Before and after
you get in the chair…

Do some (gentle) scrubbing and moisturising starting a few days prior to your session. Drinking water and staying hydrated assists in this endeavour also. This all ensures there’s less dead, dry skin getting in the way of the tattooing process and ensures a better heal.

A lot of people don’t realise a valid, in-date, government issued photo ID is required to get tattooed. You will be provided with a waiver before the process begins where I will need to confirm you are over 18 years of age using said identification.
No, I cannot tattoo someone that is under the age of 18, even with parental permission. Here is a link to a website containing a simple rundown of these regulations in case you are interested in reading further.

Please bring snacks and liquids to your session. It is important to remain hydrated and fed to ensure your blood sugar remains at an appropriate level. Electrolyte drinks and sugary treats are recommended.

Please ensure you are dressed accordingly for your session. This means that you are wearing clothing suitable to the area that is being tattooed and that I am able to access it with little issue. For instance, if I am tattooing your upper arm, please wear a singlet or ‘boob tube’ so I can access the shoulder. In saying this, if you are uncomfortable with doing so, please inform me of this prior to your session so we can work something out. The studio also has screens that I can erect upon request.

Please bring adequate entertainment with you. I will often tattoo with headphones on to ensure I don’t get distracted and can focus on your tattoo alone, so it is not a bad idea to bring yours too. Keep in mind though that depending on the area being tattooed, you may need to restrict this entertainment to something that does not require movement of the part we will be working on. For example, you will not be able to play your handheld console with both hands if we are working on your forearm.

Lastly, feel free to bring anything that will make your life and experience more comfortable. Slippers, pillows, emotional support toys etc. are encouraged and will receive no judgement from myself or fellow artists.

While I understanding getting tattooed is an intimidating process for some, I must ask that you do not bring a plus one to remain in the studio with you during your session. The studio is a small, sensory considerate space big enough only for clients and artists.

Additionally and for the reasons above, children are also not permitted to remain on the premises during your session.

Please respect our wishes. Doing so will ensure I can provide you and your tattoo with my full attention.

1. Leave wrapped for a few hours (or until the evening for larger pieces) before washing.

2. Wash with antibacterial hand soap or fragrance free soap (eg. Cetaphil) morning and night. Use warm water to ensure pores are opened and cleared of ink and plasma (the gooey clear stuff).

3. For line work only, you may start applying aftercare immediately. Do so sparingly - a pea size amount to lightly moisturise the area. Less is more. For colour or shading, do not apply aftercare for the first few days.

4. For night one and two, wash as above, air dry (or pat dry with paper towel), and wrap with a disposable under-pad or ‘bluey’. Tape onto skin with surgical tape to keep it in place. This will keep it protected as you sleep.

5. During the day, protect from dirt, pet fur, and sun. Wear loose, clean clothing free of fluff and abrasion.

6. If concerned about exposure to above elements during the day, wrap with a bluey immediately after washing in the morning, and change to a fresh one halfway through the day. Please make sure you are allowing the tattoo to ‘breathe’ for a while in between wrapping. You don’t want it to remain ‘wet’.

1. Wash morning and night with antibacterial hand soap or fragrance free soap.

2. DO NOT soak, scratch, pick, expose to sun, enter large bodies of water (ie. the ocean, rivers, pools etc.), or scrub at the scabs. Allow the tattoo to heal naturally and for the skin to renew and shed on its own. In simple terms, just let it do it’s thing.

3. Moisturise morning and night with a thin layer of aftercare. As mentioned earlier, less is more. This will help with itching and dryness.

4. During the really itchy phase, I like to substitute aftercare for refrigerated aloe vera gel to soothe the skin. Again though, use sparingly. Do not soak it.

5. Sometimes life happens and a scab is knocked or scratched too soon. Other times, the skin may react to a particular ink pigment (uncommon, but a possibility) or an external factor (eg. allergies) which may also affect the healing process. All of these possibilities may leave your tattoo with a patchy spot or inconsistencies that we can fix with a touch up after 3-4 weeks of healing.

My favourite aftercare options…

Dr. Pickles
Your most convenient option. You can get this from most Woolworths or Big-W.
Smells like: nothing... Does not contain perfumes.

Happy Healing
Adelaide based small business.
Smells like: citrusy; botanical.

Bamboo Goo
Adelaide based business.
Smells like: woody; botanical; smooth and subtle.

Inky
Melbourne based small business.
Smells like: floral and bright.

Currently, I do not use second skin in the studio. However, you are more than welcome to do so yourself.

When doing so, always use clean surfaces, hands, and work with a completely clean and dry tattoo.

With heavily shaded work, please wait until the day after your session to apply second skin. This allows the wound to purge the initial blood, ink and plasma that often causes the second skin to come loose on the first day.

Apply in a collage fashion (often a single piece will not cover the entire tattoo). Ensure all gaps are completely sealed and that the whole tattoo is covered.

Take care to put more adhesive on that necessary, meaning adding an extra 4-5 cm’s on either edge of the tattoo to allow for potential peeling of the edges or from secretion from the wound beneath.

Take care that there are no bubbles leading to the edge of the adhesive. Seal these with another piece if need be. It doesn’t have to look pretty.

You may leave this on for 3-4 days. During this time, the tattoo will continue to secrete ink and plasma, potentially creating a pocket of liquid within the plastic. This is normal.

If this pocket begins to leak, please carefully remove the adhesive in the shower, and proceed with the aftercare instructions in the options above.

If you begin to react to the adhesive, please carefully remove asap and proceed with the aftercare instructions in the options above.

You may remove the adhesive after 3-4 days and proceed to wash and moisturise as per instructions in ‘the first three weeks’ section.

First time users of second skin are often taken aback by the imprint left on the adhesive when removed. I promise this is not your tattoo being ‘pulled off’. It is the naturally dead skin that would have dropped naturally during the healing process without the adhesive.