In the end, the place where you get your tattoo will have as big of an impact on your life as the tattoo itself. If getting the tattoo is a positive experience, then you will always equate that tattoo with positive feelings and enjoy reliving the experience. If, on the other hand, you feel uncomfortable during your tattooing session, you may look back on the tattoo (even if the design is perfect) with a lingering distaste that can mar your enjoyment of your tattoo permanently. Of course, there are also a variety of health considerations that you need to factor in when you are getting tattooed, and it is vital that you select a tattoo studio that is clean and follows all sterilization guidelines and requirements when it comes to their artists tools and their general maintenance. Picking the right tattoo studio for you is fairly straightforward, but you do have to keep a clear head and make sure that you are not overwhelmed by your eagerness to get the ink on your skin and allow yourself to select a tattoo studio that is not a good fit.
Here are three steps to picking the right tattoo studio for you:
1. Factor in safety first.
Above all, a tattoo studio needs to be safe for you to get tattooed in. This does not mean you need to love the lighting or adore the decor. It means that the studio needs an autoclave for cleaning tattoo equipment, clean chairs, lounges and facilities for clients, and enough light for the artist to see what they are doing and for you to see the floor. While there are a lot of popular perceptions about tattoo studios in movies that portray them as glamorous, dark and potentially dangerous and mysterious arenas, in real life, this type of tattoo studio is not a good place to get a tattoo. Most tattoo studios are well-lit, highly sterile environments, and while the waiting area may cater to a variety of preconceived notions about tattoo parlors, the actual tattooing arena will always be meticulously clean. All tattoo studios should sterilize equipment using an autoclave, never save ink and be willing to open disposable equipment in front of you to reassure you that it has not previously been exposed to handling or airborne contamination.
2. Find an artist you really like and trust.
Once you have found a tattoo studio that you are comfortable with, it is important to also get comfortable with the tattoo artist who will be doing your tattoo. Of course, if you decide to go get tattooed in a famous shop such as the one on Miami Ink, then you may not really have the option of getting to know your artist personally very far in advance of your tattooing session. In this type of scenario, in which case a specific artist is in very high demand, you will have to rely on their reputation and check in ahead of time to make sure that they are comfortable with your tattoo design and with using a stencil to make sure that your tattoo comes out just as you hope. In general, however, you will be able to spend a little time getting to know the artist and vice versa and the two of you will likely be able to determine in fairly short order whether or not your styles and your ideas for your tattoo design will work together in a pleasing manner for everyone.
3. Make sure that the studio can meet your physical needs.
Some tattoo studios are extremely posh and boast body-contoured chairs, a variety of chaises and lounges to help you recline comfortably regardless of where you are getting your tattoo, and a high degree of privacy, including privately walled off rooms for individual artists and their canvases.If you are shy or do not possess much stamina when it comes to remaining still, then this type of studio will be the best for you. On the other hand, many other tattoo studios are much more bare bones. You may be required to lean over the back of a chair in order to get a lower back tattoo, or sprawl in a lounge in the middle of the room while your artist works and other people enter and exit on a variety of errands and getting their own tattoos. Before you start your tattoo, make sure that you will be able to fulfill your end of the bargain by holding still and not making things more difficult or take longer than they should be in the available tattooing environment.
