Pre and post-tattoo rituals

[gougetheeyes]

When I get tattooed I usually eat something good and filling and show up with a seltzer or coffee or juice or all three. I've been doing this for years now and realized it's become kind of a ritual.. making sure I have enough time, etc. Afterwards, I almost always pick up a single Budweiser tallboy.

Got me thinking because I know everyone has their rituals. Mine are more like "things I usually do" rather than rituals, but I really look forward to doing them on tattoo days.

Pushups, meditating, any good OCD stuff??

[Tight-Lines]

I buy the latest edition's of all those paparazzi mags like People, and all the other ones, usually get Pho noodles before.

After I treat myself to some good German beer at The Trappist in Oakland...

[Julio Avila]

A couple whopper jrs with cheese and a dr pepper.

After, a really good meal, a beer, and a nap

[Dean Schubert]

Before-light meal and a good shit. After sushi, beer, medicine

[gougetheeyes]

after sushi, beer, medicine

beer is medicine

[Dean Schubert]

beer is medicine

I need more than one kind

[gougetheeyes]

I need more than one kind

Good to keep a well-stocked medicine cabinet for all occasions, tattoo or no.

[MsRad]

before- juice or tea, always. i try to eat something with a lot of natural sugar too, like an all fruit smoothie or lara bar or something.

after- lots of water, usually again something sweet (get my blood sugar back up), sometimes a meal. in my pre-vegan days, i'd always get ice cream after. still an option, but all the vegan ice cream spots are far away from any shop i've gone too, and i've been to grumpy to make the trip after.

[hogg]

Nice meal beforehand, breath mints before and during (common courtesy, ya know), lots of deep breaths during, hot soak/shower afterwards, and an ice cold beer immediately after the shower.

I maintain that nothing tastes as good as a post-tattoo beer. Even when I wasn't really drinking at all, I'd still have one beer after a tattoo. Some things are sacred.

[Mr. Frog]

I drink a 6 pack, and Eat a couple of bowls of chili beforehand. I make sure to put lots of garlic in the chili too. Then I drink as much coffee as possible during the tattoo, and take smoke breaks. This usually makes for a magical experience that I recommend for everyone. I also have a warm up dance that I do, but that is secret.

[gougetheeyes]

I maintain that nothing tastes as good as a post-tattoo beer.

I read that as "post-shower beer," which I also agree with 100%.

And Frog, I hope your ripping as many farts as I expect you are ahaha

[hambone]

this isnt your secret dance is it?? cause if it is then we are one in the same...i too have a secret dance.

I drink a 6 pack, and Eat a couple of bowls of chili beforehand. I make sure to put lots of garlic in the chili too. Then I drink as much coffee as possible during the tattoo, and take smoke breaks. This usually makes for a magical experience that I recommend for everyone. I also have a warm up dance that I do, but that is secret.

[Tight-Lines]

beer is medicine

Beer = Fun

[jinxproof1996]

long hot shower about 2+ hours before. pre shave area, apply maxiline cream HEAVILY, wrap with plastic wrap tightly. 1 hour before i drink a large bottle of belgian ale and 10mgs of vicodin. then while getting tatted, i drink another bottle and take another 10mgs. i never feel the tattoo. but then again i am rather large (6' 2", 240lbs) and i spent all winter and spring trying to finish my torso so i only had 3 hour sittings about 3 times a month on shit spots. but i'm almost done so its about over. works perfectly. haha.

[calbee]

I try to make my appointments early and have a nice breakfast... Afterwards I go for rib tips and spicy links.

[The Hyena]

I watch either some Twin Peaks episodes, Blue Velvet, or Deadman.

[gougetheeyes]

I've noticed a recurring theme that kind of revolves around food here. Unless you're Jinxproof and you pump yourself full vicodin and YE OLDE ALE. Epic.

[Perez]

I'm with Karl on the Maxiline, 'bout to get my ribs worked on for another couple hours today. Slathering that shit on!

[MsRad]

I've noticed a recurring theme that kind of revolves around food here. Unless you're Jinxproof and you pump yourself full vicodin and YE OLDE ALE. Epic.

honestly, i feel dizzy if i don't have food before and after. even with food, i still feel wobbly, but without food, i'll just hit the ground.

[deaddreamnation]

yeah sounds like i need to test out jinxproof's method. seems like a fun time either way!

[dari]

I have a great post-tattoo ritual, a long nap the day after getting tattooed, I think my body needs the extra zzzz's to heal. And I need food, too. I usually bring something or order something yummy (great food near Temple Tattoo in Oakland) and take a few bites each break.

[gougetheeyes]

I have a great post-tattoo ritual, a long nap the day after getting tattooed, I think my body needs the extra zzzz's to heal.

Dari, how do you sleep after? I think sleeping is the worst part of getting tattooed for me!

[calbee]

Yeah depending on the placement sleeping can be a hassle, I just got the ditch on my arm done and figuring out how to lay has been a bear.

[dari]

My last tattoo involved the ditch, and the first night was awful, especially since I was still all wrapped up in plastic. But I have had some hardcore training in sleeping in absurd positions as a mom. Even though I never have meant to share a bed with either of my offspring, still they end up in there, and moving/readjusting comes with the huge risk of them waking up and all hell breaking loose. We've just kind of learned to sleep in these crazy positions, hoping that we don't end up with permanent nerve damage due to lack of bloodflow to the area. But yeah, I can now sleep without moving around too much.

For the nap, I usually drink a lot of coffee, but I made sure to only have a half cup that day to keep the headache away. After a very long, hot shower, I massaged in a tablespoon or two of good organic olive oil while my skin was still a little wet, (sometimes blotting it with a towel if I got a little crazy) put on a loose, soft long sleeve cotton shirt, and sacked out. Yes, I know, olive oil may sound weird, but it worked out great for me. Besides being natural and hypoallergenic, it has no weird additives, and has the antioxidants A and E which help stimulate the cells to repair the skin. It also lasts for a long time, once or twice a day is plenty.

Just wondering, has anyone else had good results with Maxiline?

[hogg]

I got tattooed at the SFO convention on the inside of my left ankle and outside of my left knee, which made for a really shitty night of sleep. There was no good position for my left leg at all.