Pearl Lemon Tattoos - Best Tattoo Shop in London, UK

Most ink has a backstory. That a tattoo has an underlying message is never a must, but your tattoo artist can design a tender memorial to a loved one, an homage to your personal pop culture favourites, a design that has a deep personal and/or spiritual meaning or simply depict a joke you share with your friends. It’s your body, your ink and your choice. At least that’s how we see things at Pearl Lemon Tattoos.

It’s crucial that you leave your session pleased with the artwork that has been permanently etched into your flesh. This feeling is never a given when deciding on a new tattoo, whether it’s your first, fifth time or fiftieth time. Which is why it’s so important to carefully consider your tattoo artist selection.

At Pearl Lemon Tattoos, a walk-in tattoo shop in London that is fast becoming the go-to choice for ink for both tattoo veterans and those getting ink for the very first time, the client is always our primary concern. Ensuring that they love their ink is the most important thing, along with helping to ensure their tattoo experience is as comfortable as possible.

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How Do Tattoos Work?

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As the team of a leading Tattoo shop London we are used to answering lots of questions. One of them that people are sometimes shy about asking, especially if they are tattoo newbies, is just how tattoos work.

We think you should never be afraid to ask anything about something that will become a permanent part of your body. Or feel silly doing so. Even some people who have a dozen tattoos don’t really know just how tattoos work. They know they love them, but the rest is fuzzy.

So what happens to your body when you get inked at a tattoo shop London? Through the use of needles to inject ink into the dermis, tattoos create permanent images in the skin. This tissue lies just below the epidermis, the skin’s outermost layer. A machine that administers millions of minute needle pricks injects the ink into the dermis.

By forcing colour into the skin with ink-filled needles, tattoo artists can produce works of art, images, and designs that will last a lifetime. Modern tattoo machines operate fast; they can puncture the skin up to 3,000 times per minute to inject ink.

Due to the constant loss of the epidermis, it is crucial that these punctures enable the ink to be injected into the deeper dermis. A tattoo applied to the epidermis wouldn’t last long; it would probably fade away in a matter of weeks, which is not the idea at all.

 

The immune system is put into overdrive during tattooing since the practice literally produces tens of thousands of microscopic lesions into a thick layer of skin. When the body is healing, it sends a group of blood cells called macrophages to the tattoo site to clear out the foreign material (ink particles) that have now penetrated the dermis.

 

This procedure is complicated: Macrophages have a role in both the fading of some tattoos over time and their permanence. Certain macrophages ingest ink particles and excrete them via the lymphatic system. Other macrophages, on the other hand, are still present in the dermis and allow the injected ink to be seen for many years to come.

 

Have more questions about how tattoos affect your body? Ask one of our tattoo artists, they’ll be happy to fill you in.

Best walk in tattoo shop in London, UK
Professional tattoo artist
Tattoo master is creating new tattoo for customer
Young woman tattooist doing tattoo on male arm

First Time Tattoo? What Pearl Lemon Tattoos' Artists Want You to Know

You’ve decided that you’re finally ready to get your first tattoo after filling a folder on Instagram with bookmarks for tattoo ideas. Unsure of what will happen next? You can trust us. Or rather our tattoo shop London expert artists do.

You Should Like Your Tattoo Artists

If you haven’t yet decided on the exact tattoo artist who will do your first tattoo, we advise choosing someone you feel comfortable with and can envision yourself having fun working with.

 

Follow them online to get a sense of their personality. A person’s feelings regarding the tattoo on their body are frequently greatly influenced by their actual tattooing experience. You will enjoy the artwork much more if you love the tattoo artist. All of Pearl Lemon Tattoos’ artists showcase their work individually online, and they will also make the time to chat if you stop by the shop during business hours.

Bearded tattoo artist
A neon sign that reads tattoo posted up on a shop

You Should Choose an Immaculate Tattoo Shop London

Tattooing involves needles. And blood. So a tattoo shop London needs to be immaculately clean. So how can you be certain to take no chances and go somewhere safe? There are a few guidelines you should go by if you want your tattoo to be completed successfully.

 

Don’t, for starters, do it yourself or let a novice do it. This is a permanent body modification, not something you’ll ‘wear’ for a few weeks and then discard (like that awful shirt you bought last year.)

Then follow these tips to identify a reputable tattoo shop London:

At Pearl Lemon Tattoos, we don’t just follow the best hygiene practices, we surpass them. We want our clients to feel – and to be – as safe as possible throughout the tattooing process. We want to stay safe ourselves too! All of our tattoo artists have extensive health and safety training and are conscious of it at all times. Stop by the shop and see for yourself!

Understand That Yes, There Will Be Pain

One thought constantly crosses most people’s mind when they decide they want a tattoo, regardless of their motivation: how painful will it be?

There are a lot of agonizing tattoo pain tales—and legends, too—circulating. Perhaps you’ve heard terrifying tales about the pain, or maybe you’ve heard of someone who was so chilled and relaxed they fell asleep on the table. The fact that it lies somewhere in between the two extremes shouldn’t come as a surprise.

