skin is always shedding new layers. So you'll probably have to go under the needle again at some point to keep it in tip-top shape. You can go to any artist to get it retouched, but if you liked your original artist, it's always better to go back to him. Many salons will give you a free touch up, but others charge. Just like regular tattoos, the price of touch-ups varies depending on the amount of work you need to do, so if you're curious, ask your artist for a quote or check the salon's website; they likely have a tinkering policy outlined in their FAQ.
Tattoos fade faster when exp*osed to sunlight.
"There are certain parts of your skin that are more exp*osed to the sun, so the pigments can break down faster," says McCurdy. "Just like the outside of your arm, it will age differently than the inside of your arm that isn't exp*osed to as much sun throughout its lifetime." If you spend a lot of time outside and are worried about fading, consider getting your ink somewhere that's less exp*osed, like the inside of your wrist, and always, always, always use sunscreen, especially on your ink.
The pain depends on the location of the tattoo.
Disclaimer: Getting a tattoo will never stop hurting. Pain tolerance is different for everyone, but in general, tattoos placed right on the bones tend to hurt more. A foot or rib tattoo might be an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10, while a bicep tattoo might only be a 4. And of course, the bigger the tattoo, the longer you'll be in pain. . Speaking from personal experience, my foot, ribcage, and spine hurt the most (in that order), while the tattoos on my hands and arms were much more tolerable.
If you end up not liking your tattoo, you can cover it up.
It is quite easy to cover up a tattoo, especially if it is small. A good artist can cover it up with a new design, completely covering the original tattoo; some salons even specialize in cover-ups. So even if you change your mind one day, you won't be left with a tattoo you hate.
You can also remove tattoos.
You can remove your tattoo with laser treatment. Depending on the color of the ink, the hardness of the ink, and the size of the tattoo, it may take several sessions. Blue, black and green inks are easier to remove with laser treatment because lasers can detect those colors more easily and therefore remove them more accurately, says Dr. Rokhsar. Lighter colors like yellow and white, on the other hand, are more difficult to remove. But keep in mind that while the process removes the tattoo, it can leave scars and the procedure can be expensive.
Tattoo removal doesn't really hurt if you go to a doctor.
Salons offer the service, but since they are not medical professionals, you should never go to one for tattoo removal. Go to a real licensed doctor to perform the procedure: it is safer and painless, because unlike ia of a salon, doctors can numb the area beforehand.
"Removing [a tattoo] is actually not painful at all. If you go to a doctor, the doctor will numb you... with a local anesthetic," says Dr. Rokhsar. "When you read about people saying tattoo removal is painful, it's because they don't go to doctors. They go to various spas, not doctors. Spas can't give anesthetic injections. A doctor can give local anesthetics, so you'll feel zero pain."
You may not be able to get the exact tattoo you want.
If you want to get a letter in a really small font, your artist might refuse, and for good reason. If a font is too small, it can fade over time and basically become a smudge. Instead, the designer might ask you to commit to a slightly larger font. Remember: your artist is a professional, so if he has serious feelings about the logistics of your design, listen to him.
They could shave you first.
If you're getting a tattoo on your arm or another particularly hairy part of your body, the artist might shave the spot beforehand, much like a doctor would before surgery (it's an open wound, after all). . You can ask ahead of time if you need to shave the area before you go in, but most tattoos don't require it.
It will bite later.
After a week or so (sometimes sooner), new tattoos will start to itch slightly, but whatever you do, DO NOT scratch. Fingernails can chip away at the ink and leave patches of untattooed skin on the tattoo. (However, if you accidentally scratch off some ink, your artist can easily fix it with a touch up.) Dr. Rokhsar says that scratching can also lead to infection, so instead he gently pats your tattoo with a clean hand to relieve it. He also recommends using a cortisone cream to safely remove the itch.
If the itchiness becomes unbearable or your tattoo develops into a rash (photos of that above), go to an urgent care center or dermatologist as soon as possible (again, more on that above).
Avoid long showers while you recover.
It is important to keep the new ink clean by gently washing the area with antibacterial soap and water, then patting it dry three times a day. A little water won't hurt, but try to avoid spending too much time in the shower (no baths, please) after getting inked. Soaking the tattoo is not good because the water will slow down the healing process by damaging the newly formed skin. If you get a design on a part of your body that gets a lot of water in the shower, like your back, try to keep your showers short and limit the area's contact with water until it heals.
the gen*itals
The most well-known and widespread gen*ital alteration is male circumcision. Subincision (opening the urethra along the undersurface of the pe*nis at a variable distance between the urinary meatus and the scrotum) was a common practice at pubertal initiations among Australian Aborigines and has been recorded as a thera*peutic measure among Australians. the Fijians, the Tongans, and the Amazonian Indians. . Unilateral customary castration (monarchy) was known in central Algeria, among Beja (Egypt), Sidamo (Ethiopia), San and Khoekhoe (Southern Africa) and some Australian Aborigines, and on the island of Pohnpei (Micronesia). Bilateral castration was common to produce eunuchs for Muslim harem attendants, for Chinese Imperial Palace servants, and for several centuries (until Pope Leo XIII outlawed it in the late 19th century) to produce male sopranos or contraltos called castrati. (see castrato) for ecclesiastics. chants in the Roman Catholic Church. Bilateral castration was mentioned as a punishment for ad*ultery among the Zande (Central African), Babylonians, ancient Egyptians, ancient Chinese, and elsewhere.
