Three Simple Ways To Be A Good First-Time Tattoo Client
When you finally decide that it's time to get your first tattoo and you book your appointment at a local tattoo shop, you may find that you're excitedly counting down the days and even the hours until your session. It's a thrill to get your first tattoo, even if you're a little nervous about finally going through with this procedure. The entire process will go smoother if you make a point of being a good first-time tattoo client. While your local tattoo shop might have some rules posted, here are some things that you can brush up on in advance.
Shower Before Your Appointment
Tattooing is a fairly intimate experience in that the tattoo artist is touching your body and is positioned close to you — often for a considerable amount of time. An important thing to remember is that you should always shower before your appointment. It's a breach of etiquette to smell badly, and this is something that your tattoo artist won't appreciate. Whether you've booked your tattoo appointment right after work, after school, or at some other time, make sure that you're clean when you arrive.
Don't Talk Too Much
People often have a tendency to talk a lot when they're nervous, and if you have a case of the nerves during the tattoo appointment, you might be tempted to blab a bit. While many tattoo artists appreciate some back-and-forth conversation as they work, you need to remember that your tattoo artist is at work — and that means that he or she needs to be able to concentrate. The last thing that you want is an issue with your tattoo because you were constantly distracting your artist, so try to keep your talking to a minimum.
Accept The Price That You're Quoted
There are lots of expenses that you can negotiate, but the price of your tattoo generally isn't one of them. When you talk about your design with your tattoo artist, he or she will come up with a sketch for you and present you with a price quote for the work. The tattoo artist is doing so fairly; he or she believes that the price is appropriate, given the amount of time and expertise that need to go into the artwork. It's a bad move to try to negotiate a lower price, as doing so can be insulting and can set the appointment off on the wrong foot.
Contact a tattoo parlor like The Ink Lab for more information.