Talisman

What keeps celebrities going back to their favourite tattoo artist? For example…

State-of-the-art equipment alone is not enough

An artist may have advanced tattoo machines, expensive inks, and maybe even the best tattoo shop/ tattoo studio, but there’ll always be someone with more.

So for a celebrity with money to spend, no single artist should hold their attention for too long, right?

Skill and experience alone aren’t enough either

Agreed … Beckham’s artist Louis Malloy may be hailed as the best in England and Depp’s Jonathan Shaw was a trendsetter in his particular style of neo-tribal tattoos…

But most stars tend to choose tattoos from different genres: Angelina Jolie for example has gothic, Thai, and Japanese tattoos. And as artists often specialize in particular styles of tattooing, the celebs should logically change artists for each tattoo if they want the best … not stay with the same one.

It all comes down to the bond between client and artist

At the end of the day, the best artists are those that develop a bond with their clients … celebrities or otherwise. And while standards of skill and hygiene need to be met, at the heart of the bond lies trust.

Do you have this bond with your artist? You know you do when…

• You listen to your artist’s suggestions without wondering if he/she is just to trying to get more money from you
• Your artist is comfortable and straightforward enough with you to say ‘no’ where it needs to be said (e.g. when the dimensions you choose for your design won’t work, or if your choices for colour combinations aren’t the best)
• You can describe the emotions you want your tattoo to evoke and know that your artist understands exactly what you mean.
• Your artist shows an interest in how your tattoo heals and follows up later to ask you about it
• You and your artist can actually talk as friends and not just as business acquaintances

To experience all that goes into getting a tattoo, it’s worth your while to find an artist with whom to develop a bond. If you haven’t already found one, this is the best time to start looking.

Build a bond with your Talisman artists

Over the years, Amar and I have learnt to recognize the value of building a bond with our clients. This post is one way of sharing this commitment of ours; but we have another: get a 2^nd tattoo from Talisman and we’ll give you a 10% discount on it.

Hear what our client’s have to say about us and contact us to set up an appointment.

You’re sitting down for your first tattoo and you hear the hum of the tattoo machine as it starts.

You’re still taking in the sights so you don’t really pay it much attention. But as the artist brings it closer to your skin, its pitch seems to get higher and higher and you suddenly remember that a cluster of needles are going to be repeatedly puncturing your skin for at least half an hour!

Now you’re breaking out into a cold sweat and you get that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. You put on a nervous smile and start making small talk, thinking that you can distract yourself.

But all the while the only thing running through your mind is, ‘It’s gonna hurt, it’s gonna hurt, it’s gonna hurt’.

And this is normal. Absolutely normal.

Whether you are a gruff war veteran or a wide-eyed teenager, there’ll always be the anxiety that comes from anticipation. (Actually, the only people who don’t worry are women who’ve given birth … because they know that nothing can be as bad as that! ).

But then the tattooing begins …

And after a minute or two the pain subsides, your skin starts becoming numb, and you find yourself relaxing.

What’s the secret? Why do tattoos hurt less than we think they will?

The secret lies within your beautiful body which loves you very very much.

You see, it loves you so much that it produces these wonderful things called endorphins: its very own version of morphine.

Yes, these are the little buddies (proteins to be precise) that give you that elated feeling after a tiring jog, gratifying sex, meaningful meditation, or fruitful acupuncture. They are the closest you can come to getting high legally.

And since one of their roles is to control pain, endorphins are why after a few minutes of tattooing you begin to unwind and embrace the process.

And equally important: they are what make tattooing so addictive. If you’ve ever heard someone say how they actually ‘like’ the pain involved in getting tattooed … it’s the endorphins speaking.

OK, but how much does it hurt, really?

Getting tattooed has been likened to experiences ranging from a light scratching sensation to a bee sting. Some people say it hurts all the way through, while others actually fall asleep during the process. It will all depend on you, so there’s no way to really find out except to go ahead and get one.

