Before your tattoo session:

Here are a series of recommendations for before your tattoo session, whether it's a few days before or the same day.
Below, you will also find some tips to better manage the pain on the day of your tattoo.

Wear Black Clothing:To avoid accidentally staining any clothes permanently and to make my job easier when taking photos, its use is appreciated.

Prepare the Canvas: To improve the quality of the skin and therefore facilitate the injection of ink, you can apply moisturizing cream to the area during the week before the tattoo. IMPORTANT: do not do this on the same day of the session.

Sleep Well Before the Session: It's important to be rested to respond adequately during the tattoo.

Avoid Skin Injuries at All Costs: A tattoo cannot be done over any active skin lesion. Be careful with cuts, burns, or wounds in the area you are going to tattoo!

Keep the Skin Clean: Shower before the appointment to keep your skin free of grease and avoid unpleasant odors.

Stay Hydrated: Hydrated skin makes it easier for the ink to penetrate, so make sure to drink enough water before and during your appointment. For this, avoid consuming energy drinks, the last thing you need is to be overflowing with energy.

These recommendations will help you properly prepare for your tattoo session, ensuring not only a better experience during the process but also better healing and maintenance of the tattoo in the future.

If you, like me, are someone who suffers through the tattoo process from start to finish, or if you just want to make your tattoo session more bearable, here are X practical tips for the day of your session. Pain is psychological, and it's possible to trick your mind into not suffering as much, but you can also minimize suffering with simple things like breathing correctly. Read carefully.

Distract Yourself: Bringing headphones is essential. Whether to watch audiovisual content or listen to music (I find loud music in my headphones particularly effective), to talk, read, or play a video game if you can use your hands during the tattoo process, is also very practical!

Control Your Breathing: Breathing is key to relax and manage pain. Steady, deep breathing will help you stay calm during the tattoo session as it sends a message to your body that everything is fine.

Avoid Intoxicants: Alcohol or marijuana increase pain sensitivity, dehydrate your body, and make you bleed more than advisable. Avoid them at least 12 hours before your session.

Anesthesia: Topical anesthetic treatments can be effective for this purpose, but proper healing cannot be guaranteed when using them. Creams like TKTX excessively soften the skin and hinder ink application. For color tattoos, their use is highly discouraged for this reason. However, consult with me in case you want to use any method. 

Maintain a Positive Attitude: It might seem silly, but maintaining the right mindset can help reduce pain perception. Remember why you're getting tattooed and that it was your choice. Focus on the result, not the process; it will only be a few hours, and you'll have your tattoo with you for life.

These recommendations are designed to help you better manage pain and ensure a more pleasant experience during your tattoo session. Remembering these tips and preparing adequately can make a significant difference in how you perceive and handle tattoo pain.

Bonus

Ibuprofen:This is entirely personal, something that works well for me in particular. I am not a doctor and therefore cannot prescribe or advise medication to anyone. That said, if the tattoo I'm going to get is elaborate, half an hour before starting, I take an Espidifen. It's an anti-inflammatory and acts on the nervous system, alleviating some of the pain. After 6 hours, if I need it, I take another one. It's not a matter of overusing it, as its intake is never recommended in shorter time intervals. As I say, this is something I do under my own responsibility.