How To Set Up a Tattoo Appointment
The whole tattooing process can seem a bit difficult if you are a first-timer. From setting up an appointment to tattoo aftercare, you might face hundreds of new questions each day. Worry less as we are here for you. Let’s start with “how to set up a tattoo appointment?”
To set up a tattoo appointment, you need to first consider some things like the design of the tattoo, budget, and what kind of tattoo artist you prefer. Going through websites, you can book an appointment with your preferred tattoo studio.
There are more steps and procedures to set up a tattoo appointment. Stay tuned to this article to know more.
How To Set Up a Tattoo Appointment?
Choose a tattoo studio first. Make sure you double-check the artist’s profile and reputation because you don’t want to regret getting the tattoo you’re excited about. Once you choose the tattoo studio, the half work is done for you.
Most of the artists so far make reservations via email. They invite customers to email them booking requests, usually with a list of requirements that a potential customer must meet.
Make sure you comply with all criteria and read up on the booking policies for your performer.
Now, let’s go through the step-by-step process of setting up a tattoo appointment.
Step 1: Design idea, and budget,
First of all, you need to select your own preferred design. If you can properly explain the design idea of your tattoo, the tattoo artist can make an assumption and tell you how much it may cost you. To make things easier for you, the standard tattoo price in the USA is given here-
| Size | Average Price |
| Tiny tattoo | $30 – $100 |
| Small Tattoo | $50 – $250 |
| Medium Tattoo | $150 – $450 |
| Large Tattoo | $500 – $4,000 |
The price may vary according to the placement of your tattoo, but this table may give you a fair picture of the price range.
Step 2: Find the desired tattoo artist
Make sure to research properly and look at tattoo artists’ reviews on websites and samples of their work before choosing one. The tattoo artists are very careful about their reputation, so you need to see how their review is and customer comments about the artist and studio.
Always check their website or social media accounts, as well as the website and social media accounts of the studio where they are employed. Cause the better the review, the more chance the artist has to be more efficient in their job.
Step 3: How to contact the tattoo artist
The steps you need to follow to email a tattoo artist-
- A simple description of your idea and any photo references you may have.
- The size and body part you’d like to have tattooed, as well as your budget.
- Any particular style, colors, or details
- Dates that work well for you.
When you message a tattoo artist, you just need to be straightforward and polite. Keep the application short enough so that your tattoo artist understands the assignment clearly.
Step 4: Price and money deposit
Keep in mind that deposits are made for a purpose. In fact, especially for bespoke artwork, the majority of artists won’t accept your order without payment.
Keep in mind that a unique work of art is being created only for you! In addition to covering the cost of the original sketch and the drawing time, your first deposit also, ideally, ensures that you’ll show up for your appointment.
People do indeed frequently cancel appointments, which may seem strange. And it may be really demoralizing. Your investment shows that the artist’s time wasn’t completely wasted.
Step 5: Be well-prepared for the session
Be sure to drink plenty of water. The night before, avoid going out drinking because alcohol thins the blood. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and bring a bottle along just in case.
Drinking enough water benefits your body overall, but it’s especially beneficial for issues like pain management. Your blood vessels and skin will appreciate it.
Given that you are a living, breathing human being, you should definitely be considering this anyway, but just in case keeping track of your eating and sleeping habits is a challenge for you, pay special attention before your tattoo appointment.
It’s important to arrive clean and fresh for your tattoo appointment, and if you suffer from dry skin, a little light moisturizing will work wonders. This will provide your tattoo artist with the greatest possible canvas. Consider hydrating both internally and externally.
Even though it might sound a little strange, meditating or simply making sure you’re at peace can be incredibly beneficial, especially if you’re getting your first tattoo.
It can be quite exciting and give you the jitters, but once you’re in agony and under the needle, all that anticipation can strike you rather hard.
Things To Consider Before Setting Up a Tattoo Appointment
Yes, there are a few things you should check once before you go for a tattoo session.
Different booking procedures
Different tattoo artists have different ways of appointment. Their booking procedure has a variety of steps and procedures that varies from professional artist to artist.
For example, some may require you to fill out a form, some may require websites, Facebook, or any other social media.
Make sure you comply with all criteria and read up on the booking policies for your tattoo artist. If you don’t include all the important details about your tattoo while making the reservation, your request will probably be ignored, and you won’t be given an appointment.
It may take time to set up an appointment
You need to remember that each tattoo artist runs their own company. The majority of tattoo artists either handle their own bookings or work with an assistant to arrange appointments. While every artist has a distinct booking schedule, most scheduled sessions may take months to even years.
This implies that if you truly want a specific professional artist to design your tattoo, you could have to wait anywhere between three and twelve months to get it done.
Furthermore, as many popular artists have a waiting list of customers, scheduling booking requests does not always work. You might not be able to schedule an appointment. Instead, one thing can happen, that is adding your name to the waiting list and you’ll hear from the artist as soon as they have any openings.
Keep up to date with the studio and tattoo artist
Follow the tattoo artist on Instagram and adjust your notification settings so that you receive updates from him or her even if the schedule is presently full if you are genuinely interested in booking a tattoo. The majority of artists will provide information about when their booking will open and how to make an appointment.
Then you can do things to remember to submit your request by the deadline specified by the artist, such as setting an alarm, marking a reminder on your calendar, or creating a notice on your phone.
