The Tattoo Way of Life
Tattoo Shops: What to Look For and What to Run From
Brittney Dominquez
Date created: 11/18/09 Section: FEATURES
Additionally, a tattoo artist may add some of their influences to your tattoo. If you like it, awesome. If not, and your artist won't change it, be prepared to start the search all over again.
Try to keep in mind that an artist's name will forever be associated with your tattoo so they may feel obligated to change certain aspects of your tattoo because they think it will look better. Unless you honestly agree with the change, feel free to ask them to modify it to your liking. This is the time you want to be a detail-crazed perfectionist.
After you've decided on your tattoo, take the time to place it. This may be a good time to take a suggestion from the artist. They tattoo people everyday and know muscle anatomy pretty well, so if they think your request for placement is not a good decision, they should able to give you a good reason as to why.
When you finally sit down to get tattooed, if your needle doesn't come out a sterile package, don't be afraid to immediately stop the process and run out the door. Other safety issues to look for are if your artist tries to reuse a gun without cleaning it, dips into a large container of ink, or double dips in the Vaseline.
If you feel that a shop is truly violating health standards, report them. If you don't, you're not doing anyone any favors, especially the tattoo industry. They have enough trouble trying to keep a good reputation so they don't need a shop that doesn't care about safety as that can give all shops a bad name.
If nothing about your tattoo shop or artist sends you running for the door and you are able to get through this entire process, congrats. But before you go under the needle, check out next week's article expanding on some of the issues we touched on here as well as the actual tattooing process.
Next week: Tattoos: Before, during and aftercare.
Try to keep in mind that an artist's name will forever be associated with your tattoo so they may feel obligated to change certain aspects of your tattoo because they think it will look better. Unless you honestly agree with the change, feel free to ask them to modify it to your liking. This is the time you want to be a detail-crazed perfectionist.
After you've decided on your tattoo, take the time to place it. This may be a good time to take a suggestion from the artist. They tattoo people everyday and know muscle anatomy pretty well, so if they think your request for placement is not a good decision, they should able to give you a good reason as to why.
When you finally sit down to get tattooed, if your needle doesn't come out a sterile package, don't be afraid to immediately stop the process and run out the door. Other safety issues to look for are if your artist tries to reuse a gun without cleaning it, dips into a large container of ink, or double dips in the Vaseline.
If you feel that a shop is truly violating health standards, report them. If you don't, you're not doing anyone any favors, especially the tattoo industry. They have enough trouble trying to keep a good reputation so they don't need a shop that doesn't care about safety as that can give all shops a bad name.
If nothing about your tattoo shop or artist sends you running for the door and you are able to get through this entire process, congrats. But before you go under the needle, check out next week's article expanding on some of the issues we touched on here as well as the actual tattooing process.
Next week: Tattoos: Before, during and aftercare.
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