Advice before booking:

-  Find an artist that you can TRUST. Obviously you can't trust someone you don't know, but you can trust their artwork. Look through their portfolio to see their style. If that's what you like then book with them, if not, no biggie. It'll save both of you headaches in the long run. It’s much easier to just go to someone else that can accommodate you better, which we don't mind at all

- Find an artist that suits the style you’re looking for. For myself, I have certain style for a reason: It comes more natural to me. If my style is not for you, I'm not offended at all. Feel free to ask me if I'm comfortable doing a different type of style regardless

- Plan ahead. When you find the right artist for you, find out when they're booking for. Most likely they'll have a waiting list. If you really want the tattoo done for your birthday, or to mark some other special occasion, book it in advance as much as possible

- If you have any vacations coming up that involve a lot of heat, sun, hot tubs, or swimming, you should have your tattoo fully healed before you go on that vacation. Meaning, you will need a full month (6 weeks to be safe) healing period after your last session, before you can take any vacations that involve such

- If any vacations conflict with your tattoo appointments, it is better to start your tattoo AFTER your vacation. Otherwise, make the appropriate arrangements to ensure your tattoo is fully finished and healed by vacation time. Waiting is better than having a sun damaged/faded tattoo for the rest of your life, which is not fixable. You should be enjoying your vacation, and not have to worry about taking care of your healing tattoo

- Don’t be one of those people that walks around with half done work until you can appropriate the proper funds. Tattoos are expensive so make sure you can pay for them first before booking.  Getting a smaller tattoo might be a better option than booking a sleeve or big piece

 - We are professional tattoo artists. Tattoos always look their best when left up to the artist. Describe your vision as clear as you can & leave the rest up to us…….just sit back and relax. Designs on paper may not necessarily work when transferred onto a certain body part

- Do your homework so you know what you're getting yourself into. Tattoos take time, patience, and hurt quite a bit

- Everybody’s skin is different, so there's no telling how your skin will react to the ink

- Health problems can affect your tattoo. For some, the ink will settle in differently. A bit shitty, but that’s just the way it works. Someone with diabetes, who sweats a lot, will end up with a super faded tattoo no matter how dark it’s done. So make sure you tell your artist about any conditions so they can figure things out for you before you get a bad tattoo

Advice before your appointment:

- Get a full nights rest the night before. Your body needs to be refreshed & ready to go the next day or else it won't last as long. Your body will start to reject the ink sooner & you won’t sit well. So prepare your mind & body, as it will affect both

- Get a full meal in you before you come in for your appointment

- Make sure you have absolutely NOTHING to do the day of your appointment. These things take time. We can quote you a ballpark time and we'll try our best to get it done within that span, but we never truly know how long it will actually take. So play it safe, DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO DO THAT DAY

Most people are drained after their session, meaning getting tattooed takes a lot out of you. It's as if you worked out, or played a sport, etc. You'll most likely be tired to do anything after. You should rest in order for the tattoo to heal/look at its best during the recovery period

- No alcohol the night before your appointment (a couple more days is even better). It makes it harder for the artist to work, has the chance to not heal correctly, and in some circumstances, will end in you getting sent home early wasting your time and theirs

- Don't take any drugs. Speaking for myself, my sessions are long & you won't last through them. In most cases you will get sick & nauseous, which will eat up your tattoo time. Or we'll have to call an early day, leaving you with half-assed work. I'd much rather you use a numbing cream if you really need something for the pain (which you should inquire about way before your appointment)

- Follow the pre-appointment sheet given to you (if you need another just ask)

Advice during your appointment:

- Breathe through the pain, don't hold your breath. Watching your breathing pattern helps a lot

- Take it one minute at a time. Don't think about how much longer it'll take to finish, just work on getting through minute by minute

- Don't worry about the procedure, worry about the outcome. Meaning, there are reasons why artists take the time we do for certain sections. It is nothing like any other art medium. Sometimes we need to go slow, others fast

- To help you through the pain, just keep reminding yourself that you wanted this. And you want it to look good in the end right? So keep the complaining to yourself and bare through it. You MUST suffer for your tattoo, it is a rite of passage. You’re tougher than you think

Advice after your appointment:

- Follow the directions the artist gives you. Never listen to what your friend said or anyone else. Speaking for myself, I know how I tattoo, so I know how to take care of it, so it'll heal the way I want it to heal

- Aftercare, aftercare, aftercare. It’s one week taking a break from your regular exercise routines. So just chill and take it easy. Stay out of the sun for 3 weeks. After that, you’ll have the rest of your life to do whatever you want. Mess that up, and your tattoo will reflect it. The better you take care of your tattoo, the better it will look

People always wonder why their tattoo fades. It's most likely the way they take care of it. Fresh tattoos are basically open wounds, so treat them as such. Wait for it to properly heal & follow the precautions you need to take.