Find the right artist for you
“My customers generally come to me for my style,” says Aly Sidgwick, a tattoo artist at Take Note in Edinburgh. “I do a lot of woodland creatures, like bats, badgers and birds, and also mythical creatures.” Trawling through designs on social media can be helpful in choosing an artist, if a little overwhelming: “Work out if you want something bold and bright or soft and subtle,” says Sidgwick, “then look online and see what kind of styles there are and who does those designs in your town.” Be prepared to travel for the right artist, Sidgwick adds.
Research the artist’s credentials, says Casey Marie, a tattooist and owner of Seven Stones in Bristol. “Ask if they have a licence and insurance.” Find out about cleanliness levels by popping into the studio or checking online videos and reviews: “I always open my needles in front of clients so they know that they are fresh.” Also consider the cost and be clear about the likely price upfront: some artists, including Casey Marie, charge per artwork, while others, like Sidgwick, charge by the hour. Most will ask for a non-refundable deposit on booking.
Think about what technique you want to go for. Jemima Keziah is a non-electric or hand-poke tattooist at Crawe Tattoo in Leeds: “Instead of the machine moving the needle, I do it with my hands. So it is closer to the traditional way of tattooing. It is a bit slower, gentler and more mindful.”
Trust your to artist develop a unique design
“I always ask people to send me plenty of reference pictures to make sure that we are on the same page,” says Keziah, who is known for her mermaids and natural designs. “The clearer you are about what you want, the less room there is for error. No amount of detail is too much. But it is also important to give your artist a bit of breathing room.”
Louis Molloy of Middleton Tattoo Studio, in Manchester, is the artist behind the guardian angel on David Beckham’s back: “He gave me a verbal description of what he wanted, and from that I did a sketch, and he was like, ‘Yeah, that’s it.’ At first, he had it done without the wings; he had them put on a year or so later. It is often likened to a crucifixion pose, but I describe it more as an Olympic diver when they stand on the board just before they dive.”
Classic tattoo parlours have flash sheets – collections of readymade drawings – displayed on the walls or in folders; they are “usually not customised, and not necessarily drawn by someone at the shop”, explains Sidgwick. “These days flash is less prevalent, in favour of custom-drawn design, but it is still a mainstay of old-school shops.”
Sometimes Sidgwick invites clients in for a consultation: “They usually have a specific idea and want me to translate it into my style. Some of them are really elaborate, with a huge backstory, and they are trying to express something from their life or about themselves, and memorialise a person, pet or something important to them. We’ll talk through their ideas to see what would work best in the space they have allocated for it, to see how it would actually look compared with the idea.”
Give the design serious thought
“Ask yourself: will I still think that this image is as cool 20 years down the line?” says Molloy, who says he became a tattooist because “it was an instant membership to the bad boy club.” Casey Marie, meanwhile, recommends sitting on a design for as long as possible: “Use it as a screensaver on your phone, or put it in a WhatsApp group and let them rip it apart.” She adds that most tattooists will be happy to make changes until the needle hits the skin. “I will move the stencil 100 times if I have to and if it’s still not right, we can come back another day.”
Go for something meaningful
This is a good idea for a first tattoo. “Try to think of a memory that you know is not going to change,” says Casey Marie. Her first tattoo was a word her dad used in a letter to her that made her feel safe. “I was really small, but it stayed with me.”
Be cautious about passing trends
“If you want it to be original, don’t pick something off Pinterest because everybody will have it,” says Sidgwick. Molloy has seen trends come and go since he opened his studio in 1981, “like tribal tattoos in the 90s, which massively fell out of favour. Then it was the religious stuff that I did on Beckham and co. Then there was this vogue for pocket watches, with the time set to when their kid was born.” It is OK to nod to other artists’ designs, says Molloy – his Beckham tattoo has made it on to many more backs. “I never had any issue with other tattooists copying my work. It is almost an unwritten thing with tattooists that you plagiarise people’s work. You take it as a compliment, because as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” But remember to “go with your heart”, says Sidgwick. “Don’t copy your friends.”
Think carefully about how big and where
Go small at first, the tattooists agree, but “set the size of the tattoo to the space”, says Sidgwick. “Don’t get some tiny thing floating around in the middle of your thigh, because it will look silly. Maybe a wrist or ankle for a smaller design.”
“With little ones, think about placement,” Keziah agrees. “Don’t just slap it somewhere really visible, like your forearm because you want to see it. Those ones right in the middle of big visible places can get in the way of bigger stuff if you decide to get more.”
Tattoos on your hands will fade
“All tattoos, irrespective of who does them or how good they are, will deteriorate,” says Molloy. “It is a natural process, but if you do them on places like the hands, that process accelerates because you use your hands all the time. You have to tell people this and they either take the advice or they don’t, but if you’ve told them, then at least they are making an informed decision.” Beckham ignored some of Molloy’s guidance.
Consider how you would cover it if necessary
Tattoos are much more mainstream than they used to be, so this is less of a consideration for the workplace now: “Loads of teachers have them,” says Keziah. “They don’t even have one or two – they are covered in tattoos. I never had any teachers with tattoos growing up. If I did, it would have been really quite inspiring. So it doesn’t have to be hidden, but maybe somewhere that could it be hidden if needed.”
Be honest about your pain threshold
“Tattooing is painful, but I describe it as a manageable pain,” says Molloy. “Probably the nearest thing I could equate it to is when you have sunburn – that hot, burning feeling. Certain areas can be more painful, like your ribs, stomach and joints, but on fleshy parts, it is very manageable.” If you are anxious about the pain or needles, your tattooist should be able to reassure you. “I ask clients, ‘Are you squeamish in any way?’ If they don’t like needles I will turn my back to them when I’m getting stuff, so they can’t see what I’m doing,” says Casey Marie.
