It’s your first tattoo! Here’s what you should know.

You’ve been thinking about it, making little doodles on your note pad

during work shifts, or maybe on the edges of your course syllabus.

You’ve been catching glimpses of tattoos on strangers and your

curiosity and dreams have taken over; you’re ready for your first

tattoo.

Doing something new can be a thrill, it can also be scary; that

balance between the fear of what may be and the excitement of that

rite of passage converge in such a powerful way. It’s real, and with

it comes a whole mountain of questions. How do I choose the right

tattoo? How bad will it hurt? Will I regret it? It’s totally normal to

have a “fight or flight” reaction, even at the first thought of it.

But just like so many other things—the first jump off a high dive, or

the first day on a new job—the thing that really makes a difference is

having a thoughtful person with experience to walk you through it,

soften the edges, eliminate the mysteries and myths, and show you just

how good it can be.

Then, all of the sudden, the hesitation gives way to readiness. You can do it.

Let’s Handle the Basics

How much will my tattoo hurt?

The quick answer is that everyone feels things differently, but on

average, a correctly applied tattoo is no worse than a sunburn.

How a tattoo feels when you’re getting it can be highly affected by

where on the body you get it, how big, and how detailed it is. Your

skin is a living, vibrant part of your body, and part of its function

is to keep the rest of your body aware—and that requires nerves.

You’ll notice that certain parts of your body are more sensitive than

others. For instance, some people are incredibly ticklish, while

others seem to be able to handle far more extreme interaction with

barely any notice at all.

Size matters: A small tattoo that only requires a few minutes of work

may feel like less of a challenge than committing to a multi-hour,

multi-session tattoo.

Style and technique matter: Filling every part in with ink vs. an outline or

fine-line style means using different tool sets for ideal ink

coverage.

Every body is unique, and your understanding of your own tolerances

can be a good guide for what you can expect.

Where should I get this tattoo & how do I know I will like it in 5 years?

Judging by where you can and cannot tolerate that expected "sunburn"

feeling, you can rule out those extra-sensitive parts. Usually, arms

and legs are a good place to start; they are a bit less sensitive and

make for a great way to display that amazing new work of art.

Now that you’ve got the pain and placement handled, we come to choices

and how we navigate them for long-term joy. Some people view their

bodies as a canvas, and others view them as a temple—neither

perspective is wrong. As life progresses, it’s good to look ahead at

what we want to accomplish.

Good planning makes for better decisions. If you plan to work in a

profession that holds to more traditional perspectives, it would make

sense to avoid getting a tattoo in areas that cannot be comfortably

covered up by everyday clothes. Tattoos are conversation starters,

magnets for attention and curiosity, so you want to make sure you

optimize your choices for the right kind of attention.

How much should a tattoo cost?

At Live By The Sword Tattoo, our shop minimum is $50 and we’ve worked

very hard to provide people with great value. You can view our $50

tattoo book online or in-store and look through thousands of designs

ready to go.

We also provide a transparent and simple pricing structure for people

who want to add shading or color. This allows you to have full control

and understanding of the cost of your dream tattoo. We’ve even created

a "try before you buy" feature, so you can visualize how the tattoo

will look on your own body in the comfort of your own home.

It’s tattoo day, how to prepare

Moments can be made as special, or not, as we choose to make them, and

we think your first tattoo is definitely a special occasion, so we’ve

made the checklist easy so you can head to your appointment ready to

rock.

Have a meal and hydrate properly before your tattoo appointment. Your body will thank you.

Avoid taking Ibuprofen or other over the counter pain medication, as they

can potentially act as blood thinners.

Make sure the tattoo area is clean. We will sanitize the tattoo area,

but good hygiene is always a great way to prepare

Be well rested. Planning on having a “school night” the day before a

tattoo is a good way to optimize feeling good through the whole

experience, and put you on the fast track for a speedy recovery.

What people don’t normally tell you (But we will)

The moment you actually have decided and are watching your tattoo

artist prepare, you feel a little bit of that adrenaline surge—not

overbearing, but just enough. Oftentimes the uncertainty of what you feel is 

harder on you than the feeling itself. Your artist checks in with you and asks

if you're ready. You give the go-ahead. Remember that as you go, it’s good to communicate throughout the session; your tattooer is there to make the experience a good one.

You feel that first moment: a kind of bite. An initial sense of shock

tells your body that something new is occurring. You'll be surprised

to find how quickly you take to that moment.

Soon, as your artist

moves across the tattoo, you start to familiarize yourself with the

rhythm and the whirring of the machine itself. Most people say it feels uncomfortable, but not unbearable. But it’s then that you understand the

very human craft that you're participating in—something unique in all

the world, something deeply human, historical, archaic, and modern all

at the same time.

In some way, you're bridging yourself with untold millions of other

people throughout history who shared this experience. An indescribable

kind of warmth flows through you—not necessarily euphoria, and not

totally pain either, but something in between all of those things.

When the tattoo is done and the artist wipes it clean, you take that

first look in the mirror and you now have a badge of honor. You move

through the rest of your day feeling something you've never felt

before: a warm glow. Even the healing itself becomes part of the

celebration, that rite of passage. You understand then that in this

tiny artistic gesture, your strength is greater than you knew before.

This is not one single feeling, but a sequence of feelings that occur

over time, putting you in kinship with every other person who's ever

gotten a tattoo.

That’s what you should know.