Getting a tattoo while you are holiday can be a great souvenir of your trip. With a new location, new people, new culture and aesthetics, there’s plenty of inspiration to highlight in a tattoo. You might even decid to travel specifically for a tattoo. To get tattooed by a specific artist that you look, their style of work and aesthetic that matches what you are looking for.
With plenty of our clients coming travelling to Bali, and getting tattoos. We want to give you the best advice so you can enjoy both your trip and tattooing experiece during this holiday season.
Plan Your Trip With Your Tattoo in Mind
Planning your trip is the most important part, although your planning should consider how active / busy you will be. If you’re thinking about getting a tattoo, you might want to save some days on your trip to be more relaxed than packed, especially towards the end of your trip. So you can enjoy outdoor activities, without having to worry about sunlight, and the weather affecting you.
If you are planning for a tattoo, make sure your have enough time to complete your piece. Especially if it’s a larger piece, it may be worth considering having enough days for the tattoo appointments, along with a couple extra days of rest before flying out. So you don’t have the burden and pain of travelling with a fresh tattoo.
Book Your Tattoo Before You Arrive
Booking in advance is best way to guarantee your artist and slot. This is espeically important if you are planning to see a specific artist and have a limited number of days. Contacting an artist and/or studio directly and booking an appointment guarantees your slot for a tattoo. It also makes your travelling plan less hectic and avoids the risk of losing out on a tattoo slot. Take this time to discuss with the studio and artist what is needed for your tattoo appointment and if an in-person consultation needs to be done. Find out how many days the tattoo will need and align your artist’s availability with your holiday plans. Once your tattoo booking is set, it should be easier to plan out the rest of your trip and sort out final details.
We here in Sabian Ink book appointments in advance, especially during busy travel seasons. Reaching out before your trip helps secure your preferred dates and gives our artists time to prepare your design properly. When you contact us, share your ideas, references, and placement. This helps us shape your concept into something that works with your wants and your travel plans.
Plan Your Activities Around Your Tattoo and Healing
For the day of your tattoo plans, we would generally suggest clearing out your schedule so you can have the most amount of time needed for the tattoo. Artists don’t want to work in a rush, so giving them plenty of time is important if you want their best result. For larger pieces which can take multiple days, we would suggest getting plenty of rest outside of the tattooing time.
Healing is an important part of the tattoo process. After your session, you will need to avoid swimming, sun exposure, and tight clothing for at least 2 weeks. We recommend having relaxed days after their appointment. Light walking, cafes, and sightseeing work well. Although we generally recommend avoid the sun, heat and weather. This approach helps protect the tattoo and keeps the experience comfortable for the remainer of your trip.
Choose a Design That Fits Your Plans
If you’re planning to be travelling around especially to another destination, we wouldn’t recommend getting a larger one. Smaller or medium sized pieces are easier to manage while traveling and heal more quickly. If you’re planning a more laid-back, relaxed trip, a larger piece is definitely possible, especially if you’re not looking to go out and do any activities during your trip.
If your travelling speficially for your tattoo, your design is already part of your travel plans, so there’s not much to worry about.
Take Care of Your Body Before the Session
Travelling takes its toll, especially if you have a lot of activities planned during your trip. Before your tattoo appointment, make sure you are well rested, hydrated, and have eaten properly. If you’re planning to go out for the beach, sun, and sea (especially here in Bali), we recommend putting on sunscreen to ensure your skin isn’t sunburnt. As this can affect your tattoo appoitnment.
Holidays are good reason to go out and have drinks but we would recommend holding off on that before your appointment. Going for a night out will not just tire you, but also affect the tattooing process, especially if you have been drinking before your tattoo appointment. It’s best to avoid alcohol at least 24 hours before your tattoo appointment. Healthy skin handles tattooing better and leads to smoother healing.
Follow Aftercare While You Travel
Aftercare is essential, even while on holiday. This is to not just ensure your tattoo keeps looking good, but also for your health and safety.
Bring aftercare products with you and follow the instructions closely. Avoid rain, snow, sunlight and swimming.
Travel & Tattoos at Sabian Ink
At Sabian Ink, most of our clients travel to Bali for tattoos. It’s not uncommon for us to communicate and book clients well in advance. We also can accomodate for walk-in appointments for clients who visit our studio and want to plan smaller pieces.
Our approach to tattooing is client ideas, artist crafted. We take your concepts, references, and inspiration, then create a design that suits your body, your time in Bali, and your long term vision.
Whether it’s a dedicated tattooing trip, or a spontaneous tattoo plan, we are happy to accomodate for you.
Final Thoughts
Planning a tattoo during a holiday should feel exciting, not stressful. With the right timing and preparation, your tattoo can become one of the highlights of your trip.
If you are planning to get tattooed while traveling, reach out to us. We are happy to help you plan your session in a way that fits your holiday and brings your idea to life with care and intention.
