How Long Does Tattoo Flu Last?

Although it can sometimes take around 8 weeks for the wound to fully heal, these symptoms should not last more than 2 weeks. Infection may be present if a person experiences: swelling that does not go down after 48 hours.

Contents

1 Is it normal to have flu like symptoms after a tattoo?
2 Can you get a headache from a tattoo?

Is it normal to have flu like symptoms after a tattoo?

Some people feel psyched about their new tattoo, while others might feel sick. If you’re feeling a bit under the weather after getting some new ink, you might be experiencing “tattoo flu. ” Usually mild and quick to pass, this post tattoo flu-like illness is a common result of your body’s natural defenses saying ” Whoa! A sharp thing is poking little holes in me!” Of course, post-2020, any symptoms could call for a bit more attention.

Why do I feel sick after my tattoo?

The Composition of the Tattoo Ink – To understand why people feel sick after laser tattoo removal, you first have to understand that tattoo ink is composed of metals, metal oxides, and chemicals. These metals, metal oxides, and chemicals could be poisonous/toxic to the body when they enter the blood. They may not be poisonous in the dermis, but once they enter the blood they become threats. During laser-assisted tattoo removal treatment, the tattoo ink pigments are shattered into fragments so they can be flushed out of the body. These ink fragments (which are potentially toxic, remember) linger in the blood for days or even weeks as they make their way to the kidney and liver where they are identified as toxic foreign bodies and flushed out of the system through urine or sweat.

Is it normal to feel feverish after getting a tattoo?

– If you begin to feel feverish and experience abnormal oozing or scabbing around the tattooed area, see a doctor. These are common signs of infection. You should also see a doctor if a rash or swelling lasts for more than a week. If an infection isn’t treated soon enough or can’t be treated properly because the bacteria have become resistant to an antibiotic, abscesses can result.

Removal may require special treatment in the clinic or hospital;
You should also see a doctor if you experience uncomfortable itching around the tattooed area or if the area is oozing pus or fluid;
You may be having an allergic reaction to the ink;

An allergic reaction can also lead to anaphylactic shock. This causes your throat to close up and your blood pressure to become dangerously low. Go to the emergency room right away if this kind of allergic reaction occurs.

Can you get sick after a long tattoo?

Know the risks – Tattoos breach the skin, which means that skin infections and other complications are possible, including:

Allergic reactions. Tattoo dyes — especially red, green, yellow and blue dyes — can cause allergic skin reactions, such as an itchy rash at the tattoo site. This can occur even years after you get the tattoo.
Skin infections. A skin infection is possible after tattooing.
Other skin problems. Sometimes an area of inflammation called a granuloma can form around tattoo ink. Tattooing also can lead to keloids — raised areas caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue.
Bloodborne diseases. If the equipment used to create your tattoo is contaminated with infected blood, you can contract various bloodborne diseases — including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
MRI complications. Rarely, tattoos or permanent makeup might cause swelling or burning in the affected areas during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams. In some cases, tattoo pigments can interfere with the quality of the image.

Medication or other treatment might be needed if you experience an allergic reaction to the tattoo ink or you develop an infection or other skin problem near a tattoo.

How do I get rid of my tattoo flu?

– Treatments that may help with inflammation and discomfort after a tattoo include: Over the counter medications : Tylenol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs ), for example, can help with pain and inflammation. Antihistamine medications : Benadryl, for instance, can reduce symptoms of a minor allergic reaction, such as small, red bumps or a faint rash around the tattoo site. Other aftercare tips include:

keeping the site clean by gently washing with soap and water
covering the tattoo site with a fresh, sterile gauze or bandage
wearing gloves while sleeping to avoid scratching a new tattoo

These measures can help reduce the risk of an infection occurring.

Why am I tired after a tattoo?

Thanks to the fast work of your white blood cells, your adrenaline increases, which can increase your heart rate. This alone can make you feel dizzy and weak since your body is in a ‘fight or flight’ mode; it is being attacked by a tattoo needle thousands of times, so the reaction is pretty normal.

Can you get a cold after a tattoo?

There’s no known cure for the common cold, but receiving multiple tattoos can strengthen your immunological responses, potentially making you heartier in fighting off common infections, according to research by a trio of University of Alabama scholars.

