Things you Need to Know Before you get your Tattoo
"To prevent the spread of illness, we ask you to please stay home until you feel better"
If you're sick with a cold or flu you should wait to get your tattoo done. If your body is run down you can't properly heal a tattoo. If you're sick it WILL AFFECT your heal time and can affect the outcome of your tattoo.
Medications and Medical Conditions:
- Diabetes: Always get your Doctor's approval before getting any work done. Can slow down the healing time of your tattoo. Your Fix? Keep up with the aftercare longer, take extra care of yourself and be patient.
- Steroid Medication Use: Can slow down your healing time
- Skin Conditions: Psoriasis, Eczema, Acne, Keloids. Prescription drugs for acne can cause skin to be hypersensitive. Getting a tattoo could be disastrous and lead to severe pain and scarring.
- Blood Thinners or Blood Pressure Medications: Blood thinners can make you bleed more while the pain from being tattooed can cause your blood pressure to rise.
- In-Vitro Fertilization: Can really cause issues with the heal time, quality of heal and end result of tattoo appearance. It's recommended to wait until the medication is out of your system before you consider any tattoo work to ensure the best result.
- Extreme cold or heat: Can cause issues with healing. (Excessive sweating & really dry skin)
- Tight clothing/shoes: Cause chaffing which can rub against the tattoo causing color loss, spotting in the tattoo or cause a blowout effect.
It's up to you to check with your Dr and tattoo artist about any medications you're on to ensure they don't react with your tattoo, affect your ability to have one, the healing time or final result. Be careful if you're on... Blood thinners, Blood pressure medication, Certain hormone treatments, Accutane, Minomycin (or any other Tetracycline-related medication), or any other prescription drug for acne..
DO YOUR RESEARCH before any procedure!!!!
DO YOUR RESEARCH before any procedure!!!!
Why can't I use vitamin E on my tattoos?
Vitamin E is meant to remove impurities in the skin, to your body the ink is an impurity. The vitamin E can actually remove the ink from your skin causing spots and damage. Many added vitamins can do damage to your new tattoo, so be careful and listen to your artist.
Do tattoos hurt?
Certain areas hurt more than others; for example ribs, feet, inner arm, and solar plexus. Anywhere that has very little fat and has nerves that are close to the surface. You may also have heard stories about people passing out or crying from the intense pain but people usually pass out because their blood sugar drops from not eating or they allow themselves to get too worked up and their own fears knock them out. Pain is usually not the reason a client faints during a tattoo. There are some clients that find the pain too much to bear, they are few and far between.
If you have a (very common) fear of needles or blood I would like you know that a tattoo needle does not enter the skin very far as many fear, it's only going in about 1/16 of an inch. The damage to your skin (when done by a professional) is so minimal that many people don't bleed at all and if they do it's very minimal. Excessive bleeding usually only results when the patron has been drinking alcohol or taking some kind of blood thinner (like aspirin).
If you have a (very common) fear of needles or blood I would like you know that a tattoo needle does not enter the skin very far as many fear, it's only going in about 1/16 of an inch. The damage to your skin (when done by a professional) is so minimal that many people don't bleed at all and if they do it's very minimal. Excessive bleeding usually only results when the patron has been drinking alcohol or taking some kind of blood thinner (like aspirin).
Why don't you recommend Lip tattoos?
The skin on the lip is a mucous membrane, not regular skin so you run the risk of seeing your tattoo on the outside of your face over time. The ink will almost seep through the skin over time causing it to become visible on your face. Trust me - not a good idea.
Hand / Foot / Finger Tattoo Issues ~ Why we DO NOT recommend them
Due to the nature of the skin on your hands (it sheds constantly) it's almost impossible to keep a good solid tattoo. Some people will see white spots during the healing process of their tattoo (within days of being done) that's how fast you can lose color in these areas. Most pictures you see online are of fresh tattoos, not a year or two after they've been done. When getting a foot/hand or finger tattoo you will be looking at a lifetime of touch ups at your expense.
Foot Tattoos, much like your hands, also sheds constantly during your lifetime. Which effects how the tattoo will take in your skin, how the color stays and how the overall design will heal.
Why is this?
Tattoo ink remains a liquid underneath your skin, that’s how it is able to move/grow with you (any hard/raised parts of your tattoo are scar tissue) the ideal placement for this pigment is between the epidermis and dermis. The tissue on your face/hands/feet is so thin it takes skill and practice to “float” the pigment in the perfect spot.
