Why Should You Eat Before A Tattoo?

Why Should You Eat Before A Tattoo
Why Should You Eat Before A Tattoo Eating before a tattoo sitting, what’s the deal? Keeping your body fuelled before getting a new tattoo can make all the difference to your overall experience and we’re going to tell you why. Think about it… You are about to put your body through its paces – especially if the tattoo session is going to be over an hour long. Extended periods of trauma caused to the body, be it covering a small or large area is going to cause you to use up a lot of energy.

  1. Think of it like running a marathon;
  2. When being tattooed you are effectively being stabbed by 50-3000 needles per second, which causes your body to use up all of your stored sugars and fats to get you through the process;

A Great Meal is Key It is important to eat a good meal the night before your session and a slow energy releasing breakfast – this way, once your body works through all it’s reserves it can feast on the additional calories from your previous meal(s).

Without these additional calories you could become dizzy and worse case, pass out. So! It’s the day of your appointment, you’ve had a good meal, plenty of water and an early night the evening before and you are ready for your tattoo sitting.

Time for a balanced, slow-energy releasing breakfast and you should be good to go. Bring a Snack For Longer Sessions For longer tattoo sessions, upwards of one hour. We recommend taking some easy high-energy snacks to have during breaks (we’re sure your artist will appreciate this too!)  Baking pro @marlamae has come up with some delicious vegan, high energy peanut butter bars that are the perfect “Tattoo Treat” for taking to your appointment. (this last part is really great and gets to the point, maybe we can move it up?) For your (No bake) Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars you will need: Peanut butter layer – 1 ½ cups peanut butter ¼ cup melted coconut oil ¼ cup maple syrup Pinch sea salt 2½ cups almond flour 1 cup vegan chocolate (or chocolate chips) Chocolate Layer – 8×8 greased or parchment lined dish 1½ cups walnuts 2 tablespoons cocoa powder ¼ teaspoon sea salt 10 soft medjool dates or 1/2 cup raisins 2 tablespoons water Flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top, optional Instructions:

  • Mix peanut butter and melted coconut oil in a bowl, add maple syrup and salt. Once combined add the almond flour and mix, it should have a cookie dough consistency. Add your chocolate to the mixture. When it’s all combined, spread an even layer in your pan and place in the freezer while you prepare your chocolate layer.
  • For the chocolate layer, take a food processor or blender and add everything EXCEPT the water. Pulse until everything is chopped and then add in your water. You’ll want a spreadable consistency.
  • Take out your cookie dough layer and spread the chocolate layer evenly on top. Sprinkle with the flakey salt and then pop in the freezer for about an hour!
  • Cut into squares and enjoy! These are best when they are kept frozen or cold and you can take them on the go! The almond flour melts into the peanut butter and it tastes like a Reese’s filling to me! You can add a protein powder to these easily too! Enjoy!

 Why Should You Eat Before A Tattoo.

Are you supposed to eat before you get a tattoo?

The bottom line – Tattoo artists recommend you eat one to two hours before your appointment and a meal full of protein and vegetables is a good choice. Beyond the nutritional benefits, it’s unlikely that a healthy meal will overstuff you to the point of nausea — a bonus if you’re especially squeamish around needles.

  • If you’re planning on packing snacks, check with your artist on whether food is allowed and what to bring;
  • Peanut butter cups won’t be a smart move if your artist is deathly allergic and a bag full of fast-food is just plain aggressive;
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And that’s no way to start a session, is it?! If you liked our story Here’s What to Eat Before Getting a Tattoo, Plus Foods to Avoid, make sure to check out the 13 Important Things to Know Before Getting Your First Tattoo ..

Should you get a tattoo on an empty stomach?

Make sure to eat something a few hours before you come in. Getting tattooed on an empty stomach may cause you to feel faint, nauseated, or dizzy. Allow plenty of time for your visit. Your tattoo session will be most enjoyable if you have time to appreciate it.

What should I eat before a tattoo session?

Embrace the protein – If you’re wondering what to eat before you visit the tattoo studio, cook a meal that’s protein-rich with plenty of eggs, fish or red meat. Protein helps with recovery, so it’s a great way to prepare for the procedure ahead. If you want to snack during the tattooing process, consider packing some healthy foods such as nuts or fruit to fight any hunger pangs you might get while sitting in the chair. Why Should You Eat Before A Tattoo.

How many hours before a tattoo should you eat?

