What to Expect During Your Tattoo Appointment
Posted: Tuesday March 21, 2023
We want to make sure you have the best tattoo experience possible here at Flesh and hope that you visit us again. This blog post will outline what will happen during your tattoo appointment, so you know what to expect from us, and what we expect from you!
Before Your Appointment
Before your appointment, there are a few things we need you to do. The most important is filling in your health check form, which will be sent out to you via text 24 hours before your appointment. We also recommend you have a good meal before your appointment. You can read more here about our recommendations for before your appointment.
Arrival
We ask that you arrive on time for your appointment; not too early and not late. This is because we have a lot of appointments every day. Arriving too early may mean that there isn’t space for you to wait in our waiting area and arriving too late could mean less time to complete your tattoo before the artist’s next client arrives. This could leave them running behind for every appointment for the rest of the day.
When you arrive, one of our lovely receptionists will greet you. They will check that you have filled in your health check form and assist you if you had any issues with it. If you look under twenty five, our receptionist might ask to check your ID- you should really take it as a compliment!
Meeting your artist
Now that the receptionist is happy and you’re good to go, they will ask you to wait in the waiting room. You may wait a couple of minutes whilst your artist finishes setting up their tools for your appointment. Once the artist is ready, they will come and introduce themselves and show you your tattoo design on their iPad. This is your opportunity to chat with the artist and make any final changes to your design before going ahead.
Getting the Stencil on
Once you and your artist are happy with the design, they will start making your stencil. Once the stencil is ready, the artist will call you over and place it on your skin. Then, you will have the opportunity to look at the stencil in the mirror. This is a crucial part of the process and you must make sure you’re happy with the placement as it’s where your tattoo will be. If you’re not happy with the placement, let your artist know and they can move it around until you’re happy.
Things to look out for during the stencil stage
Your artist will have specific recommendations for the placement but you are the one with the final say! When checking the stencil, there are a few things to look out for; firstly, is the stencil centralised? This could be in terms of the body part you’re getting tattooed. For example, is the tattoo in the middle of your neck? Or it could be in relation to any other tattoos you already have; is it placed at a reasonable distance from other tattoos you already have and is there enough space for any future tattoos you have planned?
Usually, tattoos are placed so that they are the right way around for other people looking at them. But you might want your special piece to be placed so that you can see it the right way around. Similarly, tattoos of people or designs with faces usually face inwards, towards the heart of the person. But you might decide you like the look of it facing outwards!
Is the size correct? Your artist will show you a variation of sizes and will let you know the minimum size possible for your tattoo. As long as it’s not smaller than the artist’s recommendation – it’s up to you which size you fancy.
The Tattoo
Your artist will make sure you’re comfy, and they’ll get tattooing! They’ll begin with a small line, so you can get used to the sensation. Depending on how long your tattoo session is, you may be sitting still for some time. So, make sure you’re comfy and have something sugary to eat and drink – personally, we love Lucozade orange and Wine Gums! You are more than welcome to take breaks if you need, just let your artist know. If your session is a full day, you will have a break for lunch for around an hour. Don’t worry, we have Bluetooth speakers and you are more than welcome to queue some songs.
After the tattoo
Once your tattoo is finished, your artist will give it a final clean and show you the final product in the mirror. After you’ve had a good look, and your artist has taken a few snaps, they will wrap your tattoo with cling film or second skin. Then they will go through the aftercare process with you. Once you’re comfortable with all the info, the artist will send you back to our fabulous receptionist. Now you can pay the remainder of your tattoo with either cash or card.
Of course, we are only an email, call or a DM away, so feel free to get in touch with any post-tattoo questions. Also, feel free to tag us on our social media accounts to show off your new tat!
Sound good? You can book your appointment with us via email ( info@fleshtattoo.co.uk ), WhatsApp, Instagram or Facebook.