Tattoo Process

top rocker tattoo

Night Before

We ask that you come prepared to sit for a long time, typical tattoo takes from 2 – 6 hours depending on the design / body location / and technique used. Ensure that you have eaten a good meal and had a good night’s rest prior to your appointment – this will ensure that you fell minimal pain and that you are in the right mindset.

How does it go down?

Are you new to tattooing? Or maybe you are just new to the more upscale tattoo studio atmosphere? Either way, we try to do things with a certain flow to them at Top Rocker Tattoo. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible, and this means we want you to know what is going to happen and what is happening at all times during the procedure. We will walk you through our process and we will answer any questions you have about tattooing prior to starting your piece.

We do not accept deposits over the phone unless you have already consulted with your artist. Having a consultation first ensures that you and the artist both know what you are getting into concerning cost and time. Additionally, we don't feel comfortable taking your money without providing you some feedback on your design.

Usually we expect the client to come to us knowing a general idea of what they want, then depending on the appointment schedule and current workload, we may do a drawing for you on the spot or we may take a drawing deposit and have you come back on a different day. If we take a drawing deposit then that amount is non-refundable but will be applied toward that tattoo session. We love to do custom work and encourage that you just bring in a bunch of pictures of ideas you have and let us do our magic.

Once we have decided on the design then it’s time to prep you. We clean the area and shave the area to remove all the small hairs. The shaving will prevent ingrown hairs as well as helps keep the needles moving during the tattoo. We then apply a single use stencil on your skin (we DO NOT use deodorant to apply your stencil – if you ever see a tattoo artist re-using a deodorant stick run for the hills!). Once the stencil is on your body we then let you sit and wait 5 – 10 minutes for it to dry. During this time we will setup the station with all new disposable materials.

During My Tattoo...

You will immediately notice that all surfaces are covered with barrier protection (plastic wrapping, aluminum foil, or other barrier bags). The barrier protection will ensure that your bodily fluids are never allowed to make contact with our furniture and tools.

We will open up a new needle and tube / tip combo in front of you. These pieces are sterile and have been through an EO gas or autoclave sterilization process. These pieces will be disposed of after the tattoo is over (most tattoo shops will clean the tubes and tips and re-use them, just ask next time you go to your local studio).

After your tattoo is finished you will be given a copy of the aftercare procedures and we will ask that you come back in 14 days later for a follow-up. Your tattoo healing time depends on your skin type and the style of the tattoo you received.

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