However, receiving a single tattoo can, at least temporarily, lower your resistance, says Dr. Christopher Lynn, UA associate professor of anthropology. The research was published online March 4 in the American Journal of Human Biology.

Lynn said he had earlier noted first-hand that receiving tattoos can be physically draining. “They don’t just hurt while you get the tattoo, but they can exhaust you,” Lynn said. “It’s easier to get sick. You can catch a cold because your defenses are lowered from the stress of getting a tattoo.

” The body’s response to tattooing is akin to that experienced from exercising in the gym when you’re out of shape, said Lynn. Initially, muscles become sore, but if you continue, the soreness fades following subsequent workouts.

“After the stress response, your body returns to an equilibrium,” Lynn said. “However, if you continue to stress your body over and over again, instead of returning to the same set point, it adjusts its internal set points and moves higher. ” You’re getting stronger.

Lynn hypothesized that repeated tattooing might show similar benefits. Research results produced by former UA graduate student Johnna Dominguez, Lynn and Dr. Jason DeCaro, UA associate professor of anthropology, back up the hypothesis.

Dominguez’s work was done before receiving her UA master’s degree. Approaching volunteers at tattoo businesses in Tuscaloosa and Leeds, Dominguez surveyed them, obtaining information on the number of tattoos received and time involved in the tattooing procedures.

Saliva samples from the businesses’ customers were obtained both before and after their tattoo experience;
The researchers analyzed the samples, measuring levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that lines portions of our gastrointestinal and respiratory systems, and cortisol, a stress hormone known to suppress immune response;

“Immunoglobulin A is a front line of defense against some of the common infections we encounter, like colds,” Lynn said. Levels of immunoglobulin A dropped significantly in those receiving initial tattoos, as would be expected because of the immunosuppressant effects of cortisol, responding to the stress of tattooing.

But the immunoglobulin A decrease was less so among those receiving tattoos more frequently, Lynn said. “People with more tattoo experience have a statistically smaller decrease in immunoglobulin A from before to after,” said Lynn.

When receiving a tattoo, the body mobilizes immunological agents to fight possible infections at the site of the new tattoo, Lynn said. And, as with the weightlifter, the body that is tattooed repeatedly ratchets up the threshold that would necessitate an immunological response.

They, too, the research indicates, are getting stronger, immunologically;
How does this study of tattooing relate to Lynn’s previous research into fireside relaxation or speaking in tongues? “I’m interested in neuroanthropology, or how culture gets into the body at a neurological level,” Lynn said;

“Many of the things I study have a ‘catchy’ quality to them. It’s a concept I actually borrowed from my study of religion. Catch students’ attention and get them interested in anthropology. Blow their minds a bit, then get them to dig deeper. I do that on purpose.

“The trick is to find ways to study catchy concepts that are also important;
Nobody had done anything like this tattooing study, looking at the potential benefits from a biological perspective;
” Story Source: Materials provided by University of Alabama;

Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Cite This Page :

MLA
APA
Chicago

University of Alabama. “Want to avoid a cold? Try a tattoo or twenty, says researcher. ” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 March 2016. University of Alabama. (2016, March 8). Want to avoid a cold? Try a tattoo or twenty, says researcher. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 5, 2022 from www. sciencedaily.

Can your body go into shock from a tattoo?

Tattoo Frequently Asked Questions Does It Hurt? This is number one in our Frequently Asked Questions simply because it is surprisingly just that. The simple answer is, yes it does. However, not as much as some people might like you to believe, as after a short period of time your body’s natural pain-killers (endorphins), kick in and make things much more manageable.

How long these endorphins last usually defines your natural ‘limit’ as to how long a tattoo session you can handle (usually between 2-3 hours), after this time you will tend to become very uncomfortable.

The pain of a tattoo is often likened to a mild burning sensation or a cat scratch. However, the real factor as to how much a tattoo hurts is really down to where you intend to get it. Any area directly over bone will be particularly sensitive; this includes ribs, feet, hands, head, and pelvis to name a few.

Add to this the number of nerve endings in an area and this defines the most painful places. If you are looking for a less painful spot, then you should consider a less sensitive area protected by a large muscle; such as the fore-arm, upper-arm, shoulder, calf and thigh.

That being said, everyone’s pain threshold varies, so there are no hard and fast answers to this question. How long does a tattoo take? Tattooing is not a quick process, nor should it be rushed as you will be living with the results permanently. An averagely complex piece of work about the size of the back of your hand, usually takes about two hours to complete.

