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The following instructions will help you ensure your tattoo session with Megan is as comfortable and efficient as possible.

> Wear loose, clean, comfortable clothing over the area you are getting tattooed – preferably dark in colour to avoid staining from tattoo ink. The artist is not responsible for staining of clothing or footwear.

> Get a good sleep the night before your appointment. Being well rested will increase your pain tolerance.

> Do not drink alcohol before your tattoo. Even drinking the night before can thin your blood and cause your skin to bleed excessively, resulting in a poorly healed tattoo.

> Eat a good meal before your tattoo appointment. It is very important to keep your blood sugars up and stay hydrated during your tattoo. Bring your favourite snacks to enjoy during breaks. For full day sessions, we will take a 30 minute lunch break halfway through. You may bring your own lunch (we have a fridge and microwave available for you to use) or there are many café & restaurant options in the area around the studio.

> Do not get a sunburn before your tattoo appointment. We cannot tattoo sunburnt or peeling skin and you will forfeit your deposit if you show up sunburnt on the area to be tattooed.

> Avoid excessive sun exposure in the weeks/months prior to your tattoo for a better healed result. Sun damaged skin cannot absorb the ink as effectively as normal skin and results in extra tattooing time and a more faded appearance to the tattoo.

> Please let Megan know if you would like privacy screens set up for your appointment beforehand.

> Bring your valid government-issued photo ID to every appointment. Failure to do so will result in cancellation of your appointment and forfeiture of your deposit.

> If you are particularly hairy in the area to be tattooed, you can help speed up the preparation process by trimming your hair to a short length before your tattoo appointment. Please leave any shaving to the artist, as we want to avoid razor burn from over-shaving.

> If you have dry skin, we advise you moisturise the area to be tattooed once a day in the weeks leading up to your tattoo appointment. This is especially helpful around the elbows, hands, knees, feet, and lower legs. Softer skin will be easier to tattoo and will reduce the time, cost, and pain of tattooing.

> Please advise Megan of any medical conditions you may have before the start of your appointment (asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, allergies, anxiety, conditions that may affect skin and/or healing, etc).

> Do not come to your appointment if you have any cold or flu symptoms. Reschedule if you are feeling unwell.

> Bring your own headphones, as you will have access to an iPad with Netflix and Stan so you can watch shows or movies during your session.

> Do not make social plans for after a full day tattoo session, as you will be quite exhausted and will need to rest. It is not recommended to drive long distances after a long tattoo session, due to the risk of micro-sleeping.

> Last, but not least - try to stay relaxed! Megan will do her best to make sure you are as comfortable as possible during the tattoo process. If you have any questions or concerns about the tattoo process (especially if it's your first time), Megan will be happy to answer them during your consultation or tattoo appointment. :)

CONSULTATIONS

Consultation time is very limited and therefore requires a fee to ensure clients show up to their consultation appointment. Consultation fees are as follows:

30 minute consultation (recommended for single small / medium tattoos) - $30
60 minute consultation (recommended for large tattoos or multiple tattoos) - $60

If the client goes over their time limit, they will have to pay for an extension or rebook another consultation. Clients are encouraged to read through all the booking information beforehand to maximise time efficiency during the consultation.

If the client does not show up to their consultation or fails to reschedule with at least 48 hours notice, the consultation fee is forfeited. The reschedule policy applies (see “Reschedule Policy” below).

DEPOSIT POLICY

A deposit is required for each tattoo booking. For multi-session tattoos, your deposit will be transferred to each successive booking until the tattoo project is completed. The deposit will come off the final session of your tattoo. Deposits are NON-REFUNDABLE, so please ensure you are fully committed to your tattoo project before providing a deposit. Deposit rates are as follows:

Full Day Session - $500
Half Day Session- $300
Mini Session - $200

Your deposit will be forfeited if you fail to show up to your appointment, you are unreasonably late, you fail to provide valid government-issued photo ID, if you show up to your appointment under the influence of drugs or alcohol, if you show up with symptoms of cold or flu, or are newly sunburnt on the area to be tattooed.

RESCHEDULING + CANCELLATION

If you need to reschedule your tattoo booking, you need to provide at least 7 days notice via email. This will ensure your full deposit will be transferred to your new booking date.

Reschedule Policy:

More than 7 days notice: No deposit penalty
48 hours to 7 days notice: 50% deposit penalty
Less than 48 hours notice: 100% deposit penalty

If you lose part or all of your deposit, you will need to provide another deposit to rebook. Megan reserves the right to reschedule any appointments and will endeavour to provide at least 7 days notice if a reschedule is required on her end.

