TATTOO AFTERCARE:

Take the bandage off after 6-8 hours unless told otherwise by your artist.

Wash your tattoo the first time thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap,water and your HAND (do not use anything other then your hand) Light rubbing maybe necessary to remove the coagulated blood and ink.

Rinse thoroughly and dab dry with a clean towel. allow the tattoo to air dry for one hour. Moisturize with H2 ocean lotion, Curel, Vaseline Intensive Care, or any other lotion that is white, water based, and free of perfume and alcohol.

Take the time to massage the lotion in thoroughly. Tattoos need air to heal. DO NOT EVER leave lotion on your tattoo. Massaging with lotion increases blood flow, keeps your scab pliable and promotes healing.

Wash your new tattoo gently and quickly 2-3 times a day. Moisturize after every washing. Remember to add adequate drying time in between washing and lotion.

DO NOT:

• Pick Scab
• Re bandage tattoo
• Soak in hot tubs, ocean , pools or lakes till tattoo is healed. Your tattoo should not get wet unless it is being washed.
• Wear tight clothing on tattoo area - no shoes or socks on tattooed feet (2 weeks)
• get in a tanning bed

If you have any questions, or you feel that something is wrong with your tattoo, come to the shop and let one of the tattoo artists take a look at it before you go anywhere else.

PIERCING AFTERCARE:

Oral Piercing- BODYTECH recommends H2 ocean mouthwash used 3 - 4 times daily. 5 drops on the tongue is all that is necessary. Avoid- kissing, oral sex, smoking, drugs, alcohol, chewing gum, drinking from straws,"playing with the piercing" (sticking out of mouth, banging on teeth, touching with fingers), hot drinks and spicy food. When eating - take small bites and chew slowly. If a certain food hurts to eat it, do not eat it.

Swelling- eat ice cream, popsicles, ice chips, ice water. DO NOT suck on popsicles or ice! Just let it melt in your mouth. The suction can cause bleeding. No Straws for the same reason. If you do not use H2 Ocean mouthwash the alternatives we recommend are Oral B and alcohol FREE Biotine. Rinse after eating or drinking ANYTHING.

All other piercing's- We recommend you use H2 ocean spray for all non-oral piercing's 4-6 times daily. Hold spray bottle close to piercing and soak thoroughly.

Avoid- pools, lakes, beaches, hot tubs, springs, tanning beds, for at least 6-8 weeks.

Things to be careful with: pets, children, seat belts, hugging,sex, or anything that will rub on pierced area.

Genital Piercing's- Avoid sex for 6-8 weeks sorry!

Cleaning piercing- Clean your piercing twice a day using warm water and antibacterial liquid soap, lather well, make sure to clean off all dried secretions that may be present. RINSE WELL. Any soap left on or in the piercing can cause redness or irritation. If H2 Ocean is not used a sterile saline solution can be used.

If you have any questions, or feel that something is wrong with your piercing, come to the shop and let one of the piercers take a look at it before you go anywhere else.

TOUCH-UP POLICY:

If your tattoo loses color/ink durning the healing process, BODYTECH will touch it up one time for free in the first year. A charge will be assessed after the first year for all additional touch-ups. You will need to schedule the touch-up with the artist that did the tattoo. If that artist no longer works here, we will get another artist to touch it up. We do not do touch-ups on Friday or Saturday.

REASONS TATTOOS FADE OR LOSE COLOR:

Sun Abuse - in order to keep your tattoo looking bright and impressive, it is imperative that sunscreen is applied (after the tattoo is healed) every time you are exposed to the sun for extended amounts of time.

Soaking - Getting into salt water, chlorinated hot tubs, swimming pools, or lakes before your tattoo is completely healed. Soaking your healing tattoo may allow water to get trapped under the skin, which can dilute the ink, cause an infection or damage the scab.

Picking at scab - Scabs are good, so keep them moisturized till they fall off naturally. If you force the scab to come off too soon, you will pull out the color in your healing tattoo. BE PATIENT!