If done too shallow the pigment will fall out when your skin naturally regenerates/sheds, too deep and your tattoo can appear blurred or bruised. (Many people don’t realize this is also why only certain pigments will be bright on certain skin tones.
Your tattoo is under your skin, not on top. Think of your skin like a window, if that window is clear you see the true colors outside if it's dirty everything takes on a new tone. Your tattoo is like that in your skin, when first done it's in 2 layers so it's very bright, as it heals and the top layer regenerates you no longer have ink in 2 layers but under the skin in the dermal layer.
Like white ink tattoos these pieces typically look fine at first, but start looking at the 6 months- 1 year healed pics, you'll be surprised to see how little of the original art ( if any ) is left. The tattoo's below were all done well but due to location choice, they didn't heal well. This is, unfortunately, the expected outcome for your hand/finger/toes/foot tattoos and white tattoos.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
How does Pregnancy/ Breastfeeding affect tattoos?
Once pregnant we will not tattoo you, as your unborn child will feel and go through the whole experience with you, the vibration from the tattoo machine will be felt through the whole body. It is, however, always important to consult your doctor about how long you should wait after your pregnancy before getting inked. The fact that you have a lot of loose skin just after your pregnancy means that there is always a danger of your tattoo looking very deformed once your body returns to its normal condition.
If you have just had a baby we ask you to wait 6 months (sometimes up to a year) after the birth. We do this to ensure your body has had time to recuperate and heal. Pregnancy and the birth process are extremely hard on you and your body, both which need time to heal.
Tattooing right after your baby has been born is too much on your body so we ask you wait to prevent any issues. Your skin also changes during this process (stretch marks, pregnancy mask, etc..) all which affect the outcome of a fresh tattoo. This "wait" time gives your body time to go back in its pre-pregnancy shape, allowing for the best possible outcome. Recent Pregnancy / Breastfeeding can slow heal times and/or contribute to color loss. Also because your child is getting what you put in your body, we feel it's better to wait. All in all, the best idea really is to make sure that you get a tattoo after having delivered the baby and finished the breastfeeding course to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
Once your baby is born we have only 1 question... Are you breastfeeding?
If the answer is YES, then you must wait 6 months after you finish breastfeeding before we will tattoo you. More importantly, there is also the fact that not much is known about how the dye used in getting a tattoo can affect a developing baby or even a breastfeeding baby – so it is highly advisable to leave the tattooing for a few months after you have stopped breastfeeding as well. Your body has gone through so many changes that we find you need to wait to allow your body to go back to its pre-pregnancy state. If you're run down from the pregnancy & breastfeeding, your tattoo will not heal properly and we also worry about placement shifting, so we ask you wait to give yourself time to heal.
What about Henna ink? Is it safe?
Not many people are aware of the fact that there are a few different types of henna. The safe variants of henna will stain the skin orange, chocolate, brick, cinnamon, red or brown. The one form of henna to be very worried about, pregnant or not, is the black variant of the stain. This form of henna contains a chemical known as Para –Phenylenediamine (PPD) which is known to cause burns, blisters dermatitis, eye irritation and tearing, asthma, gastritis, renal failure, vertigo, tremors, convulsions and a number of other reactions on the skin that could have long lasting effects.
Once pregnant we will not tattoo you, as your unborn child will feel and go through the whole experience with you, the vibration from the tattoo machine will be felt through the whole body. It is, however, always important to consult your doctor about how long you should wait after your pregnancy before getting inked. The fact that you have a lot of loose skin just after your pregnancy means that there is always a danger of your tattoo looking very deformed once your body returns to its normal condition.
If you have just had a baby we ask you to wait 6 months (sometimes up to a year) after the birth. We do this to ensure your body has had time to recuperate and heal. Pregnancy and the birth process are extremely hard on you and your body, both which need time to heal.
Tattooing right after your baby has been born is too much on your body so we ask you wait to prevent any issues. Your skin also changes during this process (stretch marks, pregnancy mask, etc..) all which affect the outcome of a fresh tattoo. This "wait" time gives your body time to go back in its pre-pregnancy shape, allowing for the best possible outcome. Recent Pregnancy / Breastfeeding can slow heal times and/or contribute to color loss. Also because your child is getting what you put in your body, we feel it's better to wait. All in all, the best idea really is to make sure that you get a tattoo after having delivered the baby and finished the breastfeeding course to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
Once your baby is born we have only 1 question... Are you breastfeeding?
