Photo by Alex Given

How does it all work? Simply book your appointment through the ‘Booking’ section of this website. Choose your desired date and fill out all the questions in as much detail as possible. Be specific about size, placement, how similar you want it to your reference pictures, if you’re happy for me the change a few things, or anything else important to you.

Once you’ve completed your booking, I can start working on your design. If I need anything further from you, I’ll be in contact. Otherwise, I’ll see you on the date of your tattoo!

Can I see my design before the appointment date? Unfortunately no. I will have your design ready for you to look at when you come in for your booking. If we need to make any changes we can do them then and there before we start. This is why it’s important to be specific in your description and tell me everything I need to know to put together your perfect design.

Rest assured you won’t be pressured into getting a tattoo you don’t like. Your satisfaction is my number one concern and I want you to be happy with your tattoo.

What if I can’t make my appointment? Deposits are Non refundable but if the date you have selected no longer works for you we can simply move your booking and deposit to a later date. As long as you give me at least 48 hours notice. It’s only if you cancel/reschedule within the 48 hour time frame that you will forfeit your deposit. This is to minimise my financial loss should I not be able to find someone to fill that appointment last minute.

What should I do to prepare? One of the most important things to do is to make sure you eat before your appointment, as low blood sugar can increase your chances of fainting. Get a good nights sleep the night before, and drink plenty of water. Hydration is always good! Having a sugary snack you can eat during the day is often a good idea as well.

Try not to drink too much alcohol the night before and especially not the day of the appointment. It thins the blood making you bleed more and makes my job much harder.

Be sure to have a shower in the morning so your skin is clean, and do your best to wear appropriate clothing. If you’re getting a tattoo on your thigh, maybe don’t wear skinny jeans. Make sure the area you’re being tattooed is easy for me to access.

Lastly, try to remain calm. Everyone knows tattoos hurt but its generally never as bad as you build it up to be in your head.

The most common phrase I hear from first timers is ‘Oh, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be’.

How can I be a good client? Arrive on time. A few minutes before your appointment time is fine. No need to be extra early.

Be open to compromise when it comes to your design. Keep in mind I have been doing this a long time and my main concern is to give you the best tattoo possible. If I tell you something might not work or necessarily look good, try take it into consideration.

Don’t bring an entourage. The process works a lot better 1 on 1. If you are really nervous, bringing one person for support is fine. But keep in mind, tattooing is a slow process. Your guest is probably going to be extremely bored sitting and waiting for hours. Also some guests can be too opinionated about your tattoo idea, placement, size etc. I want to give You the tattoo You want, not the tattoo your guests want.

Stay still. Try to stay as still as possible while I’m tattooing. Fidgeting can make my job much harder and seriously effect the outcome of your tattoo. Keep in mind if I’m tattooing your arm, moving your leg, head or other arm will slightly move the area I’m tattooing. And with detailed work slight movements make a difference.

Can I use numbing cream? Some artists wont allow it because it can make the skin harder to tattoo. But if you don’t think you will handle the pain well and numbing cream will help you sit still I am happy for you to use numbing cream. Keep in mind you often have to give it time to soak in after application so make sure you put it on before you come in.

There are a lot of decent creams but an Australian brand that I recommend is ‘Pain Free Numb Cream’ https://painfreenumbcream.com.au/

What about Aftercare? My best quick tips for aftercare are to keep your tattoo clean, and lightly creamed.

Clean your tattoo regularly with warm soapy water, before you apply your aftercare cream and every now and then if it’s feeling dirty or gross. Shower as normal just don’t scrub your tattoo. Using your clean hands to lightly rub it clean is usually fine.

Apply a very thin layer of aftercare cream a couple of times a day and let it soak in. Do not smother it with cream. It needs to be able to breathe. It’s completely fine to have no cream on it for small periods of time as long as it doesn’t feel too dry. The last thing we want is for the tattoo to completely dry up and turn into a scab. So, if it’s starting to feel tight and dry it’s probably time for a bit of cream.

Sleeping can be a bit difficult. I suggest putting cream on your tattoo and just wearing an old shirt or pants to cover the area. As a bit of ink and plasma will leak out over night. If you choose this tactic, it will be a bit dry in the morning so a good clean and cream will be required as soon as possible.

Alternatively you can apply cream and cover the area with glad wrap. Quite the opposite to the previous tactic, if you do this your tattoo will be a bit gooey in the morning so give it a good clean and let it air out.

I usually suggest Bepanthen or Dr Pickles for aftercare because they work well and can be found quite easily at a chemist or sometimes supermarkets.

Will my tattoo need a touch up? Most of the time your tattoo will not need a touch up. However, on rare occasions it may need one, I do free touch ups.

The only reason for a touch up will be that a small section may not heal properly. The reasons why it may not heal properly are that the tattoo was located in a high movement area, such as the elbow pit, or on tough skin like the elbow or knee, or due to poor aftercare technique.

Make sure you allow 3 weeks for your tattoo to heal properly and that’s when you assess whether it needs a touch up or not.

Can I swim with my tattoo? It is generally advised to wait 2 weeks before swimming. Your recently finished tattoo is an open wound and swimming will greatly increase the chance of infection. So it’s not worth the risk.