RTS Tips & Tricks
- Scott Carney
- May 12
- 4 min read
S1.E6. I'll try everything once...
And just like that, out of nowhere, tattoo day is upon us. You booked it ages ago and now all of a sudden your appointment for your very first tattoo is tomorrow and you are massively unprepared... It's cool, don't worry, let's dive into some tips and tricks I advise people who are getting their first tattoo.
1. Mentally prepare
Hopefully you read our blog with advice on how to actually book your first tattoo? Right? ... So we will work under the assumption you're super confident about who you have booked an appointment with and what you're getting. Cool cool cool. The first thing I always say to people for their first tattoo is to mentally prepare yourself for the day. Whether you're getting a small tattoo or jumping head first into a large scale piece, as a general rule of thumb, tattoos hurt. Sorry to lead with that but, they do. Of course, everyone is different, but if you're expecting it to hurt, or at least at the bare minimum expecting discomfort, then you will be mentally prepared and ready for that situation. You are setting your mind up for strength and resilience rather than shock and fear. The pain from the tattoo will then either be what you have anticipated, so it's not a shock and you're equipped ready to deal with it... or... It will be less painful than you built up in your head, which is a win. The opposite scenario to this is way worse in my experience, expecting it to be super easy and pain free and it turns out you that your "friend" who said it was a walk in the park is actually just a psycho that feels nothing and is dead inside.
2. Nerves are good
Just a little addition to the above as it all ties together. Being nervous is good. Don't get me wrong, crippling nerves, not so much, but a steady amount of nervousness and apprehension I personally think can work truly in your favour. It is your mind and body preparing itself for the unknown. It means you will have a little more adrenaline, which is super useful for the start of the tattoo for sure. My advice is always to lean into the nerves, don't fight them off, they're perfectly normal and perfectly useful. The human body is super clever, let it cook.
3. Be open and honest
This applies throughout the entire process of your tattoo. Again, hopefully you are confident and comfortable with your artist to be open about how you're feeling. Whether this is flagging things before hand that you're unsure about, how you are feeling or anything that crops up during the day. Any good artist in my opinion, will always want know about how you're feeling and if they don't ask, that's ok, just make sure you do speak up.
4. Taking breaks
Both you and your artist will likely need breaks during your session. This is perfectly normal and very much expected from the majority of tattoo artists, especially with longer sittings. It can be useful to have a chat before hand if there are any set points or times that would work for you both, some studios and artists like to down tools for lunch breaks for example. Fundamentally though, as the client, if you ever need to stop, let your artist know. Whether this is just for a few minutes of respite from the tattoo, to stretch out the limbs, to get a little more comfortable, to grab a drink, get a snack or for a bathroom break. All are valid. As an artist writing this being on the other side, of course, being a little mindful and respectful of the artists process is important too. Not stopping every 2 minutes and expecting a lot of progress for example, but for me personally, your comfort and wellbeing will always take priority but that does mean the client will need to be understanding about the reality of the progress of the tattoo also. Swings and roundabouts I guess.
5. Enjoy it
Yes, it hurts, yes, getting that bit tattooed is more annoying than that bit, yes, the healing process is going to be a little inconvenient but remember, this is something you want and it will all very much be worth it in the end. So try to remind yourself, in those moments when it's a little rubbish and sucky, to have fun and enjoy the process. I have no doubt you will love the end result and you will feel proud of yourself, the tattoo high hits different.
Trust the process.
Getting a tattoo, especially your first tattoo, is an experience and is one of the few things that is for life. Always trust the process, trust how you got there, trust where you are and trust the result. It's a moment in time that you will be able to look back on and remember when you see your new tattoo, so try to be present for it.
Comments