Now What?
Alright, so… we’ve talked. We’ve discussed your project and you’ve sent your booking / design fees. You and I have confirmed an appointment time and date. (If none of these things are true then you are on the wrong page!)
…now what?
Well, really… nothing.
At this point, all you have to do is wait for your appointment. After you’re booked, you probably won’t hear from me again until you see me at your appointment — this is normal. We should have already gone over everything when we booked.
Since I still get this question quite a bit, I guess I can elaborate a little!
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Confirmations / contacting
Again, it’s normal to not hear from me between booking and your appointment. There should not be anything else that we need to discuss.
There is no reminder email / message / text.
I do not have any automated system for this and I don’t have the time to do it personally, so you just have to keep tabs on that on your own.
There is no confirmation email / message / text.
Again, there isn’t anything set up for this and I do not have the time available. You do not have to send a confirmation — please don’t do this. I may not see it or reply to it in time, which may cause some confusion. No need to worry! You are in my schedule and I will not cancel or reschedule you without notifying you first.
But this doesn’t mean you can’t contact me!
You can absolutely ask questions.
I want my clients to feel comfortable and confident coming to their appointment. There will be somethings you will have to trust me (and yourself!) on, but overall I want us on the same page for this process.
I encourage you to read over this page and my FAQs first to make sure I have not already answered your question, since I may not see your question / email until the day of your appointment. If this is the case, please do not think your appointment is cancelled!
You can make SMALL changes to the tattoo you’re hoping to get.
This can be either ahead of time or at your appointment. There is generally some time at the appointment for MINOR changes / tweaks, but a complete redesign will effectively cancel your appointment.
I cannot accommodate a complete redesign once you’re already at your appointment or even short-notice, especially if I think it will make your appointment longer and more expensive than what we have already discussed.
This is why you being certain of what you want to get AND giving me all the information and reference images ahead of time is so important.
Your Design
I do not send art / designs to clients before the appointment.
There are no exceptions to this.
I draw for my clients the morning-of their appointment, which means there is nothing to show ahead of time, ever.
Like I mentioned in the previous section — there is generally some time at the appointment for MINOR changes / tweaks, but a complete redesign will effectively cancel your appointment. This will also mean paying a new booking and design fee to reschedule. This is why giving me all the information and reference images ahead of time is so important.
I will never force a client to get something that they do not like or are comfortable with!
This process is half my expertise, and half your preference. I will always give you my suggestions and any reasoning I have for them, but my first priority is a happy client.
Your Appointment
In preparation for your appointment, I have a few “best practices” that I like to recommend to clients:
✦ This is kind of a big one — PLEASE WEAR BLACK CLOTHES to your appointment!! Or something you don’t mind ruining.
— I try very hard to make sure ink does not get on your clothing but weird things can happen. Tattoo ink does not wash out of clothes and I do not want to ruin your clothing with a stain!
✦ Eat something before your appointment, ideally 1-2 hours ahead of time so it’s in your system and you’ve got energy from it. Getting tattooed on an empty stomach is a huge risk for fainting!
✦ You can exfoliate / shave / moisturize the area you are hoping to have tattooed but no earlier than the night before your appointment.
— If you get razor burn, I can’t tattoo that area. If you cut yourself, I can’t tattoo over a scab or a fresh cut. If you do not feel confident shaving ahead of time, that’s okay! Please try to moisturize the area, at the very least. It will help!
✦ Start hydrating the day before your appointment (at minimum) and avoid drinking alcohol, even in small amounts. This is not a must but it is so, so helpful. Any amount of alcohol can thin your blood and effect the healing process.
✦ Wear comfy clothes with your ideal placement in mind, and again, make sure those clothes are black if you can!
— This one might be confusing but it means if you are getting a tattoo on your thigh, please wear or bring shorts. If you are getting a tattoo on your back, please wear clothing that will accommodate that or be prepared to take your shirt off.
BEFORE —
✦ You must have a valid (non-expired) Driver’s License / ID with you PHYSICALLY. Photos of your ID will not be accepted. I cannot take any other forms of ID, such as school, work, or military ID. Passport is okay.
✦ You are expected to sit as still as possible during your tattoo. This one might sound obvious but many clients don’t realize that nodding while talking, hand gestures, texting, vaping, etc. can make your whole body move. Please be mindful of these things!
✦ Please feel free to bring water / soda and something to snack on! This is strongly recommended for longer appointments. I do not recommend getting tattooed on an empty stomach!
✦ You may bring ONE guest with you to your appointment. Your guest must be at least 18 years old — NO BABIES, NO KIDS, NO TEENS. If you bring a baby or an underaged child with you, I will consider your appointment cancelled. If your guest is too distracting, they may be asked to leave.
If you have a group tattoo scheduled, you may still only bring ONE guest total. It is NOT one guest per client.
✦ Once we are finished and you are wrapped up, you will pay for the tattoo. I am Cash Only, which will have been mentioned to you several times, so I will be expecting you to be prepared for this.
I DO NOT do trades of service as payment and I DO NOT take non-cash payments!
AT YOUR APPOINTMENT —
Numbing Cream
The question is, “Can I use numbing cream?” and the answer is… yes and no. It’s a bit complicated and there are a few things to consider.
Personally, I am not strictly against the use of numbing cream. However, certain types, certain brands, and even how you apply it can create problems with your tattoo.
✦ First and foremost — if you do not believe you can handle the pain of a tattoo without numbing cream, I would ask you to reconsider getting a tattoo at all.
