Automated aftercare texts for tattoo studios

The idea

Every tattoo studio hands clients a photocopied aftercare sheet that ends up in the bin outside. Two days later the client is Instagram-DMing the artist at 11pm asking whether the scabbing is normal. Artists answer the same five questions on repeat, and the clients who never ask are the ones who end up with patchy heals, bad reviews, and free touch-up requests.

Booking suites like Square and Booksy stop caring the moment the session ends. Nothing in the market owns the two weeks after the needle, which is exactly when the studio’s reputation is decided. A timed SMS sequence with photo check-ins is a small build that sits in an empty gap.

Who pays

The studio owner pays 19 USD/month, one plan, unlimited clients. The maths sells itself: one avoided free touch-up or one prevented one-star review covers the year. Distribution is direct: DM studios on Instagram, sponsor tattoo convention booths, and lean on artist-to-artist word of mouth in a trade where everyone knows everyone.

MVP scope

• Client entry form (name, phone, tattoo date) that enrols a canned day-1/3/14 SMS sequence
• Twilio inbound MMS webhook that files photo replies into a per-client thread
• Studio inbox with unread badge for photo replies and questions
• Editable message templates per studio with sensible defaults
• Stripe subscription with 14-day trial
• Skip for v1: booking integration, multi-artist permissions, custom sequence builders, email channel

Build InkCare, a web app for tattoo studios that sends automated aftercare SMS sequences to clients.

Stack: Next.js (App Router), Supabase (Postgres + auth + storage), Twilio for SMS, Stripe for billing.

Core flow: an artist logs in, taps New Client, enters the client's first name, phone number, and tattoo date. That enrols the client in a canned sequence: day 1 (washing and moisturising instructions), day 3 (peeling is normal, do not pick, reply with a photo if worried), day 14 (heal check, please reply with a photo of the healed tattoo). Client photo replies arrive via Twilio inbound MMS webhook, get stored in Supabase Storage, and appear in a studio inbox threaded by client.

Pages: login (magic-link auth, no passwords), dashboard listing active clients with sequence progress, client detail with message history and photos, inbox for unread replies, settings for editable message templates per studio, and billing.

Implementation details: schedule sends with a Supabase cron function running every 15 minutes that queries clients due for their next message, not per-client timers. Include STOP handling and mark opted-out clients so no further sends fire. Timezone-aware sends at 10am local to the studio.

Pricing: 14-day free trial, then a single plan at 19 USD/month per studio via Stripe Checkout, unlimited clients.