FAQ & Info
BEFORE GETTING A TATTOOED IT IS GOOD TO KNOW!
This text contains most of the important information as well as answers to most
frequently asked questions relating to our services. We have compiled it in order
to inform you about changes in your daily routine that are required once you get
a tattoo.
CAN TATTOO DO ME HARM?
We guarantee that our piercers and tattooists use the best and safest
colors and tattoo equipment, one-time usage needles and sterile jewelry made from
clinically tested materials. Besides the one-time usage of materials and accompanying
equipment, the safety is guaranteed also by AUTOCLAVE sterilization which, using
high temperatures and vapor under pressure, most safely destroys AIDS, hepatitis
and numerous other contagious diseases. We do not use jewelry, colors, materials
or disinfectants which we suspect to be harmful in any way.
We are taking all these measures to protect our clients from contagious diseases,
infections and allergies. Regardless, problems may occur, usually because a person
did not follow aftercare instructions, or because of accidental injuries, or unpredictable
reactions of your body – these however are beyond our control and we cannot be held
responsible for them.
Have you ever seen tattoos done in the Army, in prisons, at home or on drunken parties?
Why do you think that your tattoo, made under the same conditions will
look good and will not have any health complications?
DO I NEED TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT?
Most of the time you need to book an appointment for tattooing,
exams, drawing and consultations regarding possible design changes. Sometimes we
can take you in immediately, if we have an opening.
In order to book an appointment for tattooing, you must come in person and decide
upon the motive, size, colors and placement on the body, so that we can determine
the price and time required to make the tattoo – those things we must know before
we schedule you for a tattoo.
Upon this you leave a deposit or a prepayment, which is refundable if you show up
on time. In case you do not show up at all or you are late so we think you could
disrupt the rest of our schedule, the deposit is non refundable. Should you decide
to cancel your appointment or to change it, you must inform us at least 24 hours
beforehand, or you will also loose the right to get your deposit back.
WHAT IF I’M UNDER 18?
If you are under 30 years of age, bring a document with your photograph
on it, so that you can prove your age.
As there is no law defining that for the tattooing a client must have
a certain age, each salon follows its own rules and ethical norms. We can provide
you service if you are over 16 and under 18 only if you are accompanied by one of
your parents or guardians. You and your guardian both must present documents with
photos (ID card, driver’s license or a passport). Documents must contain the date
of birth, same last names and same addresses. If last names or addresses are different,
you should bring your birth certificate, to prove the parenthood. Those with guardians
that are not their parents should present a document proving the guardianship.
If a parent or a guardian cannot come, they can send us a statement STAMPED BY THE
NOTARY, allowing us to perform the tattoo on an underage person.
WHAT SHOULDN’T I DO BEFORE TATTOOING?
You must not come hungry. Within two hours before tattooing
you must have meal.
You must not come sleep deprived. Tiredness and lack of energy caused
by hunger can cause nervousness, uncontrolled jerks, increased sensitivity to pain,
even dizziness in some cases. You must not use drugs, alcohol and most of the medications
24 hours before tattooing, as they would cause increased bleeding and
directly influence the quality and the duration of healing period.
It is not recommendable to expose yourself to the sun or solarium at
least 10 days before tattooing, as it will increase the your pain and bleeding,
and could cause stronger fading of a tattoo.
Two weeks before the tattoo procedures do not use self-tanning cream,
shower gels with glittering particles, nor any other beauty product containing glitter.
On the day of tattooing do not use any beauty product near the area
that is to be tattooed or pierced.
WHAT SHOULD I WARN MY PIERCER/TATTOIST ABOUT BEFORE A PIRCING OR A TATTOO?
You must inform us in due time if you have any chronic or contagious
diseases, heart conditions, seizures (epileptic and similar), hemophilia, hemolargia,
any immune system disease, high or low blood pressure, diabetes, any kind of allergies
on metals, band aid, crèmes, iodine, soap, sea food or latex. Similarly, you must
warn us if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or are inclined to dizziness or vertigo,
or if you have any skin problems (acne, numerous moles, scars etc).
Some of this cases shall demand a consultation with a physician about possible negative
effects of tattooing, having in mind your particular condition. Some
of the conditions can lead to rescheduling or giving up tattooing altogether. Should
you, however, in fear that we might cancel your appointment, fail to disclose any
information, we will not be responsible for damages to your health, or to the quality
of your tattoo.
DOES IT HURT?
It doesn’t hurt so much that you wouldn’t do it again. Tattooing causes
irritating stinging feeling of which the intensity depends on the location of the
tattoo and your personal sensitivity threshold.
