Getting a tattoo under any conditions is a huge responsibility, and with the added factor of traveling to have the work done, there are specific points to keep in mind. The technique and placement of the tattoo and the sort of your trip all play essential roles in how you should approach preparation.

Given the huge talent of tattooists around the globe, you should travel to get inked! Here’s the clever way to get a tattoo on a journey.

What to look for in a tattoo workshop

The place should be as clean as a doctor’s room. Your fresh tattoo will be an open wound, so it should be treated with medical-grade hygiene standards. In the US, tattoo salons must follow the strict Occupational Safety and Health Administration. While legal requirements for tattoo workshops vary by country, there are some items always worth checking.

If an expert tries to use a needle that isn’t unpackaged in front of you, ask explicitly if it’s been used previously. So, if the tattoo ink is coming from everywhere but a bottle marked by the manufacturer, or if the professional isn’t wearing gloves when touching your skin to use the stencil, turn around. Neither reused needles nor reused ink are acceptable from a hygiene standpoint. It’s better to waste your deposit than to risk viruses.

If you’re in a situation where you can’t safely take the tap water, ask about the soap solution at the artist’s workstation. You might need to request a separate solution made with bottled water.

When to register your tattoo appointment

You may need to schedule your tattoo date for late in your journey if your travels include a sunny destination or water sports because prolonged sun exposure and soaking will impair your tattoo’s ability to heal correctly. Be more liberal with sunscreen application, though—most tattoo professionals will refuse to ink brown skin.

It would help if you also avoided getting inked within 12 hours of drinking alcohol. Sure, matching tats are a nice idea at bachelor parties, but alcohol is a blood thinner that causes visibility problems for the artist during the tattooing process. The tattooing will get much longer if the artist has to regularly wipe away excess blood to view the stencil and their progress.

Another essential factor to think about before registering an appointment is where you’ll be tattooed on your body. Imagine a brutal sunburn where your new ink will be, and then imagine a 5- to 10-hour flight with steady pressure on that spot. That’s the worst-case situation for placement on the back, hips, rear thigh area, bum, and back of the head. In those conditions, it’s better to get tattooed earlier in your trip so the inked area isn’t as delicate and raw on the flight home. If the tattoo is about your forearm or chest, the amount of time between the tattooing and the return flight is much less of a concern.

Lastly, listen to the artist about the expected work time. Large pieces may require many sessions, and if you don’t want to waste a hefty chunk of your journey in the chair at a tattoo workshop, you’re probably better off having the work made closer to home. The easiest option for both healing and timing plans would be a black minimalist tattoo design, such as a script or a flower shape. Returning to a far-flung workshop for a touch-up will be a shock as well, so make sure your connection with the artist is crystal clear.

What to prepare when you’re planning to get a tattoo

Your journey type will also affect what goes in your luggage. Bring Aquaphor or unscented cream if you’re attending a particularly dry part of the world; fresh ink needs lightweight moisturizer and a lot of it. When getting tattooed in a cold stop, make sure to pack easily removable layers so you can moisturize with proper frequency. Those going to humid goals should have an antibacterial cleanser on hand because there’s greater likelihood of sweat, which raises the potential for infection in a new tattoo.

Despite where you’re going, be sure to pack loose, dark clothes. The strength of skinny jeans and similarly constricting clothing is terrible for a new tattoo—give it some breathing place! Also be aware that, for the initial 24 hours, plasma and/or ink may bleed through compresses and clothing. This is natural, but black clothes are your best bet for the initial day or two to avoid stains.

Finding Your Artist

The single most critical external factor when you’re getting a tattoo is the specialist. Tattoos are personal, your tastes are subjective and your choices in an artist, in the end, will also be personal.

Make sure you go through an artist’s collection of work before you buckle down with them. Skilled tattoo artists are everywhere, and if you do enough research, you may not have to travel very far. Recognize that the distance traveled doesn’t relate to quality tattoos. 

You may move to the ends of the world but still walk away with a standard tattoo. Luckily for you, the internet can play a significant role in weeding out the less-qualified professionals — write on your social media, ask your tatted buddies and get independent reviews.