Nervous about upcoming tattoo

[Special-K]

I've always found that it helps to eat a little something before you go in. Some bread or a candy bar or something. Don't go in on an empty stomach.

The best time to get tattooed is 1-2 hours after you ate something..
Breakfast,lunch or anything in that way...

[Creepy]

If you take anything before getting tattooed, make it ibuprofen. Helps with the swelling.

[horns666]

I would bring in a couple footlongs from Subway and eat 'em while you get the tattoo..

For one it'll help keep your mind off shit and it gives you somethin' to bite on if need be..

Now I think that's a good idea..

In fact, I would get a tat of a flaming Submarine sandwich with wings..nobody has that!!

[Special-K]

If you take anything before getting tattooed, make it ibuprofen. Helps with the swelling.

Yep, it`s true...

If the tattoo artist let`s you eat sandwiches and stuff...
Then the tattoo studio is unprofessional as it only can
get...

[Shawn Lutz]

think very hard before hand...who cares what your folks think. I have one tat I got on 18th birthday long before tats were trendy....I wish I never got it and I can hide it easily...a full sleeve is tough to hide

[Inazone]

I only have one tattoo, which didn't hurt much as it was on my calf, and I was distracted by the extremely hot girl who was inflicting it upon me.

That aside, the worst part was the constant irritation. Not really pain, just the knowledge that the discomfort was going to last for a long time...especially when solid sections are being filled in. What worked for me was chewing gum, as the repetition of chewing sort of cancelled out the feel of the needle.

[skorb]

yeah Ibuprofen before you go in is a good idea, it helps with both the pain and any potential swelling. I also took 2 valiums before I got my armband (waves) and it really helped me maintain during the painful inside arm part.

[atomic charvel guy]

just say no to drugs, and then point the undesirables in my direction so i can straighten shit out-lol

[24seven]

My body is tattoo free, it's not something i've ever wanted or liked, far too permanent for my liking.
I find it strange how many of my friends have had them and then hide them, such as for weddings, why get them in the first place?

[VulfgangPfuck]

First rule...DO NOT take any kind of pain killers!! Ibuprofen, Tylenol, etc...will make you bleed worse, and that can jeopardize some of the finer details in your piece. The only thing you should be able to take for pain and swelling (and my artist told me this, and don't laugh) is Pamperin (the stuff women take for cramping and bloating. I didn't need it when I had my work done, but he said it works, and it won't make you bleed as much.

[Special-K]

Well tattoos don`t hurt, at least mine...
I actually like the little bit of "pain" it just feels so good...

And I think about my tattoos really hard before getting
them...
And so should you...

[wulfe13]

I wasn't nervous for either of my tats. I only have 2, but that's all I want. I'm not into tattooing my whole body and I wanted them in places that I can easily cover up if need be. I can usually keep them covered with just a t-shirt. Sometimes if the shirt sleeve is shorter than normal you can see my armband but most of the time nobody knows.

The inside of the bicep DOES hurt but just try to ignore it. It can also hurt if they are going directly over bone, but not as bad as the soft tissue under the arm (bicep). It's not really a big deal when you consider that it's something you're gonna have forever.

[Thrust]

I'm not worried at all about the pain. My concern is the fact that I'm essentially covering half of my arm forever with a tattoo. However, I'm comfortable with my decision and I'm sure I'll be happy once it's finished. Also, I'm only getting a half-sleeve so I can still cover it up when needed....my field isn't really receptive to tat's (although they should be....). Thanks for the support and I'll be sure and post a few pics when I get back from x-mas vacation.

[atomic charvel guy]

My body is tattoo free, it's not something i've ever wanted or liked, far too permanent for my liking.
I find it strange how many of my friends have had them and then hide them, such as for weddings, why get them in the first place?

24,
I would hope they would hide them for weddings, unless it's a beach barbecue wedding, and I've never been to one of those yet.-lol
I love my tatts, they fukkin' rule.

[lerxstcat]

I'm not worried at all about the pain. My concern is the fact that I'm essentially covering half of my arm forever with a tattoo. However, I'm comfortable with my decision and I'm sure I'll be happy once it's finished. Also, I'm only getting a half-sleeve so I can still cover it up when needed....my field isn't really receptive to tat's (although they should be....). Thanks for the support and I'll be sure and post a few pics when I get back from x-mas vacation.

Brad, you say that your field isn't receptive to tats. That is a good reason to think hard about this. Are you going to wear long-sleeve shirts to work year-round? Because even a sleeve peeking out from the end of a short-sleeve shirt might impede you getting the job you want.

On the other hand, long sleeves in summer will make employers wonder if you're an IV drug user. See how that goes? I have nothing against tats, but many in business do. And getting rid of tats with lasers is much more painful and expensive than getting the tat in the first place. I have a friend who spent $3,000 on laser removal and it was excruciating, and they couldn't remove the tattoo after all. He ended up getting it covered with something less offensive when they told him it couldn't be completely removed.

I'm sure you've thought about it, but if it affects your ability to get a job after college, it could be a real problem for you. Others have talked about haircuts for jobs. Well a haircut is much easier to get and much less permanent than a tattoo, no matter how cool.

You could always wait until you're established in your field. You can get away with a lot more then. Just a thought....