Prep & Aftercare
HOW TO PREPARE FOR, AND CARE FOR, YOUR COSMETIC TATTOO:
Before Your Procedure:
( CLICK HERE TO JUMP TO AFTERCARE )
Appropriate Pre-care is one of the most important factors that will determine the results and success of your procedure.
Failure to follow these guidelines may reduce the effectiveness of the treatment and may result in complications including excessive bleeding or swelling, increased discomfort, increased procedure length, pigment migration, poor retention, discoloration, skin hyperpigmentation, or scarring.
If you do not act in accordance with the Pre-care Instructions, your artist cannot guarantee, or be held responsible for, the results of your procedure or subsequent treatments. In some cases this may incur additional fees, and / or the postponement or denial of services at our facility.
Protect your investment!
General Prep, Precare & Precautions:
You must not be pregnant, or breastfeeding.Please discontinue all skincare products containing AHAs, BHAs, acids, acne treatments, retinol and vitamin C at least 2 weeks prior.You must be off Accutane for at least 1 year.If you have had previous tattooing or permanent makeup in the procedure area of any kind, you must inform your artist prior to the appointment. A consultation may be needed to determine eligibility.Must be off antibiotics for 30 days.No deep exfoliation in the procedure area for 2 weeks beforehand.Avoid UV exposure that may cause tanning or sunburn for at least 2 weeks prior to your appointment,Do not apply facial moisturizers on the day of your appointment.Avoid excessive activity or heat that may cause sweating for 72 hours before your appointment.NO alcohol or caffeine 24 hours before your procedure.Be well-hydrated (drink plenty of water) and eat a healthy meal beforehand.The skin of the procedure area must be free from rashes, breakouts, sores, burns skin infections, and severe dryness such as chapping, peeling or dandruff prior to tattooing. If your appointment is approaching and you are experiencing skin issues, contact your artist to discuss how to proceed.Please be free of blood thinners and anything inhibits Lidocaine (our numbing agents) for at least 24 hours before your appointment. This includes aspirin, medications, alcohol, cannabis/CBD and supplements such as fish oil, B vitamins and vitamin E.
Failure to follow Pre-care Instructions could significantly impact your procedure, and may result in the forfeiture of your appointment and deposit.
Please scroll to view more in-depth Pre-care for your specific procedure(s):
Brow Prep:
Be sure to follow the “General Prep Instructions” at the top of the page.
See “Aftercare Instructions” page for procedure-specific healing instructions.
Your brows will be lightly groomed during your appointment. Prior grooming is not needed. If you wish to tweeze, tint, wax, or thread your brows, please do so at least a week before your appointment. Failing to do so may make the area more sensitive, affect color retention, or absorb color into the pores outside the treated area.
You may arrive with your usual makeup on, if you would like your artist to have a reference as to how you like your brows to look. Reference photos also welcome. During the procedure, some of your makeup will be removed in order to prevent contamination, and we will redraw them to your liking with proper measurements and symmetry.
If you currently get and are planning to receive Botox, please do so at least 4 weeks prior to your appointment. If you have never had Botox but are thinking of getting it, it is recommended to wait until 4 weeks AFTER your Brow appointment. It is preferable to get your eyebrows done prior to Botox, so we can map the brow shape according to your natural anatomy.
Lip Prep:
Be sure to follow the “General Prep Instructions” at the top of the page.
See “Aftercare Instructions” page for procedure-specific healing instructions.
Please GENTLY exfoliate your lips prior to your appointment. You may do this a couple of days in the week before your appointment.
Please keep your lips moist a week prior to your lip procedure. If you have badly chapped lips we will kindly ask you wait till they are smooth to ensure they heal properly. If you arrive to your appointment with severely chapped or damaged lips, and we are required to reschedule you, an additional fee may be required to rebook. Dry, thickened skin prevents the pigment from depositing and healing evenly.