Among the Toraja and Sadang (Sulawesi, Indonesia) and some Dayak groups (Borneo), many Adu*lt men wore a pe*nis pin, knotted at each end and averaging about 4 cm (1.5 in) long, in a permanent piercing through the glans to increase pleasure in their partners. The Alfur (Sulawesi) ins*erted pebbles under the skin of the glans for the same purpose.
Modifications of the female have been many and varied. They have included excision of part or all of the clitoris (known as a clitoridectomy), and sometimes also of the labia, the mons pubis, or both, in much of Africa, ancient Egypt, India, Malaysia, and Australia, and among the Skoptsy (a Russian Christian institution). sect). The incision of the external , without removal of any part, was found among the Totonacas (Mexico) and tropical South American Indians. Infibulation, practiced in parts of North and East Africa, involves severing the clitoris, labia minora, and most of the labia majora and inducing their adhesion; this leaves only a small gen*ital opening and is thought to prevent until the opening is reopened through an incision. Dilation of the vag*inal opening, often with incision, was found among some Australian Aborigines. Lip elongation (tablier) was recorded from southern Africa and the Caroline Islands, and artificial defloration was found among Australian Aborigines and elsewhere. Because many cases of for*ced female gen*ital mutilation were recorded in the late 20th and early 21st centuries (see female gen*ital mutilation), the issue became the focus of international debates on the relative value of individual rights versus traditionalism. cultural.
limbs and extremities
Constriction of the arms or legs by tight bands can cause permanent enlargement of the unconstricted area. The custom occurred among various peoples in East Africa and tropical South America and also sporadically in Nigeria, Southeast Asia, and Melanesia.
From the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD) to the 20th century, many Chinese women had their feet tightly bound in early childhood, forming the famous "golden lily" feet, greatly reduced in size and deformed to fit an aesthetic ideal.
The amputation of a joint or entire finger, usually as a form of sacrifice or mourning, was common among North American Indians, Aboriginal Australians, San and Khoekhoe, Nicoba*rese, Tongans, Fijians, and some groups in New Guinea, South America. and elsewhere Amputation of toes was less common, but did occur in the Fiji duel.
The skin
Tattooed designs dating from c. 300–400 BC C., found in male burial at Kurgan II at Pazyryk, including detail of right shoulder and right arm; in the State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg.
Skin modification has been achieved in several ways. The tattoo introduces color into the skin through the use of needles or similar instruments. The rise of piercings among Westerners in the late 20th century was accompanied by a parallel rise in tattooing. In scarring or scarification, raised scars (keloids) are produced by incision or burn, usually in decorative patterns. Scarification occurred primarily among darker-skinned peoples in much of Africa, among Australian Aborigines and New Zealand Maori, and among many Melanesian and New Guinean groups, and was practiced both for aesthetic effect and to indicate status or status. lineage. Another form of skin modification is the introduction of objects under the skin, for example magical protective amulets ins*erted under the skin by some Myanmar peoples.
the torso
The torso modification focuses on the neck, trunk, and br*asts. The Padaung women of Myanmar were famous for stretching their necks, by means of coiled brass neck rings, to a length of about 15 inches (38 cm), pushing down on the clavicle, compressing the rib cage, and lifting about four thoracic vertebrae. in the neck.
Br*ast shape has often been altered for cosmetic reasons by compression (eg, in the Caucasus, in 16th- and 17th-century Spain) or distension (eg, among the Payaguá of Paraguay). Silicone gel br*ast enhancement implants came into use in the United States and other societies in the second half of the 20th century. The total or partial removal of the br*ast was known among the legendary Amazons, warriors of classical folklore; The removal of both from both br*asts was done for religious reasons by Skoptsy; and the amputation of the br*asts was a punishment prescribed by the Code of Hammurabi.
The shape of the torso has also been subject to modifications. Among various African peoples (Efik, Ganda, Nyoro, and others), girls were secluded at puberty for several months and fattened up on special diets. In some cultures, such as among the Sahrawis of North Africa, this tradition continued into the 21st century. Women in Middle Eastern harems were also artificially fattened for aesthetic reasons.
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