First Time Getting a Tattoo
One of our customers details their experience of getting a tattoo for the first time in this insightful guide
INTRODUCTION
A Diary of My First Tattoo at Forever Bound
Getting a tattoo can feel like a big step, especially if it’s your first. To give you a true insight into what it’s like, we’re handing things over to Mike who recently had his first tattoo here at Forever Bound and has generously offered to write up his experience.
He’ll walk you through every stage of the process, from the first chat with his artist to how it felt in the days after and was there anything he didn't know or was surprised at.
We hope this helps provide a useful guide to what happens when you're getting a tattoo and please don't hesitate to get in touch with us if you've any questions at all.
The Initial Consultation
Hiya! Forever Bound have asked me if I'd do a diary of my experience of getting a tattoo. I'm not getting paid for it and I've been asked to be as honest and open as I can in order to give people getting their first tattoo an idea of what to expect. So with that said...
I’d been thinking about getting a tattoo for a long while but never got around to getting it done as life kept getting in the way. I had the ideas and a few reference images, but wasn't able to come up with a finished sleeve design by myself.
The internet gave me thousands of designs and of course I looked at various tattoo studios before settling on Forever Bound. Based on what I'd read online I felt they were most likely to treat my tattoo as a personal item to me, so when I knew I'd be near the studio, I called and booked a consultation.
The first thing that struck me was how friendly and relaxed the whole studio felt. For some reason I was expecting to walk in and find a load of gruff looking biker types in chairs getting their arms tattooed. Thanks Hollywood for implanting that stereotype in my head, haha! I can assure anyone reading this, that was not the case.
Instead it was more akin to a coffee shop atmosphere, nice and friendly. I found myself chatting with someone who knew their stuff and was listening to what I was trying to achieve. As a bonus they didn't seem to care that I knew nothing about tattoos.
Toni, asked about the meaning behind my idea, I showed some images on my phone I'd saved beforehand and Toni threw in a few suggestions I hadn’t even considered.
Deposit & Design
After we’d talked everything through, I decided to book a date to get it done there and then on the grounds that if I didn't then I'd only end up procrastinating and never get it done. You only live once and all that.
Toni explained how the deposit covered the time she would spend designing my tattoo, which felt completely fair. I nipped down to the cashpoint, which is 1 min down the road. Dropped the deposit off back at the studio, and that was it, my first tattoo was officially happening! No backing out now...
The booking was a while away, and I started getting updates about a week before. The first draft design came through, but even at that early stage it looked incredible. In particular, the snake design was far more detailed than I’d imagined, the level of detail on the scales was insane! I was already super excited.
Toni also broke the main parts of the snake it into sections so it could be tattooed to wrap naturally around my arm. It just looked right! Needless to say, I approved and Toni carried on designing.
But, being a first timer I was still having thoughts of "how much does getting a tattoo hurt?", "thats a drawing, but will it look great when it's done?" and all those other What If's you get when doing something for the first time.
The images and design ideas I gave toni are shown here.
Preparation for the Day
The night before my tattoo, I followed the advice I’d been given. It wasn't complicated, just simple things that made sense.
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Have a good night sleep
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Get a good breakfast
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Bring some snacks and drinks
I went to bed earlier than usual. I'd made sure I’d been drinking plenty of water for a few days beforehand, and avoided anything that might make the day harder, like alcohol. Getting the train there seemed to be sensible as it would save me paying for parking therefore I booked my train ticket in advance.
The next morning, the excitement really started to build. I was genuinely buzzing to get it done, but the “what if” thoughts crept in. What if it hurt more than I expected?, what if I didn’t like it once it was done?
Not really knowing anyone who had a lot of tattoo experience I just pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind and figured I'd just find out on the day. In hindsight I should've just asked someone at the studio, but... yea. That ones on me.
Getting to the Studio
Before leaving, I packed what I thought I might need. Snacks, water, my phone, tablet, charger, and even a jacket in case I got cold. Looking back, I definately over-prepared, lol. But I’d rather have too much than be caught out.
I took the Severn Beach train from Bristol Temple Meads train station. It's a 10 min train journey from Temple Meads to the Clifton Down train station by the studio. It's then a short walk (10 mins I'd guess) to the studio.
As you walk out of Clifton Down train station, turn left and follow Whiteladies Road kind of uphill. You'll walk past a bunch of cafes & shops on the way.
Personally, I stopped at Boston Tea Party (about 3 mins walk downhill from the studio) and grabbed a full english breakfast. I also went into Tesco Express (1 min walk downhill from the studio) for some Haribo, Fruit Pastilles, and a bottle of lemonade. Comfort snacks!
Tesco Express, Asda and Sainburys all have shops within 2 mins of the studio too.