Eat about one hour before your appointment –

  • Eat right before your appointment  — your pain tolerance is highest, and you’re calmer and less twitchy. After more than a couple of hours since eating, it hurts more, and you can get dizzy and sick during the tattoo.
  • Eat a big meal – Protein and carbs are best. It’s also helpful to eat Vitamin K rich foods – they thicken the blood, and include broccoli, dark leafy greens, bananas, oats, blueberries, alfalfa sprouts, and yogurt
  • Save sugary stuff until after your tattoo – you’ll do better if you’re not on a “sugar high” during your appointment.

How Much Should U tip a tattoo artist?

How Much to Tip Tattoo Artists – Unfortunately, there’s no hard and fast rule governing how much to tip tattoo artists. As with tipping waitstaff, 20-25% percent is a good standard. An easy way to include tipping in your budget is to add it in when getting the estimated costs for having your work done.

So, if your tattoo is expected to cost $200, with a 20-percent tip, that’s $240. That said, you can tip more or less, depending on several factors. For one thing, your willingness to tip will depend on how pleased you are with their work.

If you don’t like the work, it makes sense that you would want to tip less. That’s up to you. But keep in mind that a tattoo is a piece of art you wear on your body for personal expression. The tattoo artist makes your vision a reality on your skin. Choosing the right tattoo artist is as important as choosing the right tattoo.

Do your research, first. Don’t be afraid to ask people with great ink where they got it done. Chances are they’d love to tell you about their tattoo artist and the experiences they had with them. Another reason you might tip less or choose not to tip at all is because of a bad experience.

But, like any service-based industry, it’s not just the artist’s attitude that’s a big deal. You want to be treated with dignity and respect, but so does your tattoo artist. Tipping is a part of that, but so is showing up on time and being ready for your appointment.

In most instances, tipping is appropriate and encouraged. While you can tip less than 15%, try to avoid it. Good work should be recognized, and being broke is no excuse not to tip. If you don’t have the money to tip your artist, rethink getting tattooed until you can.

Or, ask your artist if they’d be interested in being tipped in goods or services if you run your own business and can float a sweet freebie their way in lieu of cash. Tipping in cash is fine. That way your tattoo artist gets the entirety of the tip and avoids any service fees or taxes.

  • If adding your tip to a credit or debit transaction, add a bit more to cover those fees;
  • The best time to tip is after your appointment when you’re paying for your services;
  • If your tattoo artist isn’t the person checking you out, just hit them up afterward with a thank you and, “This is for you;
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” They’ll appreciate it. Remember, you’re tipping them based on their professionalism and the quality of their work, so there’s nothing wrong with waiting to make sure you’re pleased with the experience before you tip. You also don’t need to let your tattooer know you’re tipping, but it’s not a bad idea.

That way they know you didn’t accidentally overpay them or think they owe you change. In some rare instances, a tattooer might not accept tips if they’re the owner of the shop, but that’s very unlikely to be the case.

There’s no reason to ask your artist about tipping if you plan on tipping them with cash. And, most credit card interfaces offer prompts for adding tips as part of the check-out process, making it even easier. Gratuities are part of the tattoo experience so don’t feel awkward or uncomfortable about them. Why Should You Eat Before A Tattoo.

What should you not do before getting a tattoo?

What happens if I don’t eat before my tattoo?

Food and Activities You Should Avoid Before Getting a Tattoo – Unhealthy meals, such as those with a high fat and sugar content, should be avoided before, during, and after getting a tattoo since they can cause skin irritation, bleeding, and lots of scarring.

  • Caffeine, Energy Drinks, and Alcohol

Alcohol, coffee, and energy drinks can thin your blood. We recommend you skip the morning coffee or energy drinks on the day of your tattoo session or avoid drinking alcohol the night before your appointment. These drinks act as a stimulant that can make you nervous and uncomfortable. They can also raise your heart rate, increasing your blood flow and making the bleeding worse.

Also, there are lots of activities that may also slow down the healing process. To avoid the hassle, refer to this list of food and activities you should avoid when getting a tattoo. They might leave you feeling agitated and shaky because of the rapid surges and crashes of adrenaline.

Also, coming to your appointment under the influence of alcohol is unethical, and you should avoid drinking any alcoholic drinks at least a day or two before the tattoo session.

  • Ready-To-Drink Juices, Soda, and Processed Foods

Ready-made fruit juices and soda have extremely high sugar content. Processed foods, such as canned goods, instant noodles, smoked sausage, and fried meat, have lots of fats and salt content. Sugar, salt, and oil are proven to cause skin inflammations, prolonging the skin’s healing process.

