Before Your SESSION:
Get some sleep! We’ve all been there.. lagging from a long night and dysfunctional the next day. Lack of rest can amplify pain and stress, so it’s best if you’re well-rested, alert, and in-tune with your body during your session.
Make sure you’ve eaten a full meal and are well-hydrated prior. If you’re scheduled for a longer session it’s always a good idea to bring snacks too. Tattooing can take a toll on the body and you’ll need to maintain some fuel for a smoother experience for both you and your artist.
Practice good hygiene and please shower! Clean skin is easier and more sanitary to work with, but avoid scrubbing and exfoliating too much as new skin is fragile and more difficult to work on. Light exercise before your session is ok, just avoid anything strenuous that may cause muscle strain, soreness, and discomfort.
Hydrated, healthy skin is crucial, but please avoid moisturizing on the day of your appointment. It’s important to moisturize your skin in the weeks and days ahead, especially in the winter months when skin can become dry, but please refrain the day of to avoid any issues with the tattooing process. Skin is a tricky canvas and caring for your skin helps your artist a ton.
Unless shaving is routine hygiene for you, please avoid doing so in the days leading up to your appointment. The area to be tattooed must be shaved and it’s best to let the artist do this just prior to tattooing. The area must be smooth for applying the stencil and preventing irritation while wiping the skin. For longer hair, a buzz is always appreciated, but not necessary!
Dress appropriately for comfort and for the location of your tattoo! Go for loose-fitting clothing that won’t irritate or restrict movement during your session. If you’re one who gets cold easy, bringing warm clothing or a blanket are helpful to keep you warm (and still) during your tattoo.
Avoid tanning and please don’t show up to your appointment with damaged or traumatized skin. Cuts, burns, bruises, or peeling skin etc. will complicate both the application of the tattoo and healing process. If this is the case please let your artist know ahead of time and your appointment will likely be postponed until the skin has healed.
Tattoos hurt. We all have our way of coping with pain, but please do not show up to your appointment under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. Being under the influence during your session can lead to a number of issues, but most importantly alcohol thins your blood and can cause complications during the tattoo process. If you plan to use a numbing cream please let your artist know and apply at least one hour before your session.
During Your SESSION:
First, you’ll need to sign a release form upon arrival before meeting with your artist. This form is required each time you visit, even if it’s for multiple sessions on the same piece.
Your comfort, safety, and privacy are priority! It’s ok to let your artist know your needs, if you’re feeling uncomfortable about something, and to ask them questions about the tattooing process.
When it comes to the design or stencil, don’t hesitate or apologize to your artist if there’s something you’d like to change or reposition. It’s your body and we want to make sure you love the design and it’s position. There isn’t much we can do after tattooing begins, so if there’s something you’d like to change the best time to do it is before!
Sometimes the wait is the hardest part and your artist may be too focused on your tattoo for gripping conversation. It’s a great idea to bring something to keep you entertained during your session. Movies, music, books etc, anything that can distract you from the session and from getting bored while your artist is at work. Depending on the type of shop and availability of space, you might be able to bring a friend or 2 who can accompany you during your session, but some shops only allow the person getting tattooed for health, privacy, or space reasons.
If you need a break to eat, drink, use the bathroom, or anything else during your session, let your artist know and we’ll happily find a good stopping point to let you up. Please don’t jump up from your station while the artist is at work.
Once the tattoo is finished and cleaned, we’ll take a little time to let it settle and reduce redness so we can take photos for our portfolio. We’re proud of our work and want to document and share with others, so it’s helpful to us if you’re flexible with time on the day of your appointment to allow this.
Aftercare:
After your session your artist has a few options to wrap your tattoo; an adhesive film dressing, dri-loc pads, or saran wrap. Adhesive dressing is becoming more common, but if you’re aware of any sensitivities or reactions to these types of wraps and glues it’s important to let your artist know. Adhesive bandages can sometimes cause slight reactions of redness or bumpiness. If this happens to you, it’s ok to switch to a different type of dressing.
FOR ADHESIVE FILMS (saniderm, tegaderm, second-skin, dermshield etc.): leave the bandage on for at least 4 days. During this time it’s normal for the bandage to collect bubbles of liquid. Your tattoo is safe from outside contaminates and is staying moisturized using your body’s natural lubricants, so it’s best to leave it alone until 4 days has passed. If the adhesive is peeling excessively or other complications arise it’s ok to remove early and continue with a different dressing. To remove adhesive dressing, do so under warm water and peel the bandage over itself (rather than straight up), this causes less trauma to your skin and the tattoo.
FOR DRI-LOC PADS AND SARAN WRAPS: leave the wraps on until the next morning. You may need to change these wraps over the next 2-3 days until liquid and plasma are no longer coming from your tattoo.
After removing the above bandages, you’ll want to clean your tattoo with mild, unscented soap and lukewarm water until it’s no longer goopy or soapy. Don’t submerge or rub your healing tattoo, simply pat it with soap, let running water do the work to remove excess, then pat dry.
Apply a small amount of ointment like aquaphor, cocoa butter, or hustle butter to the tattoo. For the first week wash your tattoo and reapply ointment 2-3 times daily, after the first week switch to an unscented moisturizer for 2-3 weeks.
To avoid the tattoo drying out and scabbing overnight, apply ointment or moisturizer to the area and wrap with saran wrap to keep it moisturized and contained.
Tattoos generally take 2-4 weeks to heal, depending on scale and complexity. Have patience, the better care you take of them the better they’ll look when full healed. Avoid sun exposure, submerging in water, tight clothing, and don’t scratch, itch, or pick at your tattoo!
If you notice any signs of infection, excess scabbing, reactions, or unusual changes to the tattoo’s appearance, don’t hesitate to contact your artist!