BEFORE
Remember that you can simply contact us and arrange a free consultation. This is a good opportunity to get to know each other and talk about your ideas and their implementation. Sometimes, however, the distance or lack of time makes such a meeting difficult, and sometimes you just want to check the possibilities yourself and organize your thoughts. In that case, this text may be helpful. First of all, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with the gallery of our tattoo artists in the TEAM tab. If you want to read more about tattoos and what we do, visit our BLOG. We live in times when we can almost endlessly browse the internet in search of graphic inspirations. One idea might be to search for inspiration on Google or Pinterest as well.
Once you've chosen a style and the germ of an idea is starting to grow in your head, it's time to make an appointment to discuss a potential project. Think about it: what do you like about tattoos? What do you like best? Tell your artist everything you can think of, the creative process is collaborative after all. You can bring the inspirations, i.e. photos of tattoos or designs that you liked for some reason. Once you have discussed the concepts and process, the tattoo artist proposes a date and arranges a session with you.
Remember that this process is mostly a collaboration between you and the tattoo artist, take into account that it is not always the best idea to take an accompanying person especially for long sessions during which that person will simply get bored waiting for you. It can also put you and other artists and studio guests in an uncomfortable position. We ask for a moderate and reasonable approach to inviting, especially more friends as part of the company during the session.
What steps to take before tattooing? First of all, on the day of the session, it is important that you feel well and are able to endure the more painful moments. Eat breakfast. You can also take some supplies with you. Provide yourself with the energy you need for a few-hour session. Do not drink alcohol the day before, a hangover is not a good option for tattooing. Come after a good night's sleep, it will make you feel better while working on your pattern. If you have dry skin, it's a good idea to use a body lotion in the days leading up to it. Do not shave the area that will be tattooed and do not sunbathe at least a week before the session. It is also recommended to discontinue any blood thinners (e.g. aspirin).
To sum up: Come in good shape, both physically and mentally, and we will take care of the rest and make sure that you leave satisfied with your new, unique tattoo.
AFTER
How do I take care of my tattoo?
Here are 7 tips.
1. So, you have a new tattoo. Your artist covered it with clear foil, or a layer of a product called Second Skin, to protect you from infection. When do you remove it? Depends on a couple of things, so listen to your tattoo artist. If it’s foil, it’s usually after about 3-5 hours. If it’s second skin, we recommend gently removing it not later than 24 hours after being applied and preferably under the shower.
2. Cleaning is the most important part of the healing process. After a couple of hours use warm water with a little bit of unscented soap to gently clean your new tattoo. Repeat every 3-4 hours.
3. When it’s clean, dry it with a towel and let it sit for 10-15 minutes (this applies to the first washing). Then, apply a thin layer of special moisturizing tattoo cream that your artist approved of. We recommend InkLab. This will help your skin recover faster and better. If your artist applied foil to your tattoo, you should do the same thing before going to sleep for the first night and for the first night only, then remove it in the morning.
4. Do not scratch your skin, even when it is extra itchy. It is easy to damage the design if you don’t let it heal properly. Avoid scratching and peeling off pieces of dead skin, let your body do it naturally.
5. Don’t soak your skin – a short shower is okay but don’t take baths or go swimming for at least 3 weeks after getting a tattoo.
6. Take a break from gym for at least 2-3 weeks.
7. Wearing something loose is a good idea, to make sure your clothes aren’t irritating your skin.
8. Protect your tattoo from the sun completely for at least three weeks – don’t sunbathe!
When it is healed, use sunscreen, to keep it looking fresh.