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Tattoo Preparation

stargirl69stargirl69 Posts: 6,387
edited January 2012 in All Encompassing Trip
I am having the final design for my shoulder/back piece started on Wednesday,it will take 6 sessions each session approximately 4 hours tattooing time,done over 6 months.Someone I work with was telling me she has never had a tattoo done straight,she uses Emla Cream and takes a handful of painkillers beforehand.
This got me thinking,I have never used any kind of pain blocker when being tattooed,I get a good sleep the night before,eat a good breakfast/meal before and have a sweet snack and a can of coke to hand in case my sugar levels dip,I go straight home after and relax the rest of the day,as long tattoo sittings are exhilarating but also exhausting.

I know there are a lot of people here tattooed and I wonder what your preparation is for tattooing,if any?
“There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen”
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • mckaymckay Posts: 162
    I just had a 4 hour session over xmas...and overall i didn't find it that bad. The worst part was sitting in the same spot for so long. I made sure I had a good breakfast the morning of...drank lots of water...before, during and after. We took breaks every so often for me to get up and move around a bit. One of the things that helped me the most throughout the whole session was to focus on my breathing (I practice yoga) especially when hitting some of the more sensitive spots and the time nearing the end of the session...it helped divert my attention. Other than that...a couple of Pearl Jam shows to listen to during...and you're good to go! Good luck!! Post some pics to show the progress!
  • stargirl69stargirl69 Posts: 6,387
    mckay wrote:
    I just had a 4 hour session over xmas...and overall i didn't find it that bad. The worst part was sitting in the same spot for so long. I made sure I had a good breakfast the morning of...drank lots of water...before, during and after. We took breaks every so often for me to get up and move around a bit. One of the things that helped me the most throughout the whole session was to focus on my breathing (I practice yoga) especially when hitting some of the more sensitive spots and the time nearing the end of the session...it helped divert my attention. Other than that...a couple of Pearl Jam shows to listen to during...and you're good to go! Good luck!! Post some pics to show the progress!

    Yes,I have did a number of long sessions with other tattooes,but this one has been a work in progress over years.Some good advice with the breathing,thank you.The artist I go to has the most amazing collection of music so I am always ok there :D it is also just me and her,so no interruptions with walk ins or the phone.I tend to avoid breaks if I can as I find my endorphins drop quickly so returning from a break is painful until they kick in again.
    “There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen”
  • he.who.forgetshe.who.forgets Posts: 4,593
    smoke a doobie :P
    p.s. I wanna see this beast of a tattoo!
    We were but stones your light made us stars
  • stargirl69stargirl69 Posts: 6,387
    he.who.forgets wrote:
    smoke a doobie :P
    p.s. I wanna see this beast of a tattoo!


    Back in the day ... maybe :shifty:

    No beasts,just bees and a frog :D water,many flowers and a leaf ... not a doobie leaf ;)
    “There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen”
  • he.who.forgetshe.who.forgets Posts: 4,593
    stargirl69 wrote:
    he.who.forgets wrote:
    smoke a doobie :P
    p.s. I wanna see this beast of a tattoo!


    Back in the day ... maybe :shifty:

    No beasts,just bees and a frog :D water,many flowers and a leaf ... not a doobie leaf ;)
    :lol: well regardless...would love to see!
    We were but stones your light made us stars
  • faceinthecloudsfaceintheclouds Posts: 1,739
    Take a perk and no gel.
    Just, not enough.
    I need more.
    Nothing seems to satisfy.
    I said, I dont want it.
    I just need it.
    To breathe, to feel, to know Im alive.
  • mikalinamikalina Posts: 7,206
    stargirl69 wrote:
    he.who.forgets wrote:
    smoke a doobie :P
    p.s. I wanna see this beast of a tattoo!


    Back in the day ... maybe :shifty:

    No beasts,just bees and a frog :D water,many flowers and a leaf ... not a doobie leaf ;)


    Send in photo when its complete .... :thumbup:
    ********************************************************************************************* image
  • Pamela0222Pamela0222 Posts: 1,544
    I was always told to stay away from any kind of pain meds before getting a tattoo cause it thins your blood and may cause more bleeding during the session which in turn made it harder for the artist. I could totally be wrong by saying that though.... I had a large rib piece done not too long ago (OUCH!!!!) but after the first hour or so I felt pretty numb. My artist tends to blare PJ for me when I'm there and I just go to my happy place. :D:D
    The thing I like most about time is that it's not real. It's all in the head. Sure, it's a useful trick to use if you want to meet someone at a specific place in the universe and have tea or coffee- but that's all it is- a trick. There is no such thing as the past. It exists only in the memory. There is no such thing as the future. It exists only in our imagination. If our watches were truly accurate, the only thing they would ever say is "Now". That's what time it is. It's "Now". - Damien Echols
  • JonnyPistachioJonnyPistachio Posts: 10,217
    stargirl69 wrote:
    I know there are a lot of people here tattooed and I wonder what your preparation is for tattooing,if any?

