Okay, so the majority of us have established that tattoos look pretty cool, right? But there are a lot of terrible tattoos out there that people just cringe when they see them. I mean, we're talking about imprinting something on your skin for LIFE! Wouldn't you want it done right?
Here are 7 ways to avoid getting a bad tattoo.
7. Don't get tattooed in anyone's house.
It's hard enough to figure out if a tattoo parlour is good or bad so as a rule of thumb; if they're tattooing from home in the evening, they're usually not good enough to work in a real shop. Houses are not a sanitary environment. If they bought a tattoo gun on eBay and practiced on a few friends, run away. If they smoke while tattooing, run far far away!
6. Don't pick the cheapest tattooist.
There's a reason cheap tattoos aren't good and good tattoos aren't cheap. There's the costs of high quality ink and also the time a professional tattooist will spend drawing you a unique, high quality tattoo instead of tracing someone else's flash. If you think you're getting a great deal, be sure it's not at the expense of your skin. Think of how many years the tattoo will last. Trust me, it's worth it to have a tattoo that looks as good after ten years, as it did after the first week.
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5. Double check their portfolio.
Every tattoo a person has done is an indication of how yours will turn out. Check if the line work is wonky, if the colour is patchy, or if the shading looks ridiculous. Don't make excuses and don't assume it's a one off. If they couldn't do it right on another person, don't expect them to do it right for you. They're only as good as their worst tattoo.
4. Expect it to hurt.
No matter how good a tattooist is, if you're wriggling, twitching, pulling away or God forbid, passing out, they're going to struggle to keep the lines clean. Most professional tattooists will stock numbing cream for people with a low pain threshold. If you know you're not good with pain, don't be afraid to ask.
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3. Know what makes a bad tattoo.
It's not just the glaringly obvious spelling mistakes or unfortunate blobs. There are many ways a tattoo can be absolutely atrocious. Check out "fucknobadtattoos" on tumblr for a better understanding of the worst tattoos on the internet.
2. Listen to your tattooist.
Your tattooist will give you aftercare instructions: follow them! The more tattoos you have, the more aftercare becomes second nature to you. But for your first few, make sure you look after your new tattoo exactly how your tattooist tells you to.
1. Don't get tattooed while drunk on holidays.
Getting your best friend's name tattooed on your ass while wasted on 50 cent shots, before falling asleep in the sun is a recipe for a terrible, and probably infected, tattoo. If your drunk self insists, at least get it somewhere you can easily cover...