If you change your mind on getting the tattoo, or can no longer get your tattoo (due to things like pregnancy, medical diagnosis, or financial issues), you may exchange your tattoo deposit for credit for Megan’s online store (meganallard.com). This credit will be valid for 1 year and available to use to purchase original artworks, prints, commissions, gift vouchers, and/or art training. Alternatively, your deposit can be held as tattoo credit for up to 1 year from the cancellation date. The reschedule policy above applies to these circumstances.

DESIGN POLICY

Custom tattoo design creation takes an average of 3 hours for small/medium tattoos (1-2 sessions) and 6 hours for large tattoos (3+ sessions). Megan reserves the right to refuse projects that are not suited to her or where the client does not trust in her expertise on the design. Design fees will be charged as follows:

Base Fees:
Small / Medium Designs - $180
Large Designs - $360

Certain types of designs take extra time and will incur additional fees:

Cover-ups:
Small / Medium - $60
Large - $120

Alternative Styles (any style other than realism and/or ornamental):
Small / Medium - $60
Large - $120

Complexity:
Complex - $60
Very complex - $120
Extremely complex - $180

Pre-drawn flash designs will not incur a design fee, but are subject to revision fees if changes to the design are requested.

Tattoo design fees must be paid in full before any design work will commence. Small / medium designs will be emailed to the client 1 week before the first tattoo session. Large designs will be emailed to the client 2 weeks before the first tattoo session.

Revision fees - $60 per hour

The tattoo design will be created to achieve the best aesthetic results while incorporating the client’s requests and optimising the longevity and quality of the tattoo in the skin. Design revision requests are subject to artist approval and revision fees must be paid in full before revision work commences. Last minute revision requests may be denied. All revision requests must be sent as soon as possible via email.

The final design for custom projects will look different to the Visual Notes created during the consultation - the Visual Notes are only to be used as a guide in terms of content, size, placement, and colour. Megan will under no circumstances copy the work of another artist, however she can take inspiration from other artworks. Visual Notes will be emailed to you following the consultation.

Design fees are for the creation of the design only and do not go toward the cost of the tattoo sessions. The artist maintains all intellectual property rights to the design commissioned. The client is not permitted to reproduce the design in any form, and may not get the design tattooed by another artist.

TATTOO PRICING

Megan’s current rates are as follows (as of 1st July 2025):
Full Day Session (6 hours + lunch break) - $1500
Half Day Session (3 hours) - $750
Hourly Rate - $250

Payment must be made via cash, card, or PayID at the end of each tattoo session.

Megan does her best to give an accurate time/cost estimate for each tattoo. The cost is determined by how long the tattoo takes, which is influenced by many factors including: size, art style, colour, detail, placement, client stillness, and skin type/condition (sun damage, age, toughness, medical conditions, thyroid issues, etc). Due to the numerous factors that cannot be controlled or predicted, Megan’s estimate is only to be used as a guide and does not have bearing on the final cost of the tattoo.

Prices are subject to annual changes (usually around the beginning of the financial year).

PREPARATION + COURTESY

Please arrive at your tattoo appointment sober, rested, and healthy, with no sunburns on the area to be tattooed. As a strict policy, Megan will not tattoo people who are evidently under the influence of drugs or alcohol or who otherwise appear they may not be able to make a fully informed decision and follow the aftercare protocol. This decision is made at the exclusive discretion of Megan Allard.

You must be 18 years of age or older and show proof of age and identity at the tattoo appointment. Failure to provide valid government-issued photo ID, or abusive/inappropriate behaviour will result in the cancellation of your appointment and forfeiture of your deposit.

Clients must read over and adhere to the tattoo appointment preparation instructions provided prior to their tattoo appointment.

TOUCH UPS

Touch ups are rarely needed, but may be required for cover ups, certain skin types/conditions, and for poor healing due to not adhering to the tattoo aftercare instructions properly. Due to these circumstances being out of the artist’s control, all touch ups will be charged at the normal rate. To ensure your tattoo heals well, adhere to the tattoo aftercare instructions provided.

The time and cost of your tattoo is determined by how long the tattoo takes — which is influenced by many factors including: size, art style, colour, detail, placement, client stillness, and skin type/condition. For a more accurate time/cost estimate, these details must be determined via a thorough in-person consultation at the tattoo studio.

It's no secret that tattoos hurt. Thankfully, I'm about to share with you all of my best tips and tricks to ease your suffering while getting tattooed. These are things I've learned through experience over many years of tattooing other people and from getting tattoos myself. I've even thrown a little science in here to back it up.

Take Care Of Your Body And Mental State

Your pain tolerance varies greatly, depending on what is going on in your mind and body. You might be able to sit a full day session easily one day, and struggle through a one hour tattoo another day. This might seem confusing, but it all boils down to our own biology and mental state. The following factors play a huge part in how you experience pain on a day to day basis:

Sleep: Being well rested has a massively positive effect on your pain tolerance. Ever notice how everything hurts more when you are tired? Same goes for tattoos — big time. Ensure you get at least 8 hours sleep before your tattoo session to maximise your pain tolerance and endurance. Also DO NOT turn up hungover, as that will definitely make the pain much, much worse!