Larger or more complex pieces can take tens of hours, and will require several sittings to complete. Usually appointments are made in multiples of hours, but some smaller pieces may only require a thirty minute appointment.

A full sleeve (done by any decent artist), could take anything from ten to fifty hours work to complete depending on complexity. How much does it cost? When it comes to tattooing, you get what you pay for. Do not expect a good artist to come cheap, and if that’s the way you go, you could end up spending a great deal more further down the line, when you have to pay for a large cover-up or laser tattoo removal.

Save your money until you can afford what you really want! Don’t settle, just because you are impatient to get some ink, this decision will be with you for a long time. Most of the laser removal we do here at SECRET INK, is for just that reason, impulse tattoos! At SECRET INK we are happy to do a payment plan with you where you can pay for the tattoo you really want gradually.

Can I use numbing cream or pain killers? This is a less frequently asked question than you might expect. You can use numbing cream, but very few tattoo studios will recommend it for several reasons. Firstly, it needs to be applied several hours before you sit for your tattoo and can only last for around thirty to forty-five minutes.

Tattooing being an art-form and therefore not an exact science, means that sometimes there could be a period of waiting past your appointment time, while the tattooist finishes off a piece of work that took longer than expected.

This makes it very difficult to time the application of the cream. Secondly, even if you manage to time its application correctly, the potential short working period of the cream makes it a very limiting to anything but the simplest and smallest of tattoos.

Lastly, if your tattoo is not finished before the cream wears off, then the pain will come back with a vengeance! Your body has been fooled and will not be producing those handy pain-killing endorphins, so will be hit with the force of the returning pain with no protection.

From the tattooist’s perspective, the creams can cause the skin to become a little puffy in some customers. This means that the tattooist needs to work harder to get the ink into the skin, which can cause additional trauma. This will obviously have some repercussions during the healing process and can create an undesirable amount of scabbing during that time.

Some tablet pain killers can also cause a problem;
Aspirin is the biggest problem as it thins the blood and reduces clotting, this will cause excessive bleeding during your tattoo, which will affect the quality of the finished tattoo;

You might be interested: How Many Years Of College To Be A Tattoo Artist?

Aspirin will also extend the healing time that your tattoo needs so it is best avoided. Paracetamol will have little effect (positive or negative), other than a placebo. Ibuprofen based painkillers can give minor pain relief during the process, by reducing localised swelling, and will not hinder the tattoo in any way.

Can tattoo’s be removed? They can, completely and without scaring. There are several options available to you if you have ink that you want rid of. The first, and by far most common way is the cover-up. This involves working with your tattoo artist to come up with a design that will go over and ‘cover-up’ the old one.

There are a few misconceptions regarding cover-ups, it is not as easy as just doing another tattoo over the top. The new tattoo will sit in the same layer of skin (the dermis), as the old one, so the cover-up needs to be darker than the existing tattoo in order to over-power it.

This makes very old or faded tattoos easier to cover up than new bright ones. The black panther was a big cover-up favourite with the ‘Old School’ tattooists, for obvious reasons. This also means that the new tattoo generally has to be a great deal bigger than the one to be covered up, so that the old design can be lost in the new one.

Obviously this very much depends on the tattoo to be covered and the skill of your artist. The second option available to you is laser removal. This can be very effective, again depending on age and colour of the tattoo, but can also be very time consuming.

Have a look at the Laser Removal Frequently Asked Questions ( Laser FAQs ), on our website if you are interested in more information on removal;
The third option available is a combination of both of the above;

The laser removal can be used to reduce the density of the offending tattoo, so that a much more desirable (and often smaller), tattoo can be used to cover up the old design. This takes much less laser treatment than removal, and gives much better cover-up results on the new tattoo.

How do I decide on a design? Traditionally, you would have chosen your tattoo design from the designs on the wall of your tattoo studio, or from their stock books of pre-drawn designs. These designs are referred to as ‘Flash Art’.

This work was rarely designed by the tattooist, but instead bought in from ‘Flash Art’ suppliers. Thankfully today things are different. While there are still tattooists who rely heavily on Flash (often because they have limited artistic ability of their own), there is an increasing number of tattooists who will design custom work to your specifications.

