It can be scary getting a tattoo, whether it’s your first one or first one this year. There are plenty of horror stories, myths and rumours that people can’t wait to terrify you with. Well fear not, I’ve complied a list of common tattooing myths and rumours and debunked them!
• The white ink hurts more – technically, no, it doesn’t. White is done at the end of the tattoo to prevent it from being stained by other coloured inks being wiped over it. Because it’s the last thing being done, the skin is already broken and painful; this makes it feel like the white hurts more. The level of pain has nothing to do with the colour of the ink itself.
• If you get a Bible verse tattooed on the bottom of your foot it’s free – not true. This does obviously depend on the shop, some shops may offer this but there isn’t some universal, unspoken rule that says shops have to offer to it.
• Black ink turns blue as it gets old – true but only for tattoos done yeeeaaars ago. Inks and tattooing technology have changed and developed a lot since then, so tattoos hold their pigment much better nowadays than they did then.
• Chlorine in pools makes tattoos fade – false. Once a tattoo is fully healed the chlorinated water doesn’t go below the first layers of skin. The ink of a tattoo is deeper and so remains unaffected. It’s worth spelling it out though, don’t go swimming with a fresh tattoo as this will affect its healing.
• You can’t donate blood if you have a tattoo – false. You can, but you will have to wait a while before doing so. More details on this can be found on NHS blood website
• Tattoos hurt more when you’re on your period – true. Your body is much more sensitive when it’s that time of the month and so getting a tattoo whilst on your period may feel like it hurts more.
It’s worth talking to your tattoo artist if you do have any questions or worries about getting tattooed. They will have the knowledge and experience to be able to answer them much better than that guy down the pub who has been tattooed three time in his life! We’re here to help, so don’t be afraid to ask.