I know that nerves often don’t make eating easy, but you absolutely must get something in your belly!

Sugary or junk food does not count here!
Eat within two hours of your tattoo appointment.
The biggest cause of fainting or feeling sick is lack of food and water. It also helps tremendously with any pain you might experience. Carbs are great but including loads of protein is even better for long term energy.

Sugary drinks and sweets are good during the tattoo to give you a short-term sugar boost and get you through until your next meal. On a full day sitting we will break for a 40 minute lunch, during which time we recommend another substantial meal.

During the tattoo, hydration is really important, especially when the weather is hot.

Please bring your own water bottle to your appointment.

Tattooing at Puchica: If you forget, there is a convenience store next door where you can buy water and snacks (they're cash only).

Tattooing at Tribute: We have a water filter at your disposal.

Put on clean clothes that you aren’t too worried about spots of ink getting on. The ink can stain clothing and shoes.

Be sensible about your clothing choices. For example: if you are getting a thigh tattoo bring shorts, otherwise you might be required to sit in your underwear. You also want to be comfortable.

It is common to feel cold when being tattooed because of the drop in adrenaline and blood sugar. We do our best to regulate the temperature in the studio, but please be aware that you may feel cold from being tattooed when others feel very warm! You may need to bring a jacket, blanket, or clothing that will keep you warm and comfortable.

Please make sure to wear deodorant. I will be working up close with you and there’s nothing worse than stale body odor for a whole day! But please don’t overdo it with perfume or aftershave. This is almost as bad as body odor when you are up close.

A huge amount of how well a person can handle the feeling of being tattooed has to do with mental positivity. Some people ‘get in the zone’, some like to focus on other things and try to ignore the pain. Having a game plan and a positive attitude is a huge help in pain management. If you need to bring a book or headphones to listen to something other than the shop music as a distraction, I won’t be offended. I just want you to be as comfortable as possible during our appointment!

Please be polite to staff and to other customers. We do not tolerate rudeness and we reserve the right to refuse tattoo anyone who we feel is acting inappropriately towards staff or customers.

Please try to keep the noise level to a minimum. There will be other people trying to concentrate on being tattooed (and doing tattoos). We know it hurts, and we expect people to make some noises reflecting this, but vocalizing this excessively loudly, swearing or whimpering constantly can make the atmosphere in the shop very uncomfortable for others. If you think this could be a problem for you, please let me know.

I am happy to stop for a break whenever you need so you can take a moment to regroup.

For long sessions I actively recommend bringing headphones or a book. Having something to distract you will drastically improve your experience. I love getting to know my clients, but it is not always easy to hold conversations all day when you are in pain and I am concentrating on your tattoo.

Bring your phone charger as we may not have the right one for you to borrow.

Do not take any painkillers unless discussed with me beforehand.

Some painkillers can thin your blood and make the whole process more difficult and it can therefore take longer and hurt more.

Some are effective for pain relief during a tattoo but please talk to me before taking any.

Numbing creams are ok, as long as you have discussed the use of them with me and we have agreed upon the brand. You will need to supply and apply these yourself.

I do not recommend numbing creams for sessions over 40 mins, because it is actually worse for your body when the sensation comes back and your body has not engaged your natural pain management system.

The first 10 mins will be the worst and then your body will adapt and the pain will lessen significantly.

I generally use Bactine spray (with lidocaine) during breaks during the session to help with swelling and pain.

Please avoid excessive amounts of it the night before and the day of your tattoo. It thins your blood and does not help with your pain tolerance. Being hungover also doesn’t help and might make your pain tolerance even lower. The same applies to illegal drugs.

Try to stay as still and breathe deeply. O2 is amazing for pain relief. Holding your breath will do more harm than good. I get used to the rhythm of your breathing and work along side it. Please let me know if you need to readjust or move for any reason.

Please ask before bringing someone with you to your appointment. We cannot accommodate groups of people, especially during the pandemic. We can sometimes allow one friend to accompany you, but it depends on the shop capacity.

Tattooing at Puchica: I currently accept cash or venmo. Please use random emojis when making a venmo payment as the description. Do not write “tattoo” in the description.

Tattooing at Tribute: We accept cash or card for payment and cash or venmo/ zelle/ paypall for tip.

I gratefully appreciate tips. The hours you see me working are only a fraction of the time I spend actually working for you, from our email conversations, to research, to design, and all of the admin as well.