Arrival at the Studio
When I stepped inside Forever Bound, everything was spotless, but not in a cold, clinical way it still felt warm and welcoming. The walls are full of interesting things (bat skeleton anyone?) l, the lighting was soft and natural, and the atmosphere was just… calm.
Toni greeted me as soon as I arrived. There was no waiting around or awkwardness just a friendly “Hey, you alright?” and a smile. She handed me a disclaimer form to fill out, which was simple and straightforward.
Once the paperwork was done, Toni walked me over to her station. Everything was laid out neatly. All clean equipment, sealed needles, gloves ready, everything exactly where it should be (I guess?).
That was the moment it all felt real sitting there, seeing the setup, knowing this was it. My first tattoo was actually about to happen.
The Tattooing Process - Part 1
Laying up the Template (Placement)
Toni started by applying the stencil for the design. It was on a piece of paper (there is probably a technical term for the actual template), and she lined it up, checked the flow of the snake around my arm, then had me stand and look in the mirror.
She encouraged me to be honest about the placement, and we made a few small adjustments to get it exactly right. It didn’t feel rushed at all; she wanted it perfect and for me to be happy. I took the advice to make it 10% bigger as Toni suggested it would be a much better fit on my arm now she could see the template on me.
This process is where one of my What If's started to disappear. The "What If it doesn't look good"?
Seeing it going on, and in place, that’s when I started to see the overall look and was confident.
So with that one out of the way, there was just one thing left in my mind. How much does it hurt?
The Tattooing Process - Part 2
How Much Does Getting a Tattoo Hurt?
When Toni started tattooing, I was braced for it to really hurt. Honestly, it wasn’t bad at all. It almost felt anti-climatic in that I'd worked myself up so much that when it started I was thinking.. "is that it?".
The first few minutes I was getting used to the feeling, a kind of buzzing scratch, but after about five minutes it felt fine. Once we were thirty minutes in, I’d completely settled into it and hardly noticed.
How to describe it... hmmm... On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being "I need a break!". I'd give it a 2. It's like a buzzing, vibration, tingle, feeling if that makes sense. I'd also caveat that by saying I was getting it on my arm which is one of the easier places to get a tattoo.
Toni checked in regularly, always asking if I was okay or needed a break. We chatted a fair bit as we went, and that helped keep things light and watching the design take shape was exciting. I didn’t need any breaks, and before I knew it, we’d done a good three hours straight through and it was time for a short lunch break!
The Tattooing Process - Part 3
Lunch Break!
Around midday we took a short break, about fifteen minutes or so. It was a good point to stop, stretch, and grab something to eat. Toni cleaned and wrapped my arm before I headed out, explaining that the skin is open and the film will protect it whilst I'm out.
I grabbed a quick photo to send to friends before it was wrapped. Gotta share the new tattoo!
I nipped back out to the Tesco Express down the road (seems to be my go-to spot now) and grabbed a sandwich and a drink. There are plenty of little shops and cafés around the area, so it’s easy to get something quick without going far.
When I came back, Toni re-prepped the area before starting again fresh gloves, cleaned skin, and a quick check that everything felt okay. The first few minutes after lunch were a bit stingy, but it soon eased off and went back to being completely fine.
On the 'How much did it hurt' scale, I'd say a 3 out of 10 for about 3 minutes and then it just faded back to a 2 for the rest of the session.
The Tattooing Process - Part 4
Finishing off the Day.
As mentioned, when we got going again, the first few minutes felt slightly sharper nothing bad, just that the skin had woken up again after the break. Within three minutes or so it settled back down.
I should mention that Toni had cleaned everything again, rechecked the stencil lines, and went straight back to work. The rest of the session was mostly shading and depth, and watching the design come to life was honestly incredible.
It’s weirdly relaxing once you’re used to it. The steady buzz of the machine, a bit of conversation, and seeing something you’ve imagined start to exist right there on your skin.
Even after six hours, it felt pretty good. Toni worked with a lot of focus and kept it friendly, checking in here and there to make sure I was okay. There is also a TV on the wall to watch, as well as various artworks and interesting items so you're not just sat there doing nothing.
Final Thoughts
Things I Wished I'd Known / Useful Info
Looking back, the whole experience was much easier than I’d expected. I’d convinced myself it was going to be painful and that I’d have to grit my teeth to get through it but it really wasn’t like that at all. The whole process is relaxed and straightforward from start to finish.
If you’ve never been tattooed before, it’s easy to let nerves take over. I was the same. But once you’re here, it all falls into place and the nerves disappear.
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For me it hurt far less than I expected it to.
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Everyone was amazingly friendly.
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Getting to the studio was really easy.
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Variety of shops & cash machine within 1 mins walk.
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Train station is 10 mins walk away.
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Car parking is available close by too (multi-storey).
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I took a lot of stuff I didn't actually need.
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Questions I had, I could've asked the studio.
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Aftercare is important.
