Tattoo Appointment Tips
It's finally time for your tattoo appointment!!! Let's go over how to prepare yourself for your appointment and some tips on things to bring with you!
1. Take care of your skin in the days and weeks prior to your appointment. Use a quality moisturizer daily. Healthy skin makes the best canvas! Stay out of the sun. You cannot get tattooed if you are sunburned! You may lose your deposit/booking fee if you show up sunburned. Use a quality SPF sunblock to prevent this or simply stay out of the sun.
2. Whether your tattoo is going to be small and simple or a full sleeve you should always eat first!! Your body needs that energy to endure the procedure. Whenever we see someone get lightheaded, nauseous, or even so far as to faint, it's 9/10 times due to the client not eating. Pretty much the same protocol as when you give blood or get a vaccine. You don't eat first, you risk passing out. If you have a longer session for a larger tattoo, bring snacks or plan accordingly for a meal. There are a lot of food options close by with drive throughs or delivery.
3. Make sure you are well rested. Get a good night's sleep the night before. Don't excessively consume alcohol the night before your tattoo. A couple of beers or a well drink is ok. Excessive drinking within 24 hours prior to your appointment can cause unnecessary bleeding. Getting tattooed with a hangover is a horrible experience.
4. Take a shower the morning of your appointment. Good hygiene minimizes risk of infection. Wear deodorant/antiperspirant if your skin allows it. Meaning if you have an allergy to deodorant, don't wear it and risk yourself for our benefit! Keep the colognes/perfumes/essential oils to a minimum or none at all. We aren't saying don't wear it... Just keep it to a minimum. We are in very close proximity of each other during the session.
5. Wear comfortable clothing that allows access to the area to be tattooed while maintaining modesty. Just give it some thought and do what you think is best for you. Sometimes a bikini that ties on the side can allow access to a hip without exposing anything you don't want exposed. Pasties work well. We always try our best to ensure that we're all comfortable. Room dividers are used to gain more privacy when needed.
6. Bring something to entertain yourself or to keep you focused. If it's a long session you can get some serious reading done or watch a movie or two on a mobile device. Remember to bring headphones, we don't appreciate audio from mobile devices. It can be very distracting. We typically keep a relatively quiet atmosphere with only one source of music. This helps us focus on your tattoo to give you the best quality and give everyone the best experience. Feel free to conversate with your artist! WiFi is free.
7. Each artist is an independent contractor. They are self-employed. They are the literal definition of small business. Not every artist accepts debit/credit cards. Make sure to communicate with your artist prior to your appointment. Cash App is a common app used within the tattoo industry.
Everyone accepts and appreciates CASH! There is an ATM on site.
8. It's totally ok to bring a friend with you to your appointments or to have someone stop by. Try to keep it to one person whenever possible. If a group of people are getting tattooed, that's completely awesome!