Tattoo Care

Your one-stop guide to looking after your tattoo - from getting ready for your appointment to healing it well and keeping it looking its best for years.

After Care

We typically use second skin and sanitize the area before applying. This extra sanitizing step allows the second skin to stay on for up to a week.

We also use black patches, plastic wrap, and ointment for people with adhesive allergies, particular tattoo placements etc. Remove these the morning after the tattoo and proceed to step 3.

  1. Try to keep the second skin on for the full 7 days (you can shower with the second skin). Remove second skin if plasma leaks out of the bandage or if the second skin peels up to reveal the tattoo or dried plasma.
  2. When removing the second skin: hop in the shower with water running over the area, pull slowly from the top up much like a command strip. DO NOT pull from top down like a wax strip.
  3. When bandage is removed, gently clean the area in the shower with unscented soap.
  4. Gently pat dry with freshly cleaned towel or clean paper towel.
  5. Allow the tattoo to air dry 100% then apply a THIN layer of unscented lotion with clean hands.
  6. If you are healing without second skin or had to remove it early, repeat steps 3-5 twice a day.

Things to Avoid

  • Direct sunlight
  • Excessive sweating
  • Itching (to help, roll a cold clean water bottle over the area)
  • Over applying lotion (less is more, you want the tattoo to breathe)
  • Scented lotion, Lubriderm, Polysporin
  • Submerging in water e.g. swimming, bath, hot tubs, dish washing etc.

It Is Normal

  • To feel unwell after the tattoo - this can feel much like the flu
  • For your skin to peel
  • To have some scabbing
  • For the tattoo to ooze plasma - this can look black, brown, red, off-red/clear (with second skin this can look like an ink sac)
  • For the tattoo to swell and feel tender for a few days
  • For the healing process to take longer if you have an autoimmune disease or are diabetic
  • It is normal to have questions ;)

If you suspect an infection / reaction / irritation please contact your doctor or artist for more detailed instructions.

When to See a Doctor

Some swelling, oozing, scabbing and peeling are all part of healing - see It Is Normal above. These aren't:

Signs of Infection

Contact your doctor if you notice any of these in or around your tattoo (HealthLinkBC):

  • Pain, swelling, warmth or redness that's getting worse instead of better
  • Red streaks leading away from the area
  • Pus draining from the area
  • A fever

A high fever with shaking, chills and sweats can be a sign of a serious infection - get medical care right away.

Allergic Reactions

A rash, redness or bumps in the tattoo can be an allergic reaction to the ink. It can show up right after you're tattooed or even years later, and because the ink is permanent, the reaction can last (U.S. FDA) - so have a doctor take a look. If you have hives, swelling of your face or throat, or trouble breathing, call 911.

Whatever it turns out to be, please let your artist know too.

Caring for It for Life

Once it's fully healed, a little ongoing care keeps your tattoo looking its best.

Sun Protection

Ultraviolet (UV) light can fade some tattoo inks. Keep a new tattoo out of direct sunlight while it heals, and once it has healed, protect it whenever you're outdoors (American Academy of Dermatology):

  • Use a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher
  • Put it on 15 minutes before you go outside, and reapply at least every two hours
  • Stay out of tanning beds and away from sunlamps

Dry Skin

If the skin over your healed tattoo feels dry, a water-based lotion or cream helps.

Keep an Eye on It

Check your skin regularly, tattoos included, and see a doctor if you get a skin reaction or your tattooed skin starts changing in any way. Dermatologists suggest paying extra attention to skin tattooed in red, blue or black ink - researchers say those are the pigments most likely to disguise a concerning spot (American Academy of Dermatology).

Before Your Appointment

When You Arrive

Please arrive no earlier than 15 minutes prior to your appointment and bring your ID.

Parking

There is lots of free parking across the street in the yards. There is also 2hr parking in front and around the building.

‼️ Please be sure to read the signs in the front as they are confusing and parking enforcement is very active.

Tips to Prepare for Your Tattoo

The day before your tattoo hydrate and avoid alcohol. Make sure your skin is clean and healthy. Make sure to eat before your tattoo.

Make yourself comfortable. Wear comfortable clothes that allow the desired area to be tattooed. Please note sometimes tattooing can be a messy process so no need to dress up all fancy.

Feel free to bring snacks, a sugary drink, a blanket, a pillow and your choice of entertainment. And if you have any questions, please let us know 😊

Deposit Info

It’s a $100 deposit to save a spot (per client). This goes towards the final price. The deposit is non refundable and nontransferable.

Your artist will have the finished design ready upon your arrival to the appointment, changes can be made if needed. If you are booking a flash tattoo, this deposit will claim that design as yours.

You can send the deposit to your artist's email - they'll confirm the address with you when your booking is approved. Please send a message when you have sent the deposit, and make sure to include your email, phone number and that the deposit has been sent.

Rescheduling

If you need to reschedule please message your artist 3 business days ahead of time to keep your deposit. If you reschedule more than 3 times or do not give 3 business days notice you forfeit your deposit unless it is due to illness or emergency.

Age Requirements

Please note that we mainly tattoo 18+. If you are 16-17 years old at the time of your appointment please let us know as we will need to arrange a legal guardian to be present for the duration of the appointment. ID is required for both.

Accessibility & Inclusivity

We work in an inclusive studio and we do our best to accommodate. Please let us know if you require assistance entering the building, reduced light/audio or any other accommodations :)

Numbing Creams: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

Numbing creams are skin anesthetics - usually lidocaine, sometimes combined with prilocaine, tetracaine or benzocaine - that temporarily dull the feeling in the skin they're put on. Used carefully, they can make a session easier. Misused, they can cause real harm. Here's what Health Canada and other health authorities have found.