This obviously requires a higher degree of artistic skill, so you should expect to pay slightly more for bespoke work than for Flash, but you will be guaranteed an original piece… not the same tattoo that five other people are walking round town with! In addition to this, your artist will be able to work with you to generate a tattoo that is personal, has more meaning and is less likely to go out of favour with you in a few years.

This all adds up to better value in the long run. At Secret ink Tattoo, we don’t carry ‘Flash’ art. All our tattoos are generated bespoke for the customer to ensure you only get the best in custom designs, unique to you. Because of this, we suggest that you begin with an initial free consultation with your artist to discuss your design.

If you can bring your tattoo artist any reference material that you think is relevant, it will help both of you understand each other much easier. You don’t have to have exact images, even if your examples simply have the same ‘feel’ as what you are trying to convey it will help your tattoo artist understand your needs.

Your tattoo artist should also give you lots of good advice regarding the limitations of the art (don’t forget, we are talking needles, ink and skin here, not pen and paper). They should advise you as to placement, and how the tattoo is likely to be viewed, for example; a small piece that would work well on the wrist, might not work as well placed on the thigh.

They should also discuss how well your tattoo will stand the test of time;
You can generate some amazingly complex and delicate tattoos, but tattoo ink spreads and thins under the skin over time, so your dainty tattoo might look great on the day, but may look fuzzy and unrecognisable after just a couple of years;

A slightly bolder design could look great for ten years or more. The choice is always the customer’s, but it should always be an informed choice. Once you have had the initial conversation with your tattoo artist, you will usually then want to book in for some time at the studio.

Your tattoo artist will usually have a good idea at this point as to how long your tattoo is going to take, and will be able to advise you on cost;
Booking your appointment usually requires a deposit (£50 unless your tattoo comes in under that price), which is to discourage time wasters and to offset against the artwork the tattoo artist will produce for you, should you not turn up;

When you do turn up however, your design work will be free and your deposit will be then offset against the price of your tattoo. A few days before your appointment, we will usually email your design to you (unless other arrangements have been made), so that you can approve the design or make any changes that need to be made to the design.

We are not precious over designs, we understand that it is your tattoo, so don’t worry about offending our artists if you don’t like your design, it will be redrawn as many times as needed to make sure it is perfect for you.

How do I decide on a studio? Visit studios, talk to the tattoo artist, get a general feel for them. Getting a tattoo is a very personal experience, you should have a rapport with your tattooist, and feel comfortable in their studio. How is their customer service? Many tattooists will treat customers with contempt, as if it’s a burden to them to work with you, especially if it is your first tattoo… just walk away, there are plenty of tattooists who will treat you with respect.

If you get an unhelpful response, or are told to ‘pick something from the Flash’, when you ask for help, again maybe the best course of action is to find another studio;
Is the studio clean and well presented? If a tattoo artist can’t keep their house in order, what other corners might they be cutting? You could potentially be putting your own health and wellbeing at risk;

Ask yourself; if this was a dental surgery and not a tattoo studio, would I let them touch my teeth? Potentially there are a great deal of similarities between the two regarding the possibility of cross contamination of instruments and equipment, and the transmitting of blood-borne pathogens.

The regulations in the tattooing industry are minimal at best, so it is very much up to the individual studio to police themselves past the very basic health and safety requirements;
Because of this the cleanliness of the studio, will very much reflect their attitude towards their customer and their customer’s wellbeing;

Should I have a drink before my tattoo to steady my nerves? No. This is not advisable for several very real reasons, other than the obvious difficulties of tattooing a drunk person, and the fact that any good tattooist will refuse to tattoo you if you have.

The main reason is that alcohol thins your blood considerably. In turn this causes excessive bleeding while you are having the tattoo, which not only makes it difficult for the tattoo artist, but will have the effect of ‘washing out’ ink as it is being put in.

This makes the process much longer, and can produce poor results. Alcohol can have an effect for several days, so it is also not a good idea to have a tattoo after a night drinking, even if you have not consumed anything on the day. What should I do on the day of my tattoo? There are several things you can do to make your experience easier and more enjoyable.

Firstly, try and make sure you have had something to eat and drink about an hour before your tattoo. During the tattoo, your body behaves in a way very similar to going into shock, as it generates endorphins to deal with the attack on the skin.

