What you need to know before getting your first tattoo?

A tattoo is a great way to refresh your look and beautify your own body. But before making the first tattoo, it is important to know all the aspects and features of such a procedure.

Some people have been choosing a tattoo for years. For others, a couple of minutes is enough to make a choice forever. In any case, the decision must be balanced and firm. The following tips will help in choosing an image idea:

• If you have at least a general idea of ​​what should be typed, then a search on the Internet will be the best solution.... For example, you want a tattoo with a picture of a wolf. Review the sketches, decide on the style of application, colors.
• If there are no ideas at all, you can push off from another: choose the place where you want a tattoo, and then look for images related to this particular area. You will be surprised at the number of solutions offered by the masters.
• If you do not want to search the Internet, you can contact the salon directly. There, the masters will allow you to see their work and advise on the image that is right for you.
• Sign up to a tattoo artist... This specialist can also provide good advice. He is also able to help with the selection of the place for application.
• Consider the size of the tattoo... Keep in mind that realistic images cannot be made tiny, and a tattoo that is too small will look strange on a large area of ​​the back.
• Decide on the color of the image... If nothing comes to mind, feel free to stick with the black and white version. In the future, it will be possible to make it colored, but on the contrary - not.

As for the images themselves, there are hundreds of thousands of them. If we divide the pictures into several groups, then the girls most often choose the images:

• precious stones;
• flowers;
• butterflies;
• angels;
• symbols of infinity, femininity, fertility;
• letters and signs of the zodiac;
• animals, fantastic creatures;
• stars, plants;
• wings;
• crowns;
• fruit;
• mandalas;
• feathers;
• inscriptions.

Guys love tattoos like:

• predatory animals;
• celtic symbols;
• warriors, military symbols;
• fish;
• Greek and Egyptian gods and characters;
• Crow;
• natural landscapes, especially mountains;
• playing cards, weapons;
• compass, ships;
• cross;
• masks, faces;
• runes.

The following options are not a good idea (in any case, it is recommended to weigh such a solution a hundred times):

• Portrait tattoo... Especially often they choose their favorite heroes of films, actors, and just loved ones. However, think about whether this actor will be liked in a year. Or whether you have known a person enough time to depict his face on your body under the influence of emotions.
• The name of the beloved / sweetheart. If love passes, and the tattoo remains, it will look more than ridiculous.
• Phrases with incomprehensible meaning... For example, you like Chinese or Arabic. Getting a tattoo, and only then starting to understand the meaning, is a bad idea.

The first tattoo must be chosen most carefully: and not only the image, but also the place of its application. Be sure to focus on size. However, it is better to make the first tattoo small so that you can evaluate the process and understand if you are ready for the next drawings. It is also important to consider the pain threshold. If you are afraid of pain, it is better to get a tattoo on the bicep, calf muscle. The most painful thing is to fill in drawings on the elbows, ankles, shoulder blades, fingers.

Here are some more helpful tips:

• if it is impossible to have a tattoo in a conspicuous place (for example, it is forbidden by the dress code at work), then choose hidden areas: forearm, back, legs;
• do not get a tattoo where the skin can stretch due to weight gain (for example, the lower abdomen);
• the image may hide the scar, but after it heals, at least a year must pass, otherwise the skin may become inflamed;
• do not try to hide an ugly mole or stain with a tattoo: the master will still bypass this particular place due to the high risk of skin damage.

Some people get tattoos at home, but this is not really the right decision. It is better to go to a well-known salon, where craftsmen have been working with people for several days. Before going to a specialist, you should ask about the tools. The professional always uses a sterile, disposable instrument. If the master does not want to answer such questions, he looks annoyed, it is better to look for another specialist.

Before recording, you need to look at examples of the master's work... If there are too few drawings in the portfolio, this may mean that you are in front of a beginner tattooist. In addition, a good specialist will not apply the tattoo right away. He will recommend making an appointment for a consultation a few days before the procedure.

It is not recommended to get a tattoo in the summer. After the procedure for applying the tattoo, the place will hurt. And in the scorching sun, you will have a hard time. In addition, in dry summers there is a risk of dust, sweat, dirt, fluff getting into the wound. Keep in mind that a couple of days after application, a crust forms on the drawing, which will look unaesthetic and will definitely attract attention.

From the above, we can conclude that it is best to get a tattoo in early autumn or spring, when it gets warmer, but there is no heat. Drawing can be done in winter, but rubbing against clothing can increase soreness and prolong the healing process. It should be noted that despite all the risks and prohibitions, many people decide to get a tattoo in the summer. If there is no other way out, then for the procedure it is worth choosing the coolest day possible. Also prepare yourself for you will have to take care of such a pattern more carefully and scrupulously.

Before heading to the salon, you need to prepare for several days. The speed of the pattern healing, as well as the feeling during the procedure, will depend on the correct preparation. So, on the day of the session, it is strictly forbidden to lie in the sun on the beach, go to the solarium, bathhouse. Such procedures will provoke pore expansion, so the master will have to deal with constantly protruding blood. For the same reason, you cannot drink medicines that thin the blood. Before the session, you must not drink coffee, and for a couple of days - alcohol. Alcohol, "walking" through the blood, will aggravate pain sensations several times. But you need to eat in a couple of hours, but the nutrition must be correct. Avoid eating fatty, salty, or overly sugary foods. You can drink herbal tea or a mild sedative.

You also need to dress properly. You should not wear tight-fitting outfits that will interfere with the work of the master. It is better to choose loose-fitting clothes. If the tattoo will be on the leg, opt for shorts or breeches. Take your e-book with you, download music to your phone. All this will make you feel more comfortable during the session.

There is no definite answer to the question of how long it will take to sketch. It all depends not only on the size, but also on the detail of the image. So, small minimalistic tattoos can be applied in one session. It will take several hours. Detailed and volumetric images, especially patterns in the style of Celtic, biomechanics, Polynesia, Maori, are a different matter. Here, breaks will be required, since both the master will not be able to unbend for several hours, and the client will endure the pain.

Large tattoos are usually struck in patches. The next section begins to be performed when the previous one has healed. This can be a few weeks apart. For example, to make an image from elbow to shoulder, the artist may need about 4 sessions of 3 hours each.

After the first tattoo has been done, you need to remember to take care of it and adhere to some rules.

• After application, the tattoo is covered with a film so that no dirt gets on it.... At home, the film will need to be changed. The film is removed, the skin is washed with soap, very gently, blotted with a towel and smeared with a healing ointment. Then the film is applied again. After three days, the need for it will disappear: the tattoo should heal in the fresh air.
• Wipe the drawing twice a day with a cotton swab dipped in cool chamomile broth. If the tattoo itches, use a soothing and cooling ointment.
• Wash your drawing with warm or cool water several times a day, dry gently with a clean towel.
• If you notice small drops of paint, don't worry. However, if red spots appear, the tattoo site hurts, itches a lot, swells, then it is better to go to the doctor.
• After about a week, a crust will appear on the tattoo. You cannot tear it off.After a couple of days, she disappears by herself.

In general, the healing process of a tattoo rarely takes more than 21 days. To keep within this period, you need to remember some of the mistakes of beginners and not make them:

• do not rub the tattoo with a washcloth;
• do not use products with alcohol in the composition;
• do not drink alcohol at least the first days after the procedure;
• do not visit the pool, solarium, bathhouse, beach;
• protect the drawing from direct ultraviolet radiation;
• do not brush off the crust;
• exercise with caution.