Getting Your First Tattoo in Canggu: A Guide

Getting your first tattoo in a foreign country adds a few variables to an already significant decision. This guide covers what actually happens, in order, so there are no surprises.

1. Choosing a Studio

In Bali you have an enormous range of options and a correspondingly wide range of standards. Price is a poor guide on its own. What to check instead:

• Healed photographs. Any studio can show fresh work. Healed work is the real evidence.
• Hygiene visible in practice. Needles should be unsealed in front of you. Single-use barriers, fresh gloves, a cleaned workstation.
• A real consultation. If a studio will not discuss placement and design before you commit, that is a warning sign.
• Clear pricing. You should know the cost before the needle comes out.

Our own standards are set out in detail on our hygiene and safety page.

2. The Consultation

A good consultation is a conversation, not a form. Your artist should ask about placement, size, style and how the design will sit on your body — and should tell you honestly if a design will not work where you want it.

Bring references. They do not need to be polished drawings; a few images showing the direction you like is enough for an artist to work from.

3. What the Day Involves

Expect the session to take longer than the tattoo itself. A typical appointment includes:

1. Setup. The workstation is prepared and equipment unsealed in front of you.
2. Placement and stencil. The design is transferred to the skin and adjusted until it sits correctly.
3. The tattoo. Time depends entirely on size and complexity.
4. Cleanup and briefing. The area is cleaned and dressed, and you receive aftercare instructions.

4. Does It Hurt?

Most people find it manageable rather than unbearable. It is frequently described as a scratching or vibrating sensation. Sensitivity varies a lot by placement — outer arm and thigh are generally easier than ribs, feet or the sternum.

Eat properly beforehand and stay hydrated. Do not drink alcohol before your session — it thins the blood, affects how the ink takes, and reputable studios will not tattoo you if you have been drinking.

5. The First Two Weeks

This is where the quality of your result is actually determined.

• Keep the area clean and dry. Wash gently twice daily with sterile saline, pat dry, do not scrub.
• No swimming, surfing or soaking for at least two weeks — no ocean, pools or baths. This is the single most important rule in Bali.
• Keep it out of direct sun. Cover with clothing rather than sunscreen while it is still open.
• Do not pick or scratch flaking skin. Let it come away on its own.

The surface typically heals in around 14 days. Deeper tissue takes longer, and the tattoo may look dull or slightly uneven mid-heal — that is normal.

6. Planning Around Your Holiday

Book your tattoo towards the end of your trip. That way you can surf, dive and swim first, and spend your final days on land while the tattoo begins healing. You will also be travelling home during the most restrictive part of the healing period.

7. After It Heals

Once the skin has fully closed, daily sun protection is the most important long-term habit. UV fades pigment faster than anything else. Well-cared-for tattoos stay sharp for decades; sun-damaged ones do not.

Ready to Book?

We provide free, no-obligation quotes and will talk you through placement, sizing and healing timelines before you commit. Sessions booked directly through this website receive a 10% discount.

Send us your idea or read our frequently asked questions.