Numbing cream is not bulletproof! Most of the time, clients can still feel the pain, it’s just dulled a bit. Everyone’s skin is unique and every numbing cream is different — there is no guarantee numbing cream will even work on you. If it does, it’s also not guaranteed to last the entire time you’re getting tattooed.
In both cases, you will still need to be able to handle getting tattooed and sit as still as possible!
If it does wear off, you MIGHT be able to reapply, but this can’t be done repeatedly. Your skin will hit a limit and not only will it stop numbing, but your skin will become more sensitive than normal.
✦ How and when you apply numbing cream makes a huge difference — including how long it stays on your skin!
Most people think that the longer numbing cream sits on them before the tattoo, the more numb they will be. This is not true!
First, most numbing creams have an optimal effectiveness window. After that, the numbing will become less and less. If you apply too early before your appointment, it could be wearing off by the time we are tattooing.
Second, having your skin soaking in numbing cream for too long will make the texture of your skin too “soft” or “spongey”. This can make your tattoo more prone to scarring and make ink fall out of your tattoo as it heals (it can be too light or even patchy). This is especially true with color ink.
You will have this tattoo for the rest of your life! I never want my clients to sacrifice quality if we can help it. Pain is temporary, a tattoo is forever.
✦ A tattoo feels different for almost every part of your body! There are “easy” spots and ones that are much more painful.
My best advice for anyone who is nervous about getting their first tattoo is to get something small and simple — no shading and with black ink only (color ink is more painful) — and in a relatively “easy” spot.
The forearm (not wrist) is great for this — it is very well tolerated and does not really need numbing cream. Doing this is a great way to gauge how you will be with tattoos in the future, since now you have a baseline on how they feel.
Personally, I always caution against getting your first tattoo anywhere that tends to be a more painful placement, such as the ribs, foot, ankle, or wrists.
✦ If you must use numbing cream, this is what I recommend…
Always test your numbing cream ahead of time! And I mean like… weeks ahead of time and NOT in the spot you want tattooed. If you have a reaction to the numbing cream that day, I can’t tattoo that area.
I have tested several numbing cream brands and my favorite recommendation is “Painless Tattoo”, which is available online but can also be purchased ahead of time at the shop (Bird’s Eye View Tattoo only — Cal Tattoo DOES NOT have numbing cream).
About 30 minutes before your appointment — apply a thick, even layer of numbing cream in a slightly larger area than what you’re hoping to get tattooed. Cover the cream gently with saran wrap (plastic wrap, even a ziploc bag, etc.).
Remember — it is possible that we change the placement of your tattoo once you’re at the shop, which would make numbing pointless!
You have to start numbing before you get here. You cannot start the numbing process AT your appointment. I likely have clients after you and you needing to wait around an hour for the numbing to work sets my schedule back by an hour or more.
Once you’re here, things like set-up, paperwork, stencil making can easily take another 20 - 30 minutes, which should put your numbing cream at about an hour. This is the optimal amount of time for numbness while minimizing issues while tattooing.
HOWEVER —
If it is a large tattoo with shading / color, my most preferred method is to wait until AFTER I’ve tattooed the lines. Numbing cream works very fast on open skin so it does not need to sit long (maybe 10 minutes) and it doesn’t mess with your skin.
If you are looking to use numbing cream for a long session then I definitely don’t recommend using it beforehand.
It’s better to wait until we’ve been in the tattoo for a while or you need the relief to finish — this will have the better effect on healing and your experience since I cannot keep applying numbing cream as I tattoo.
✦ If it hurt that badly, no one would get tattooed!
I know this section has been long, but if it’s your first tattoo and you’re afraid of the pain, let me be honest with you — it does hurt.
There will be some discomfort no matter what — it’s needles piercing your skin repeatedly. It does hurt but it’s a different kind of pain… most people describe it as stinging and being annoying.
For longer tattoos, your brain will get used to the pain and most people naturally experience a type of “numbing” on their own. Some people end up kind of enjoying the way being tattooed feels.
But the way a tattoo feels is part of the process!
Getting tattooed is a special and unique experience, you should try it at least once before numbing. Try to take comfort in knowing that I care about your experience and comfort, and that I believe in you!
Miscellaneous
“Can I make a change to my appointment slot?”
For example — you’re booked for 4hrs but now you just want to do 2hrs instead.
This is something you need to tell me a week or more advance so I can try to fill that time with another client — not something you spring on me at your appointment.
I can try to accommodate this but there’s a chance we will need you cancel / reschedule. It’s likely that there isn’t a good “half way point” that we can stop and leave your tattoo at, which is why I scheduled you for the amount of time I did originally.
If this happens repeatedly, I will stop booking you.
“Can I prepay?”
Nope, I don’t offer pre-payment and I do not offer gift certificates.
“What happens if I need to reschedule?”
Things happen, people get sick — if you need to reschedule once or every once in awhile, I totally understand. The sooner you let me know, the easier it is for me.
If last minute cancels or reschedules happen repeatedly, I may stop booking you.
“Do you really expect people to read all of this?”
I wish people would… but truthfully, no.
My hope is to make things easier for myself and my clients — if it takes me a while to reply to a question over email, wouldn’t it be easier to just find what I would tell you here instead?
Wouldn’t you rather be more prepared for a permanent body modification than not? I would, but most people don’t view tattooing that way.
It also helps me get to replies faster if I can link someone to the info instead of typing the same things out over and over again.
Either way, I hope this helps someone!