Can You Drink Before or After Getting a New Tattoo?
It is no secret that many people think of drinking alcohol before or after getting a tattoo is a good idea. The usual explanation of such an act is to calm the nerves and increase one’s pain tolerance for the upcoming tattoo, or the discomfort following a new tattoo. In the following paragraphs, we’ll explain why it is NOT a good idea to consume alcohol before and after getting a new tattoo. Some of the reasons may even shock you and keep you away from alcohol before/after getting inked.
Drinking Alcohol Before Getting a New Tattoo
Let’s just start by saying that professional tattoo artists cannot legally provide their services to anyone visibly under influence of alcohol!
But, even if you somehow manage to drink without looking drunk, it is not recommended to drink alcohol at least 24 hours before getting a tattoo. Some of the reasons why you should NOT do that include;
Alcohol Thins the Blood
Alcohol consumption is known to act as a blood thinner. However, such an effect is in direct correlation to how many drinks you’ve had. The more alcohol you drink, the thinner the blood. But, it is important to mention that only one beer or alcoholic drink can reduce your blood’s ability to clot. Now, this effect alone get set off several other negative effects and potential problems during the very process of receiving a tattoo, like;
- Excess bleeding can affect visibility
Because alcohol thins the blood, during the tattooing process there can be excessive bleeding and leaking as the needle penetrates the skin and creates a wound. This can affect the work of the tattoo artists to the measure that they cannot even see what they’re doing. Visibility in such cases is rather compromised, which also compromises the final result.
Excess bleeding doesn’t only affect visibility, but because of it, you can end up with a completely trashed tattoo. The tattoo won’t be accurate, refined, detailed, or to put it simply, nothing you expect it to be. So, if you don’t want to see blood, and want to see your tattoo, then stay away from alcohol at least 24 hours before the tattooing schedule.