If you get cold sores or have had a history of them, please consult your doctor before a lip procedure. We ask that you take an Anti-Viral Medication starting 3 days before, and continuing for 3 days after your appointment to reduce the risk of an outbreak. Zinc and L-Lysine Supplements also help prevent outbreaks. If you do not take antivirals and you get an outbreak we will not be responsible, and will require antivirals for any further treatments.
Additional treatments may be required.If you have had lip filler please wait at least 30 days to have Lip Blushing done. If the fillers have created a very large lip area additional charges may apply to compensate for the extra time to do them. Expect additional initial swelling when a tattoo is performed over fillers.
If you are considering lip fillers along with lip blushing it is best to do fillers at least 4 weeks prior. However, additional touchups may be required after lip fillers as they expand the lip, therefore diluting the pigment.
Eyeliner Prep:
Be sure to follow the “General Prep Instructions” at the top of the page.
See “Aftercare Instructions” page for procedure-specific healing instructions.
Discontinue use of lash growth serums (Latisse, GrandeLASH, Babe Lash, etc.) 4 weeks prior to an eyeliner service.
Be sure to follow the General Prep Instructions at the top of the page.
Remove lash extensions prior to any eyeliner service. They must remain off for a minimum of 14 days to allow for healing.
Do not wear contacts during your appointment or immediately after your appointment, you can resume wearing them 24 hours after.
You may take an antihistamine such as Benadryl prior to your appointment to reduce eye-watering during the eyeliner procedure.
Scalp Tattoo Prep:
Be sure to follow the “General Prep Instructions” at the top of the page.
See “Aftercare Instructions” page for procedure-specific healing instructions.
It is recommended to moisturize your scalp at least 3-4 times a day beginning 2 to 3 days before your treatment.
On the day of your procedure, wash your scalp with a non-abrasive, gentle shampoo. DO NOT place any gels, hairspray, powders, or fibers on your scalp the day of your treatment. After washing the scalp, moisturize the skin with some form of gentle skin moisturizer to keep the skin hydrated. This will allow the pigment to be properly absorbed.
Do not use hair growth treatments such as Monoxidil for 2 days prior to your appointment.
Do not use a razor on your scalp on the day of the treatment. If you ever shave or buzz your hair or plan to, it is ideal to do so prior to the appointment. Shave or cut your hair no less than 48 hours before your scheduled procedure to allow enough time for hair growth. It is critical that we see all native hair to be able to properly blend the hair follicles.
Tooth Gem Prep:
If you have a specific design concept in mind, please let your artist know at the time of booking (such as in the appointment notes). We always have a variety of genuine Swarovski Crystals available! However certain styles such as Gold Charms, Opals, or shaped gems may need to be custom-ordered at least 2 weeks in advance.
Please eat before your appointment. You will not be able to eat or drink anything other than water for 2 hours following the service while your gem application cures, and will want to stick to soft foods for 12 hours as the bond continues to cure.
Brush your teeth thoroughly before the service, you will not be able to brush for 12 hours following the gem application.
If you wear a wire retainer, please bring it to the appointment so that we can work around it.
If you are planning a tooth whitening treatment, it is recommended to do so prior to your Tooth Gem application, as whitening products weaken the gem adhesion.
Please be aware that we cannot do tooth gems on cracked, damaged, or false teeth (no dentures or veneers), or if you are currently using Invisalign.
Other Procedure Prep:
(FRECKLE, AREOLA, SCAR CAMO, BODY TATTOO, ETC.)
To prepare for all other tattoo & PMU procedures, please see the “General Pre-care” Instructions at the top of the page. Check the “Aftercare Instructions” page for procedure-specific healing instructions.
Please have any reference photos or design images ready and available for your artist at the time of your appointment.
Yes, seriously, NO CAFFEINE for 24 hours prior. No coffee, tea, soda, energy/nutritional drinks, or dark chocolate. You WILL bleed, which will push out the pigment, causing extra work for your artist, extra discomfort and trauma to the skin, increased scabbing, and blurry or patchy healed results. Protect your investment, skip the coffee!