Avoid names of partners
“I’ve covered so many names,” says Sidgwick. “If you want a name, go with your kid’s because that is less likely to change.”
If a tattooist tries to talk you out of something, you should probably listen
“Sometimes you get people who want stuff and you just think, that’s not gonna work,” says Molloy, who has turned a few people away on this basis. “Years later, the client comes back in and says: ‘I really appreciate you talking me out of that.’”
“If I know something is going to look really bad, I don’t want to be the one to do it,” says Sidgwick. “I’ve also had people ask me for some awful things. I won’t do anything hate-related. I don’t do genital tattoos. Just certain things I know would be a problem. I don’t want to go there.”
If in doubt, stick to the classics
“For something a bit timeless, go traditional,” says Sidgwick. “You can’t go wrong with a rose, a skull or an anchor.” “If you are going for colours,” adds Keziah, “reds, greens, browns seem to age quite well. There is a reason why people are still getting trad tattoos 100-plus years after they started in the western world.”
On the day, make sure you are well prepared
Exfoliate and moisturise the skin well beforehand, says Casey Marie, and keep hydrated, all of which will make the process less painful and your tattoo will heal more quickly. Don’t drink caffeine before a tattoo as it can make you more sensitive and fidgety, and make sure you have eaten well to avoid your adrenaline spiking, which can cause you to pass out. But don’t worry if you do – sometimes even tattoo artists succumb, as Casey Marie did during her last tattoo: “The lady put the stencil on my tummy and I fainted.”
Pack wisely
Unless you are going for something tiny, it will probably take longer than you think, so be prepared. “I take a bottle of water, a fizzy drink and a packed lunch,” says Casey Marie. “Snacks are your best friend when you get a tattoo because you’re not going to feel hungry as adrenaline suppresses your appetite. Headphones, if you’re not necessarily comfortable chatting. A phone charger. I always take an extra jumper and fluffy socks, because, again, as the adrenaline spikes, you’ll get really hot and then really cold, and that is when your body can go into shock.” Most importantly, she says, don’t forget your ID – passport or driving licence; in the UK, you must be over 18 to have a tattoo.
Tell the tattooist if you have allergies
“I offer a patch test if you’ve had a previous allergy to ink and are concerned about it, but a reaction is relatively rare,” says Casey Marie. “When you fill out a consent form, state any allergies. Some people are allergic to citrus and that is in some of the products we use, so it is about knowing that and then looking at my setup and finding a backup.”
Don’t turn up drunk or ill
“My shop is opposite a pub,” says Casey Marie, so a few drinkers have given it a go, “but from an insurance point of view, they can’t consent because they are intoxicated.” It’s also unwise to get tattooed while tipsy because, “if you’ve got alcohol in your system, you tend to bleed more and the more you bleed, the more your body will push out the ink, so [the colour] will heal lighter.” She will also turn away anyone who is obviously unwell: “Your body is already fighting something, so it is probably not a good idea that we are trying to get it to heal a tattoo.”
Give the artist as much notice as possible if you can’t keep the appointment: “Everyone gets ill – that’s life – and I’m as lenient as I can be when it happens last minute,” says Sidgwick. “More often than not, I’ll take the financial hit for that day and rebook them for a future date. But I do have overheads and it can hit me hard if several people no-show or get sick in a week.” If you have had medical treatment for something like cancer, check with your doctor if it is OK to have a tattoo, advises Casey Marie.
Don’t be afraid to speak up
Tell the tattooist how you are feeling – whether you need a break or want a change to the design, says Casey Marie. “Don’t be afraid to ask: can we move it? Can we do this? There are some artists who make you feel inconvenient if you ask to move it. But the chances are, if you don’t, and you go away unhappy, we will be more disappointed that we’ve marked you permanently with something you don’t love. That’s the kind of thing that keeps me awake at night.”
Take good care of your body art
You may leave feeling slightly woozy and “tattoo drunk” as Casey Marie calls it, which is why she sends aftercare advice by email rather than talking clients through the process in the chair. Aftercare involves applying a second skin or clingfilm, and lots of coconut oil or cocoa butter. Submerging the tattooed area in water – eg baths and swimming, along with saunas – should be avoided until the scabbing stage is over. Resist the temptation to scratch, as it can damage the tattoo. Instead, “slap it as much as you like,” she says.
After a tattoo has healed, “it is about putting effective moisturiser on your skin and using a high-factor sun cream because UV light will fade tattoos and it doesn’t do your skin any favours,” says Molloy. “I have some clients who are meticulous about that – and you can tell – and some who couldn’t care less. If you’ve got a really nice piece of work and then get heavily suntanned, you’re going to destroy it.”
Tattoo regrets? There are options
Laser removal works by breaking down the ink into fragments so that your body flushes out the pigments. After Molloy appeared on the 00s reality television show London Ink, he became “an unelected ambassador for my industry and I had two armfuls of really shit tattoos. So I had them all lasered off, then I had them all re-tattooed. That process took four years from start to finish. I’ve now got two Japanese-themed sleeves that I’m very happy with.” You can also have a different design tattooed over an existing one. Black ink is the hardest to laser or cover. “A panther is a classic for covering up,” says Sidgwick.
Keziah adds: “I think it is liberating getting a tattoo and going off it because you learn that it is not really a big deal. I am as happy with my tattoos as I am happy with my body in general. Even the ones that I have gone off a bit, they are a part of who I was at the time.”
A tattoo can help you to feel differently about yourself
Tattooing isn’t for everyone, especially not on the face. Casey Marie has several there, which she says means people cross the road to avoid her, but she loves them: “I didn’t love the size of my forehead, and it distracts from it. I think for a lot of people, tattooing can be a bit of a self-love journey.”
