After you schedule your appointment with your tattoo artist, you must now prepare for your new tattoo. Here is a list of what you need to prepare before your new tattoo.
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Scoot Ink, A Photorealistic Tattoo Artist
Scoot is a photorealistic tattoo artist in Toronto, Ontario.
One particular day while working on King St, a call came into the shop requesting Scoot to tattoo privately at a local upscale hotel. Without question Scoot packed up his equipment and made his way over. When he walked into the room he came face to face with Johnny Depp and six of his close friends. This is a moment Scoot will never forget. Without missing a beat, Scoot set up shop and got down to business. It was shortly after this opportunity that the local media began publishing his work.
Find out why Scoot Ink's work is sought out by so many professional athletes, musicians and actors.
"One thing I love the most about being a tattoo artist is just meeting new people everyday, hearing different stories, being able to create my own images."
How To Care For My New Tattoo
Tips to help keep your tattoo clean and fresh.
Tattoos require attention and care after you get them to guarantee that they stay the way they first looked when you first got them. Here are some tips to help keep your tattoo clean and fresh.
IMPORTANT: Listen to your artist because your aftercare will be specific to the tattoo you received. The care your artist recommends is based on different skin, the placement of your tattoo, different styles of tattoos, the lightness of hand, and the bandage your artist uses.
Your city may require your artist to have an aftercare pamphlet which the city approved. If you are at a good shop or a professional artist, you should expect to receive something for aftercare.
Right after
The first tips start immediately after receiving the tattoo. The tattoo artist should apply a bandage or plastic wrap over your tattoo. First things first, remove the bandage then wash your hands with lukewarm water and soap then gently wash the tattoo with fragrance-free soap and water.
Week-by-week process
IMPORTANT: This process depends on the tattoo and its placement. The scale of time is approximate depending on each case.
First Week
Wash your tattoo with clean fingers only. Cloth or towel may irritate the skin and prematurely remove any scabs that may have formed. Scabbing often occurs in the first couple days. The reason is that the ink rises to the surface of your skin, and because of this needs to be washed away. Scabbing is an important process and must not be picked or scratched off. Scabs will often form in the first few days, and ink may still come up through the skin and should be washed away. It is important not to pick the scabs or scratch the skin.
Any redness or mild swelling usually goes away near the end of the first week[s].
Second Week
During the second week your tattoo should be flaking, small scabs and bits of dead skin may appear, but these will also clear up as the healing process continues.
Third Week
The outer layers of skin should completely heal by the end of week three. The inner layers of skin can take longer to heal but require much less care. The chance of infection is reduced once the outer layers of skin have healed, as there is no open wound for bacteria to infect. Moisturizing regularly in the months following the tattoo will help keep it looking bright and clear.
Remember To
Wear sun-protective clothing whenever you go outside
Call your tattoo artist or doctor if you have any signs of infection or other problems
Do Not
Cover your tattoo with sunblock before it is fully healed
Scratch or pick at the tattoo
Wear tight clothing over the tattoo
Recover your tattoo. You can wear loose one sleeves
Go swimming or immerse your body in water (showers are fine)
Listening to the advice of your tattoo artist will help decrease the chances of skin infections and will help keep your tattoo clean and fresh. Do not rely on online research. Always refer back to your artists if you have any specific questions.
Shark, An Asian Style Tattoo Artist
Shark is an asian style tattoo artist in Toronto, Ontario.
Shark, originally a tattoo artist based in Korea, has been tattooing for 17 years now. When he first met his sensei in Korea, Master Sengmoon Kim, he was merely 16 years old. Upon becoming Shark’s teacher, Master Kim took him to a Buddhist temple for 3 years to properly learn how to hand-draw a diversity of Asian style arts. After mastering his sketching and drawing techniques, Shark was invited by his master to start tattooing in his shop as an apprentice. After 3 years in Korea, Master Kim sent Shark to Japan for another 2 years to finish his apprenticeship. As a young and upcoming tattoo artist, Shark then moved to Shanghai for a year in order to learn Chinese style tattoo designs and its history in hoping to improve and establish himself as a more well-rounded Asian style tattoo artist. With prior experiences in Korea, Japan, and Shanghai, Shark was able to claim first place in an underground tattoo convention in Korea called Ink Ban after going back from Shanghai. Since then, he had traveled around the world and worked in multiple cities such as Bari in Italy, New Mexico, and even Los Angeles. Already being a well-established tattoo artist, Shark moved back to Korea to tattoo, where he claimed first place once again at the Ink Ban tattoo convention. He relocated to Toronto, Canada on September 21, 2012, and has been tattooing ever since.
"I already spent so many bad time because of the tattooing in the Korea but still I love it because
when I do the tattooing I feel I alive."
How To Tip a Tattoo Artist
One of the biggest issues for people getting their first tattoo is knowing what tattoo artist best fits you, how much it will cost, and how much to tip the artist. We will be discussing how much to tip your tattoo artist.
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