Nutrition: Make sure you don’t end up hangry during your tattoo session. Getting tattooed burns heaps of energy because you are battling your nervous system’s desire to move and get away from the pain. You’ll need to eat a big meal before your tattoo appointment and bring snacks for the duration, as you’ll need to consume more than you normally do to keep your energy levels up. The adrenaline rushing through your system while you are under the needle will make you feel like you are not hungry, but believe me — your body needs to eat.

Movement: It can get quite uncomfortable staying in one position for long periods of time, so take breaks every so often to walk around and have a stretch. Getting blood and oxygen flowing back into your limbs will make you feel good and give you a refresher on your endurance. It’s a good idea to hydrate during these breaks as well, so drink plenty of water!

Stress: If you are also battling other stresses — whether they be mental or physical, this means your ability to tolerate pain will be spread thin. If you’re recovering from an illness or injury, or just burnt out from working too much — you might want to consider rescheduling your tattoo appointment for when you are feeling healthier and more balanced (make sure you give your artist plenty of notice, so they can fill your appointment).

Mind Over Matter

Allow me introduce you to your best friend while getting tattooed: your parasympathetic nervous system. While your sympathetic nervous system activates your ‘flight or fight’ mode (making you panicky and stressed), your parasympathetic nervous system activates your ‘rest and digest’ mode. The latter is the mode you are in when you feel safe and relaxed - and that’s the mode you want to be in while getting tattooed.

It’s well known in neuroscience that our minds have a significant effect on how we experience pain. If we are experiencing negative emotions, we will perceive the pain to be worse than it actually is — and if we are experiencing positive emotions, we will perceive the pain to be less than it actually is.

Focusing on the pain and how much you don’t like it will activate your ‘fight or flight’ mode — causing your heart rate to go up, your breathing to become shallower, your muscles to tense up, your skin to become more inflamed, and you will physically experience more pain. Instead, focus on things other than the pain, and you will activate your ‘rest and digest’ mode — which will keep your heart rate and breathing at normal levels, your muscles more relaxed, your skin less inflamed, and you will physically experience less pain.

Another method is to reframe the pain as a positive sensation. This is akin to how athletes enjoy the ‘burn’ of working out, as they see it as a good feeling that denotes their growing strength and endurance. You can do the same thing with your perception of tattoo pain — by viewing it as a positive feeling that is bringing you closer to having the amazing artwork on your body that you really desire.

The following are tried and true methods that will help you activate the parasympathetic nervous system and experience less tattoo pain:

Distraction: This is one of the simplest and best ways to trick your brain and body into feeling less pain. Getting lost in conversation with your tattoo artist, listening to your favourite music, bingeing some Netflix, playing video games, or indulging in a podcast or audiobook are all great options. Distraction was proven to be the best tactic for reducing perceived pain in a neuroscience exhibition I attended a few years ago, called Feeling Human.

Meditation and Breathing Techniques

Some of the strongest tattoo clients I have had over the years are people that practise meditation and/or yoga. They are able to endure long tattoo sessions in painful areas because they have mastered the ability to control their thoughts and can wilfully calm their nervous system in painful and stressful situations.

Meditation is something that takes repetition and time to master, but there are a few simple and easy breathing techniques that can help reduce the pain of tattoos:

Option 1: Deep Belly Breathing.
When the pain is getting hard to ignore — take long, deep breaths, allowing the belly to expand with the lungs. Focus on the sensation of the breath going in and out of your mouth or nose, and the expansion and contraction of your abdomen.


Option 2: Box Breathing.
Inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold again for 4 seconds, and repeat. Counting the seconds in your head helps distract the mind.

Both of these breathing techniques will help to activate your parasympathetic nervous system and result in a reduction of perceived pain from your tattoo.

Numbing Cream vs CBD Tattoo Glide

Numbing creams vary in efficacy, and are generally not recommended for tattoos. This is due to the fact that they are largely unregulated and we don’t know what side effects might occur (so be wary of buying random numbing creams off the internet). Some numbing creams cause the skin to temporarily become hard and rubbery, making it difficult to tattoo the skin. This increases the time and cost of your tattoo, and can negatively effect the healing — resulting in a tattoo that doesn’t look as good as it should. It should also be noted that the tattoo pain will seem more intense once the numbing cream wears off, possibly making the tattoo experience worse than if you didn’t use numbing cream at all. Numbing sprays can help take the edge off, but they are less effective and short lasting. They also only work on broken skin so are only helpful midway or near the end of your session.

