4 Things To Consider Before You Get That Souvenir Tattoo Abroad
SHARE
Unsplash
A travel moment feels so special that you want to wear your love for the destination on your sleeve forever. Basically, a souvenir tattoo is calling your name. Now, we’re not talking henna, which wears off. We mean the real-deal permanent, goes-on-with-a-needle tattoo. Before getting inked at the first shop you see, here’s what you need to consider.
1. Safety
Tattoos use needles. Not to get too far into the fear-inducing deets, but needles have to be properly sterilized to prevent infection. The easiest way to make sure you’re out of Hepatitis danger? Look for single-use needles. That means you’ll see artists opening up brand-new packages before beginning a tattoo.
If a space looks icky, your tattoo probably will be icky too. Think nail salon. You wouldn’t get a pedicure at an unclean shop. So even though tattoos used to be a symbol of rebellious counter-culture, don’t get inked in a dingy parlor.
2. Timing
New tattoos have to stay clean and dry so they don’t get infected. That also means you have to keep the area out of bright sunlight. If you’re dead set on getting a tattoo during an island vacay in Thailand, plan to be inked on one of the last days of your trip when you won’t be lounging the day away on the beach.
3. Design
We hope we don’t need to warn you about foreign language tattoos. Friends, do not get a tattoo in a language you don’t understand unless you have a trusted native speaker to translate for you. This is how people end up getting tattoos that are random jumbles of Chinese characters instead of ancient proverbs.
And while we’re sure you’ve thought through that wanderlust quote you want inked on your ribs, just make sure the travel high isn’t making you overconfident in loving “Not all who wander are lost” on your side in ten years.
4. Artist
The good ones are not cheap. We’ll repeat this for the budgeters out there: Good tattoo artists are not cheap.
But one great thing about the talented, expensive artists out there? Their portfolios are on Instagram. Even abroad, you can vet an artist’s style before ever walking into the shop. A quick Google search of tattoo artists located in your destination will give you some names to start with. From there, read reviews, check out their work or even ask locals you meet where they got their cool designs done.
A good tattoo artist will work with you on the design you bring into the shop, but a great one will share his or her expertise. If someone gets pushy with you, find another artist.
As fun as it might seem on a drunken night out abroad, we’d recommend resisting the whim to get a tattoo ASAP. Do some research to find a good shop and get a souvenir you’ll love for a lifetime in the sober light of day.
Next on