During tattooing process
the human body excretes its own anesthetic (endorphin) whose excretion is prevented
by different opiates (alcohol, marihuana and its derivatives, speed, cocain, LSD,
xtc, heroin, different pills etc).
If we suspect that you have used anything of the above, we shall refuse
to perform any procedure on you without additional explanation. If you have used
anything of the above, please leave our studio and come back at another time, in
order to avoid any unpleasant situations.
WHAT MUST I DO AFTER THE TATTOOING?
After the tattooing is done you will have the chance to see how we
protect your fresh tattoo. Then you will receive detailed instructions regarding
the maintenance and protection that we will describe here in short. During the next
ten days you will have to wash and air the tattoo putting Bepanthen ointment 5-6
times per day in regular intervals of 2,5-3 hours, and, when necessary, protect
it with a plastic foil from clothes, bedding and soap foam.
Try to organize your routine so that in the first ten days you spend as much time
at home, and keep your tattoo well aired, without foil. For the first month the
tattoo should be covered with cloth when you are in the sun or in the solarium,
and during the next two months you should put a sun block cream with SPF 50+.
HOW TO CHOOSE?
When you are choosing a way in which you are going to decorate your
body, it is recommendable to make the right decision, and you can do that only if
you are informed properly. As there are no specialized tattoo magazines
in Croatia, and writings in the local press on those topics are incomplete and often
inaccurate, the only real information you can find are this and similar web sites
from quality tattoo artists and piercers, or by going to available studios to get
a first hand information. Being lazy, impatient or whimsy in reaching a decision
you will probably regret sooner then you think. When you are thinking for the first
time what to choose, take into consideration certain characteristics of these two
ways of decorating your body.
Tattooing has another problem. It takes about ten days for a tattoo
to heal, and with the proper care no complications should arise, but the first tattoo
is rarely a result of well thought through and informed decision. For the first
tattoo, most of people will demand a design that is too small, has too many details,
and they will want it in a place that is completely unsuitable for it, at the same
time refusing to accept any piece of advice, claiming that it is the first and last
tattoo that they will have. In reality, a huge majority of clients, in our experience,
come back, wanting to expand the first tattoo, as it becomes too small for them,
after a while. Many of them put new, bigger and higher quality tattoos each of the
following times, as they have freed themselves from fear of pain and reactions of
their surroundings. Ask for help in choosing a design and the part of the body where
you’d like a tattoo, and we will advise you in such a manner that later it would
be possible to expand that tattoo, or include it in larger designs, if you will
want that.
With tattooing, as well as with other things, people quickly
discover a collector’s passion. People change with age, they change partners, music
tastes, political ideals, the way they dress and think, so you cannot say with certainty
that in a few years you’ll not want a bigger tattoo then the one you are have noW. If you still feel that your tattoo should be small, then avoid
detailed and complicated designs, as in a few years they will blur and become completely
unclear if made too small.
STILES
Most of tattoo designs can be divided into several basic styles, where
some of them can be combined or mixed. Here we will present the most common ones.
Tribal
Tribal or neo tribal came as the modern derivative of traditional tattoos
of tribes Iban and Kayan from Borneo, and is mostly consisted of abstract group
of black spikes. Very often fans of tribal tattoos are returning to the original
tribal styles from Borneo, New Zealand, Samo, Tonga, Tahiti and other parts of Polynesia.
Celtic & Viking
Celtic, Viking, Germanic and Croatian knotwork adjusted from old carvings
and border decorations to modern tattooing. It is often used as a supplement in
warriors’ scenes, wizards’ scenes and mythical creatures from old European tribal
tradition.
Haida
This style derives from Haida and Kwakiutl tribes of American Indians.
It represents their totems, drawings, paintings and tattoos that, by their popularity,
achieved the status of the unique style. There are many more ornamental styles,
not less worthy, but very rarely used in tattooing so we won’t mention them here.
Here is a wide unexplored area waiting for people in search of rare and unusual
tattoo motifs.
Realism
Understandably, this style imitates nature as much possible. With these
tattoos we reproduce photos of family members, pets, favorite animals, music or
movie stars, Indians, motorcycles, cars or cult symbols.
Fantasy
It’s a stile that idealizes scenes and figures from history, mythology,
religion, and fairy tales of any nation in the world. Fairies, wizards, unicorns,
dragons, myth warriors and pagan gods mix here with Christian, Buddhist and other
saints, angels and demons.
Japanese
All of you have seen Japanese movies with tattooed bodies of Jakuzas.
Their style recycles, for centuries, the iconography of samurai, dragons, fish and
Buddhist deities spread across all available body parts.
