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Wanna Get Inked? If you are thinking of getting a tattoo, you are bound to have questions. Here you will find answers about procedures, safety and aftercare of this popular art form. Don't see your question here? Call us at any of our locations to speak to a professional. How old do I have to be to get a tattoo? You must be at least 18 years of age with Government issued ID (drivers license, passport, military ID etc.) to get a tattoo. Does it hurt to be tattooed? Yes, it does hurt to be tattooed, the pain is not severe, but it is very uncomfortable, the pain is generally handled well by most people, as it is not an excruciating pain but more of an irritating pain. The tattoo will feel like a bad sunburn after it is complete and will feel that way for about 5 to 7 days. After the tattoo is completely healed it will not hurt at all. How do I prepare for a tattoo? First, and most important, you should not be under the influence of any drugs or alcohol. Alcohol works against a tattoo in several ways: First it impairs your judgment and you may pick out a tattoo that is silly or not at all what you really want. Second, alcohol thins your blood and makes you bleed more, therefore pushing ink that we are trying to get into your skin, out of your skin. Third, alcohol can make you flinch or twitch, and we can not tattoo on someone who is moving around. Drugs are a bad combination with tattoos, they can be a fatal combination in fact, and the adrenaline rush in your body can react with some drugs and can cause respiratory and cardiac failure. Some drugs, such as marijuana can cause the pain of a tattoo to be intensified and can be extremely painful. A sober person is the easiest to tattoo, and a sober person can handle a tattoo much better than a person under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It is a good idea to eat a full meal 2-3 hours prior to being tattooed Will the color fade? The color on your tattoo will fade if it is not properly taken care of as it heals, or if it exposed to the sun or tanning beds. Proper care of your tattoo is vital to its appearance and healing. Exposure to the sun will fade the color just as it fades the paint on a car that sits in the sun. How safe is it to get tattooed? In this day and age tattoos are completely safe if done in a clean environment by a professional with sterile instruments. There have never been any cases of AIDS reported due to tattoos. Hepatitis can be contracted through dirty needles in tattooing, but this can be completely avoided by going to a professional who practices sterile/aseptic techniques and never re-uses needles or inks. Can you help me pick out a design? YES! We will be happy to assist you in picking out a design that is right for you, and if we cant find one that is already drawn up, we will be happy to create one specifically for you. Just let us know what you want and we will draw it up for you. A non-refundable deposit is required. Please keep in mind that if you do not like the design we have drawn, or wish to get tattooed at a later date, the drawings must remain with us. Are the needles clean and new? Your needles are new, never ever re-used, and destroyed in front of you after your tattoo is complete. Your needles will be new, and sterile every time you get tattooed. The state of New York Health Department has relatively strict rules regarding tattoo studios. Used needles may harbor infectious bacteria from previous clients, and the needles will get dull after one or two uses. This is not an acceptable practice at Long Island Ink, and is not practiced in our studio. Needle re-use is unprofessional, a risk to our clients, and not to mention downright disgusting! Tattoo studios are not required to disclose this information to you, the client, it is vital that you ask your artist if your tattoo needles are new or used, not just sterile, NEW! If your artist skirts the question or tries to convince you that your needles are clean and sterile, ask again if they are NEW, if they can not answer you with a positive "yes they are new and destroyed in front of you after your tattoo is applied" get out of that studio FAST! Find a reputable studio that does not re-use their needles, your health is not worth the few extra dollars you may save! How do I take care of a new tattoo? Your artist will go over the care of your tattoo with you and tell you the proper ointment you should use, you will also receive written care instructions. It is very important that you follow these instructions exactly as they are laid out, this will ensure proper healing and minimal complications. We can not guarantee the successful healing of your tattoo if care instructions are not followed correctly. We are always here to answer your questions regarding healing, whether or not you are applying the right amount of ointment, should it be doing this, should it be doing that, etc. 95% of complications are due to over moisturizing, taking care of your tattoo a little to well can cause damage also so please don’t hesitate to give us a call if you are unsure about the proper healing of your tattoo. Do I need to make an appointment? It is a very good idea to make an appointment to get a tattoo. There are several reasons for this. First, this gives your artist time to draw up the design that you want so that he/she is not rushed when you walk through the door. Also, we can allow enough time to complete your tattoo without being rushed. Can you numb the area to be tattooed? No, for several reasons we cannot numb the area to be tattooed, we are not licensed to inject a local anesthetic, this may only be done by a licensed physician. How long does it take a tattoo to heal? Initial healing of a tattoo is about 5 to 10 days, complete healing of a tattoo is 45 days, this is how long it takes for skin to regenerate itself after being damaged. What about infection? If your tattoo was done under the cleanest possible circumstances with sterile instruments, sterile ink, and by a gloved artist, the after care of your tattoo is up to you. The risk of infection is minimal to none if your tattoo is properly taken care of and is not exposed to dirt, pet hair, swimming pools, lake or ocean water, hot tubs, dirty clothes, dirty bed linens, etc. It is important that you keep your tattoo clean at all times while it is healing. How does the tattoo machine work? The machine is hooked up to a power supply that regulates the amount of electrical current going to the machine. The needle is attached to a needle bar that is inserted into a tube and then attached to the machine itself. The electrical current makes the needles move back and forth at a high rate of speed moving in and out of the tube. This movement is turned on and off by a foot pedal on the floor, the whole process is similar to a sewing machine, with the needle moving only when the foot switch is depressed. The needle pushes the ink into the skin about 1/16th of an inch below the surface of the skin. The skin heals up over the ink leaving a permanent mark in the skin Can I get my new tattoo wet? For best results in healing your new tattoo, you should not get it wet at all. If you are using a product like Tattoo Goo which is a beeswax formula, it should be applied before you shower. Using the beeswax formula the water will just run off. You should never soak your new tattoo in any kind of water. Lake and ocean water are filled with bacteria and could cause an infection. Swimming pool water has chlorine in it which has a bleaching effect on a new tattoo. Need we say more? Can I suntan my tattoo? NO! Never ever should you expose your tattoo to the harmful rays of the sun! You wouldn’t put the Mona Lisa in the sun would you? This tattoo is going to be with you for the rest of your life, take care of it! The sun will fade your tattoo even after it is healed, always use a SPF 25 or higher sun block, not sun screen, sun block is the only thing that will block the rays of the sun. Not to mention that the sun is bad for you anyway! Will my tattoo scar? Your tattoo should not scar if it is properly taken care of and it is not picked at! The scab that peels off needs to come off in its own time with no assistance from you. If you do pick at the peeling skin your tattoo will most likely have spots in it with no ink or it will scar. There are a few exceptions to this rule. Keloids are an excessive amount of scar tissue that builds up where skin has been damaged. You are either prone to keloids or you aren’t. If you are, you probably know this by now and should alert your artist prior to being tattooed, special precautions will be taken as to minimize scaring. Keloids are hereditary and are predominately found in dark, olive or African American skin. If you are not sure if you are prone to this skin condition, please discuss it with your artist. Can I exercise with a new tattoo? Exercise should be avoided while your tattoo is healing, the pulling and stretching of the skin is not good for a healing tattoo, 10 days should be a sufficient amount of healing time. |
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