Getting your first tattoo is both terrifying and exciting, and you probably accept a meg questions already. How bad will it hurt? How do yous know if a parlor is safe? How much will it cost? Before you become annihilation permanently placed on your body, you should make certain every single one your pressing questions are answered.

Even though I have 9 tattoos and counting, I'thou still nowhere near an good on tattoo care. And so I enlisted the best professionals in the biz (a celeb tattoo creative person and two dermatologists) to spill all that tattoo-related tea—removals, reactions, pricing and more than. Along with their good medical advice, I also shared a few things I've learned from when I've personally gone under the needle—both the adept and very, VERY bad. Read on for all of the things you lot NEED to know before you go your kickoff tattoo.

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Prices vary depending on size.

Tattoo parlors adjust prices based on the size and way of the tattoo you lot want. And FYI, if they know you're a tat virgin, they might effort to up the price on you. Information technology'southward a skilful idea to call and ask for an estimate before you become in, although that number may change slightly in one case the design is drawn. If you tin, bring someone who has gotten inked before to assistance yous negotiate or do research on pricing beforehand to make sure y'all don't go ripped off.

DON'T go bargain hunting.

Many parlors have minimum prices (usually $50 or $100), and then a tiny heart tattoo, for example, shouldn't price much more than that. If someone is willing to practise your tattoo for $15...something'south off. Sketchy artists could hateful infections and shoddy work. Since your tattoo volition exist on your body for life and your wellness could be at adventure, it's an investment worth the money.

That being said, some parlors practice totally legit tattoo sales for holidays, similar Halloween or Friday the 13th (I've even seen some for Harry Potter's altogether). They're called "flash sales" and you choice a pre-fatigued blueprint for a discounted cost.

Other than that, though, tattoo shopping isn't the time to deal store. Instead, relieve upwardly for a professional, reputable tattoo artist. "If you can't afford to be tattooed past the artist that y'all want, you need to wait until you tin instead of settling for 'fast food,'" says celeb tattoo artist, Bang Bang McCurdy, who has tattooed celebs like Kylie Jenner, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato. "You won't regret waiting, merely you can absolutely regret not waiting."

You can be allergic to tattoo ink.

Ink allergies and allergic reactions to the prep and aftercare procedure tin can happen. How practice I know? Well, information technology happened to me and it f*cking sucked.

tattoo allergic reaction rash

My new tattoo one calendar week after I got information technology.

Kelsey Stiegman

Dr. Rachel Nazarian Doc FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in NYC, says ink allergies, though rare, aren't unheard of. Simply if you're experiencing a reaction, it's likely due to a substance used in the tattoo procedure or aftercare products (which is what happened to me).

"True allergic reactions to tattoos, and the ink, are very, very possible, just thankfully not super common. Often people with sensitive skin mountain a reaction to the prep procedure that cleans and sterilizes the pare, which is more than common than a true allergic reaction to the ink and tattoo itself."

If you do react badly, the tattoo might break out in an itchy crimson rash like mine, but Dr. Nazarian says it can be treated with steroids from your doctor or extra-forcefulness hydrocortisone cream. That'due south what I used and my tattoo healed simply fine after treatment, FYI. (Read the total story of my terrifying tattoo reaction here.)

You accept to be xviii to go one.

Yep, similar voting and scary movies, you've gotta be 18 to get inked. Some states will allow you to get a tattoo earlier with a parent's permission while you're still underaged, though.

Look into the parlor beforehand.

Just considering the tattoo parlor is inside walking distance from your dorm, doesn't mean information technology's a quality shop (I learned this one the hard way, btw). Visit the parlor, ask about their artists' licenses, and also check out reviews online – Yelp will give you allll that tea. Tattooing laws differ by state, then you should research the guidelines in your state and make sure anywhere you're considering has the proper licensing and adheres to those guidelines.

"Information technology'due south very important for a customer to feel comfortable with how clean the studio is," McCurdy says. "Ask an artist: What do you lot practice to clean in betwixt tattoos? How often do y'all make clean this station I'm going to be tattooed on? What kind of surface practice you tattoo off of?'"

The Tattoo Care Starter Pack

The parlor should be spotless (like, spotless spotless).

Getting a tattoo isn't a modest change, like coloring your hair. Some other man is *literally* creating an open wound that can get infected if the shop isn't taking proper precautions. Though it's much more of import how the surfaces and tools are being sanitized, the shop should look and olfactory property every bit clean as a hospital.

