First Tattoo Checklist: Everything to Do Before, During, and After

By InkLink Editorial · Published April 16, 2026 · Updated April 16, 2026 · 7 min read

TL;DR

• Book with a real shop. Research healed work, not fresh photos.
• Eat before, hydrate for 3 days prior, skip alcohol for 24 hours and blood thinners per doctor's guidance.
• Wear clothing that exposes the tattoo area without stripping in the shop.
• Bring snacks, headphones, cash for tip, ID, and patience.
• Aftercare starts the moment you leave. Follow your artist's instructions exactly for the first 14 days.

Getting your first tattoo is not complicated, but people overthink it and under-prepare. Here is the complete checklist working artists wish every first-timer read before showing up.

If you still need to pick your artist, InkLink's matching tool filters by style, budget, and healed work. It's built for exactly this problem.

2 weeks before your appointment

• Finalize your design brief with the artist. Respond to their messages. If they ask for reference photos, send them.
• Lock in placement. Try a temporary transfer or draw on with eyeliner. Placement changes are harder to do the day of.
• Start hydrating. Well-hydrated skin takes ink better and heals faster. Drink water daily, not just the day of.
• Skip retinoids. If you use tretinoin or retinol near the tattoo area, stop two weeks prior.
• Don't get a sunburn. Burned skin cannot be tattooed. Cover up or SPF aggressively.
• Review your artist's healed work again. You want to confirm you still like the piece by this artist's style.

1 week before

• No alcohol 24-48 hours before. Alcohol thins your blood and increases bleeding during the session, which affects how ink saturates.
• Avoid aspirin and ibuprofen for 24-48 hours before unless prescribed. Both thin blood. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is fine.
• Eat normally. Don't start a cleanse.
• Sleep. A tired client fidgets. A fidgeting client makes the artist's job harder.
• Confirm your appointment. Most shops send a reminder 48 hours out.
• Prepare payment. Know the shop's payment methods. Many prefer cash for tip.

Day before

• Shower, but don't shave the area. The artist will shave during prep for hygiene.
• Moisturize the area lightly with unscented lotion. Hydrated skin tattoos better.
• Pick your outfit. See below.
• Plan your transportation home. If it's a long session, you may not want to drive.
• Eat dinner, hydrate, go to bed on time. Don't party the night before. You will regret it.

What to wear

Pick clothing that exposes the tattoo area without requiring you to strip in the shop.

Wear dark colors. Ink and blood stain. You don't want to ruin white shirts on day one.

The day of — morning checklist

• Eat a real meal 1-2 hours before your appointment. Not a granola bar. Protein plus carbs. Low blood sugar causes lightheadedness on the table.
• Drink water. Keep drinking through the day.
• Shower. The artist will clean the area again, but show up clean.
• No alcohol, no weed. Both affect pain tolerance and blood flow. Sober is better.
• Bring your ID. Every licensed shop requires it even for repeat clients.

What to bring

• Valid photo ID (driver's license, passport).
• Cash for tip. 20% is standard in the US.
• Phone and charger. Long sessions burn battery.
• Headphones. Many clients zone out to music or podcasts.
• Snacks. Sugar crash mid-session is real. Bring candy, a granola bar, or a small bottle of juice.
• Water bottle.
• A sweater or light jacket. Shops run cold. Being cold tenses you up.
• Reference photos if your artist asked for any.

During the session

• Arrive 5-10 minutes early. Not 30 minutes early. The artist is not ready.
• Use the bathroom before you start. Once the artist is in gloves and masked, breaks cost setup time.
• Review the stencil seriously. This is your last chance to change placement or size. "It looks fine" is not a yes.
• Ask questions before they start. Once the needle is on, don't interrupt mid-line.
• Breathe. Shallow breathing amps up the pain. Slow exhales through the nose help.
• Tell your artist if you need a break. Every artist expects this. Breaks are normal, especially for first-timers.
• Don't watch the whole time if it bothers you. Most first-timers are fine. Some aren't. No shame in looking away.
• Do not pull your phone out mid-work. The arm the artist is tattooing stays still.
• Tip at the end. 20% is standard. Cash preferred.

See how much tattoos cost in 2026 for pricing context if you haven't booked yet.

What NOT to do before or during

• Don't get tattooed drunk or high. Reputable shops will refuse you.
• Don't bring a loud group of friends. One supportive person is fine. Three is a distraction.
• Don't negotiate price at the shop. You had time to ask. Not now.
• Don't ask the artist to "just add one more thing" mid-session. It's additional time, additional money, and disrupts their flow.
• Don't second-guess the placement after the stencil is applied unless something's actually wrong.
• Don't ghost on deposits. Your deposit is gone and your artist will remember.

The first 24 hours after

• Leave the wrap or film on per your artist's instructions. Usually 2-4 hours for traditional wrap, 2-4 days for Saniderm.
• Wash gently with fragrance-free soap and lukewarm water when the wrap comes off. Pat dry with a clean paper towel. Don't use a cloth towel.
• Apply a thin layer of balm (Aquaphor, Hustle Butter) per your artist's instructions.
• Sleep on clean sheets. Change them before your appointment if possible.
• Expect plasma ooze. It is clear and slightly ink-tinted. Normal.

See our full guide to tattoo aftercare products for day-by-day details.

Week 1 after

• Wash 2-3 times a day, apply balm sparingly after each wash.
• Do not soak. No pools, no baths, no ocean. Showers only.
• Do not pick. Flaking is normal. Scratching pulls ink out.
• Keep it out of the sun. Cover with clothing.
• Sleep on the opposite side if the tattoo is on your body where you normally lie.

Weeks 2-4 after

• Switch to unscented lotion once the weeping stops (usually day 5-7).
• Keep moisturizing twice a day.
• Expect the tattoo to look dull or milky. It's called "the dull phase." It clears up by week 4.
• SPF 30+ once fully healed (week 3+).
• Schedule a touch-up consultation at 6 weeks if you or the artist see anything that needs adjustment. Most artists touch up their own work for free in the first 6 months.

Common first-tattoo myths debunked

"It'll feel like a cat scratch." Sometimes. Depends on placement. Ribs, sternum, ankle, inside of arm: more than a cat scratch. Outer forearm, calf, outer thigh: cat scratch is close.

"Numbing cream ruins the ink." Medical-grade numbing cream applied per artist instructions does not ruin anything. Bargain-bin numbing cream changes skin chemistry and can affect ink uptake. Ask your artist.

"Color hurts more than black and grey." Not really. Pain is from the needle, not the ink. What hurts more is longer sessions and color packing over blackwork, because the skin is already irritated.

"You can't get tattooed on your period." You can. Some people report slightly more sensitivity. That's it.

"You shouldn't eat right before." Wrong. Eat 1-2 hours before. Skipping food causes fainting.

Final checklist

Print this or screenshot it.

2 weeks out: Design confirmed, placement confirmed, hydrating daily, no retinoids, no sunburn. 1 week out: No alcohol for last 48 hours, no blood thinners unless prescribed, well-rested. Day of: Real meal eaten, ID in pocket, cash for tip, outfit that exposes the area, phone charged, sober. First 24 hours: Follow your artist's wrap instructions, wash gently, thin balm, sleep on clean sheets. Week 1-4: Wash, balm, switch to lotion, no sun, no soaking, no picking, touch-up at 6 weeks if needed.

You are ready. Go get tattooed.

Find your next tattoo artist (or buy supplies smarter) InkLink helps clients match with vetted artists and helps artists save money on supplies. Get started free →

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