But here are some factors to consider:

1. Your tolerance to pain: You know how you usually react to pain. That’s most probably how you’ll react to getting tattooed. So if a mild bruise makes your day come to a standstill, then getting a tattoo will be a challenge (one you can meet nonetheless).
2. Your anticipation of the pain: Many people work themselves up way more than usual, causing their blood sugar levels to drop, which can leave them feeling dizzy/clammy/uncomfortable. This isn’t really a problem though. A small break and some electrolyte-filled juice will sort things out.
3. The location of your tattoo: The less flesh on the area you get tattooed, the more it is said to hurt. So theoretically, getting tattoos on your hands, feet, ankles, ribs, lower back, and groin will hurt more than getting tattoos on your shoulders, upper arms, outer thighs, etc. 
4. The skill of your artist: An untrained artist can go too deep with the tattoo needle, causing unnecessary pain and serious skin damage. This is one of reasons why you should only go to reputed artists. 

There are ways to control the pain, but…

There are creams and medicines on the market that can numb the pain you feel while getting tattooed. But tattoo artists don’t usually recommend them (we certainly don’t).

This is because most of these drugs thin the blood, affect blood flow, or change the skin’s shape and/or texture.

And all this affects the quality of the tattoo you get.

The point is: it’s not about the pain

The takeaway point here is that you need to focus on the tattoo, not the pain.

If you’re getting a tattoo that has meaning for you, the pain doesn’t matter. You are marking yourself for life and that can be a beautiful, exhilarating, almost spiritual process.

Focus on that. Anticipate that.

Find a skilled artist and choose a design that you resonate with; the endorphins will take care of the rest.

The anti-tattoo brigade’s main argument…

In 2001, Pamela Anderson made a huge mistake: while getting a tattoo, she shared a needle with her then-husband Tommy Lee.

Well, it was actually the 2^nd mistake she’d made (we all know about the stolen video tapes, so let’s not harp on about that ) but it cost her dearly because she allegedly got Hepatitis C from it.

And more relevant for us tattoo-lovers, the anti-tattoo brigade used the incident as a means of publicizing the danger of infection from tattoos.

Now, whether or not Tommy Lee really gave Pamela Hep C is irrelevant. What’s important is to acknowledge that you can get infections from tattoos.

But equally important is to realize that with a few simple precautions you can sidestep all the drama and get a safe, attractive tattoo.

Why is there a risk of infection when tattooing?

Human skin consists of an outer epidermis and an inner dermis. A tattoo machine’s needles rapidly puncture the epidermis, injecting insoluble ink into the upper layers of the dermis.

So a tattoo is actually ink below the outer surface of the skin. And since the needle goes only just below the surface, it doesn’t hurt anywhere as much as an injection does.

However, as tiny as the punctures are, they are punctures nonetheless; and so you have to treat your tattoo as an open wound and guard against the risk of infection.

What kind of infections can unhygienic tattoos result in?

The main infections you can get from unhygienic tattoos are:

1. Skin infections: These result from the tiny puncture wounds getting infected.
2. Blood borne diseases (such as Hepatitis and Tetanus): Miniscule quantities of blood emerge from each prick made by the tattoo machine and if this blood is allowed to spread to others, it can carry disease.

So what makes tattooing safe?

Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene.

If your artist takes proper precautions, the risk of infection and disease is almost completely eliminated.

What are these precautions?

1. Keeping a clean workspace: Good tattoo artists will make sure all the surfaces they use for tattooing are cleaned with disinfectant.
2. Disposing of needles and leftover material: They will use disposable needles, taking them out of their casing right in front of you. They will also dispose of materials such as ink, ink cups, gloves, razors, etc. after a single use. Leftover ink should not be mixed with fresh stock.
3. Washing hands and wearing gloves: They will wash their hands thoroughly with a powerful soap and wear gloves while tattooing. They will pay special attention to the gloves, changing them after every exposure to non-sterilized material (e.g. they will change gloves if they answer the phone while tattooing you).
4. Using autoclaves to sterilize equipment: They will use an autoclave (a steam/pressure/heat unit used in hospitals) to sterilize all non-disposable equipment
5. Providing an aftercare sheet: They will tell you how to care for your tattoo and give you an aftercare sheet with important points to remember. To see some of these points, take a look at our aftercare sheet here.

So the next time you go in for a tattoo, make sure your artist takes all these precautions. Don’t be fooled by a fancy exterior; remember that expensive does not necessarily mean clean.

Insist on strict tattoo hygiene and you’ll stay safe as well as improve the public perception of tattoos.

As for all the drama … let’s leave it to Ms. Anderson, shall we?