What to expect
The day of your appointment is here….
Please arrive for your appointment no more than ten minutes early. If you’re booked in for 9.30am please arrive at Black Hope Tattoo for this time. The studio will not be open before.
If you’re travelling to Colchester and arrive early we have a selection of local coffee shops and cafes nearby for you to be able to fuel up before your appointment.
Please come to your appointment alone. I understand that there could be a certain level of anxiety about the experience especially if it’s your first tattoo. Any questions or concerns feel free to mention it to me at any time. Im always happy to chat over things.
Having a grade two listed building means it isn’t the largest, friends and family are not able to come through to our workstations due to space.
Please remember ti bring photo ID with you. If you are asked for ID and none is available then your deposit is forfeit and another appointment will be needed, also needing a new deposit to secure.
Accepted forms of ID are; Driving License and Passport.
You will be asked to fill out a consent form for your appointment.
Now all the formalities and legalities are out of the way we’ll head through to my work area. Here you can hang up your coat and belongings as well as popping any snacks or drinks in the handily placed kitchen next door. From here we’ll go through the design and placement and begin to get the stencil on. Checking the placement in the mirror to make sure you 100% happy.
With the stencil on and you being 100% happy we’ll start the tattoo. Starting in a small area to get you used to the sensation and working through the design from there. Periodically we’ll have a stretch and break depending on the overall time of the session. There will definitely be time when you can have a quick snack or sandwich. As well as drinks made throughout the day. From experience too many breaks and a long lunch break end up making the process much harder.
This happens incredibly rarely but if for any reason you choose to end the session early and feel like you cant make it to the end of the tattoo / session on an ongoing piece than please let me know. Communication is key. If this happens you will be charged of the full session and additional time will be needed to finish off your tattoo. For ongoing pieces such as leaves etc then we will carry on your tattoo your next appointment.
You’ve reached the end of your tattoo / session. The area will be throughly cleaned. I can take some nice photos for you at this point. The tattoo is wrapped and aftercare explained. Follow the aftercare process that’s provided and your tattoo should be fully healed in seven to ten days. Some people heal quicker, some people take a little longer. Everyones different.
Don’t forget the process is meant to be as fun as possible and although this has been a mini essay actually getting your tattoo itself is easy going and rewarding!