f r e q u e n t l y a s k e d q u e s t i o n s

how bad will it hurt?

Pain levels depend on several factors like placement and your individual pain threshold. No tattoo will be absolutely painless, as the needles create a surface abrasion and stimulate pain sensors in your skin known as nociceptors. But often times, people equate getting tattooed to a cat scratch, bee sting, or scratching a sunburn.

can I use a topical numbing cream?

Topical numbing creams are NOT recommended. Most creams are safe and can be bought over the counter. However, during a tattoo, the active ingredients (often lidocaine, prilocaine, benzocaine and tetracaine) are more likely to enter the bloodstream and can have serious and life threatening effects. Some creams are made specifically for tattoos and tattoo artists, however please consult with your artist before using any topical numbing agents!

Sweating is completely normal! As soon as your brain registers that the painful sensation is going to last a lot longer than just a couple of minutes, it turns on what’s called your sympathetic nervous system (SNS). This is often referred to as the fight or flight response, and one of your body’s reactions is sweating.

is it normal to sweat when getting a tattoo?

what is the ink made of?

Well, that depends on the brand. All ink is made of color pigment particles and a suspensory fluid, but every brand uses different ingredients. The color pigments are mostly carbon-based molecules and vary depending on the color that you want to see. The suspensory fluid can be made of glycerin, water, isopropyl alcohol or witch hazel. Some brands use glycerin from animals, so for all you die-hard vegans out there I make sure all my tattooing materials don’t contain animal products, including inks!

how long does a tattoo take?

Tattoos cannot be rushed! The amount of time you sit for depends on a lot of things such as the size, complexity and placement of your tattoo. For smaller tattoos, expect your appointment to last about 1 hour. Medium size tattoos can take anywhere from 3-8 hours. Larger tattoos, like arm/leg sleeves and back pieces will likely require multiple sessions and can take anywhere between 10-50+ hours.

Make sure you drink lots of water and eat about an hour before your appointment. Ink stains, so don’t wear clothes you care a lot about. And wear something comfortable that allows the artist to easily access the area that will be getting tattooed. It helps if you are clean and shaven the day of your appointment, but most often the artist will be able to shave the area at their station. DO NOT drink, smoke or take any drugs (including ibuprofen, tylenol, aleve, etc.) 24 hours prior to your appointment. If you are sunburnt, please notify the artist as far in advance as possible to reschedule your appointment. You cannot tattoo sunburned skin. For more detailed directions talk to your artist.

what should I do to prepare for my appointment?

is getting a tattoo safe?

Most of the time, yes! Credible tattoo shops in Washington state require ALL of their artists to be licensed and educated on blood-borne pathogens and infectious diseases in order to operate. All equipment is either single-use disposable or properly sanitized to a medical standard. The risk of getting anything from a tattoo shop is about the same as going to the dentist. DO NOT try to tattoo yourself or let your friends who got a “tattoo kit” online tattoo you. These materials are cheap and dangerous to use, and the art of tattooing takes years to master, so more than likely you’ll end up with a tattoo that you’ll just end up getting covered by a professional anyways. To make sure your artist is tattooing safely and legally, you can check tattoo artist and shop licenses online at dol.wa.gov.

Apart from blood-borne infection (viral), as mentioned above, you won’t catch an infection from a studio, as an infection is caused by bacteria. You don’t catch bacteria, it builds up over time. That only means one thing, poor aftercare. This applies for tattooing, piercing and laser removal. The only way bacteria will infect you is if you’re not keeping the wound (yes it is a wound), clean. If you think your tattoo is infected, go to a doctor right away and they will likely prescribe you an antibiotic.

what if my tattoo gets infected?

what if I don’t like my new tattoo?

First, your artist should let you see the design they created for you before they begin. If there is something you’d like to change now is the time to tell them. If, somehow, you still don’t like the tattoo after it’s complete, kindly let the artist know what you don’t like about it. Most often they will help find a way to make it better. But the best way to ensure that you will like your tattoo is to research different artists and find one that specializes in the type of style you’re looking for. Don’t ask an artist to do a style completely different from their own and expect it to be perfect. It’s okay to change your mind about a tattoo even if you’re already at the appointment. Remember, it’s permanent!

Keep in mind that getting a tattoo most likely won’t cover or conceal the affected area, so if you have a severe case you should talk to your doctor and look into getting it resolved before getting a tattoo. Because psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, getting a tattoo can actually cause a flare up and worsen your symptoms. This is known as the Koebner phenomenon. Before you book an appointment, talk to your artist and let them know that you have a skin condition (psoriasis, eczema, etc.).

i have a skin condition, can I still get a tattoo?

can you tattoo over scars and stretch marks?

Tattoos are a great way to cover up unwanted scars! However, it’s important that your scars are completely healed before you get them tattooed. Scar tissue is irregular and sensitive, so it’s more likely that the tattoo ink will disperse and the scar could become worse if it’s not completely healed first. Some scars take longer to heal than others. For example, deep scars such as from surgery will take at least 3-5 years to heal completely. Whereas superficial scars such as stretch marks will tend to fade in about a year.