Getting your starting time tattoo is both terrifying and exciting, and you lot probably accept a one thousand thousand questions already. How bad will information technology hurt? How exercise you lot know if a parlor is safe? How much will it cost? Before y'all get anything permanently placed on your torso, you should make sure every unmarried one your pressing questions are answered.

Even though I have ix tattoos and counting, I'm still nowhere near an expert on tattoo care. And so I enlisted the best professionals in the biz (a celeb tattoo artist and two dermatologists) to spill all that tattoo-related tea—removals, reactions, pricing and more. Forth with their expert medical advice, I besides shared a few things I've learned from when I've personally gone nether the needle—both the good and very, VERY bad. Read on for all of the things you NEED to know before yous get your first tattoo.

This content is imported from poll. Yous may be able to notice the same content in some other format, or you may be able to find more data, at their spider web site.

Prices vary depending on size.

Tattoo parlors adapt prices based on the size and style of the tattoo y'all want. And FYI, if they know y'all're a tat virgin, they might try to upwards the price on you. It'south a expert idea to call and ask for an estimate earlier you get in, although that number may change slightly one time the blueprint is fatigued. If you can, bring someone who has gotten inked before to help y'all negotiate or do inquiry on pricing beforehand to make sure you lot don't get ripped off.

DON'T go bargain hunting.

Many parlors have minimum prices (usually $50 or $100), and then a tiny heart tattoo, for case, shouldn't price much more than that. If someone is willing to do your tattoo for $15...something's off. Sketchy artists could hateful infections and shoddy piece of work. Since your tattoo will be on your body for life and your wellness could be at run a risk, it's an investment worth the money.

That beingness said, some parlors do totally legit tattoo sales for holidays, like Halloween or Friday the 13th (I've fifty-fifty seen some for Harry Potter's birthday). They're called "flash sales" and you pick a pre-fatigued design for a discounted toll.

Other than that, though, tattoo shopping isn't the time to deal shop. Instead, salve upward for a professional, reputable tattoo artist. "If you can't beget to be tattooed by the artist that you want, you need to wait until you can instead of settling for 'fast food,'" says celeb tattoo artist, Bang Bang McCurdy, who has tattooed celebs like Kylie Jenner, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato. "Yous won't regret waiting, just yous can admittedly regret non waiting."

Yous tin can be allergic to tattoo ink.

Ink allergies and allergic reactions to the prep and aftercare process tin can happen. How do I know? Well, it happened to me and it f*cking sucked.

tattoo allergic reaction rash

My new tattoo ane week later I got it.

Kelsey Stiegman

Dr. Rachel Nazarian Physician FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in NYC, says ink allergies, though rare, aren't unheard of. Just if you're experiencing a reaction, it'southward likely due to a substance used in the tattoo procedure or aftercare products (which is what happened to me).

"True allergic reactions to tattoos, and the ink, are very, very possible, merely thankfully not super mutual. Often people with sensitive skin mount a reaction to the prep process that cleans and sterilizes the pare, which is more common than a true allergic reaction to the ink and tattoo itself."

If you practice react badly, the tattoo might break out in an itchy reddish rash similar mine, but Dr. Nazarian says it can be treated with steroids from your medico or extra-forcefulness hydrocortisone cream. That's what I used and my tattoo healed just fine after handling, FYI. (Read the full story of my terrifying tattoo reaction here.)

You have to be xviii to get one.

Aye, like voting and scary movies, you've gotta be 18 to get inked. Some states will let you to become a tattoo earlier with a parent'southward permission while you're still underaged, though.

Look into the parlor beforehand.

Simply considering the tattoo parlor is within walking distance from your dorm, doesn't mean it's a quality shop (I learned this one the hard mode, btw). Visit the parlor, ask about their artists' licenses, and as well check out reviews online – Yelp will give you allll that tea. Tattooing laws differ past state, so y'all should research the guidelines in your land and make sure anywhere you lot're considering has the proper licensing and adheres to those guidelines.

"Information technology'due south very important for a client to feel comfy with how clean the studio is," McCurdy says. "Ask an artist: What do you exercise to clean in betwixt tattoos? How frequently do yous clean this station I'm going to be tattooed on? What kind of surface do y'all tattoo off of?'"

The Tattoo Care Starter Pack

The parlor should exist spotless (similar, spotless spotless).

Getting a tattoo isn't a minor change, like coloring your hair. Some other human being is *literally* creating an open wound that can get infected if the shop isn't taking proper precautions. Though it's much more of import how the surfaces and tools are being sanitized, the shop should look and smell every bit clean as a hospital.

