This is my first tattoo…
…does it hurt?
Overall, people tend to find the experience less painful than they were expecting. Areas of the body and style of tattoo will influence pain, as well as personal pain tolerance. Tattoos stay close to the surface of the skin, so the sensation is less like a shot or piercing, and more like a repetitive cat scratch.
…what should I do to prepare ahead of my appointment?
If you want to go above and beyond it is helpful to moisturize the area where you’ll be getting tattooed for the days leading up to your appointment, however it isn’t necessary. Make sure you leave plenty of cushion time before and after your appointment to rest and care for yourself. Eat a solid meal within a couple hours of getting a tattoo, hydrate, bring water to your appointment. It’s best not to have somewhere to rush off to as sometimes getting a tattoo can make you want to rest.
…what should I know about healing the tattoo?
Receiving a tattoo creates an open wound that needs to be properly cared for. Tattoo aftercare is important to ensure your tattoo heals properly. You can find a link to my aftercare sheet below for specific time windows, but in general, you can be prepared before your tattoo by having clean paper towels, a fragrance free gentle soap like doctor Bronners or Dove beauty bar (or another similar), and a gentle fragrance-free moisturizer such as aquaphor, lubriderm, gold bond, etc.
…should I use numbing cream?
Numbing cream can sometimes change the texture of the skin, making it harder for ink to penetrate. This can lead to trouble with healing. Our bodies generally build a tolerance to tattoo, and many who have used numbing cream report that without the tolerance buildup, once the cream inevitably wears off the pain feels worse than it would have starting the tattoo without cream. If you are worried about the pain and still want to consider it as an option, please reach out so we can discuss the potential risks and the safest way of proceeding.
Please do not hesitate to reach out with specific questions about the process of receiving a tattoo :)
adieleemortonart@gmail.com