Put on clean, comfortable clothing that can be easily moved or removed to give your artist access to the area of your body that will be tattooed. Wear pasties if you are concerned with staying covered. Clothing can get stained with ink near the tattoo. Don't wear tight clothing that is going to rub against your fresh tattoo, this will be very uncomfortable for you and could damage the tattoo or slow the healing process.

Please be on time to your appointments so that your artist's schedule does not get thrown off, this means not early and not late. Be aware of your artists late/cancellation policy, as well. It could impact your deposit or future appointments.

The more you move during your tattoo, the longer it is going to take for your artist to get through the work. Moving could also significantly alter the way your tattoo looks, and your artist may need to take longer to fix parts of your tattoo. All of this extra time could mean more pain and cost for you, so it's best to relax and try to remain as calm and as still as possible.

There are many items in a tattoo studio that are biohazard and should not be touched for your own safety. Do not use the trash cans marked with orange biohazard stickers. Do not touch items in an artist's work area while they are tattooing or after they are done as it will be covered in biohazard materials. Keep your hands off your own tattoo, or anyone else’s tattoo. Please also never touch an artist's personal items in their station.

Being well rested before your tattoo sets you up with a good amount of pain tolerance. Longer sessions, and more sensitive areas are easier to manage after a good night's sleep. To conserve your energy, do not exercise on the day of the tattoo appointment.

You want your body to have ample long lasting energy in the form of good food. This energy reserve will allow you to manage the pain of getting tattooed a lot more easily than if you had not eaten. Please eat within an hour of our appointment before coming in.

Drinking plenty of water every day has a direct impact on your skin quality. Having your skin in the best condition possible will help your overall tattoo session and the healed tattoo.

Just as important as preparing your body physically, is staying calm mentally. Remembering to breathe nice and slowly can help you manage through the tattoo.

Soaking your tattoo in water while it's healing can cause ink to leak out. Depending on what kind of water you are getting into, you could also be introducing an infection into your open tattoo wound. This can have serious health consequences, please don't risk this.

Drinking water in general is great for your skin, and that includes your tattoo. Proper hydration helps with elasticity, and will keep you and your tattoo looking fresh, supple, and youthful.

Exposing a still healing tattoo to the sun can make it hurt like a sunburn and can impact the healing process. After your tattoo is healed, continue to keep it protected with sunblock or clothing. The sun will make tattoos fade and blur faster than most other things you could expose them to.

After many years, tattoo pigment will start to migrate in the skin. This is what causes the blurred look of aged tattoos. If your tattoo design is too small, the natural blurring and aging could collapse important details of your tattoo and cause the image to become less recognizable over time. Talk to your artist about what size they recommend for your design.

There are some areas of your body that will not take ink as well as other areas, fingers, palms, side of your feet, etc. There are also areas that will be hard to heal, like the top of your feet if you have to wear shoes everyday.

For your tattoos regular moisturizing helps keep them looking bold and bright for a long time by keeping your skin soft and supple.

As you age, so does your skin and so will your tattoos, it is inevitable. Be open to the option of having your tattoos touched up if you want them to continue to look fresh. You most likely won't need to do this very frequently, unless your tattoos are in tricky spots that are notorious for healing out, or being exposed to the sun often. There isn't an exact science to when you'll need a touchup, if ever, as everyone's body is different, but think about getting it if you see the need.

Even though there isn't a way to know how your tattoos will look for the rest of your life, the tattoo longevity tips are things you can do to give yourself the best chance at having great looking and long lasting tattoos. Overall, give your tattoos as much attention and care as you give to your general health. This way, your tattoos will age as well as the rest of you does.