    I get really drunk and just close my eyes...and I hope they pay for it when I'm done drawing.
    Pick up my debut novel here on amazon: Jonny Bails Floatin (in paperback) (also available on Kindle for $2.99)
  • stargirl69stargirl69 Posts: 6,387
    Pamela0222 wrote:
    I was always told to stay away from any kind of pain meds before getting a tattoo cause it thins your blood and may cause more bleeding during the session which in turn made it harder for the artist. I could totally be wrong by saying that though.... I had a large rib piece done not too long ago (OUCH!!!!) but after the first hour or so I felt pretty numb. My artist tends to blare PJ for me when I'm there and I just go to my happy place. :D:D


    There is truth in this,the women I mention in the O.P has never had a tattoo straight,but what I notice is for quite a few days after she has been tattooed,the tattooed area swells much more than I have ever experienced and she is a lot of pain.I have never experienced any such issues.

    Many years ago I was getting tattooed on a Monday morning,I had been drinking the previous Saturday,heavily and fell :? .I was pretty sore and bruised.
    During the tattooing I bled heavier than ever before and found the process the most uncomfortable I had found it.The artist,who I know well noticed these changes,I told her I can fallen when drunk on the Saturday,she wasn't happy that I hadn't told her :? and given her the option to reschedule,she explained there was every possibilty there would still be alcohol in my system and my body would be shocked from the fall.
    “There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen”
  • Pamela0222Pamela0222 Posts: 1,544
    I had my first tattoo done when I was 18 and I was a little hungover when I got it done. I do remember the artist saying that I was a "bleeder" and asked if had drank. Of course I said no cus I was nervous enough. Then when I got it re-touched at the same time as I got my rib piece done my new artist made a comment on how there was alot of scar tissue in the tattoo, almost as thought the original artist had tattoed too deep. I now wonder if the fact that I was hungover had something to do with all of it seeing as alcohol is also a blood thinner.
    The thing I like most about time is that it's not real. It's all in the head. Sure, it's a useful trick to use if you want to meet someone at a specific place in the universe and have tea or coffee- but that's all it is- a trick. There is no such thing as the past. It exists only in the memory. There is no such thing as the future. It exists only in our imagination. If our watches were truly accurate, the only thing they would ever say is "Now". That's what time it is. It's "Now". - Damien Echols
  • stargirl69stargirl69 Posts: 6,387
    Pamela0222 wrote:
    I had my first tattoo done when I was 18 and I was a little hungover when I got it done. I do remember the artist saying that I was a "bleeder" and asked if had drank. Of course I said no cus I was nervous enough. Then when I got it re-touched at the same time as I got my rib piece done my new artist made a comment on how there was alot of scar tissue in the tattoo, almost as thought the original artist had tattoed too deep. I now wonder if the fact that I was hungover had something to do with all of it seeing as alcohol is also a blood thinner.

    Yes quite possibly,we need to look after ourselves if we are addicted to tattooing.Any trauma will cause it to heal poorly and take longer
    “There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen”
  • Pamela0222Pamela0222 Posts: 1,544
    Stargirl69: I'd love to see pics of your piece once it's finished!!! :D
    The thing I like most about time is that it's not real. It's all in the head. Sure, it's a useful trick to use if you want to meet someone at a specific place in the universe and have tea or coffee- but that's all it is- a trick. There is no such thing as the past. It exists only in the memory. There is no such thing as the future. It exists only in our imagination. If our watches were truly accurate, the only thing they would ever say is "Now". That's what time it is. It's "Now". - Damien Echols
  • stargirl69stargirl69 Posts: 6,387
    Pamela0222 wrote:
    Stargirl69: I'd love to see pics of your piece once it's finished!!! :D


    I don't know how to post pics :oops: but I will try to learn by the time it is finished :)
    “There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen”
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