If the answer is YES, then you must wait 6 months after you finish breastfeeding before we will tattoo you. More importantly, there is also the fact that not much is known about how the dye used in getting a tattoo can affect a developing baby or even a breastfeeding baby – so it is highly advisable to leave the tattooing for a few months after you have stopped breastfeeding as well. Your body has gone through so many changes that we find you need to wait to allow your body to go back to its pre-pregnancy state. If you're run down from the pregnancy & breastfeeding, your tattoo will not heal properly and we also worry about placement shifting, so we ask you wait to give yourself time to heal.
What about Henna ink? Is it safe?
Not many people are aware of the fact that there are a few different types of henna. The safe variants of henna will stain the skin orange, chocolate, brick, cinnamon, red or brown. The one form of henna to be very worried about, pregnant or not, is the black variant of the stain. This form of henna contains a chemical known as Para –Phenylenediamine (PPD) which is known to cause burns, blisters dermatitis, eye irritation and tearing, asthma, gastritis, renal failure, vertigo, tremors, convulsions and a number of other reactions on the skin that could have long lasting effects.
Skin Conditions
Eczema / Psoriasis
Some clients ( a very small percent that have a bad case of either skin condition) find that the tattoo process can trigger eczema/psoriasis outbreaks around the spot being tattooed. If you are in the middle of an outbreak please wait until it has passed so we don't cause any more discomfort or reaction in that area. If you develop spots after your tattoo, don't be alarmed its' the skin's normal response to any irritation.
Some clients ( a very small percent that have a bad case of either skin condition) find that the tattoo process can trigger eczema/psoriasis outbreaks around the spot being tattooed. If you are in the middle of an outbreak please wait until it has passed so we don't cause any more discomfort or reaction in that area. If you develop spots after your tattoo, don't be alarmed its' the skin's normal response to any irritation.
Things to watch for the first 2 weeks
Swimming, tanning, shaving oh my...
Stay away!!!! (for at least 2-3 weeks) The sun will fade your new tattoo, especially if it's fresh, so wait 3 weeks or until you have no shiny spots left to go into the sun. No tanning in tanning beds for 3 weeks either, it will damage your tattoo just as the sun will. You also have to remember the heat we've generated within the skin is still there for awhile and if you go out into the sun you can actually give yourself a nasty burn. Keep all razors away for at least 2-3 weeks or until no shiny spots remain ~ you don't want to cause any damage during the healing phase.
Stay away!!!! (for at least 2-3 weeks) The sun will fade your new tattoo, especially if it's fresh, so wait 3 weeks or until you have no shiny spots left to go into the sun. No tanning in tanning beds for 3 weeks either, it will damage your tattoo just as the sun will. You also have to remember the heat we've generated within the skin is still there for awhile and if you go out into the sun you can actually give yourself a nasty burn. Keep all razors away for at least 2-3 weeks or until no shiny spots remain ~ you don't want to cause any damage during the healing phase.
Guarantees
What does our guarantee cover?
Our guarantee covers any issues you may have due to something we did on a guaranteed tattoo location. If you've followed our aftercare and still had a problem after healing we will be more than happy to correct any issues, under our guarantee as long as the artist approves.
BUT...
If you got a sunburn on your tattoo while healing and it's now faded; that's on you. If you pick, scratch, or disregard any of our aftercare we will not guarantee it. If it's natural fading over time (due to age and exposure to the elements) that's not covered under our tattoo guarantee. If you chose an area that is known for issues; like the collar bone, any thin skin area or those over bone that will halo in time or blow out. If you chose a style that isn't recommended; watercolor, micro, fine line,
Problem Areas or Areas of Concern for most are:
Feet, hands, fingers, inner arm, neck, collar bone, elbow, knee, Ribs ~ can be an issue for some due to the pain factor causing movement which in turn can affect the result of your tattoo.
Our guarantee covers any issues you may have due to something we did on a guaranteed tattoo location. If you've followed our aftercare and still had a problem after healing we will be more than happy to correct any issues, under our guarantee as long as the artist approves.
BUT...
If you got a sunburn on your tattoo while healing and it's now faded; that's on you. If you pick, scratch, or disregard any of our aftercare we will not guarantee it. If it's natural fading over time (due to age and exposure to the elements) that's not covered under our tattoo guarantee. If you chose an area that is known for issues; like the collar bone, any thin skin area or those over bone that will halo in time or blow out. If you chose a style that isn't recommended; watercolor, micro, fine line,
Problem Areas or Areas of Concern for most are:
Feet, hands, fingers, inner arm, neck, collar bone, elbow, knee, Ribs ~ can be an issue for some due to the pain factor causing movement which in turn can affect the result of your tattoo.