This can cause a drop in blood sugar, resulting in light-headedness, and sometimes nausea or fainting. Having a meal and consuming natural sugars, such as orange juice can help to prevent this. If you feel faint during your tattoo, let your artist know immediately, and they will help you through it.

Don’t be ashamed of telling them, if you have chosen your studio wisely, they will be totally sympathetic to your needs and help you through the experience with dignity;
Often a tattoo studio will offer you hard boiled sweets or a lolly to help keep your sugar up during the tattoo;

Secondly, think about what you are going to wear. You know where you are likely to get your tattoo, so make sure you dress so that you can expose this general area while at the same time maintaining your dignity. Usually the studio area can be covered (door closed or a screen put in place), if you are feeling particularly vulnerable.

Have these conversations with your studio and they should be able to tell you what they can put in place to make you feel comfortable. Don’t wear your Sunday best. While tattoo ink will generally not stain clothes, and your artist will do everything they can to keep your clothing clean, there is always the possibility of getting ink on your clothes so dark clothing is favourable.

Tattoo ink is very concentrated, and will go a very long way, so it’s always best to bear this in mind when choosing the day’s wardrobe. If you do need to remove tattoo ink from your clothing, you will need to do so on a very hot wash. Thirdly, shave the area if possible.

If you know where you are having your tattoo, shave the area (and surrounding area), the morning prior to getting inked. Even if you don’t think it needs doing, shave it anyway, as even the smallest, downiest hairs can have a detrimental effect on the tattoo process, but don’t worry, your tattoo artist will still shave you if you haven’t.

This will save time applying the stencil and mean that more of the time you are paying for is going towards your tattoo rather than preparing the area. It is a small thing, but your tattoo artist will really appreciate that you have taken the time to consider this.

However at SECRET INK this is not a huge concern as we do not feel there should be any financial pressure on the customer during preparation, so will only charge for the time you are actually being tattooed;

Other things you may want to consider bringing might include an MP3 player, or other distraction like a book or smart phone etc. Some people like to chat to the tattooist, others like stony silence, others prefer a distraction like the things mentioned above.

Can I catch anything from getting a tattoo? Yes you can, but it is very unlikely. If you have followed the advice above and chosen your tattoo studio wisely, then the chances of catching anything are similar to a visit to the dentist.

Everything will be either sterilised to medical standards or be disposable single use. Again, a reputable tattooist will be certified in infection control and have no issues discussing their procedures with you. If they do, don’t think twice, just walk away.

If correct infection control procedures are not followed, there is the potential of transmitting blood-borne pathogens from one customer to the next, or from the tattooist to the customer;
This could potentially include HIV or Hepatitis;

However, before you become unduly worried, the vast majority of tattooists work safely, and the chances of you contracting anything like this from having your tattoo are extremely slight. Again, if you choose your studio wisely, this won’t even be a consideration.

The other thing you might hear people say is; “I got my tattoo/piercing form Joe Blogs Tattoo, and it got infected, I must have got the infection from there!” This is absolute rubbish! Apart from blood-borne infection (viral), as mentioned above, you won’t catch an infection like they are discussing from a studio, as what they are talking about is an infection caused by bacteria.

You don’t catch bacteria, it builds up over time. That only means one thing, poor aftercare. That applies for tattooing, piercing and laser removal, the only way bacteria will infect you is if you’re not keeping the wound (yes it is a wound), clean. For further information on how to look after your new tattoo, piercing or laser treatment , check out the relevant sections on our website.

How safe is Tattoo Ink? It depends where it comes from. There are many inks on the market today that are readily available. High quality tattoo ink, Ink has been tried and tested over generations without ill effects.

Nowadays, the manufacture of inks is regulated to meet certain health and safety standards, but only in some countries (EU and USA). sale of tattoo inks on eBay, has unfortunately opened the market up to cheap Chinese inks, and counterfeit copies of well known and respected brands.

You might be interested: How Fast Does A Tattoo Needle Move?

These Chinese inks can be dangerous. A report was recently released in which some of these inks had been analysed and shown to contain both banned and toxic substances. With this in mind, it is no longer good enough that your tattoo artist uses trusted brands, they must also source their inks directly from the manufacturer, or manufacturer’s approved outlet, to ensure the integrity of their product.

If you have any other questions that we haven’t answered here, please feel free to contact us..

Do you burn calories getting a tattoo?

