This can vary by each artist and the best way to get an idea on what a price of tattoo is going to be is to set up a consultation with an artist. There are a lot of different factors that go into the differing prices of tattoos.

We do have a studio hourly rate of $250. Our studio minimum is $200 (some artists may have a higher minimum and they will let you know if that’s the case in their consultation with you). 

We actually have a page that covers that! Click here to read about tattoo aftercare.

The short answer is, No. Alcohol and other drugs such as aspirin may thin the blood. Excessive bleeding can make it very difficult to tattoo and can lead to a tattoo that could have been better. If you appear intoxicated when you arrive for your appointment we will not be able to tattoo you, we will have to take your deposit for our time. To make another appointment you will have to leave another deposit.

Additionally, alcohol and other drugs stay in your system for days after you have stopped ingesting them. This will prolong your healing time. Good physical condition and good health will raise your pain tolerance and help you heal faster.

We are bloodborne pathogen certified. Our needles are new and sterilized, only used once, and then disposed of in a sharps container. The tubes that hold the needle are also sterile and single use. 

When you have an open wound there is always a chance of infection. Being diligent about cleanliness and aftercare can greatly benefit you.

Most doctors warn that complete removal is usually not possible, at least without scars. There are many ways to try to remove a tattoo:

1. Derma-brasion — A doctor will freeze the skin and “sand” the tattoo off.
2. Skin graft — A surgeon cuts off the tattoo and uses skin from another part of your body to fill in the hole.
3. Excision — The surgeon cuts out the tattoo and then pulls the sides together.
4. Laser removal — The most popular method. Lasers use pulses of light directed at the tattoo to break up the tattoo pigment. The body’s scavenger cells, over the next couple of weeks, remove the treated pigment. More than one treatment is usually necessary.

If you don’t have a tattoo and you are already wondering about removal, you should probably wait. Wait until you are ready to make a lifetime commitment. We try to help people make the best decision based on our experience covering up tattoos. If you have a tattoo that you want to cover up laser removal is a good option for lightening but make sure you go to a reputable office. We like http://www.caddellslaserclinic.com

More details on tattoo removal at HowStuffWorks.com.

This depends on if the scar is still healing. If it is, then it’s a good idea to wait until it is healed. Scars can take a long time to heal if they are deep. Tattoos should not change the texture of the skin so covering up a scar with a tattoo doesn’t mean you won’t still see it. The only way to know for sure is to set up a consultation appointment and let us take a look at your scar. We should be able to tell you at that point if it’s a good idea or not. 

Some tattoo artists insist that it is necessary. We have had some luck without outlines. If done properly, a tattoo can look incredible without black at all. We don’t suggest this for every tattoo though. Some designs look best as tattoos if they have outlines. If you want to know about your design you can either e-mail it to us or make an appointment for a consultation.

We do custom tattoos drawn just for the wearer or photo realistic tattoos taken directly from a photo. We can draw a lot of things from our heads but it is best to have at least something for us to go on when you walk in the door. Even if it’s a really rough sketch. It will save us a lot of time and makes it easier for us to visualize that perfect image that’s just right for you. To find reference material we often use Google image search. Type in the subject of your tattoo but refrain from using the word “tattoo” in your search. You’ll get much better results that way.

Yes, we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. We will not tattoo images that offend us personally. These include but are not limited to racially bigoted designs and sexist designs. We will not do gang related designs, such as street gang or motorcycle club designs.