Skin Prep

Category: art

The process of shaving, sanitizing, and preparing the skin surface before the stencil is applied.

Artists use a disposable razor to remove hair (which can interfere with ink flow) and then apply a medical-grade skin antiseptic to kill bacteria. A clean, smooth surface is the only way to ensure the stencil sticks perfectly.

Common Examples

• Proper skin prep involves a deep clean of the area and a close shave to ensure the stencil doesn’t have any tiny hairs blocking the view.
• Skipping a step in the skin prep process is an amateur mistake that leads to a smudge-heavy stencil and a difficult tattoo session.