When preparing for your appointment, eat a meal and drink plenty of water. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. You should also avoid alcohol, aspirin, ibuprofen, and caffeine – these substances can interfere with your ability to handle a tattoo. Tattoo artists legally aren’t allowed to tattoo an intoxicated person. 

Bring a snack and a sports drink for longer sessions to keep yourself fueled and hydrated. Getting tattooed is a major stressor on the body, regardless of your experience in the tattoo chair. Having a snack and a healthy drink on hand will ensure you keep your blood sugar up and retain the energy you need to navigate the process safely.

To ensure your skin is ready for your tattoo, exfoliate and moisturize the morning of your appointment and stay out of the sun. Trust us — you don’t want to receive a tattoo on sunburned skin! Do yourself a favor and avoid those UV rays for at least a few days before your tattoo appointment and ensure you don’t arrive with a burn on the area.

Finally, avoid heavy workouts for a couple of days before your appointment. Workouts can make your muscles sore and tense, which don’t mix well with needles and certain tattoo placements.

Note* Large tattoos and solid black areas will always take longer to heal.

Smaller tattoos generally take leaser amount of time.

For the most part tattoos take up to a month to heal and as long as 3 months.

Once the tattoo is completed the area will be sealed with wither a single use plastic wrap or a second skin (a bandage barrier that helps protect your tattoo from dirt, friction, and bacteria, while being breathable enough to allow healing oxygen in, while also keeping essential moisture from escaping).

Plastic film

Remove the film after an hour (unless advised otherwise)

Shower using warm water and an antibcaterial soap free wash to clean the plasma from the skin.

Allow your tattoo to air dry as towel can be full of unwanted bacteria which can impact the healing of your tattoo.

For the first night it is advised to re wrap the area with plastic film to prevent oozing onto bedsheets and the chance of it drying and sticking.

Keeping the area clean and dry apply your provided or recommended after care cream twice daily to keep the area moist and prevent from drying out and cracking.

Keep using the after care cream until the scabs have full healed. REMEMBER not too much cream because it can cause more harm than good.

Avoid sun exposure and sun burns, cover the area when performing outside activities.

Avoid strenuous activities or workouts for 48 hours.

Avoid tight clothing around the areas, tight clothes can rub on the affected area irritating it further and causing unwanted pain or infection.

Avoid picking your scabs as that is when you skin is most susceptible scarring, please leave them alone.

ABSOLUTELY no swimming until your tattoo is healed, pools, hoy tubs, spas, lake, etc are full of unwanted bacteria that you doo not want entering via your new tattoo.

Keep hydrated after your tattoo, water is key during the healing process helping your skin regain elasticity and reducing scarring.

Second skin

Your artist has applied and secondary skin, this is going to help reduce the healing time of your tattoo and prevent scabbing al together.

This process can not always be done but is used when it can.

This second skin can be left on unto 4 days helping aid your skin and protecting it from outside influences like dust and friends dirty fingers.

The second skin can fill with liquid and look like a blister. This is normal, please allow your body to work its magic and re absorb that liquid gold which will aid in the healing process.

After 4 days removed the dressing in the shower under warm water.

Clean the area and moisturise using a vitamin e based cream that is recommended or provided for you.

On the chance the second skin is compromised and anything from the outside gets in the cover will need to be removed and revert back to the above steps.

If the area around your second skin becomes red and itchy you could be having a reaction.

Head to the shower and removed the dressing under warm water, wash the area with an anti bacterial soap free wash that is recommended or provided fro you and revert to the above steps for the duration of the healing.