Before getting your tattoo, it is an excellent idea to consume Vitamin C-rich foods such as broccoli, kale, and citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons, or you may opt to take vitamin C pills. Proteins are a type of body-building nutrients that helps your body develop and repair muscle and skin tissues.
Avoid coffee and energy drinks
Energy drinks and coffee have been shown to thin the blood, like alcohol does, which could mean you bleed more during the tattoo process than you normally would. For this reason, taking aspirin 24 hours in the lead-up to getting a tattoo should be avoided too.
Eat about one hour before your appointment
After more than a couple of hours since eating, it hurts more, and you can get dizzy and sick during the tattoo. Save sugary stuff until after your tattoo – you'll do better if you're not on a “sugar high” during your appointment.
It is important to eat a good meal the night before your session and a slow energy releasing breakfast - this way, once your body works through all it's reserves it can feast on the additional calories from your previous meal(s). Without these additional calories you could become dizzy and worse case, pass out. So!
With that said, don't take painkillers before getting a tattoo either. Painkillers like Advil and Ibuprofen also thin the blood, which will lead to similar issues that alcohol has. Acetaminophen may potentially be fine to take, but should be discussed with the artist beforehand.
But ibuprofen and paracetamol can help, don't use aspirin as the blood doesn't clot so you get a lot more bleeding during the tattoo.
Drink a lot of water during the week; avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours before getting tattooed. Please do not shave the area; we will do it for you at your appointment. Avoid aspirin or blood thinning medication at least 24 hours before your tattoo; ibuprofen, acetaminophen, & other NSAID pain relievers are OK.
Don't arrive to your tattoo appointment dehydrated or on an empty stomach. Doing either of these things will make the process significantly more painful to sit through. Your body requires blood sugar (i.e. energy) to produce the endorphins and adrenaline that work to naturally relieve pain.
Barley, oats, brown rice, wholemeal bread and crackers all provide sustained release energy and are really suitable for most meal plans.
Starting the night before your tattoo session, stay as well hydrated as possible. This will actually allow the skin to accept the ink more easily due to the hydration and allow the tattoo process to happen faster without thinning your blood.
24 hours before your appointment you should be drinking a lot of water. A good goal is to aim to drink eight 8-oz glasses of water to fully ensure that your body is in the best shape possible. Not only is it good for your health, but it will make sure that your skin is hydrated and prepared for your tattoo session.
Painkillers may not work
Also be wary of taking any kind of pain medication that thins your blood or affects its ability to clot, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, lest you want to bleed more while getting tattooed.
Get a good night's sleep
Your body will be the one to bear the brunt of the tattoo pain. You must ensure that it is well-rested. The day before your tattoo, get at least 8 hours of sleep. Maintain a regular sleep routine for a week before and after your tattoo session.
Just don't take aspirin or paracetamol or drink alcohol before your tattoo as they thin the blood slightly and can cause more bleeding during tattooing, effecting how the ink takes to the skin.
Spots where the skin is much thinner or where there is significantly less underlying muscle mass – collar bones, ribs/sternum, your neck, spine, the foot, and of course, the head – are more likely to carry higher levels of pain and discomfort.
You can take a unit of Tylenol an hour before starting the tattooing process. Don't take ibuprofen or aspirin, as these are blood thinners. Tylenol is great because it helps with reducing the pain and doesn't influence bleeding or change the way your blood works.
We advise that you don't drink coffee before getting a tattoo. Sure, drinking coffee, or any drink that contains caffeine, may calm your nerves, but this is a temporary effect and should be avoided. For one, caffeine is known to thin the blood, which can increase bleeding and reduce healing.