Make sure the artist uses a new, disposable needle and ink cup, and wears clean gloves.

Reusing needles can spread infection or cause you to contract a serious affliction, similar HIV or Hepatitis B. Yep, this sh*t is serious. And so your artist should use a brand new, single-use needle and apply all new cups, napkins, and gloves. Picket to brand sure they open the needle package in front of you lot to insure information technology's clean.

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Cheque that the surface you're getting tattooed on is a non-porous material.

Porous materials, like wood or marble, tin can be difficult to fully sanitize, so it's not a good option for a tattoo station. "A porous surface, like stone and marble, would not be something that your tattoo station should be fabricated of," says McCurdy. "Information technology should be stainless steel or a sterilizable material similar stainless."

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Follow the artist y'all're considering on Instagram.

Later you accept the parlor picked out, check out their artists' piece of work on Instagram and decide which i you want to work with. Unlike artists specialize in unlike tattoo styles – some are great with color, others with portraits or dainty script. Don't forget to read the comments to see what their customers retrieve.

The mode the design looks in the sketch is how it will wait on your skin.

The creative person will draw the outline of your tattoo before they apply it, so make sure you lot're particularly observant when you okay the design. The cartoon you lot approve will go directly onto your torso and the artist will use it every bit a tracing for the final tattoo. Be extra aware of spelling (it's non common that you'll get a misspelled tat, but information technology does happen) and don't be afraid to speak up well-nigh whatever changes yous want. Retrieve: this is forever.

If the artist makes you lot experience uncomfortable, leave.

If they get sassy when you enquire them to adjust the design, go out. If they shame your tattoo thought, leave. If they just mostly make you experience weird or uncomfortable, leave. Getting your starting time tattoo is scary and they shouldn't exist adding to your nerves or making you lot feel bad.

"I remember that in our industry it's a common thing where a young girl is going to come in to speak to an artist and is going to be met with a nose-in-the-air kind of attitude, like 'I don't want to do this girl's airheaded tattoo,'" McCurdy says. "I don't think that it'southward a fair thing or that a client should put up with that. You should find someone who wants to do your tattoo."

Bigger tattoos tin can take more i session to complete.

Larger designs or ones with a lot of color can have multiple sessions to finish, then your tattoo might not be complete after your first visit. A bigger design with a lot of detail or color might take ii sessions, while an entire sleeve could take months (and hundreds to thousands of dollars) to finish. On the other hand, a uncomplicated tattoo, like a small black star, should only take about five minutes. If y'all want a better idea of timeline, inquire your creative person to give you an estimate of how long information technology will have earlier yous get started.

Think virtually your tattoo for at least a year before you commit to it.

"When [you lot're] designing, endeavor to retrieve of the word 'timeless' because your tattoo will be timeless, even if your design is not," McCurdy says. What you think volition look cool rn, may change then you want to recall hard well-nigh the design and make certain you will nevertheless be into information technology months later. Recollect: your tastes may change over time but this will last forever.

Getting inked might seem like a fun thing to do with your friends on spring suspension or before graduation, getting a spur-of-the-moment tat is probably non a bully idea. "Call up twice before jumping into a tattoo," adds Dr. Cameron Rokhsar, a corrective dermatologist who often deals with 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. Tattoos of boyfriends and girlfriends [are] a no-no — people always regret information technology."

Don't get inked earlier your beach vacation.

The quote you desire on your rib cage volition look cracking with that cut-out swimsuit, but tattoos take at least two weeks to heal, then you won't exist able to swim (pool chemicals and ocean leaner are bad for a healing tattoo) or hang out in direct sunlight (even healed tattoos are sensitive to UV rays) if yous get it on or right before spring pause. Your best bet: Simply wait until you lot get home and make sure to stay out of the sun, ocean, or pool for at least two weeks after you get inked.

You'll probably have to get your tattoo touched up.

Tattoos fade over fourth dimension, no thing how well you lot care for them, because your skin is always shedding new layers. So you lot'll probably accept to go back under the needle at some betoken to keep it in tip-acme shape. You tin can go to any artist to go it touched up, simply if yous liked your original artist, it's always best to become back to them. A lot of parlors will give y'all a touch-up for gratuitous, just others accuse. Similar normal tattoos, touch on-up pricing varies based on the amount of work y'all need done, so if you're curious, ask your artist for an estimate or check the parlor's website – they'll likely have a affect-up policy outlined under their FAQs.

