Common Tattoo Mistakes

 Getting a new tattoo is exciting! During that excitement don't make these mistakes and you will end up with a great tattoo. 

The first and biggest mistake that you can make when you decide to get a tattoo is to not do your research beforehand. The day of your appointment is not the time to realize that you didn't think about how big the tattoo will be, where you want the tattoo to go, how much this tattoo will cost or if you even like the style the artist is planning on doing. The first thing you want to do is plan your tattoo out. Pick a size, placement, style, color or black and grey, and any specific details that you want to include or exclude. Once you do that then find an artist that matches what you are wanting. All of our artists here at Lucky Bamboo are extremely talented, and they have different and various styles. If you need help, ask and we would be happy to point you in the right direction. 

The next common mistake is not trusting your artist. Once you have a design in mind and have chosen an artist you have to be able to allow them to do their job. There needs to be a level of trust in order for the artist to interpret your ideas into an actual tattoo that will end up permanently on your body. It is important to give your tattoo artist the best description and details of what your tattoo idea is, but allow them to have enough artistic creative freedom to create the best tattoo for you. Also don't expect the artist to be comfortable copying another tattoo or artists work. Most tattoo artists will not copy and paste another artists work.  At Lucky Bamboo we are a custom tattoo shop and you can feel confident that the tattoo that you will receive is going to be one of a kind. 

Another mistake that people can make with their first tattoos or if they haven't gotten any in a while is not understanding the cost of that tattoo. Tattoos cost money and good tattoos can cost a lot of money. Keep in mind though that the price tag that you see up front is not what the artist is pocketing at the end. They have a multitude of costs including; equipment, supplies, shop fees, ect that all factor into the rate that you get quoted. You are also paying them for the time and effort it takes to prepare and then tattoo that on your body. It can seem like a lot but in reality the artist is only seeing a portion of that as a profit.  If the price is a bit more than what you can financially do at the moment there are options. You can wait and save up for the future. You can also ask and see if simplifying and shrinking the design down in size or detail could lower the cost for you. Just remember at the end of the day you will end up getting what you pay for.

On the day of the appointment don't make the mistake of coming in hungry or thirsty. Getting a tattoo seems like no big deal but in reality you can getting poked millions of times with a needle and your body sees that as trauma. Your adrenaline will spike and your body will use a lot of energy while you are just sitting there. You want to make sure you can be as comfortable as possible. Make sure to eat before and stay hydrated. Lucky Bamboo offers private rooms where you can bring a snack and/or a water bottle to keep you refreshed during your tattoo. If you don't eat, you might feel sick or dizzy and that can make your tattoo hurt worse than it normally would. 

And the very last mistake you can make is to not listen to your tattoo artists advice regarding aftercare. How you take care of your tattoo will determine how it will heal and look years down the road. The artist could create the perfect piece that in a few years looks tragic because you didn't listen to the aftercare advice and let it heal wrong or didn't use sunscreen to protect it. A tattoo is an investment in art and your artist is going to try to make sure that you have all of the information needed in order to protect that investment. 

In the end, it can be very easy to make a few mistakes here and there but don't hesitate to ask those questions so that at the end you will end up with the best tattoo possible.