Is it a good idea to watch your alcohol consumption when you get a tattoo? Here's how to know if a few alcoholic beverages can help you relax before getting a tattoo, or if they can help you celebrate your great new tattoo.

Learn how alcohol affects the blood and how it can affect tattoo healing. As a final step, we will teach you when it is safe to drink again and how to properly care for your new tattoo.

What are the risks of drinking before getting a tattoo?

In preparation for a new tattoo, your nerves will certainly set in, especially if it is your first. For at least 24 hours prior to your tattoo appointment, you should avoid alcohol to calm your nerves.

What is the effect of alcohol on your blood?

Alcohol thins your blood like other blood-thinning medications like aspirin and ibuprofen. Although tattooing won't make your blood thin enough to cause you to lose a lot of blood, you might encounter problems if your blood takes too long to clot.

The thinner your blood is, the more ink can mix with it. The blood can dilute the ink and make your tattoo look faded, just like water dilutes paint.

When you drink, you may need a touch-up as soon as possible after your tattoo session. Even if you don't notice it during the session, your tattoo can look patchy after it heals.

It is also possible for your artist to have a harder time completing the tattoo if you drink before getting one. You will get more blood from the puncture holes when you get a tattoo. As a result, your tattoo artist may find it very difficult to tattoo your design accurately.

Tattoos can take longer than expected and look less accurate even if they can be completed. Skip the drink before your tattoo session, and save yourself and your tattoo artist the headache.

It's all about alcohol, tattoos, and good judgment

You shouldn't get a spur-of-the-moment tattoo after hitting up happy hour because alcohol impairs your judgment. Before choosing your tattoo's location, size, and design, make sure your mind is crystal clear. In a tattoo shop, you don't want to leave with an unsatisfactory tattoo.

It is important to remember that tattoos are permanent. Be sure you're in the right headspace before getting a tattoo, even if we're all for adorning your body with art you love. It's okay to wait until you're sober before getting a tattoo.

Can You Drink During A Tattoo Session?

You won't be allowed to get inked by a reputable tattoo artist if you're under the influence of alcohol. It's important to think through the tattoo experience carefully since it is a permanent decision. In order to sign the liability waiver, you must be of sound mind, and you cannot sign away your consent if you are not.

Your tattoo design, stencil location, and tattoo area size must be approved before the process begins. You can get a tattoo you don't like in a place you don't like if you're under the influence during this part of your session.

If you leave a tattoo shop with a piece you hate, you can damage the reputation of the tattoo artist. Please accept my apologies if that sounds harsh.

Try not to sneak in alcohol, even if you need to calm your nerves. Your tattoo artist can help you if you discuss your nerves with him or her. The tattoo artist will let you take as many breaks as you need after applying numbing cream.

Can You Drink After Getting A Tattoo?

Don't celebrate your fresh ink with a few drinks. Your body has just created a big open wound that needs to heal, and drinking can interrupt that process.

The formation of scabs is an important part of the tattoo healing process, and alcohol can make it harder for your body to form scabs. You may experience some oozing for the first few days while your tattoo heals.

Having a drink to celebrate your newly tattooed skin won't necessarily ruin your fresh ink with excessive bleeding, but we recommend waiting a couple of days before drinking. The longer your healing time, the more likely it is that your tattoo will become infected since the scabs will not be able to protect it as quickly.

During the first couple of days of healing, you should make sure your tattoo is nice and protected. The best thing to do right after getting some fresh ink is not to dance on top of the bar. When you rub up against strangers all night, you can create an infection that disturbs the tattooed skin.

The first couple of days should be taken easy. Stay sober for the first few days after your tattoo and follow your artist's aftercare instructions. You might consider getting your tattoo on a Sunday afternoon or evening if you like to party on the weekends.

Before getting a tattoo, what should I avoid?

Now you know not to drink before getting a tattoo. Are there any other substances you should avoid before your tattoo session? In the same way that tattoos thin your blood, blood thinner medications like ibuprofen and aspirin can do the same.

Over-the-counter drugs won't impair your judgment like alcohol, but they might make it harder for your tattoo artist to complete your artwork and for you to heal. Before your session, you should avoid blood thinning pills for one or two days.

Caffeine shouldn't be consumed right before a session, either. Even though iced lattes aren't as blood thinning as alcohol or anti-inflammatory drugs, they can make you feel jittery and thin your blood slightly.

Furthermore, it's a good idea to limit your exposure to the sun before getting a tattoo. There's always a risk of getting a sunburn, which will hurt a lot while you're getting inked and afterward.

As a result of the sun, your skin becomes tender to the touch and dries out. You should not go straight from the beach to the tattoo shop if your skin is damaged. Damaged skin can take longer to heal, and it can be more prone to infection.

Conclusion

In addition to enjoying an alcoholic drink, there are some serious side effects you should be aware of before entering a tattoo parlor. When getting inked, skip the beer goggles and go in stone-cold sober.