Tattoos fade faster when exposed to sunlight.

"There are sure parts of your skin that are exposed to more than sun, then pigments can pause downward quicker," McCurdy says. "Like the outside of your arm, it will age differently than the inside of your arm that isn't exposed to as much sun throughout your life." If you're outside a lot and worried about fading, considering getting inked in a spot that'south less exposed like the inside of your wrist and e'er, always, always clothing sunscreen, especially on your ink.

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The hurting depends on the tattoo placement.

Disclaimer: getting a tattoo will never non hurt. Pain tolerance differs for each person, simply generally, tattoos placed correct over bones tend to hurt the most. A tattoo on your foot or ribs might be an 8 on a scale of 1 to x, while a bicep tat might just be a 4. And of form, the bigger the tattoo, the longer you'll exist in pain. Speaking from personal experience, my foot, ribcage, and spine hurt the worst (in that gild), while tattoos on my hands and arms were much more tolerable.

If you don't end upwards liking your tattoo, you can get information technology covered up.

Information technology'due south pretty easy to get a tattoo covered up, peculiarly if it's pocket-size. A good artist tin can put a new blueprint over it, roofing the original tattoo completely — some parlors fifty-fifty specialize in comprehend-ups. So fifty-fifty if you do alter your listen one day, you won't be stuck with tattoo that yous detest.

Y'all tin too get tattoos removed.

You can get your tattoo removed with a laser treatment. Depending on the ink color, stubbornness of the ink, and size of the tattoo, information technology tin can take up to several sessions. Blue, blackness, and green inks are easier to remove with light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation handling because the lasers can notice those colors more than easily and thus, remove them more than accurately, says Dr. Rokhsar. Lighter colors, like yellowish and white, on the other manus, are more difficult to remove. But keep in mind, while the process eliminates the tattoo, information technology can leave scarring and the procedure tin be pricey.

Tattoo removal doesn't really hurt if you go to a doctor.

Salons offer the service, but since they are not medical professionals, y'all should never become to one for a tattoo removal. Go to a real, licensed doctor to get the procedure done – it's safer and pain-free, because different a salon, doctors can numb the surface area beforehand.

"Removing [a tattoo], really, is not painful at all. If you go to a doctor, the doc will numb information technology... with a local anesthetic," Dr. Rokhsar says. "When you read about people who say tattoo removal is painful, it's considering they're not going to doctors. They're going to various spas, not medical doctors. Spas cannot administrate anesthetic injections. A dr. tin tin can administer local anesthetics, so you'll feel cypher pain."

Y'all might non be able to get the exact tattoo you want.

If you want to get a lyric in a really tiny font, your creative person might turn down – and for skilful reason. If a font is likewise small, it tin drain together over time and basically just turn into a smudge. Instead, the designer might ask you lot to compromise with a slightly bigger font. Call back: Your artist is a professional, and so if they have some serious feelings about the logistics of your design, hear them out.

They might shave you get-go.

If yous're getting a tattoo on your arm or some other particularly hairy part of your body, the creative person might shave the spot beforehand — like a doctor would before a surgery (this is an open up wound, later on all). You lot tin can inquire in advance if y'all should shave the area earlier coming in, but most tattoos don't require it.

It will itch afterward.

After near a calendar week (sometimes sooner) new tattoos volition start to have a mild itch – simply any yous do, DON'T scratch it. Your fingernails can peel off the ink, leaving spots of un-tattooed skin on your tattoo. (If you practice accidentally scratch some ink off, though, your creative person can fix it hands with a touch up.) Dr. Rokhsar says scratching can besides lead to infection, so instead, slap your tattoo gently with a clean manus for relief. He likewise recommends using a Cortisone foam to take abroad the itch safely.

If the itching becomes unbearable or your tattoo breaks out in a rash (photos of that higher up), go to an urgent intendance or a dermatologist ASAP (again, more on that above).

Avert long showers while you're healing.

It's important to keep your new ink clean by gently washing the area with antibacterial lather and water, and so patting it dry out iii times a day. A petty water won't hurt information technology, simply endeavour to avoid spending also much time in the shower (no baths, please) after getting inked. Soaking your tattoo isn't good for it, because the h2o will boring downwardly the healing process by deteriorating your newly-forming skin. If you become a design on a role of your body that gets a lot of water in the shower, similar your back, try to go along your showers short and limit the surface area's contact with h2o until it heals.

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