Traditional
This classic form of tattooing encompasses the whole range of old-style
naval, army and circus tattoos, together with accompanying superstitions that they
protect from illness and death, or bring luck in cards and love.
Neotraditional is a modern, technically and artisticlly polished
variant of the same iconography that is not necessarily connected by the same meaning.
It is colorful mass of many stabbed hearts, hula dancers, playing cards and dice,
sailing boats, roses, anchors and such.
New School
This is a new style that assembles a mixture of characters from comics,
cartoons, graffiti, skulls, demons and other different motifs from other tattooing
styles, arranged in a colorful, excessive and funny way. In this style there are
no rules and limitations, except that it should be done in a quality manner.
Biomehanics
This style derived under the influence of science fiction illustrators
and movie décor, from movies like Alien and Star Gate. Fans of this style tattoo
aliens, their technologies, architecture or cuts in the skin that, in appearance,
disclose parts of the robot or alien anatomy.
TATTOOING INSTRUCTIONS
Failing to follow these instructions could result in a drastic lack of quality,
paler and cracked tattoo with blurred lines and uneven coloring.
You should therefore read the instructions more than once and follow them strictly
and regularly.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO AFTER TATTOOING?
- Immediately after tattooing buy BEPANTHEN OINTMENT in the pharmacy ( we don’t recommend
any other products )
- You will also need see-through adherent foil, adherent tape, paper towels or tissues
You should start the following procedure approximately 2 – 5 hours
after tattooing, and it should be repeated every 2-3 hours (except while you are
sleeping) throughout the following 7-10 days.
- WASH!: wash your hands. If tattoo is wrapped, remove the foil. Under slowly
running tepid (lukewarm) water thoroughly but gently, using your fingers (not your
finger nails), wash away the remaining ointment and dried blood. Then rinse with
cold water. If you do not have running water on hand, use bottled water.
Tattoos should be washed, but should not be immersed into the water. You can use
mild PH neutral ( 5,5 ) soap, but not the body wash you normally use when taking
shower, because they usually contain perfumes that can irritate the tattoo.
- DRY!: after the washing, gently pat dry the tattoo with a paper towel or
paper tissue, no rubbing and scratching. Keep the tattoo in open air for 10 minutes
before you salve it again with bepanthen ointment.
- SALVE!: the most important thing in the next 7-10 days is to keep the tattoo
constantly lightly salved, in order to prevent the formation of scabs which would
damage it. 10 minutes after the washing gently salve the tattoo with see-through
light layer of bepanthen ointment. The tattoo must be clearly visible, with no white
marks of the ointment. The excess of the ointment you can remove gently with a paper
towel or paper tissue, as too thick a layer prevents the skin from breathing and
can cause inflammation (redness and pimples).
- PROTECT!: the most ideal way is to keep the tattoo in the open air, in no
contact with clothes, water (except for when you wash it), sun, bedding, dirt, pets’
hair, dust, chemicals and similar. When you are unable to avoid one of the above,
protect salved tattoo with adherent foil, but then you should change it regularly
every 2 – 3 hours, with washing, drying and salving in a previously described way.
Try to reschedule or avoid, during the next 7 – 10 days, all activities that require
continuous and long wearing of the protective foil, as it prevents the skin from
breathing and causes inflammations (redness and pimples). Do not wear the foil for
more then three hours in continuity, except for when you are sleeping. Do not use
bandages, gauze, band-aid or similar in any circumstances.
- After 5-6 days the tattoo will peel in color and itch. That is the normal healing
process. You must not pull peeled parts from the tattoo (they must fall off themselves)
or scratch the tattoo.
- During 10-14 days from tattooing you cannot take a tub bath, nor swim in the pool,
river, lake or sea.
- After peeling off the tattoo will acquire a matte nuance, and the skin might be
dry in that area for a while.
- The intensity and the sharpness of the color vary from person to person, depending
on the skin type. Tattoo colors do not cover your natural pigmentation, but they
blend with it, which means that colors will appear brighter and sharper on fair
skin.
- During 4 weeks from the tattooing you should protect the tattoo from sun and solarium
by a thick cloth (clothing or thicker gauze). Following that, during the next 2
months, during times when you are exposed to the sun, salve regularly the tattooed
area with sun block cream containing SPF 50+.
- Intensive perspiration, sports activities and the usage of sauna should be avoided
during two weeks from the tattooing.
THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE BASED ON EXPERIENCES FROM MANY GENERATIONS OF TATTOO ARTISTS.
THEY WILL UNDENIABLY HELP YOU TO KEEP YOUR TATTOO A QUALITY ONE, FOR YOUR PLEASURE
AND OURS AS WELL.