FAQs
What should I bring to my appointment?
Please bring you photo ID, and the correct amount owing if paying cash. We also suggest you have something light to eat prior to your appointment and bring something warm to put over yourself during your procedure.
Can I bring my child/a friend to my appointment?
For safety reasons, children and or guests are not permitted in the studio at any time.
What can you expect on your appointment day?
On your appointment day, come prepared to be as relaxed as possible, so it is a fun and exciting experience for you. Alyce is super friendly and fully committed to every one of her clients that walks though the TBL door. You will have her undivided attention for the entirety of your appointment, and you are in wonderful hands.
Here are some tips to prepare:
Get good night’s sleep before your appointment
Have a good healthy breakfast if you can. And make sure you have eaten something light at least 1 hour before your appointment but remember, no coffee or alcohol for 12 hours prior to your appointment.
You will be laying down for an extended period of time so wear something you will be comfortable and able to relax in
Upon your arrival to our homely little studio you will be greeted by your technician Alyce’s friendly face. Come prepared to be as relaxed as possible for the duration of your session, it should be a fun and exciting experience for you, we want you to love it.
Consultation and mapping (for brows) (45 minutes – 1 hour): Alyce will sit down with you, and together you will discuss what you are hoping to achieve with cosmetic tattoo. She will look at the shape of your existing brows, what type of lifestyle you lead, and any problem areas you may be wanting to address. It’s great to bring any references or photos with you that show the results you’re hoping to achieve.
We will go on to draw on your enhancement with pencil and look at pigment colours against your skin. There is no ‘one size fits all’; hair colour, bone structure and arch are crucial architectural points, but don’t forget your vibe too. Often, for eyebrows, the longest part of the appointment is the consultation and actually drawing on the brow shape. We’ll also discuss care and healing during this time.
Together the two of you will fine-tune all aspects of the colour and shape of your brows, and only when you are both happy, will she proceed with your permanent cosmetic tattoo.
Tattooing (1.5 – 2 hours): Once our client is 100% on the selected pigment and brow design, we start implanting pigment! Six to twelve weeks later, you will come back to her for your second appointment, the touch up “perfecting” session, which will take approximately 2 - 3 hours.
What factors will affect my cosmetic tattoo?
A multitude of individual and lifestyle factors will affect the longevity of your cosmetic tattoo
Failure to follow the recommended aftercare. The better you look after your healing tattoo over the next 10 days the better colour retention you will have.
Excessive bleeding during the procedure reduces the amount of pigment that can be deposited and will affect how your body retains the pigment. For brow tattoo, this can cause the end result to appear less crisp. While this is not entirely in our control, it is important that you follow prep instructions to help minimise bleeding. This includes avoiding blood thinning medications, alcohol and caffeine before your procedure
The time it takes for your bodies skin cells to regenerate will affect how the skin grasps the pigment
Constant exposure to the sun will cause premature fading. Once healed, sunscreen should be applied to the area to reduce the risk of fading. The sun is one of the worst culprits for premature fading
Oily Skin: Open pores and increased oil production can cause hair-strokes to blur and heal lighter and more powdery
If you are anemic or have an iron deficiency you will metabolise the pigment faster causing your tattoo to fade quicker
Lighter pigments such as blonde will fade faster than darker pigments
Smoking causes faster fading
Is it safe?
Cosmetic tattooing is a very safe procedure, so long as correct care is taken prior, during, and after the treatment.
The cosmetic tattoo machine we use is a small, pen-like device that uses disposable, single-use only cartridges. All of our needles, blades, hand tools, surgical markers, – anything that comes into contact with your skin is brand new, single use, and disposed of immediately after use during your treatment.
We use non-iron oxide and iron oxide pigment (not carbon ink like regular tattoos), which is natural and safe to use. The pigments we use are free of PAH, NDELA, hazardous heavy metals, dangerous aromatic amines and dangerous azo dyes. To ensure our clients receive the best treatment possible, Alyce only uses the best-quality pigments and equipment and has the highest safety and hygiene standards ensuring the safest environment for your procedure.
Are there any reasons I could not get a cosmetic tattoo?
If you are under 18 years of age
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding
If you are planning to fall pregnant
Taking any medication
Have any known medical conditionsHad a previous reaction to waxing/tinting treatments
If you are currently undergoing chemotherapy/treatment for cancer. (Clients post-treatment are able to obtain cosmetic tattooing upon providing an approval letter from your Oncologist)
Suffer from keloid scarring
Suffer from severe allergies
If you’ve had Botox/fillers around the area to be treated less than 6 weeks prior to your appointment or are
If you are planning to have Botox/fillers within 6 weeks of your cosmetic tattoo appointment
If you have any open wounds, pimples, grazes, cuts, sunburn or a recent tan on the area to be treated
Is it ok to get a cosmetic tattoo before I go on holidays or when I have an event coming up?
No, we strongly suggest you don’t, and if informed prior to your consultation we would recommend delaying your procedure to another time for a couple of reasons. If you are going away on a holiday, you want to be looking and feeling fabulous for your getaway. A fresh cosmetic tattoo needs to be protected from direct sunlight, particularly in the first 14 days following the procedure so if it’s a warm and sunny destination that you were heading, getting a tan would be out of the question. And if it’s your brows your planning on having done, you can’t get those babies wet, at all, for a full 10 days. Which means no oceans swims, no pools, and no saunas, and no sweating. Bit of a buzz kill if you’re on holidays hey. We recommend booking your procedure for a time when you aren’t going to be sweating it up on a tropical beach drinking from coconuts.
The same applies for you have a big event coming up which you thought, hey, I’d love to have my brows done for this, please re-think those plans. We would hate for you to be going through the “shedding” phase of brow healing for your wedding photos.
