It might sound cliché, however belief your intestine when selecting your tattoo artist. Above all else, the skilled ought to make you are feeling relaxed, and whereas bedside method doesn’t equate to expertise, a impolite one that is speeding you thru a seek the advice of might be not the particular person you need sticking needles in your body. Professionals who attempt to strain you — or worse, do not give you vital details about how you can prep to your tat or how you can deal with it — must also be averted (per Insider). Bear in mind, a tattoo is an open wound and may turn out to be contaminated, so after-care is a vital a part of the tattooing course of.
One other tip, shared by Slate, may allow you to keep away from catastrophe: Merely check out examples of the artist’s work. Whereas seeing the completed design on a human is finest, portfolio books can even assist decide if they’re a real artist or only a tracer, as Kevin “Jack” Allaire, licensed freelance tattoo artist, defined to Slate. Allaire says to search for dimension, problem, and “selection” to get a way of the artist’s expertise and expertise.