The truth is that having a tattoo is a very individual experience, and a lot of different things may either make it relatively comfortable or painful.

Where Does It Hurt Most to Get a Tattoo?

Another question our tattoo shop London team gets a lot, even from tattoo veterans looking to get ink in a new spot, is where do tattoos hurt the most?

 

There are some parts of the body where getting a tattoo is less painful, yet everyone is unique and can handle pain in various ways. Remember that the level of pain you will feel depends on you. If you’re sensitive to pain and the area where you want the tattoo is known to hurt, it might be best to pick an alternative spot.

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Top View of Female Tattoo Master Tattooing Man’s Arm in a Studio

In very general terms, these regions typically cause the least pain because they have more muscle and fat than nerve endings, which act as a cushion between the needle and the bone:

 

Upper outside of arm and outer forearm

Inner wrist

Calves

Shoulders

Upper back (but not the spine)

Outer thigh

 

The ankle and inner arm, two of these body regions where there is a lot of mobility, may take longer to heal. Some individuals claim that these places are excruciatingly uncomfortable, while others do not. All that matters is your body. You’ll probably experience more pain in these locations if you’re slim.

 

Some body parts that are more delicate or difficult to tattoo include:

 

Neck

Mid back

Lower back

Ankle

Some body parts are notoriously uncomfortable to tattoo in general. Before entering, be sure you’re ready to handle it! It might be painful to tattoo directly on bony areas like the knees or elbows. Furthermore, you might need to take a break from your regular schedule during the early healing phase, which can be just as unpleasant as getting the tattoo itself. These really painful places, according to lots of people in our experience, include:

 

Hips

Stomach

Back of knees

Armpit

Inside of elbow

Nipples

Lips

Top of foot

Any joint areas (Insides particularly)

Lower chest and sides

 

The one thing we can tell you is that if you feel that the pain is becoming too much, at Pearl Lemon Tattoos we also encourage you to tell your artist, and they will stop for a break. Pain IS something to expect when you get a tattoo, but it’s not supposed to be a form of torture!

Professional tattoo artist makes a tattoo on a young girl's hand
Client and tattoo artist choosing drawing for tattoo

Be Prepared to Stick Around for a While

A good tattoo is rarely something you can get done on your lunch break, unless you want something very, very small. That means you should be prepared to be at our tattoo shop London for an extended period of time. So eat before you come – but please don’t come after drinking alcohol – and bring something to do.

 

You probably won’t want to plan on going back to work afterwards either, and you should certainly skip the gym. We will give you all the expert aftercare instructions you’ll need to help your tattoo heal beautifully, but you do have to follow them in order for them to ‘work’ and that is especially true during the first 24 hours after any tattoo.

What Kinds of Tattoo Art Styles are Offered at Pearl Lemon Tattoos?

Every great tattoo artist – and as a leading tattoo shop London Pearl Lemon Tattoos is proud of the fact that our artists are some of the best working today – has their own style. That is not to say that they will force their vision on you, but every tattoo artist has a style in which they particularly excel.

 

The best way to match you with the right tattoo artist at Pearl Lemon Tattoos is to contact us and share your ideas. This way, we can help determine which of our artists will be able to do the best possible work for you.

 

Like most tattoo shops London we do maintain flash sheets, and you will always be welcome to make a selection from those. What are flash sheets? There are actually two kinds.

 

Market Flash is a collection of common designs that customers frequently request, including a heart, rose, or pop culture motif.

 

They may typically be finished quickly and easily. Tattoo artists reuse these somewhat generic flash tattoo designs. By selecting one, you acknowledge that the tattoo won’t be unique and that someone else probably already has it. We really don’t use market flash at Pearl Lemon Tattoos, as we want your tattoo to be special and unique to you.

 

Custom flash is a different matter, and our team of artists do make use of it. They are artworks created especially for the creator in their preferred aesthetic or in line with their personal interests.

 

These are kept by the artist in their portfolio and are displayed to clients upon request. This would be the best option if you want a special tattoo created by a particular artist in their own style.

 

Most of the time, a Pearl Lemon Tattoos artist won’t recreate one of their own previous works. Make an appointment to speak with the artist about their process if you find one by them and you like it to discuss how it can be made unique to you.

About Pearl Lemon Tattoos

Pearl Lemon Tattoos is more than just another tattoo shop London, we are a part of the larger Pearl Lemon Group, a leading group of media companies founded by Deepak Shukla. As one of the things people notice first about Deepak is his extensive collection of tattoos – 60+ and counting – it should come as no surprise that he set about assembling a team of tattoo artists he personally knew and trusted to make Pearl Lemon Tattoos a reality.

We'd Love To Hear From You!

Ready to get some great new ink? Contact us today and let’s talk about how the artists at Pearl Lemon Tattoos can make your ink dreams come true.