WHEN YOU ARRIVE

Getting a tattoo—small or large— is a fun, unique way of remembering your Hawai’i vacation. It will be with you forever and seeing it will always make you remember the time in your life when you were in Hawai’i, basking on some remote beach, far away from your daily life back home. So follow some tips on the matter to make sure your ink—and vacation—turn out amazing!

TIMING

Don't get your tattoo too early

The one thing you really, really don’t want to do is get your tattoo too early into your vacation—and this goes double for Hawai’i. It’s good to think of tattoos as open flesh wounds—you are literally being pierced thousands of times by a needle—that are prone to infection for one to two weeks after the deed has been done. That means those with fresh pieces shouldn’t go in pools or the ocean, two things you probably want to do on your vacation.
Tattoos also hurt and tattooed areas can remain sore for a few days after your appointment, meaning things like hiking and other active outdoor activities may be taken off the table.

CHOOSE ICONIC HAWAIʻI IMAGERY—OR DON’T!

Getting a plumeria, honu (Hawaiian green sea turtle) or hula dancer as a tattoo are all common and great choices to remember your time in the islands. But, if you want something that’s not the norm, don’t be afraid to work with your tattoo artist to make your dream tattoo a reality. From the outline of Leʻahi (Diamond Head) to that mai tai you really loved sipping away, just about anything can become an iconic and memorable tattoo of your time in the islands.

We love to do custom work!

SCHEDULE YOUR TATTOO AHEAD OF TIME

Get your appointment locked in

If you know that you’re getting to get a piece—big or small—done on your vacation, treat it as an item on your itinerary and get it locked down far in advance. Many shops and artists here in the Islands don’t have completely free schedules and walk-ins can be tough to find—especially if you have a specific shop and artist in mind for your tattoo. So, make your appointment sooner than later. This way, you can also make sure that your tattoo session is closer to the end of your trip and not based on your artist’s availability.