Ken's outlook on

Preparing Yourself for a Tattoo

There are a few things that you can do to prepare yourself and your body when you have decide on getting a tattoo/piercing.
You must remember that getting a tattoo/piercing is in all sense a medical procedure, albeit one that only effects the surface of your skin as in the tattoo itself or one that effects a puncture wound as in a piercing, non-the-less it is a procedure that involves the utmost care in sterilization at hospital grade standards too ensure your safety and health.

One of the things that you can do to help your body accept the procedure is, On the night before getting a tattoo or piercing be sure to get plenty of rest, this will help your body to heal itself better.

Avoid drinking alcohol on the day before getting a tattoo or piercing. Alcohol thins your blood which causes you to bleed more which effects the inks ability to take to your skin and makes it harder for the artist to see what they are tattooing on you, try to avoid taking aspirin as this also will thin your blood, there are also other medications that will have this effect on thinning your blood so please check before hand.
If you have been drinking on the day of your tattoo or piercing forget about it. Sober up and come back another day because...You will not get any of these services, No Alcohol !!!

If you have any medical or health issues or risks be sure to discuss these with your doctor beforehand, and be sure to make mention of them to your piercer or tattooist. If you are sick or your immune system has been fighting an infection it is wiser to postpone getting a tattoo or piercing until you are healthy again. As stated above, these services are wounds and as with any wound it needs the best chance to heal, by waiting to have these procedures done you are ensuring the best possible chances for your body to heal for the most optimal quality from the work that was done on you.

If you are getting a tattoo be sure to have purchased a vitamin A+D ointment and a hypo-allergenic skin lotion (please see the Aftercare section) beforehand, this will ensure that you have it on hand for the healing duration, Do Not Share these ointments with others to avoid any possibility of cross contamination of blood borne pathogens.

Plan the day you get your tattoo around your personal life, you do not want to get a fresh tattoo and then go to work in a sweaty, dirty shop where you will get sweat and dirt onto your new tattoo. Do your best to avoid this situation by scheduling the day you get your tattoo on a day you will have time to heal before exposing it to this type of situation.

Be sure to wear loose clothing, the clothing you choose not only should be loose fitting but also should be clothing that you don't mind getting blood, ink, and ointment on. Avoid fuzzy types of clothing during the healing process as the fabric will stick to your tattoo as it heals and may effect your tattoos ability to heal properly.

Be sure to have ate something beforehand especially if it is a large tattoo that will take a few hours to produce, be aware that your blood sugar may effect the procedure.

And most importantly Show Up for Your Tattoo Appointment On Time if not a little early, Your tattooist is a very busy individual who sets appointments up just as a Doctor would, his/her time is valuable and when you are late for an appointment it can effect others who have set appointments up also. If you cannot make your appointment or are going to be late be sure to call well in advance of the appointment time so that your Tattooist can either adjust their schedule or reschedule the appointment altogether.

You are now on your way to receiving one of the few purchases that you will make in your life that will last your whole lifetime. Congratulations to your new addiction.

Ken Whitten and the staff at Sky Images Tattooing