Allow around three hours
The tattoo itself usually takes around two to two-and-a-half hours. Your full appointment is longer because it includes numbing, consultation, mapping and careful checking.
Before your appointment
Everything to know before your brow appointment.
This is the complete guide to preparing for your three-hour Melbourne appointment—what to organise beforehand, what can affect treatment, where to park and exactly what happens on the day.
The essentials
The five things to know first.
Complete your forms before I travel
Your consultation and numbing cream forms must be returned in time for the pharmacist to review them and prepare your cream before I leave Sydney for Melbourne.
Arrive with bare brows
Please avoid makeup and skincare on the brow area. If you are coming from work or another appointment, I can help you remove it when you arrive.
Tell me about previous tattooing
Even very faded pigment can affect the technique, colour and shape available to us. Send clear photographs before the appointment if we have not already discussed it.
Your deposit secures both stages
The $1,100 package includes your first appointment in November and your six-week perfecting appointment in Melbourne on 17–19 December 2026.
Nothing starts without your approval
We draw, check and adjust the proposed shape together. Tattooing only begins once you are comfortable with the design.
Your preparation timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| At least 7 days before | Return your medical, consultation and numbing cream forms. Your cream must be compounded and ready for me to bring from Sydney before I travel to Melbourne. |
| As soon as possible | Tell me about previous brow tattooing, allergies, skin conditions, significant medical history and every medication or supplement you take. |
| 48 hours before | Review anything that may affect bleeding or healing. Never stop prescribed medication unless the clinician who prescribed it has told you it is safe. |
| 24 hours before | Avoid alcohol. |
| 3 hours before | Avoid caffeine, including coffee, tea, cola and energy drinks. |
| When you arrive | Come without makeup or skincare on the brow area. If that is not practical, I can help you remove it at the clinic. |
Please do not squeeze another appointment in afterwards
The work is deliberate and collaborative. Keeping the three-hour window clear means neither of us has to hurry your mapping, colour choice or final checks.
Numbing cream forms
Your cream must be prepared before I leave for Melbourne.
Your numbing cream is specially compounded by a pharmacist using the information in your completed form. I will have every client’s cream prepared in Sydney and will bring it to Melbourne with me.
This means your form cannot be left until the appointment day. It must be returned early enough for the pharmacist to review it, contact you if they need clarification and prepare the cream before I travel. If the form is late, I may not be able to proceed with your appointment.
You do not apply it yourself
You will not need to collect, bring or apply your numbing cream. I bring it with me and apply it at Upper Skin Clinic when you arrive, then allow time for it to take effect before we begin.
Health and medications
Please tell me anything that could affect bleeding, skin or healing.
Your forms are there to keep you safe—not to decide that your medical history is “too complicated”. Include prescribed and non-prescribed medication, supplements, allergies, previous cosmetic tattooing, active skin conditions and any recent or current medical treatment.
Make sure I know about
- Blood-thinning medication or a condition that affects bleeding or clotting
- Current or recent cancer treatment
- Accutane or any other medication that strongly affects the skin
- Eczema, dermatitis, infection, broken skin or irritation around the brows
- Previous brow tattooing, even if it now looks very faint
If you are unsure whether something matters, include it. I may ask you to speak with your doctor or obtain clearance. Never stop medication or treatment without speaking to the clinician responsible for it.
Why the preparation matters
Alcohol, caffeine and anything that increases bleeding can make the skin harder to work with and may affect how evenly pigment is placed. Avoid alcohol for 24 hours and caffeine for the three hours before your appointment. Follow your doctor’s advice—not internet advice—about prescribed medication.
Your Melbourne appointment
Getting to Upper Skin Clinic, Ivanhoe.
185 Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe VIC 3079
There is one-hour street parking directly outside the clinic on Upper Heidelberg Road. Because your appointment is longer, the easiest option is the free three-hour parking outside Pinkie Cafe at 1 Westley Avenue. It is a short walk back to the clinic and means you will not have to move your car halfway through your appointment.
Directly outside
There is one-hour street parking on Upper Heidelberg Road. It is useful for a quick visit but not long enough for your full brow appointment.
Best for the full appointment
Use the free three-hour parking outside Pinkie Cafe at 1 Westley Avenue. It is a short walk back to the clinic and saves you moving the car mid-appointment.
If you have trouble finding us
Call or text me on 0414 235 274. Please allow a little arrival time so parking does not make the start of your appointment feel rushed.
What happens on the day
Nothing permanent begins until you approve the drawing.
We talk and reassess
We review your forms, skin, existing brow hair, previous tattooing, concerns and the outcome you want. I confirm the most suitable technique and answer anything that still feels unclear.
I apply your numbing cream
I apply the compounded cream I have brought from Sydney when you arrive and leave it to take effect while we talk. You may still feel mild sensation during tattooing, but the aim is to keep the appointment comfortable.
We map the design together
I draw the brows using your facial features, bone structure, natural hair and asymmetry. We sit you up, look in the mirror and adjust the drawing until it feels like you.
We document your starting point
I take before and after photographs so we can accurately compare the work and healing. They are only used publicly for the website, social media or emails with your consent.
The tattoo is built gradually
Once you approve the mapped shape, I deposit pigment within that design. I continually check the shape and symmetry, sit you upright and make small adjustments as needed.
You leave knowing exactly what comes next
I apply the aftercare product, explain the healing stages and give you written instructions. You will know what is normal, what to avoid and how to contact me if you are worried.
What to bring
Bring references that help me understand you.
You are welcome to bring photographs of brows you like, brows you definitely do not like, or photographs of yourself before your brows thinned. If your brow loss followed years of overplucking, an old photograph can be particularly helpful.
You can even bring a photograph of a close family member if you believe their natural brows show what yours may have looked like without hair loss. References help me understand your taste and history; they are never copied as a template onto your face.
Wear what feels comfortable
You will be lying down for part of the appointment and sitting up repeatedly while I check the balance. Comfortable clothing makes the three-hour visit easier.
Yes, there is a bathroom
You do not need to worry about making it through a long appointment without facilities. And yes—there will be lemon lollies, courtesy of my mum.
Your booking and second appointment
Your restoration is planned as two appointments.
Your $550 deposit secures your November appointment. The remaining $550 is paid on the day. Your six-week perfecting appointment is included in the package and takes place in Melbourne on 17–19 December 2026.
You may cancel for a refund or move your deposit until 21 October 2026. After that, the deposit is non-refundable unless I can fill your appointment. If you returned your forms on time and the screening process shows that cosmetic tattooing is not suitable for you, your deposit is returned.
Why the forms cannot wait until the day
Screening in advance protects your safety and your travel plans. It also means we are not discovering a preventable contraindication after you have arrived at the clinic.
Unsure about something before the day?
Call me on 0414 235 274. It is always better to check than to arrive worried.