Prepping for your tattoo!

Ok, so you’ve made it this far and it means you’re going to be getting tattooed!

Super Excited? Scared shitless? Anxious? A weird mix of all the emotions? Don’t worry all of those feelings are totally normal and expected.

This is just a super quick guide to help you prepare for your upcoming appointment so we can have a fun time:

  • Make sure you aren’t sun burnt or peeling. If you show up to the appointment peeling or red like a lobster, I won’t be able to work on your skin. If you have any beach trips or vacations in the weeks leading up to your appointment make sure you put a high SPF sunscreen on the area you’ll be getting tattooed. The same goes for after your tattoo appointment. You won’t be able to go swimming or do any sort of water/sun activities for 2 weeks following your appointment. So please plan accordingly.

  • The same goes if you’ve recently had surgery or have surgery planned shortly after your tattoo appointment. Best bet is to ask me about the situation if that arises.

  • Make sure to avoid alcohol of any amount the night before and also have a good nights sleep. Being hungover and going on a few hours of sleep is a sure fire recipe to have an absolutely awful time and will mean you won’t be able to sit well. Also be sober for the actual appointment.

  • If you want to prepare all aftercare products beforehand you can check out the instructions here to make sure you have all the info at your disposal ahead of time.

    DAY OF THE APPOINTMENT

  • Bring your state issued ID or passport if it’s the first time getting tattooed at the studio. No ID will mean no tattoo! Also be 18 or older.

  • The studio can take either cash, Visa or Mastercard for payments. No checks, Venmo or PayPal.

  • Show up on time to your appointment…not early or late. Being late happens, but some instances may require rescheduling your appointment as I typically have multiple appointments scheduled throughout my day and it can throw off the entire days appointments.

  • Make sure to have a good meal before hand. Eat as if you’ll be going on a long hike. Tattooing takes a lot out of you and if you come into a session hungry (thereby having low blood sugar), there’s a really good possibility of you not sitting well or even passing out. Which isn’t fun for you and it’s downright terrifying for me. So I ask please eat before hand. Also if you’re coming for a multiple hour session, please bring things like juice, water and snacks or a sandwich to help keep your body nourished and happy.

  • Wear comfy loose fitting clothing that will get me easy access to the area that we’ll be working on.

  • You can bring headphones if you’d feel more comfortable. There is music and tv to watch to help keep your mind occupied. We can also have a super stimulating or equally as stupid conversation with me if you’d like. If you need some topic starters I can talk at lengths about music, dogs, 90s culture, television and movies (my favorite show being Futurama), the universe and ice cream. If you would rather have a quiet chilled out session just let me know, it won’t hurt my feelings. Topics of conversation regarding racism, homophobia or any other dickheaded level of thought will result in the session being terminated regardless if the tattoo is finished or not, its 2025 be cool and be kind.

  • Please don’t bring your children. Tattoo shops are no place for kids and can pose distractions to you and to me. Plus I swear a shit load and I will give them cigarettes (joking… or am I?).

  • Please keep your cell phone on silent as notification sounds can be distracting or even startling to me.

  • In the off chance you are on any sort of prescribed antibiotics, its best to hold off getting tattooed until you’ve finished the course of treatment. Some antibiotics can sometimes cause a poor healing with a tattoo and if your body is actively fighting an infection, the healing of your tattoo or infection could suffer greatly.

  • Do not use any pre-tattoo numbing products unless previously discussed with me. If you show up with numbing cream applied, the appointment will be rescheduled. I could write a lengthy response why, but in summation I’ve worked with them and don’t feel the benefits outweighs the risks involved.

  • Most importantly, come in with a positive attitude and expect to have fun. Tattooing isn’t scary or excruciatingly painful, so if you just follow the things that I’ve mentioned above and just enjoy the ride all will go smoothly!

If you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to reach out!