It is important that you are well-rested and mentally prepared for getting a tattoo. Whether it’s your first or one of many, your body and mind will react more strongly if you’re exhausted, sick, stressed, have low blood sugar, or feel generally overwhelmed.

Make sure to get a good night's sleep, eat a solid meal about an hour before our appointment, and drink plenty of water. Avoid alcohol 24 hours before and after your session, and be aware that certain types of pain medication can have a blood-thinning effect. Wear comfortable clothes that you don't mind getting a splash of ink on and that make the area you’re getting tattooed easily accessible.

You should not be pregnant or breastfeeding when getting a tattoo.

If you take blood-thinning medication for other reasons, please contact me and, if necessary, your own doctor to discuss the possibility of taking a break for a few days.

The experience of getting a tattoo is very individual. Pain levels vary depending on where on the body the tattoo is and how you feel on the day, both physically and mentally.

This is not a test of endurance. We are here to guide you and help you breathe throughout the process. But remember, we can always take small breaks along the way. Communication between you and the tattoo artist is essential, so please speak up if you need help relaxing, or if you just need a break.

The only breaks we prefer to avoid at SORT BLAEK are smoking breaks. However, you are very welcome to vape, use nicotine gum, or snus. Smoking breaks disrupt the flow, pain levels, and concentration, and we have unfortunately found that it makes it much harder for both the body (and you) to get into a good rhythm afterward. We know it can be tough, but both you and your tattoo will benefit most from the session without these interruptions.

When we're done, your tattoo will be covered with Second Skin (a thin, plaster-like protective layer). This protects against bacteria and friction from clothing, while giving your skin the peace it needs to heal. The "artificial skin" should remain on your new tattoo for 4-7 days. The bandage is transparent, so you can easily monitor the healing process. This method, called wet healing, is the most effective healing for superficial skin trauma (you might recognize this from blister or burn dressings). You can definitely shower with the bandage on, but hot baths and saunas are not recommended during the first period.

Try to keep calm and rest for the first 24 hours after. If you love to train or are generally very active, you'll need to be patient. For the first 24 hours, you should avoid pushing yourself or your skin too much.

We will guide you on how to care for your tattoo to ensure the best results and most effective healing. But remember, it's entirely your responsibility to follow the instructions afterward. If any issues arise during healing, contact us (and possibly your own doctor) immediately at sortblaek@gmail.com. Write "urgent" in the subject line, and we'll see your email within a few hours.

Once you’ve removed the bandage, avoid scratching the tattoo directly. If you scratch or itch your new tattoo, it can irritate the healing process. It doesn’t mean it can’t itch terribly at times. You can apply something cooling to the area, and the itching should subside.

You should apply a rich cream to the tattoo 1-2 times daily. We always recommend Pantothenol ointment from the pharmacy, but if you have a rich cream that you particularly like (without perfume and non-organic), feel free to use that instead.

The first two weeks are the most intense healing period for your tattoo. Here are a few basic things to keep in mind:

Avoid direct sunlight. UV rays are harmful to both the healing process and the pigment in the tattoo. UV can cause color changes and/or premature drying of the tattoo. We have various solutions to protect your new (and old) tattoos from UV, so talk to us about it if you're planning a sun holiday shortly after. You can absolutely travel with a new tattoo; there are just some precautions to take.

Avoid swimming in the sea, pools, etc. Imagine that your tattoo is like a small skin abrasion that needs to heal without leaving a scar. If you submerge it in water, the surface won’t heal at the slow pace it needs to in order to both encapsulate the pigment and form a new protective layer. Your skin will be more vulnerable, sensitive, and prone to UV, general irritation, and infection if you "dissolve" the healing process in water.

Once your tattoo has healed, it's still important to take care of it to preserve the color and keep the lines sharp. We recommend always using sunscreen (at least SPF 30) on your tattoos. Direct and intense UV rays can damage the color pigments, leading to color changes and premature aging of the tattoo. You may recall images of old sailor tattoos that appear thick, green, or blue. UV is not beneficial for our skin or tattoos, but talk to us about what "UV solutions" we can suggest if you're a true water lover and/or sunbather. One doesn’t have to exclude the other.