PREPARATION:
- Before your tattoo appointment, it is strongly recommend you’re well rested, and please eat a hearty meal with a good protein within a couple hours of your appointment time. Showing up exhausted, hungover, and unfed is the fastest way to have a bad time, and none of us want that!
TATTOO AFTERCARE:
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The care and feeding instructions for your new tattoo are simple and straightforward.
- If you have any scabbing please don’t pick at it!
- Avoid sun burns, exposure to chemicals, and absolutely no first aid ointments such as Neosporin.
- Treat your tattoo like an open wound, in that you don’t want to expose it to surfaces that may have harmful bacteria, especially equipment at gyms!
- Don’t let your pets come in contact with your tattoo until fully healed!
For the first five days, wash your tattoo twice a day with antibacterial soap, in warm to hot water, gently using only your hand. Don’t soak it! A simple and quick wash is sufficient. Hygiene is important and showering as normal is fine. Full submersion in baths, hot tubs, rivers or swimming pools is off limits for three weeks.
After washing, gently pat dry with a clean paper towel. Once dry, apply a small amount of Aquafor or A&D ointment. A good rule for quantity is that if you see a shine, you’ve applied too much. You can use a paper towel to press, and peel off the excess.
After the fifth day, you’ll likely start experiencing some peeling, much like a sunburn. This is perfectly normal. Don’t pick or peel the skin. Let it heal on its own. You can use a light, unscented lotion to keep the skin from feeling like it’s drying out.
Do not cover your tattoo with plastic. Loose clothing is fine, but wrapping it back up is largely unnecessary. If in doubt or if you have special conditions, don’t hesitate to contact us for a best way to approach your situation.
We guarantee our work*. If the design requires a touch up, it’s already covered. Please let us know within six months of your original appointment date. Damage to your tattoo from not following our instructions disqualifies the design from a free touch up.
*Tattoos on hands / fingers, feet, behind ear do not get free touch ups due to the difficulties often associated with healing these areas. Touch up fees are at the discretion of the artist, and will not exceed regular shop rates for minimum or hourly work.
DEPOSITs, APPOINTMENT & SCHEDULING POLICY:
As with any professional, appointment based service, you will be expected at the time agreed upon. I typically will request a $40 deposit (for shorter sessions) or $125 to 25% of anticipated total (for larger / extended sessions) when the appointment is made in person. While I’d like to trust you’ll arrive after we talk by phone, there is no guarantee the spot will be open if a walk-in customer shows up. In short, an in person consultation is an agreement and guarantee that we’re both working together at a predetermined time.
Changing the design drastically from what we’ve originally agreed upon will void your deposit and require another, if I’ve had to create an illustration for you.
If you need to cancel or reschedule, please do so at least 24 hours before your appointment time. Failure to do so, and providing short notice voids deposit.
I will wait up to 15 minutes from your appointment time before assuming you’re not showing up. If you’re running late, please let me know beforehand and I’ll wait. Due to the often tight schedule times, the time from being late may be added to your total.
If you can’t make it, please don’t send someone to take your spot without discussing beforehand. Again, at least 24 hour notice helps us all work smoothly.
As a courtesy, your design may be ready within 48 hours from your appointment time. It may be closer to the day of if unforeseen work load ties up time otherwise spent drawing, but rest assured, your design will be ready when you arrive.
