What to Expect & How to Prepare

Proper preparation is the key to a comfortable tattoo session and a beautifully healed piece of art. Your tattoo is a true collaboration, and your preparation and aftercare are your responsibilities. Please review and follow these mandatory guidelines precisely prior to your session:

📅 The Days Leading Up to Your Session

Hydrate Wisely: Drink a healthy, consistent amount of water for 48 hours leading up to your date to ensure your skin is receptive to the ink. Do not go above and beyond standard daily intake requirements. Extreme over-hydration can actually thin the blood and significantly increase bleeding during your session, which pushes ink out of the skin. Balance is key.
Moisturize: Gently moisturize the skin over the intended tattoo area daily. Healthy, hydrated skin holds ink significantly better.

☀️ The Morning of Your Appointment

Avoid Caffeine & Energy Drinks: Do NOT consume caffeinated coffee, tea, energy drinks, soda, or alcohol for 24 hours prior to your session. Caffeine and alcohol act as stimulants and blood thinners, which cause added skin sensitivity, nerve irritability, and skin dehydration, directly impacting your comfort and the quality of the tattoo.
Eat a Heavy Meal: Eat a full, high-calorie meal within 3 hours of your arrival time. Do not show up on an empty stomach; a full stomach is critical to prevent dizziness and drops in blood sugar.
Bring Snacks & Drinks: Pack a sugary drink (juice or regular soda) and fast-acting snacks (candy, cookies, or fruit) to keep your blood sugar regulated during your session.
Pain & Swelling Management: It is highly advisable to take a standard dose of Tylenol (Acetaminophen) or Advil (Ibuprofen) shortly before your arrival to help manage early pain reception and reduce localized swelling during the application.
Numbing Cream Rules: Do NOT apply any over-the-counter numbing creams, gels, or topical pain relief lotions. Numbing products alter the chemical texture of the skin and can severely impact ink saturation, line precision, and overall healing. Numbing creams will only be used if explicitly discussed and approved by me beforehand.
Dress Wisely: Wear loose, comfortable clothing that easily exposes the area being tattooed without stretching or ruining your garments. Keep in mind that tattoo ink can stain clothing, so dress accordingly.

🔍 Crucial: Your Stencil Approval Responsibility

Before any tattooing actually begins, a physical stencil will be applied to your skin to map out the placement, sizing, and overall look of the artwork.

Your Final Check: You are entirely and solely responsible for thoroughly checking the stencil in the mirror upon application.
Speak Up: It is your absolute responsibility to voice any discrepancies, spelling errors, design orientation issues, or layout changes before the needles touch your skin.
Final Consent: Once you give the verbal approval to begin, the tattoo will be executed exactly as shown by the stencil. Any unmentioned errors or oversights discovered after the session starts or finishes will remain the client’s sole responsibility.

🧼 Required Pre-Appointment Skin Hydration Mask

During a session, the skin receives a massive amount of physical stress from constant wiping, soaps, and medical antiseptics, causing it to quickly lose its natural nourishment and moisture. To combat this, reduce irritation, and set your skin up for optimal healing, you must complete this moisturizer mask 30 minutes to 1 hour max before your appointment time (otherwise, it will be completed upon your arrival at the studio):

Cleanse: Thoroughly wash the skin area to be tattooed with regular soap and water, then pat it completely dry with a clean paper towel. Bonus tip: Gently exfoliate the skin while washing to remove dead skin cells.
Hydrate & Mask: Apply a generous, thick layer of moisturizer to the area.
Wrap: Securely wrap the moisturized area with plastic wrap (Saran wrap) and leave it on. Do not remove it; I will unpack and clean the skin once you are seated in the studio and we are ready to begin.

🩺 Health & Infection Risk Acknowledgement

Getting a tattoo involves breaching the skin barrier, which naturally carries an inherent risk of infection if proper hygiene and aftercare are not maintained.

Aftercare Compliance: You are strictly required to follow the official aftercare guidelines provided by the studio to minimize these risks.
Seeking Medical Care: In the event that you experience any abnormal healing signs—such as excessive or spreading redness, prolonged swelling, severe throbbing pain, yellow/green discharge, a foul odor, or a fever—you are required to seek immediate professional medical attention. The studio provides artistic application and standard aftercare advice, but cannot diagnose or treat medical complications.

💳 Studio Billing & Payment Methods

Your $75 booking fee will be deducted from your final total at the end of the session.

Rates: Billed at a flat rate of $150 per hour for the total time scheduled for your block.
Accepted Payments: Cash or E-transfer are highly preferred. Debit, credit, and physical gift cards are also accepted. (Please note: Gift cards must be presented physically at the time of billing—digital photos of cards cannot be accepted).