  • Dairy Foods

Dairy products are proven to cause bloating, and they can make the appearance of your skin plumper. However, if the bloating has gone away, the outcome of your tattoo may be distorted and may not look the same way as it did while the skin was still plump.

  • Partying The Day Before The Appointment

We all know that most parties happen late at night and involve lots of alcoholic drinks – which are both big thumbs down when getting a tattoo. Instead, get a lot of quality sleep and drink lots of water before getting inked.

  • Getting Too Much Sun Exposure

Sun exposure can damage the skin, and high ultraviolet rays can cause extreme sensitivity and inflammation on the skin. If these occur, it may be difficult for the tattoo artist to pierce the needle on your skin. Also, your skin is no longer in its best condition to get inked. To avoid extreme damage from sun exposure, wear sunscreen and look for shade when staying outdoors for too long.

  • Wearing Tight Clothing

This isn’t food-related – but the client’s skin-tight clothes are the tattoo artists’ number one enemy. Not only does it cause hassle to remove the clothes, but the friction can also damage the outcome of the ink. You should wear loose clothes on the day of your appointment until the day that your tattoo finally heals. Why Should You Eat Before A Tattoo If you follow these tips before, during, and after getting a tattoo, your tattoo has the best chance of recovering faster! Also, we suggest getting your tattoo aftercare products right away to help you with your tattoo journey – from getting inked until the day that your skin finally recovers..

Do tattoos burn calories?

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.

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Does caffeine affect tattoos?

We advise that you don’t drink coffee before getting a tattoo. Sure, drinking coffee, or any drink that contains caffeine, may calm your nerves, but this is a temporary effect and should be avoided. For one, caffeine is known to thin the blood, which can increase bleeding and reduce healing.

It’s expected to be super anxious before getting a tattoo, especially if it’s your first or if you’re afraid of the pain. It’s not only a strain on your emotions in the run-up to your appointment, but it can also put a strain on your body.

Instead of diving for the coffee, there are other things you can do.

What to eat after getting a 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.

Where is the least painful place to get a tattoo?

Least painful to tattoo – The least painful places to get a tattoo are areas of your body with fewer nerve endings. Think outer shoulder, calf, buttocks, and outer arm. While people generally focus on the location on the body, Stanley Kovak , a cosmetic physician, theorizes that pain is more about size.

Does getting a tattoo dehydrate you?

Reasons Why You Feel Sick After a Tattoo – There are plenty of reasons you might feel sick, ill, or nauseous after a tattoo. Here are some of the main causes of such unpleasant occurrences;

  • Your immune system is weak 

As we explained earlier, tattooing directly affects your immune system. Because of the adrenaline increase, high and repeated pain, and overall stress, the body doesn’t really know how to react. As a result, the immune system becomes weak, making your body prone to sickness and flu much easier, since it can’t really fight against bacteria and viruses.

  • You’re already dealing with sickness 

If you come to a tattoo appointment already sick, chances are that after a tattoo you’ll become even sicker. It is strongly advised to avoid getting a tattoo while being sick because the immune system becomes too impaired to deal with a new tattoo. As a result, your tattoo might get easily infected, since the body can’t fight off infections in such a state.

  • You’ve had alcohol before a tattoo 

First of all, getting drunk before a tattoo appointment is irresponsible and rude towards the tattoo artist. At the rare chance that you got a tattoo while being intoxicated, chances are you’ll feel terrible after the process is done. You’ll feel nauseous, weak, dehydrated, and of course, sick. It is important, in such a case, to eat well and drink plenty of water to help your body recuperate.

  • You haven’t had food or water before getting a tattoo

In order to deal with all the trauma of tattooing, your body needs energy. And where does the energy come from? Well, from food and water. It is essential to get a proper meal and have a glass of water before getting a tattoo. Otherwise, your hunger and thirst will indicate to your body there’s no source of energy. And, in turn, you might start feeling nauseous and sick after the tattoo is done.

How can I ease the pain of getting a tattoo?

Should you shower before a tattoo?

Shower – This one might be obvious but we wanted to mention it just in case. You should be showering every day (hopefully), but please remember to do so before your appointment. You want to keep your skin as clean as possible since tattooing creates small cuts and opens the skin up.

How do you prepare for a full day tattoo?

What to eat after getting a 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.

How can I ease the pain of getting a tattoo?