Neglect Yourself. There's nothing worse than having someone sit in our chair and they smell like three-day-old chicken noodle soup. Please shower before your tattoo appointment.
And, don't overdo the cologne, either. I had to have a guy go take a sponge bath in the sink at a shop one time because his cologne brought on an instant migraine for me, and I almost couldn't do his tattoo.
So, make sure you are clean and presentable, and please, for the love of everything that is good in the world, eat before your appointment.
No food in the system = greater risk of passing out during a tattoo, even if you are a seasoned pro at getting tattoos done. Eating keeps you grounded while your body rushes through endorphins and adrenaline during the tattoo process.
And please, please pay attention to the artist's after-care instructions. If you don't take care of our artwork, there's a good chance we won't tattoo you again.
And, don't play us for a fool, either. We can look at a tattoo and tell whether or not it was taken care of, what was artist error in the process, what were natural healing hiccups, and what you didn't do to help the process.
So don't say, "Oh, I did everything you told me too, but the color just didn't take in this section." We can clearly see that you let it get too dry, it scabbed, and your dog ripped the scab out. (Okay, we may not know it was your dog, but you get my drift.)
I hope these tips are helpful for those venturing out to get a tattoo. Many of them artists won't tell you. In fact, I might get beaten for letting some of these secrets out.
But, I figure, if I can educate the customers, the experience is more enjoyable for both artist and canvas. You'll have peace of mind when getting tattooed, and we won't want to kill you.
It's a win-win situation!