Before your tattoo: how to prepare

Most of what makes a session go well is decided before you sit down. None of it is complicated, and skipping it is the usual reason a session is harder than it needed to be.

Two weeks out

Keep the area out of the sun. Tattooing sunburnt, peeling or irritated skin hurts more, and the ink does not settle evenly into damaged skin. A burn in the week before is the most common reason we have to move an appointment.

Start moisturising the area daily. Soft, well-conditioned skin takes a needle better and is easier to work on than dry skin.

The week before

Drink more water, starting days ahead. Hydrated skin takes ink more readily. Doing it on the morning of the appointment is too late to make a difference.

Talk to your doctor about your medication — do not stop anything on your own. If you take blood thinners such as warfarin, clopidogrel or daily aspirin, ask your GP first, then tell us. Prescribed medication is a conversation, not a barrier; stopping it unsupervised is genuinely dangerous.

Don’t book a tattoo around being unwell. If you are fighting an infection, your immune system already has a job.

The day before

No alcohol for at least 24 hours. Alcohol thins the blood, which means more bleeding during the session, more bruising afterwards, and ink that does not settle as cleanly. It also makes consent meaningless — we cannot tattoo someone who has been drinking.

Avoid aspirin and ibuprofen for the same reason, unless a doctor has told you to take them. Paracetamol is usually the better choice, but check with your pharmacist if you are unsure.

Sleep. Pain tolerance drops sharply when you are tired, and a long session is mostly a test of sitting still.

The morning of

Eat a proper meal one to two hours before. Protein, carbohydrate and some fat. Low blood sugar during a session causes light-headedness, nausea and a much sharper experience of pain — it is the single most common reason someone has to stop early.

Bring water and a snack for anything over two hours.

Wear loose, dark clothing that gives access to the area and that you do not mind marking. Ink and plasma stain.

Bring photo ID. You must be 18 or over. This is not negotiable, and we check every time.

Don’t shave the area yourself unless you have been asked to. We prepare and shave the skin in the studio with a fresh single-use razor.

Please don’t come in if

• You are unwell or feverish
• The skin in the area is sunburnt, broken, infected or badly irritated
• You have been drinking or are affected by drugs
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding — we will reschedule you, and we would rather do that than take a risk with your health

Rescheduling costs you nothing but time. Getting tattooed in any of these states can cost you the piece.

Ask before you use numbing cream

Some numbing products change how skin takes and holds ink, and some react badly over a long session. If you want to use one, ask us first and we will tell you what works with the way we work. Do not apply anything to your skin on the day without checking.

Tell us about your health

You will complete a consent and health declaration before we start. Please be straight on it — particularly about heart conditions, diabetes, clotting disorders, epilepsy, allergies (latex, pigments, metals, anaesthetics), skin conditions or keloid scarring, and any blood-borne condition.

None of these automatically stop you being tattooed. They change how we work, what we watch for, and sometimes how long we sit. What causes problems is finding out halfway through.

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General guidance from a tattoo studio, not medical advice. If you have a health condition or take regular medication, speak to your GP before booking. Ring the studio on 0481 350 373 if you are unsure whether to come in.