With summer here, as usual the tendency for a lot of people is to get a tattoo. Summer and tattoos always seem to go hand in hand, like chocolate and beer or cheese and crackers. Anyway, I know that yet another list of tattoo etiquette do’s and don’t isn’t always the most exciting thing to read, but I like to do my part to make sure that any tattoo virgin who comes and reads this blog and who is boldly considering their first tattoo, might have something to read and consider before charging into the tattoo studio of their choosing and demanding some ink.
Aside from the biggest decision – which is actually whether or not to get a tattoo and what to get done – there are other things to consider and while some of these things may not seem like a big deal, they can make all the difference in the world to a tattooist. The folks at Richmond.com have made a decent list of tattoo etiquette for anyone considering their first tattoo. Actually, the list doesn’t have to be just for first timers. There could be some of you out there who’ve been getting tattooed for years but had no idea that your etiquette was totally off kilter. So here’s the opportunity to check it all out and see where you stand.
A couple quick things of my own, though. First off, the list states that tattooists are smokers. I think that’s a bit of a generalisation to make. Sure, there are plenty of tattooists who smoke, but there are also plenty who don’t and plenty who are straight edge. Don’t assume anything. Also, I would just keep in mind that the person you’re getting a tattoo from is an artist and not a trained monkey there to churn out a cool design on your arm. Don’t expect them to simply be able to rearrange and cope if you continually change your mind about what you want and how you want it. And don’t come in with a tight time schedule that you need them to “hurry up and finish by”. Clear your schedule.
Most importantly, enjoy your new tattoo! Check out the full list of etiquette recommendations here.