Make certain the artist uses a new, disposable needle and ink cup, and wears clean gloves.

Reusing needles can spread infection or cause you to contract a serious illness, like HIV or Hepatitis B. Yeah, this sh*t is serious. And then your artist should employ a make new, single-use needle and use all new cups, napkins, and gloves. Picket to make sure they open the needle package in front end of you lot to insure it'due south clean.

This content is imported from poll. Yous may be able to find the same content in another format, or you lot may exist able to find more than data, at their web site.

Cheque that the surface you're getting tattooed on is a non-porous fabric.

Porous materials, similar wood or marble, can exist difficult to fully sanitize, and then information technology'southward not a good option for a tattoo station. "A porous surface, like rock and marble, would not be something that your tattoo station should exist made of," says McCurdy. "It should be stainless steel or a sterilizable material like stainless."

preview for Zayn Malik's New Face Tattoo CONFUSES Fans!

Follow the artist you lot're considering on Instagram.

After you accept the parlor picked out, check out their artists' work on Instagram and determine which one you want to work with. Dissimilar artists specialize in different tattoo styles – some are great with color, others with portraits or dainty script. Don't forget to read the comments to meet what their customers retrieve.

The way the blueprint looks in the sketch is how it will look on your skin.

The artist will depict the outline of your tattoo earlier they utilise it, and then make sure you're specially observant when you okay the design. The drawing you lot approve will go directly onto your body and the creative person will employ it as a tracing for the terminal tattoo. Exist actress aware of spelling (information technology'southward not common that you'll get a misspelled tat, but information technology does happen) and don't exist afraid to speak upwards about whatever changes you want. Remember: this is forever.

If the creative person makes yous feel uncomfortable, get out.

If they become sassy when y'all ask them to conform the pattern, exit. If they shame your tattoo idea, leave. If they just generally brand you feel weird or uncomfortable, leave. Getting your first tattoo is scary and they shouldn't be adding to your nerves or making yous feel bad.

"I call up that in our industry it'southward a common thing where a young girl is going to come up in to speak to an creative person and is going to exist met with a olfactory organ-in-the-air kind of mental attitude, like 'I don't desire to do this girl's silly tattoo,'" McCurdy says. "I don't think that it'due south a fair thing or that a client should put upwards with that. Yous should observe someone who wants to do your tattoo."

Bigger tattoos can take more than ane session to complete.

Larger designs or ones with a lot of color tin can take multiple sessions to finish, so your tattoo might not be complete after your get-go visit. A bigger design with a lot of detail or colour might have two sessions, while an entire sleeve could take months (and hundreds to thousands of dollars) to finish. On the other hand, a unproblematic tattoo, like a small black star, should only take most v minutes. If you want a better idea of timeline, ask your artist to give yous an guess of how long it volition take before you get started.

Think about your tattoo for at to the lowest degree a year before yous commit to it.

"When [yous're] designing, try to retrieve of the word 'timeless' because your tattoo will exist timeless, even if your design is non," McCurdy says. What you think will await cool rn, may modify so you lot want to remember hard about the pattern and brand sure you will nevertheless be into it months later. Remember: your tastes may change over time simply this will last forever.

Getting inked might seem similar a fun thing to do with your friends on spring break or before graduation, getting a spur-of-the-moment tat is probably not a bully idea. "Think twice earlier jumping into a tattoo," adds Dr. Cameron Rokhsar, a cosmetic dermatologist who often deals with tattoo removal. "Don't practice it on a whim, don't practice it when you're drinking — those are all the stories I go from my patients. Tattoos of boyfriends and girlfriends [are] a no-no — people ever regret it."

Don't get inked before your beach vacation.

The quote you want on your rib cage will await great with that cut-out swimsuit, only tattoos take at to the lowest degree two weeks to heal, then you won't be able to swim (pool chemicals and ocean bacteria are bad for a healing tattoo) or hang out in direct sunlight (even healed tattoos are sensitive to UV rays) if you get it on or right before spring break. Your best bet: Merely look until you become home and make sure to stay out of the sunday, sea, or puddle for at least two weeks after you get inked.

You'll probably have to get your tattoo touched up.

Tattoos fade over time, no thing how well you lot treat them, considering your skin is always shedding new layers. So yous'll probably accept to go dorsum under the needle at some betoken to continue it in tip-top shape. You can go to any artist to get it touched upwardly, but if you liked your original creative person, information technology's ever best to go back to them. A lot of parlors will requite y'all a touch-up for free, but others accuse. Like normal tattoos, touch on-up pricing varies based on the amount of piece of work you need done, then if you're curious, ask your creative person for an estimate or cheque the parlor's website – they'll likely have a impact-up policy outlined under their FAQs.

