Tattoos are one of the most painful voluntary actions you can do to your body. I recently got my sixth tattoo, and I believe that the pain is more tolerable over time (depending on location of tat). I know when I got my first tattoo I was clueless when it came to anything tattoo related. Granted I didn't do much research beforehand, but to be honest I don't think many people do. Whether it's your first time or not, these tips will make your tattoo session a lot smoother
1. Bring anything that will help distract you: depending on the location on your tattoo, there are numerous things you can do to occupy yourself so you're not stuck focusing on the pain. My first tattoo was on my wrist (one of the most painful spots), while I was getting it done my sister was showing me comedy vines and it surprisingly helped a lot. Some shops have a television which is a major plus to try to distract yourself if you can hear it over the tattoo gun. Music is usually my number one go to, shops usually play it but if you wanna rock out to your own tunes you can.
2. Find an artist you're comfortable with: All of my tattoos that I have so far were done by different artists, and my experience at each shop was completely different. It is going to be difficult to relax and distract yourself if you're not comfortable. If you don't care about comfort at least check out the artists work before you get tatted. Tattoos are a pain in the ass to remove or cover so you want to make sure your artist is reliable or else you'll end up on tattoo nightmares or spending three times as much to get it removed.
3. Make sure you have a good meal: You will be losing blood, even if your tattoo is tiny you have to eat before you get a tattoo to help prevent you from passing out. Also make sure to keep yourself hydrated, drink a lot of water the day before and bring one the day of. It is not recommended to drink heavily the night or day of your tattoo appointment because it will thin out your blood and make you bleed more. Do not take pain pills before, for it also thins out your blood and is only meant to take after. If you're deathly afraid of pain but still want a tattoo ask your artist if you can use numbing cream before hand. I have never used it before so I cannot tell you if it works or not but it is a safer alternative from alcohol and pain pills, just make sure you consult with your artist before hand.
Sit back, relax and try to enjoy the experience as much as you can, it won't be fun but if you have a reputable artist you have nothing to worry about. Let them do their job and you'll have a masterpiece on your body for the rest of your life!
