Here you will find a few guidelines to help make your tattoo experience as smooth as possible. When considering a tattoo there are many things that can affect the outcome of the tattoo, ranging from design choice and your artists experience, to your personal skin type and aftercare.

      First and foremost, do as much research before your tattoo appointment as possible. Consider what reference you will need, or if you will have your artist draw the tattoo for you (this typically yields the best result as your tattooist has the best idea of what will work and where). If you will require your tattoo to be drawn, be sure to give your artist ample time to be creative! Creativity is fostered, not forced.

      Before your tattoo, be conscious of how much asprin/ non-prescription medications you ingest. Most apsrins and pain relievers thin your blood in addition to there prescribed benefits. Thin blood means more bleeding during your tattoo which makes for prolonged healing and possible color loss in your tattoo. The same goes for alcohol, excessive drinking the night before your tattoo can lead to the same result described above. Do not use any topical numbing creams as these often make your skin more slick than necessary, and can cause complication for your tattooist (topical numbing solutions are NOT meant to be injected into your blood stream via a tattoo needle!). Make sure the area that is going to be tattooed is free of any type of trauma such as sunburn, scrapes, fresh scars, excessive dryness, or any open wound. If your skin is prone to dryness it is a good idea to apply moisturizing lotion to the area that will be tattooed, do this one to two times daily for one week prior to being tattooed (healthy skin receives ink the best). If you have a lot of hair on the area getting tattooed be sure to trim it back as close  as possible without shaving it clean, so when your artist shaves you it doesn’t take all day (we don’t get paid to shave)

      Make sure you are well rested.  Tiredness leads to stress, stress makes your body less able to do the things it does naturally. Generally speaking, the less stressed your body is the easier the whole process will be. That being said, it is not wise to receive a tattoo while under preexisting medical duress. Adding a tattoo to the equation while sick or mending from any illness, being pregnant or even having a broken bone, can lead to longer than necessary healing times for both the tattoo and the preexisting condition.

      Eating is quintessential to being prepared for your tattoo. A well balanced meal should be eaten 1 to 2 hours prior to your tattoo appointment, this includes drinking plenty of water to ensure proper hydration. Nutrition allows your body to regenerate the things it is useing to cope with the tattoo process.

      On the day of your tattoo be sure not to over work yourself or expose yourself to long periods of sun and heat, the more energy you have the better.

      We hope reading this brings you a slightly less stressful tattoo experience.

      Thanks for reading!