You are always welcome to have a chat if you are unsure of how to visualise your tattoo but as a starter here are a few tips to help you along the road: Decide if you want a tattoo. This is so important! You might be just starting to think of maybe going for it but unfortunately I can't decide for you. What you tattoo will be of - this needs to come from you. We can discuss ideas and what would work but ultimately I am taking direction from you. What placement you think would be cool. I can help refine your ideas and give you options but it's always a good start to know roughly where you're thinking. Sizing decisions are also important. We can chat about different options after the booking but a rough idea before you book is helpful. This allows me to give you a rough quote - there's a big difference between a 5 cm tattoo and a 12 cm tattoo. Making sure you have the time after the appointment to care for you tattoo effectively. You need two weeks to let the tattoo heal and you'll need to keep it out of the sun and submerging it in water.

A few days before the appointment begin to moisturise the area to be tattooed. Stay well hydrated in the days leading up to your appointment, it makes your skin all lovely and ready for the ink On the day of the appointment exfoliate the area and shave trying to avoid any nicks. Eat a good meal before your appointment and drink plenty.

If your appointment is over 3 hours please bring some lunch and or snacks - these keep your energy levels up. You are welcome to bring anything to your appointment that would help such as headphones, a pre-loaded podcast for my speakers, book or a film. I have blankets and cushions to help keep you warm and propped in a comfortable position. Try to wear loose clothing in the area to be tattooed, the area will need to be easily accessible. You will be offered tea and coffee - there are herbal teas, decaf tea, full caff tea, rooibos, and full caff coffee. Oat milk (GF) and milk is available too.

After you’ve arrived we’ll get you settled in and discuss your tattoo. If you want to make any small adjustments to the design we can go through them. I’ll print off a few sizes and we’ll see what looks best for you. We can also play about with placement to get it just right. Once we have the perfect size and placement I’ll print out a stencil, shave the area (if not already done), clean it, apply stencil gel and pop the stencil on. There is no rush with any of this, it often takes a good hour to get everything just right. If the stencil isn’t quite right we can take it off and try again. The stencil takes 10-15 mins to dry so I’ll make you a cuppa and you can get comfy on the tattoo bed. If you need pillows, blankets etc I can supply them. Whilst the stencil is drying I’ll set up the tattoo needles, ink and other paraphernalia. I can talk you through what everything does if you’d like. Once the stencil is dry I will start tattooing. People often describe the sensation as slightly annoying but not quite painful! You can take breaks, go to the loo, adjust position whenever you need. If it’s a long session I’ll usually have a small break around 1.30 pm which is great time to eat something for you too - need to keep those blood glucose levels up! Throughout the tattooing we can chat, listen to music, some people like to bring a film with them. There might be times where I have to pay particular attention so might be quiet for a while. You can also request a quiet appointment where talking can be kept to a minimum. Most people tend to have a snooze a few hours in to the tattoo so don’t worry about falling asleep. Once the tattoo is done I'll let it settle for ten minutes whilst I clear away my equipment. Then we’ll take some pics and videos with your permission. Afterwards we'll go through aftercare and get you wrapped up in a second skin bandage.

Ideally no. My studio is veeeery small so it's quite the squeeze with 3 of us in there but also it's quite boring for your friend sitting around for hours. I have offered appointments for two friends to get tattooed together if they don't mind it being cosy. If you have mobility or health needs that require assistance you are of course, welcome to bring someone just let me know before you come.