Wrong Lotions - Use ONLY white, water based and free from perfume or alcohol products. BODYTECH prefers that you use H2 Ocean lotion (a product that is available in the store). Stay away from petroleum products like Neosporin or A&D ointment. They are too greasy and do not allow the freshly tattooed skin to breath. Antibiotic creams should NOT be used! Those creams are meant to push out foreign matter from your system...Tattoo ink is a foreign matter.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ARTIST AT BODYTECH.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Your first trip to a tattoo shop can be a bit intimidation, if not flat out scary as hell. So here is a short introduction to help you feel a bit more comfortable during your first visit to Gainesville's premier tattoo studio, BODYTECH. Getting a tattoo is a multi-staged process. First, you will have to pick out a design or have a custom picture drawn, get a consultation (needed only if the tattoo is big or if your original referance needs to be altered), pick an artist, determine the best placement on your body, figure out a size, and get comfortable cause the real fun is about to begin.

What to expect
When you walk into BODYTECH, there will probably be some music playing, and quite a few people with lots of tattoos and piercing - don't worry, nice people get tattoos and piercing's too. One of these friendly tattooed type people will be in the receptionist area waiting to answer any questions that you might have. *Remember that there is no such thing as a stupid question.

First things first: "are you of age?"
At BODYTECH we only pierce or tattoo people that are the legal age of 18 with proper identification (Drivers License, State ID, Passport) Any one who would like to get a service under the age of 18 must bring in a parent and have a Notarized Parental Consent form, provided by BODYTECH in the forms section of this web-site. Both the parent and the minor must have a picture ID, School ID will work if accompanied by a Birth Certificate with both the child and the parents names on it. Because we are regulated by the Florida Department of Health, unlike some of those mall places, all clients must have a Parental Consent form filled out and Notarized. The following is a list of ages and services we will perform at that age.

NO SERVICE WILL BE PREFORMED WITHOUT PROPER ID!

• 12 - and under - Ear Lobes Only
• 13 to 14 - Ear Lobes, Cartilage, Nose, Navels, NO Conchs
• 15 - Ear Lobes, Tragus, Conch, Lips, Labrets, Monroe's, Tongues, Navels, Nose, NO Septum, Surface, Indust.
• 16 to 17 - Tattoos and any piercing but Genitals/Nipples (Male or Female), No Surface

Already know what you want for a tattoo or just have an idea?
Bring in your reference material the more pictures you can show the artist the better idea they will have when drawing your custom tattoo. We can work with a photo, sketch, picture in a book, magazine, or picture on line.

Don't know what you want?
Come on in! we have an extensive collection of pre-drawn tattoo art pictures (animals, symbols, crosses, cartoons, flowers, fish, butterflies, lettering, wings and anything else you might think of). Any image that is in the shop can be tattooed as is, or can be combined with other pictures to create your own one of akind tattoo.

Picking a Tattoo Artist
Once you know what you want, you have to decide who is going to be your personal body beautifier (Artist) or we can pick one that is best suited for your design. Take the time to look at all of the artists portfolios. Find one that best matches the style of tattoo that you are wanting to get. After you have a tattoo artist in mind, and if your tattoo designs needs to be redrawn, talk to them, show them the idea that you have and they will make all of the changes needed and set up an appointment to get the tattoo done.

How much does it cost?
In order to give a price, an artist is going to need to see you, the tattoo design, and the placement. for that you will have to come in to the store and talk to the artist. All tattoos are priced by the time it will take to do the tattoo. Our shop min is $40. No prices will be given over the phone or computer. Sorry!

How about here?
The placement of the tattoo is just as important as the design. Some places on the body are harder to tattoo due to the natural contours and skin consistency. For instance, a tattoo on your arm or leg is easy because the skin is tight and the ink can be inserted into the skin with ease. Other places on the body such as the stomach or ribcage are more difficult requiring more time in the chair. This equals more cost.

Size
The amount of detail will determine the size of your tattoo. For longevity reasons you should not try to cram lots of detail into small spaces. Over time small details can become lost, so bigger is better.

Schedule it!
Walk-in's are always welcome at BODYTECH. Often, you can come in pick your design and get tattooed that very day. However; if your idea will need to be sketched, cleaned up, or the artist is already booked with appointments for the night, you will have to wait. If you have to schedule an appointment, we will start you a file, and you will have to leave a $20 deposit to hold the appointment time. The money will be applied to the cost of your tattoo when you come in. Failure to keep your appointment time or if you do not call before your appointment time will forfeit your deposit.

Is it done yet?
It is very important that if you are having a tattoo custom drawn for you that you be patient. Your Artist may be working on multiple drawings and is systematically working through his files. Some tattoo designs can take as little as a day and others as long as a month. The artist will call you when your custom piece is finished to set up an appointment or have you come in to take a look at it.