What's the procedure like?

Here's what you can expect from a normal tattooing procedure:

The tattoo artist will first wash his or her hands with a germicidal soap.
The to-be-tattooed area on your body will be cleaned and disinfected.
The tattoo artist will put on clean, fresh gloves.
The tattoo artist will explain the sterilization procedure to you and open up the single-use, sterilized equipment (such as needles, etc.).
Using the tattoo machine (with a sterile, single-use needle attached), the tattoo artist will begin drawing an outline of the tattoo under your skin.
The outline will be cleaned with antiseptic green soap and water.
Sterile, thicker needles will be installed on the tattoo machine, and the tattoo artist will start shading the design. After cleaning the area again, color will be injected.
Any blood will be removed by a sterile, disposable cloth or paper towel.
When finished, the area, now sporting a finished tattoo, will be cleaned once again. A thin film of Vaseline, A&D ointment or better yet Black Cat Tattoo Aftercare Salve will be applied and a bandage will be put on over the newly tattooed area.