Tip #2 Eat Well – You’ve heard about people who “carb-up” before a marathon, right? You’ll want to fill up before your tattoo session, too. The more food you have in your belly, the more stamina you have to stomach the pain. In fact, you’ll actually burn calories during a tattoo because your metabolism speeds up in response to tension.

What is considered a long tattoo session?

Session Length – Another determining factor in how long a tattoo will take is session length. Longer sessions can mean fewer visits to complete a tattoo. With an expected 3 weeks between sessions, this can mean a huge difference in how long your tattoo takes.

That being said, it is not necessarily the best idea to book a long session right out of the gate;
If you are getting your first tattoo, 3-5 hours is probably as long as you should go;
Everybody has a different pain tolerance for tattoos, and on your first visit, you won’t know how long you can handle;

After the first session, you may decide you are able to handle longer tattoo sessions. If not, that’s okay. Your tattoo may take a little longer to complete. But it is more important to get it right, have it heal, and end up with a tattoo you love. The longest tattoo session ever was 52 hours and 56 minutes.

Why does my body ache after a tattoo?

– Tattoo artists use needles to inject ink into the dermis layer of the skin. This method of tattooing is permanent, though medical procedures such as laser treatment can remove a tattoo from the skin. Applying tattoo ink into the dermis layer damages the skin and causes blood clots to form, which creates bruising.

The person will need to take care of the area after the tattoo is complete to prevent infections. After getting a tattoo, the damaged skin swells up. This is the body’s natural mechanism for protecting the skin from further damage and helping it heal.

However, this swelling can make the area feel more painful or tender. Other tattoo methods , such as henna tattoos and decal temporary tattoos, are not painful. These are not permanent tattoos.

Can you get a headache from a tattoo?

Tattoos and permanent makeup can lead to a lasting headache for patients.

What should you eat after tattoo?

What to eat to speed healing – To speed the healing process of the skin, you should consume foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, such as omega-3. Foods with the most antioxidant properties include tomatoes, red fruits, citrus fruits like orange, and herbs such as garlic, onion and saffron.

Why do I get cold after a tattoo?

However, receiving a single tattoo can, at least temporarily, lower your resistance, says Dr;
Christopher Lynn, UA associate professor of anthropology;
The research was published online March 4 in the American Journal of Human Biology;

” The body’s response to tattooing is akin to that experienced from exercising in the gym when you’re out of shape, said Lynn;
Initially, muscles become sore, but if you continue, the soreness fades following subsequent workouts;

Lynn hypothesized that repeated tattooing might show similar benefits. Research results produced by former UA graduate student Johnna Dominguez, Lynn and Dr. Jason DeCaro, UA associate professor of anthropology, back up the hypothesis.

Saliva samples from the businesses’ customers were obtained both before and after their tattoo experience. The researchers analyzed the samples, measuring levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that lines portions of our gastrointestinal and respiratory systems, and cortisol, a stress hormone known to suppress immune response.

But the immunoglobulin A decrease was less so among those receiving tattoos more frequently, Lynn said;
“People with more tattoo experience have a statistically smaller decrease in immunoglobulin A from before to after,” said Lynn;

They, too, the research indicates, are getting stronger, immunologically;
How does this study of tattooing relate to Lynn’s previous research into fireside relaxation or speaking in tongues? “I’m interested in neuroanthropology, or how culture gets into the body at a neurological level,” Lynn said;

“The trick is to find ways to study catchy concepts that are also important;
Nobody had done anything like this tattooing study, looking at the potential benefits from a biological perspective;
” Story Source: Materials provided by University of Alabama;

Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Cite This Page :

MLA
APA
Chicago

Why does my body ache after a tattoo?

The person will need to take care of the area after the tattoo is complete to prevent infections;
After getting a tattoo, the damaged skin swells up;
This is the body’s natural mechanism for protecting the skin from further damage and helping it heal;

However, this swelling can make the area feel more painful or tender. Other tattoo methods , such as henna tattoos and decal temporary tattoos, are not painful. These are not permanent tattoos.

Can your body go into shock from a tattoo?

Add to this the number of nerve endings in an area and this defines the most painful places. If you are looking for a less painful spot, then you should consider a less sensitive area protected by a large muscle; such as the fore-arm, upper-arm, shoulder, calf and thigh.

Tattooing being an art-form and therefore not an exact science, means that sometimes there could be a period of waiting past your appointment time, while the tattooist finishes off a piece of work that took longer than expected.

