Appointment Prep

7 Step Process

• Drink lots of water! Well hydrated skin will be in better condition for getting tattooed. This means that the surface of the skin will take the ink easier, making tattoo application easier than it would be on dehydrated skin. Try to drink a minimum of 6-8 glasses of water a day for the week leading up to your appointment (also water is good for you... why aren't you drinking any?)

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• Moisturize! Apply moisturizer to the area that will be tattooed for the week beforehand. If you have dry skin this will help to make sure that it is in good shape for your appointment. Also, avoid getting a sunburn on the area you are getting tattooed. Sunscreen is your friend.

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• Eat beforehand! Getting tattooed takes a toll on the body and your body will need fuel to burn to get through it. That's where food comes in handy. Eating before you come in will greatly reduce the risk of you passing out or feeling sick during the process. 

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• General Hygiene! The human body has an inane ability to smell.... awful. So follow these simple steps to mitigate that for your own wellbeing and your artist's nose: Showering the morning of, applying deodorant before you come in, brushing your teeth the night before and the morning of, and come in wearing CLEAN CLOTHING!

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• No Drugs / Alcohol! Certain medications and all alcohols act as blood thinners... we don't want that. When your blood is thinned during a tattoo, it can cause excessive bleeding which can lead to scabbing, scarring, severe irritation of the skin, and can prolong the healing time of the tattoo. So avoid taking any blood thinning medication the day before and day of and avoid drinking alcohol day before and day of your appointment. Also, all 50 states in the ole U.S. of A. require you to fill out a waiver/consent form before you get tattooed and you can't legally sign it if you're under the influence.... so just show up to your appointment sober... it ain't that hard.

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• Dress for comfort! You're gonna be sitting or laying in probably weird positions for hours on end, being comfortably dressed is a necessity. Wear loose baggy clothing that can be easily moved to get to the area being tattooed. Short sleeves or tank tops are good for arm tattoos, shorts are good for leg tattoos, button up shirts are good for sternum and back tattoos (you put it on backwards to leave the back exposed while still covering your front). Style points are for the bar or the club, comfort is for the tattoo shop. Leave the overpriced 3 piece suit or "super cute" romper at home.

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• Bring a battle buddy... not a battle army! Your artist knows that you probably want to bring a friend with you to your appointment. Do it. Bring a friend. BUT.... you don't need a whole posse of people to get a tattoo. Tattooers are typically easily overwhelmed to begin with,  not the kind of situation you want to put them in while they're tattooing you.