Trust us, you will thank us later.
What is the difference between cosmetic tattoo v’s body tattoo?
Essentially, they are the same in the essence that they both puncture the skin and deposit pigment resulting in a “permanent tattoo.” But the method of deposit and depth of colour implanted do differ. Machines used are usually different to allow for more of a shallow pigment deposit. Cosmetic tattoos usually do not penetrate the skin as deep as body tattoos and the colours used are softer, more natural shades. It is meant to be a natural-looking enhancement. The pigments are designed to gently fade over time. Fading is desired as it allows the artist to make changes to colour and shape over the years as client’s natural colouring and facial changes occur.
What are the benefits of cosmetic tattoo?
Save time and money - Having your makeup already applied, every day! One less thing (or several things if you have multiple cosmetic tattoo procedures) to think about in the morning when you’re getting ready for your day. Whether you’re a time poor mum, a busy career woman, or you would just rather those few extra minutes sleep, with cosmetic tattooing you can wake up every morning, with your brows, eyeliner, and lips already applied!
Hair loss as a result of chemo/radiotherapy or alopecia - Being able to have your eyebrows and or eyeliner cosmetically tattooed can help our client’s self-esteem and confidence after experiencing hair loss during treatment
Poor eyesight - No more applying eyeliner by feel or behind glasses (like really, eyeliner if difficult enough to get right)
Those who lack fine motor skills and may have difficulty applying makeup
Its smudge proof, waterproof and sweat proof. A brilliant option for those who are active and or swim/surf.
Correct sparse or “over plucked” brows
Those with uneven, aged, or thin lips
Do we shave off the eyebrow prior to the procedure?
No. We do NOT Shave your eyebrows prior to treatment, however we tidy your eyebrows prior to tattooing.
How will I look immediately after my cosmetic tattoo?
Your tattoo will appear a little darker and bolder than your healed result for the first few days. As with any tattoo, you may experience some minor swelling and redness, but this usually subsides within 24 hours.
Do I need to have the follow-up “perfecting” session for my brow tattoo?
For new clients, 2 sessions, 6-8 weeks apart is recommended for best results and is industry standard across the board. Sometimes just one treatment is sufficient, though a touch-up is always recommended to achieve optimum results. The perfecting session is not intended to change the shape created at your initial appointment and must be done within 6-12 weeks of your initial appointment.
At your “perfecting” session we assess how well your skin has retained the pigment and can make any adjustments needed. If required and the colour is too soft, we will repeat much of the process from your initial session. This repetition helps your cosmetic tattoo last longer and encourages the ink to embed more permanently into the skin. If your cosmetic tattoo does not heal perfectly the first time, do not worry. We can make any adjustments required and tweak anything bothering you at your next session.
Long-term care
While classed as permanent, cosmetic tattoos do fade over time and the longevity of colour in the skin cannot always be predicted. However, you can help improve the longevity of your tattoo. The sun is one of the worst culprits for prematurely fading your cosmetic tattoo so always use a broad-spectrum sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses when enjoying the outdoors. Protect the area with Vaseline if swimming in chlorinated water and avoid active skincare and exfoliating treatments over the area.
Why do some people end up with purple, orange or blue tattoos?
This is very common in older cosmetic tattoos. It can be caused by poor application of pigment by the artist or the use of cheap pigments which contain heavy metals. All of our inks are tried and tested and are the best pigments currently available on the market. They contain no heavy metals, toxins or suplhates ensuring they are completely safe, and the integrity of the original pigment shade will remain for the length of the tattoo.
Will I still need to wax and/or tint my eyebrows?
Depending on your natural brow growth you may or may not choose to continue getting your eyebrows waxed. Brow Tattooing does not affect the natural hairs growth as the pigment is implanted into the skin. If your brow growth is naturally outside the shape that is created, brow waxing may still be necessary. In some cases, brow tattooing prevents the need for eyebrow tinting treatments, however in the case of blondes or greys, regular brow tinting may be desired as the hairs will still be fair.
Pain/numbing
Most clients will agree that the procedure is tolerable with a pain level of 3-5 (0 - none, 10 - worst). As a needle and or micro blade is used in the application, a certain level of discomfort is to be expected. The pain level is similar to that of laser hair removal. Cosmetic tattooing during your menstrual cycle can also increase one’s level of discomfort.
We will make the procedure as comfortable as possible and if required, will use a topical anaesthetic gel containing lidocaine for numbing during your procedure. Threshold levels vary from person to person and every effort is made to ensure you remain as comfortable as possible for the entirety of the procedure.
Is it ok to exercise straight after having cosmetic tattooing?
No. Its advised you avoid strenuous exercise or anything thats going to “make you sweat” for 24 hour pre procedure and a minimum of 4 days post procedure. Our sweat contains salt and salt will pull pigment from the skin leaving you with poor colour retention.
None-refundable deposit
A non-refundable and non-transferable deposit is required in order to reserve your appointment time upon scheduling. The deposit will be credited toward the procedure on the day of your appointment. This also applies to touch-up procedures.
Cancellations
Please note that cancellation will result in a loss of deposit. If you need to postpone or reschedule your appointment, please notify us at least 7 days in advance of your appointment. We allow clients to reschedule the once. If you fail to reschedule your appointment, a redeposit will be required for a future booking. The total deposit amount will be credited towards your procedure.
Late and no shows
We allow a 15-minute grace period from the start of your appointment. If you miss this window, we will have to reschedule as there will not be enough time to complete the procedure. Your deposit will be forfeited, and any future appointments will require a redeposit.
Is the TBL studio a registered premises?
TBL studio is a registered premises with the Gannawarra Shire and comply with all state laws and regulations.