Lastly, if your tattoo is not finished before the cream wears off, then the pain will come back with a vengeance! Your body has been fooled and will not be producing those handy pain-killing endorphins, so will be hit with the force of the returning pain with no protection;

Some tablet pain killers can also cause a problem. Aspirin is the biggest problem as it thins the blood and reduces clotting, this will cause excessive bleeding during your tattoo, which will affect the quality of the finished tattoo.

Can tattoo’s be removed? They can, completely and without scaring. There are several options available to you if you have ink that you want rid of. The first, and by far most common way is the cover-up. This involves working with your tattoo artist to come up with a design that will go over and ‘cover-up’ the old one.

You might be interested: How Much Is Tattoo School?

Have a look at the Laser Removal Frequently Asked Questions ( Laser FAQs ), on our website if you are interested in more information on removal;
The third option available is a combination of both of the above;

They should also discuss how well your tattoo will stand the test of time;
You can generate some amazingly complex and delicate tattoos, but tattoo ink spreads and thins under the skin over time, so your dainty tattoo might look great on the day, but may look fuzzy and unrecognisable after just a couple of years;

Your tattoo artist will usually have a good idea at this point as to how long your tattoo is going to take, and will be able to advise you on cost. Booking your appointment usually requires a deposit (£50 unless your tattoo comes in under that price), which is to discourage time wasters and to offset against the artwork the tattoo artist will produce for you, should you not turn up.

If you get an unhelpful response, or are told to ‘pick something from the Flash’, when you ask for help, again maybe the best course of action is to find another studio. Is the studio clean and well presented? If a tattoo artist can’t keep their house in order, what other corners might they be cutting? You could potentially be putting your own health and wellbeing at risk.

The regulations in the tattooing industry are minimal at best, so it is very much up to the individual studio to police themselves past the very basic health and safety requirements;
Because of this the cleanliness of the studio, will very much reflect their attitude towards their customer and their customer’s wellbeing;

The main reason is that alcohol thins your blood considerably;
In turn this causes excessive bleeding while you are having the tattoo, which not only makes it difficult for the tattoo artist, but will have the effect of ‘washing out’ ink as it is being put in;

Firstly, try and make sure you have had something to eat and drink about an hour before your tattoo. During the tattoo, your body behaves in a way very similar to going into shock, as it generates endorphins to deal with the attack on the skin.

Don’t be ashamed of telling them, if you have chosen your studio wisely, they will be totally sympathetic to your needs and help you through the experience with dignity;
Often a tattoo studio will offer you hard boiled sweets or a lolly to help keep your sugar up during the tattoo;

However at SECRET INK this is not a huge concern as we do not feel there should be any financial pressure on the customer during preparation, so will only charge for the time you are actually being tattooed.

Can I catch anything from getting a tattoo? Yes you can, but it is very unlikely. If you have followed the advice above and chosen your tattoo studio wisely, then the chances of catching anything are similar to a visit to the dentist.

If correct infection control procedures are not followed, there is the potential of transmitting blood-borne pathogens from one customer to the next, or from the tattooist to the customer. This could potentially include HIV or Hepatitis.

The other thing you might hear people say is; “I got my tattoo/piercing form Joe Blogs Tattoo, and it got infected, I must have got the infection from there!” This is absolute rubbish! Apart from blood-borne infection (viral), as mentioned above, you won’t catch an infection like they are discussing from a studio, as what they are talking about is an infection caused by bacteria;

How safe is Tattoo Ink? It depends where it comes from. There are many inks on the market today that are readily available. High quality tattoo ink, Ink has been tried and tested over generations without ill effects.

These Chinese inks can be dangerous;
A report was recently released in which some of these inks had been analysed and shown to contain both banned and toxic substances;
With this in mind, it is no longer good enough that your tattoo artist uses trusted brands, they must also source their inks directly from the manufacturer, or manufacturer’s approved outlet, to ensure the integrity of their product;

If you have any other questions that we haven’t answered here, please feel free to contact us..

Can your body reject a tattoo?

– It’s normal to notice irritation or swelling after getting inked. But tattoo reactions can go beyond simple irritation. Skin can swell, itch, and ooze with pus. Most allergic reactions are tied to certain inks. This hypersensitivity often presents as contact dermatitis or photosensitivity.

Julia