CBD infused tattoo glide on the other hand, does not cause the skin to become harder to tattoo. In fact, it makes it easier because it reduces the redness and swelling of the skin — making it easier for the artist to see what they are doing so they can work more efficiently. CBD tattoo glide is a topical cream that is applied to the skin during the tattoo process by the artist. You can learn more about CBD and its effects on tattooing here. In my personal experience, using CBD infused tattoo glide during the tattooing process reduces the pain and inflammation of tattooing by about 50% and results in better healed tattoos. Unfortunately, CBD tattoo glide is hard to come by in Australia these days so you might have better luck buying from overseas. I recommend Hustle Butter CBD Luxe and Inkeeze Hemp Ointment.

Conclusion

I hope these tips help you have a more enjoyable and less painful experience the next time you get tattooed! If you’ve got any other tips that I haven’t covered, please share them in the comments below. I’m always on the lookout for more ways to help my clients have a more pleasant tattoo experience. :)

You can reach us anytime via our contact page or email. We aim to respond within 5 business days.

Aftercare instructions vary depending on the artist, tattooing style, regional humidity and tap water hardness, so only follow these tattoo aftercare instructions if have been tattooed by Megan and she has instructed you to do so. :)

Taking proper care of your tattoo during the healing process is essential to ensuring your tattoo heals well and looks its best.

> If using a plastic wrap bandage, remove after 3-5 hours. Using clean hands, gently remove the tape and plastic.

> If using an adhesive bandage, remove after 12-24 hours (12 hours for colour tattoos, 24 hours for black + grey tattoos). This type of bandage is breathable and waterproof, so you may shower with it on (do not submerge in water though). Place the bandaged area under warm, running water and gently pull the bandage back from the outside edges inwards. Do not pull too quickly, or you may separate the adhesive layer from the bandage and cause a sticky residue on your skin. If you notice any irritation from the adhesive bandage, remove immediately and wash the area.

> After rinsing the soap off your tattoo, gently pat the area dry with a clean piece of paper towel. We do not recommend using reusable towels on the tattoo area, as they can harbour bacteria. You may resume using cloth towels once your tattoo is fully healed.

> Wait at least 24 hours after your tattoo session before applying cream. Allow your tattoo to air dry completely before applying a small amount of cream. Gently rub the cream into the skin, ensuring there is no excess residue - as too much cream can cause thick scabs that prolong healing and compromise the quality of the healed result. We recommend using an all natural tattoo butter (like Battle Royale) or a hypoallergenic moisturiser (like Sorbelene or Lubriderm). If the tattoo is in an area that gets high exposure to dirt or bacteria (from work, pets, or young children) or if there is acne near the tattoo, we recommend an antiseptic cream like Bepanthen to reduce the risk of infection.

> Wash + dry + moisturise your tattoo 1 - 3 times per day during the healing process. Wash it more often if you work in a dirty environment or get sweaty. Always wash your hands before touching your healing tattoo or applying cream, and avoid having other people or pets touching your tattoo until it is fully healed.

> Avoid excessive exercise for at least a few days after your tattoo session and avoid touching your tattoo against gym equipment and mats. Make sure to clean your tattoo immediately after any sweaty exercise.

> Keep showers short, and do not submerge your tattoo during the healing process. This means no baths, swimming, ocean, hot tubs, saunas, etc.

> Avoid direct sunlight on your tattoo during the healing process and for the first few months of getting the tattoo, as it can significantly fade the inks in your tattoo during this delicate time. We recommend applying a high SPF sunblock to help protect your tattoo from fading once it is fully healed. Do not apply sunblock to a tattoo that is still healing.

> In a few days, your tattoo will start to get itchy and the top layer of skin will start to flake off. Do not scratch or pick a your tattoo or try to pull the scabs/flakes off, as this may cause the ink to come out or result in scarring.

> Avoid shaving the area around your tattoo until it is fully healed. If you are experiencing ingrown hairs in the tattoo area, you can gently exfoliate the skin to reduce them. If you happen to get many ingrown hairs (this happens to some skin types), you can apply Bump Eraiser Triple Action Lotion to the area (only once the tattoo is fully healed) to speed up the healing of the ingrown hairs.

> It is normal for your tattoo to seep ink, blood, and plasma during the first 24 - 48 hours. There is no need to rebandage your tattoo. It is important to wear clean, breathable clothing and use clean bedding during the healing period to help keep your tattoo free of bacteria.

> Healing will take between 1 - 4 weeks. This will vary depending on tattoo style, colour, placement, skin type, immune system, and how well you take care of your tattoo.

> Any touch ups required due to not adhering to the aftercare instructions will be at the expense of the client.

If you have any questions or concerns about the healing of your tattoo, feel free to contact Megan. :)