Getting a tattoo for the first time is a pretty big deal, so making sure you do it right is important to avoid having any regrets.
Tattooist Katie Baker, who shares her experiences on TikTok, knows this all too well and often issues tips for first timers.
And speaking to Insider she has revealed there are some common mistakes that newbies often make.
Avoid artists who are not invested in you and your design
Katie says that one of the biggest mistakes someone can make is using an artist that they don’t get along with.
“Getting a tattoo is a very intimate thing, and you want to make sure that you get on well with them when you’re trusting them with your skin,” she said.
“If you feel that your tattoo artist doesn’t respect you, run.”
She said that she often hears from clients who have encountered artists who act like they “don’t care,” and are “mean for no reason.”
Communicating clearly with your artist
As a tattoo artist, Katie said that she quickly had to learn to communicate with her clients in order to have a better understanding of what they want their design to look like.
Emphasising the importance of “mutual trust” through communication, she said: “You really learn about people’s hearts and who they are as people.”
“I’ve really grown to love it, something that was once the scariest parts of my job is one of my favorites now.”
Do your research
Katie believes that some people are so eager to get a tattoo that they will go to any parlor shop without taking the time to read reviews or thoroughly learn about their tattoo artist.
She said some people will also overlook whether the tattoo shop is clean and whether the tattoo artists are consuming alcohol or drugs.
In many of these cases, Katie said that clients end up getting their tattoos removed later down the line.
Last week, it was revealed that one tattoo artist had caused a stir online after sharing his list of mistakes people should avoid making before they get inked.
Los Angeles-based tattoo artist Crocodile Jackson outlined his five rules to follow in a video he posted on TikTok, but some of the rules sparked disagreement in the comment section.
This story originally appeared on The Sun and has been reproduced here with permission.