Tattoos fade faster when exposed to sunlight.

"There are sure parts of your skin that are exposed to more sun, so pigments can suspension downwardly quicker," McCurdy says. "Like the outside of your arm, information technology will age differently than the inside of your arm that isn't exposed to as much sunday throughout your life." If you're outside a lot and worried virtually fading, considering getting inked in a spot that's less exposed like the within of your wrist and e'er, e'er, always wear sunscreen, especially on your ink.

This content is imported from poll. Yous may be able to discover the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more data, at their web site.

The pain depends on the tattoo placement.

Disclaimer: getting a tattoo will never non hurt. Hurting tolerance differs for each person, but generally, tattoos placed right over bones tend to hurt the about. A tattoo on your foot or ribs might be an 8 on a calibration of i to 10, while a bicep tat might merely exist a 4. And of course, the bigger the tattoo, the longer yous'll be in pain. Speaking from personal experience, my human foot, ribcage, and spine hurt the worst (in that order), while tattoos on my easily and arms were much more than tolerable.

If yous don't end upward liking your tattoo, y'all can get information technology covered up.

It's pretty easy to get a tattoo covered up, especially if it's small. A good artist can put a new blueprint over it, covering the original tattoo completely — some parlors even specialize in cover-ups. So even if y'all do change your listen one day, you won't be stuck with tattoo that yous hate.

You lot can also go tattoos removed.

Yous can become your tattoo removed with a laser treatment. Depending on the ink color, stubbornness of the ink, and size of the tattoo, it can accept up to several sessions. Blue, black, and light-green inks are easier to remove with laser treatment considering the lasers can detect those colors more easily and thus, remove them more accurately, says Dr. Rokhsar. Lighter colors, like yellow and white, on the other hand, are more difficult to remove. Simply keep in mind, while the procedure eliminates the tattoo, it can go out scarring and the procedure tin can be pricey.

Tattoo removal doesn't actually hurt if you lot become to a medico.

Salons offer the service, merely since they are not medical professionals, you should never go to ane for a tattoo removal. Go to a real, licensed doctor to get the procedure washed – it's safer and hurting-free, because dissimilar a salon, doctors can numb the area beforehand.

"Removing [a tattoo], actually, is not painful at all. If you go to a dr., the dr. volition numb it... with a local anesthetic," Dr. Rokhsar says. "When yous read about people who say tattoo removal is painful, information technology's because they're not going to doctors. They're going to diverse spas, non medical doctors. Spas cannot administer anesthetic injections. A doctor can can administer local anesthetics, so y'all'll feel zero pain."

You might not be able to go the exact tattoo you want.

If y'all want to become a lyric in a really tiny font, your artist might refuse – and for good reason. If a font is as well pocket-sized, it can bleed together over time and basically just plow into a smudge. Instead, the designer might inquire y'all to compromise with a slightly bigger font. Retrieve: Your artist is a professional person, then if they have some serious feelings most the logistics of your design, hear them out.

They might shave you first.

If you lot're getting a tattoo on your arm or another particularly hairy function of your body, the artist might shave the spot beforehand — like a doc would before a surgery (this is an open wound, after all). You can ask in advance if you should shave the area before coming in, but most tattoos don't require it.

Information technology will itch later.

Later most a week (sometimes sooner) new tattoos will start to have a mild itch – but whatever you practise, DON'T scratch it. Your fingernails can peel off the ink, leaving spots of un-tattooed pare on your tattoo. (If yous practise accidentally scratch some ink off, though, your artist tin gear up it easily with a touch on up.) Dr. Rokhsar says scratching can also lead to infection, so instead, slap your tattoo gently with a clean hand for relief. He also recommends using a Cortisone cream to accept away the crawling safely.

If the itching becomes unbearable or your tattoo breaks out in a rash (photos of that above), become to an urgent care or a dermatologist ASAP (again, more on that above).

Avoid long showers while you're healing.

It'south important to go on your new ink make clean by gently washing the area with antibacterial soap and water, then patting it dry 3 times a twenty-four hours. A piddling water won't hurt it, but try to avoid spending too much time in the shower (no baths, please) after getting inked. Soaking your tattoo isn't skillful for it, because the water will slow down the healing process past deteriorating your newly-forming skin. If you go a design on a function of your body that gets a lot of h2o in the shower, like your back, endeavour to proceed your showers short and limit the area's contact with water until information technology heals.

Follow Kelsey on Instagram!