What Should You Not Do Before a Tattoo Appointment
Control yourself and avoid doing the stuff below before you get a tattoo. The patience will be worth it because the healing process is way faster and easier if you avoid the things throughout the tattooing journey.
Alcohol and Drinking
First and foremost, it is illegal for tattoo artists to tattoo and offer their services to clients who are drunk. However, if your drunkness is not apparent, you manage to pass the visibility test, and you get a tattoo, you can still be in trouble.
There is a reason tattooing while drunk is strongly discouraged. Here are a few explanations for why this is the case.
- Alcohol thins the blood, which might add to the bloody mess you’ll encounter while getting a tattoo.
- Because your blood gets thinned, you might bleed a lot more during the session than if you’re sober. It will create problems for the tattoo artist’s vision and ability to accurately trace and tattoo. This could seriously harm the outcome.
Medications That Thin Blood
Like alcohol, several medications like aspirin or ibuprofen can thin the blood. At least 24 to 48 hours before having a tattoo, avoid taking such medications.
Bleeding may happen during the tattooing process if you take a medication like that before getting tattooed. If you take those pills, it may create problems due to the lack of visibility for the artist and the artist may botch up the design.
Not to mention that your tattoo will heal more slowly because the blood will be thinner and hence less likely to clot.
Sun Exposure
You would be mistaken to believe that you can simply go get a tattoo after spending all day at the beach.
Skin injury from sun exposure is known as “burning.” Both extreme skin dryness and peeling may result from this. Imagine applying a tattoo to skin this damaged. Not only will the tattoo look terrible, but it will also pain a lot more than usual.
Additionally, a tattoo infection and a delayed healing time can also be caused by damaged skin. Sunburned skin must be avoided both before and after having a tattoo. To prevent fading and aging, you must continue to protect your tattoo from the sun even after it has healed.
Dairy and Sugar
There is some food that may slow down the healing process as these are tougher for the body to digest. Consuming extra dairy and sweets before getting a tattoo may make the healing process more difficult and lengthy.
Additionally, eating a lot of milk and sweets might make your skin expand and make you bloat. This might ruin the tattoo, especially if it’s in the area of the abdomen. After the bloating subsides, the stretched skin may alter how the tattoo appears.
Caffeine
Caffeine should absolutely be avoided before getting a tattoo. Caffeine may give you the boost you need to endure a tattooing session, but it will also have some negative effects. For example,
- Caffeine can make you anxious and restless.
- It can raise blood sugar levels.
- It may impede tattoo healing in the initial days when the tattoo should cease bleeding and begin to dry off
Caffeine has short-term impacts, but while it’s in the body, it can also have long-term effects including drying up the skin and thinning the blood.
Avoiding Showering
Every tattoo artist will claim that when a customer comes in for a tattoo, they want them to look presentable and clean. You can avoid smelling bad and upsetting your tattoo artist by taking a shower and properly cleansing yourself.
Additionally, skipping a shower can result in bacterial transmission during the tattooing procedure. Millions of germs and old skin cells are present in dirty skin, and these can all end up on your tattooed skin and result in an illness.
This is particularly true when the tattoo is situated close to the genital area or armpits, where the skin is more perspiration-prone and damp.
Wearing Tight Clothes
It’s important to dress comfortably and loosely both before and after getting a tattoo. You will be able to sit or lie down comfortably if you wear comfortable clothing during the tattoo procedure.
Additionally, you must dress for the part of your body that will receive the tattoo. This implies that you won’t wear tight pants or tights while getting a tattoo on your thigh. You will put on a short dress or pair of shorts instead.
Where Should a First-Timer Get a Tattoo
If you are concerned about pain, you should learn how to pick your tattoo’s location where it will hurt less. So, you should choose the parts of your body that have more muscle and fat. The less cushioning you have, the closer those needles will be to your bones, and the greater pain you will experience.
Knowing that allows you to select a location that has more padding, especially if this is your first tattoo. It is much preferable to have your first tattoo on a body part that is less painful.
8 places to tattoo where it hurts less
- Calf
- Ear Cartilage
- Forearm
- Upper arm
- Shoulders
- Earlobe
- Fingernail
- Thigh
FAQ
Do you pay before or after a tattoo?
When you and your tattoo artist decide on a day for your appointment, you’ll need to put a deposit down to secure the time. Tattoo artists utilize tattoo deposits to cover their costs in the event that a client cancels and to encourage clients to show up for their appointments.
Deposits are typically determined by the artist or the store as a percentage of the expected charge or as a flat price.
Can I see the design in advance?
Although it’s not always the case, some tattoo artists could choose to withhold the design from you until the day of your consultation.
Many professional artists in the tattoo industry do this in an effort to reduce significant design revisions and customer nitpicking. To ensure that you receive the desired item, most of the artists will make minor alterations and tweaks to the design when you meet..
Should I go for cheaper tattoos?
No, you should not. Tattoos are an artistic medium, and no art is inexpensive. With tattoos, you can’t cut corners, therefore you should put money aside before getting one to ensure the highest possible quality.
The artist will let you know the price once you and they have decided on a design, a location, and a time. Don’t then try to negotiate a lesser price because you’d be undervaluing the effort, time, and years of training they’ve invested.
Final Words
Did you find the answers you were looking for?
Although people things it is hard, setting up a tattoo appointment is quite easy. You should follow the instructions properly to make the tattoo procedure easy for you and also the tattoo artist. Sometimes they might give you a date which may take months.
So, you should have patience and follow the steps we have talked about in this article carefully. Good luck!
