Tattoo Checklist Before Getting a Tattoo | Page 12

If you’re still young, or look young, be sure to have some form of ID on you so the
shop can confirm your age when you get there. You may not be allowed to get tattooed
without it.
Don't Go If You're Ill
Not only will you feel terrible getting tattooed if you’re not well, but you could also
spread your illness around the studio very easily. This could mean you end up
infecting others around you.
Do the right thing and make sure to phone your artist as early as possible if you’re ill
in order to rearrange your appointment for another day.
Pack A Small Bag Of Essentials
There are a few things you can take to a tattoo sitting to make things a bit easier for
yourself. Make sure you make a bag up which contains a few items such as a
snack/lunch, plenty of water, a fully charged cell phone, and maybe some
headphones.
Take Care of Your Tattoo
You finally did it. You got the tattoo you always wanted. It’s bright and it’s colorful.
But now you have to take care of it to make sure you don’t get a skin infection. So
how do you even know what the right steps are? Should you trust the tattoo artist?
Ask your dermatologist?
It depends on where you live, really. In the United States there are few guidelines for
tattooing, and even fewer for aftercare.
Currently, 7 states have no regulations at all; 30 states license tattoo artists and require
them to give you written or verbal instructions on how to take care of your new work
of art.
But just 7 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Louisiana, Massachusetts,
Michigan, and North Dakota, require tattoo artists to provide their customers with
aftercare instructions mandated by the public health department.
Dermatologists think this needs to change so that everyone who gets a tattoo also gets
instructions on how to take care of it to prevent infections and serious complications.