Check with your artist before you use any numbing product, and tell them what you used and when you put it on.

The Good

  • It can take the edge off. These creams cause a temporary numbness of the skin where they're applied, which can make a tattoo on a sensitive spot easier to sit through.
  • There are authorized options in Canada. Health Canada allows non-prescription lidocaine creams at strengths from 0.5% to 5% (Health Canada labelling standard). EMLA (lidocaine 2.5% and prilocaine 2.5%) doesn't legally need a prescription either, though Health Canada lists it as a product that is "generally prescribed by a medical practitioner" - so ask a pharmacist about it.
  • Authorized products carry a DIN. Health Canada says authorized health products have an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN) on the label. Unauthorized products haven't been assessed by Health Canada for safety, effectiveness or quality.

The Bad

  • It changes your skin. EMLA's Canadian product information lists whitening or redness, slight swelling or puffiness, some burning or itching at first, and small red dots or purple spots where the cream was applied (EMLA patient information) - on the same skin your artist is about to tattoo.
  • It takes time, and it wears off. EMLA starts working about an hour after it goes on, and the numbness lasts at least two hours after a one-to-two-hour application. You may still feel pressure and touch. On a longer session, expect it to wear off partway through.
  • Tattooing isn't what most of these creams are authorized for. Health Canada's standard for non-prescription numbing creams covers pain and itching from minor burns, sunburn, cuts, scrapes, insect bites and minor skin irritations. Numbing skin before cosmetic procedures is specifically listed as outside what that standard covers.
  • It isn't for broken skin. Health Canada requires these creams to warn against use over raw or blistered skin, and EMLA should only go on unbroken skin. A tattoo in progress is broken skin, so don't reapply numbing cream partway through a session.
  • It isn't for everyone. Don't use one if you're allergic to lidocaine, prilocaine or any other "-caine" anesthetic. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor first if you're pregnant, trying to get pregnant or breastfeeding; have severe liver or kidney disease, G6PD deficiency, or eczema or another skin condition; take medication for heart rhythm problems; or have an infection, rash or cut near the area.

The Ugly

  • High-strength creams can poison you. In 2017, Health Canada seized a 15.6% lidocaine cream from a beauty lab in Richmond, B.C., warning that at that strength "a significant amount of lidocaine may be absorbed into the bloodstream" and that severe cases can include an irregular heartbeat, difficulty breathing, seizure, coma and death (Health Canada advisory). Health Canada has not reviewed the safety of lidocaine creams at high concentrations - the non-prescription range tops out at 5%.
  • Popular tattoo numbing brands are among them. In 2024 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned people to avoid numbing products marketed for tattooing and piercing that contained 5% to 40% lidocaine, naming sellers including TKTX (FDA). In 2025 it sent more warning letters over TKTX-brand creams labelled as high as 40% (FDA warning letter). Products like these are sold online.
  • People have died. Two young women in the U.S. died after using numbing cream over large areas of their legs for laser hair removal. They had wrapped their legs in plastic, as instructed, to strengthen the effect. Both had seizures and fell into comas (FDA, reported by NBC News).
  • A blood condition called methemoglobinemia. Prilocaine (one of the two ingredients in EMLA) and benzocaine can reduce how much oxygen your blood carries. Signs include brownish or greyish skin - especially around the lips and nails - along with weakness, confusion, headache and difficulty breathing.

If You Decide to Use One

  1. Check with your artist first, and tell them what you used and when.
  2. Buy it from a Canadian pharmacy and make sure it has an eight-digit DIN on the label. Skip anything without one, including high-strength creams sold online.
  3. Ask the pharmacist whether it's safe for you, especially if anything under "It isn't for everyone" above applies.
  4. Use only the amount, and only on the area, that the label allows. For a sense of scale: EMLA's usual adult dose before a minor skin procedure is about 2 g - half of a 5 g tube - on an area slightly larger than a toonie. A tattoo can be many times that size.
  5. Put it on healthy, unbroken skin only, and never on a tattoo in progress.
  6. Don't cover it with plastic wrap or a bandage unless the product's own directions tell you to - covering treated skin can increase the chance of serious side effects.

Get medical help right away if, after using a numbing product, you notice numbness of your tongue, light-headedness, dizziness, confusion, a headache, problems with your sight or hearing, vomiting, trembling, unusual sweating, or brownish or greyish skin. Call 911 for a seizure, fainting or trouble breathing. For advice about a possible overdose, call the Poison Centre any time at 1-844-POISON-X (1-844-764-7669).

This is general information, not medical advice - a pharmacist or doctor can tell you what's safe for you. You can report a side effect from any health product to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.

Good to Know

Donating Blood

You're eligible to donate blood three months after getting a tattoo - the same goes for piercings, microblading and permanent makeup (Canadian Blood Services).

MRI Scans

Rarely, a tattoo can swell or feel like it's burning during an MRI. It doesn't last long, but let your health care provider know you have tattoos before your scan (U.S. FDA).

Moles and Skin Checks

Dermatologists recommend asking your artist to work around moles, freckles and other spots. Tattoo ink can hide the early signs of melanoma and make skin cancer harder to identify in a biopsy. If you have a lot of unusual moles or a personal or family history of skin cancer, consider getting your skin checked before you're tattooed (American Academy of Dermatology).