One of the reasons I chose the name “The Alternative Nutritionist” apart from me being non judgemental about people’s nutrition and diets no matter what they chose for themselves is the reason that I am very heavily tattooed and alternative looking. The picture on the right is merely five months old and not up to date anymore, as I keep adding to my beautiful collection. Tattoos have always been part of human history, from communicating among spies, over marking criminals and slaves to standing out as being different – the oldest evidence of tattoos dates back roughly 3000 years before Christ. Personal expression is now the most common reason to get a tattoo, is also my main reason to get tattoos and while your tattoo artist will tell you lots of things to do and not to do the days leading up to your tattoo appointment, I will have a look at your nutrition and how you can support your body during your tattoo session and afterwards with the healing process.
The weeks leading up to your tattoo apppointment it’s important to focus on a healthy lifestyle – regular sleep, enough fluid intake – I am talking water and unsweetened drinks – to support the blood flow and oxygen flow in your body. Your tattoo artist will probably also advice you to hydrate your skin, exfoliate properly to get rid of dead skin cells and to keep out of the sun, to avoid sun burn. Skin regeneration is an essential point and you can support it by consuming plenty of Vitamin C and Iron. Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Zinc help your body to repair tissue damage a lot quicker and also support cell regeneration. Additionally it will also support your general immune health, which means your body will recover a lot quicker after a big tattoo. Vitamin B12 supports the red cell production, growth and recovery rates. All these Vitamins can be absorbed by a healthy, wholegrain and vegetable and fruit heavy diet. Food rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds such as Omega-3 rich fish or nuts, turmeric and ginger will also support your recovery from the inside.
The factor you shouldn’t underestimate – take it from someone who does it on a regular basis and is equally surprised each time she crashes after a tattoo appointment- is the stress you put your body under. Even if you are someone who deals with pain exceptionally well, it puts your nervous system under constant stress. Your stress hormones trigger a “fight or flight response” with common effects in your body, meaning all the chemical changes that go on to prepare for physical action – fight or running away as quickly as possible: Your heart rate is elevated, your breathing gets quicker, your muscles are getting ready to run away and your blood vessels will divert more oxygen to your muscles so you can get away quicker. Your liver produces extra blood sugar to give you extra energy, however, it also leads to your body absorbing and using said blood sugar. Once the imminent stress is over you crash – feel tired, worn out and might even faint – the nightmare of all tattoo artists.
They will ask you to have sufficent breakfast, take a sugary drink and a snack, all to allow your body to react appropriately in a stressful situation. The increased heart rate and blood pressure will sometimes also have an effect on your digestive system – when I was in school we had a guy in our musical course who always blocked the toilet for hours before he had to sing his solos, simply because he was nervous. You can imagine that a tattoo studio with several artist and customers there is not the right place to test if you can stomach a tattoo- eat something healthy and carbohydrate, protein and fibre dense beforehand to not upset your stomach and keep control of your bowel movements.
While shorter amounts of stress actually benefit the wound healing, long term stress leads to being prone to getting infections, colds or the flu and is really not what you need when your body is currently busy healing a big portrait on your thigh. This is why your tattoo artist recommends getting plenty of rest after your tattoo. Ideally I schedule my appointments at the end of the week so I can get some rest over the weekend, regulate my fluid intake and eat lots of healthy snacks. Luckily I have noticed that my body automatically craves things like salads, fatty fish such as salmon and nuts and fruit salads when I’ve sat through an appointment, so I’m not massively concerned with my nutrition when it comes to getting tattoed. I can say I very rarely had troubles after appointments and when I did it was always because of a sensitivity to colours or being young and thinking two double shifts at the grill won’t do any harm because “I’m young, f*** it.” Be smarter than me, eat healthily, rest plenty, bring some water and most importantly: Always see a professional artist with good equipment. Getting tattooed during a beach holiday is so early 2000s.
Ps. Don’t drink alcohol or take drugs before your appointment, including aspirin. Both alcohol and aspirin are blood thinners and bleeding will flush out the tattoo colours or will make it a lot harder to tattoo you. It also actually prevents the absorption and usage of vital nutrients such as thiamin (vitamin B1), vitamin B12, folic acid, and zinc. Thiamin (vitamin B1) is supporting the metabolism of fat and protein and the creation of hemoglobin.
Jana Jarrett Nutrition 