What do I do if I need to cancel?

I require at least 7 days’ notice to reschedule an appointment or the deposit will be forfeited.
An additional deposit will be required if a session is canceled or the client no shows on the day. 
If you wish to cancel your appointment altogether, your deposit will be used as a drawing fee, and therefore nonrefundable. (See deposit policy above).

What if I change my mind about what I want?

It is imperative that you are solid on your idea and communicate this clearly in your initial inquiry email. 
If I have any questions, I will contact you to clarify. If you have any additional ideas within the timeframe of booking to the date of your tattoo session, please take time to think it over and consolidate these into a SINGLE email to make it easier for me to gather the information and interpret it accurately.
I require at least 1 week's notice for a change of mind about the design to allow time to alter or redraw and plan. The appointment may need to be rescheduled if it can not be done in the same amount of time as the original idea. Small tweaks and alterations required on the day are allowed and I will do my best to accommodate you and make sure you are 100% happy before we begin your tattoo.

When can I see my tattoo design?

Tattoo designs are viewed on the day of the appointment and are not sent to clients in advance, no exceptions. 

There is no drawing fee charged (this is factored into the overall price).
Designs are finished within a day or two of your appointment, so any changes of ideas or additions MUST be discussed well in advance of your appointment and finalized so I can complete the design as efficiently as possible.

I will always make time to sit with you and go over the design to make sure everything is right before we begin.
I understand the excitement and anticipation surrounding your upcoming appointment and your desire to see the artwork in advance however, this policy is my practice with all clients.

If you require a consultation to make sure your design will be exactly what you want, I can advise whether it is necessary or if email communication and reference are sufficient.

How do I look after my tattoo?

Aftercare is the most important part of the tattoo process and it is crucial that you follow the instructions I give you. I will give you information at your appointment but you can also refer to my aftercare guide HERE.
You may have been given different advice from friends or another artist if you have been tattooed in the past, rest assured the advice given is tailored to the style of tattooing I do and is the best method I have developed for my clients.

Do you do touch-ups?

Yes, I do touch-ups, however, they are not always necessary and most tattoos that are healed well and have no complications, will never require a touch-up.

I will do one touch-up for free within six months of the completion of the tattoo. If the tattoo has healed badly as a result of poor aftercare I reserve the right to charge a fee for the touch-up.
There will be a fee for subsequent touch-ups on hands and feet due to the difficulty these areas can have with healing and aging. (Warning about these areas will be given before bookings)

Do you take EFTPOS?

I accept payment via Venmo, Zelle or Cash (for US clients) and Bank Transfer or Cash ONLY (for AUS clients) and the full amount must be paid at the end of the appointment. I recommend making sure you budget for the maximum quote given and make sure you plan ahead and are aware of bank daily withdrawal limits and transfer maximums on your account.

I do not have any card facilities.

Do you have an hourly rate?

FOR AUS CLIENTS:
Work will be charged on an HOURLY or DAY RATE basis:
HOURLY RATE: $220
DAY RATE: $1000 This applies to 5 hour sessions (time starts from when we begin the tattoo and any time over and above this will be charged at the regular hourly rate).

FOR US CLIENTS:
Work will be charged on a FULL or HALF session basis:
FULL SESSION: Is any tattoo that is completed within ONE session. This will be charged at a flat rate of $1500 USD.
HALF SESSION: Will apply to any MULTI session work where a session is shorter than usual (ie. Lining or Shading session of less than 4 hours). This will be charged at a flat rate of $900 USD.

Prices are non-negotiable.

I’m under 18, can I get tattooed with parental consent?

Most international laws dictate you must be over 18 years of age to be tattooed, with no exceptions.
Although some countries allow tattoos with parental consent, it is my professional policy to not tattoo anyone underage.

Can I still get tattooed if I’m pregnant or if I have an illness or medical condition?

I will not tattoo you if you are pregnant, currently nursing, have an illness, disability, or medical condition which may affect the tattoo process such as blood diseases or heart conditions.
I reserve the right to refuse your tattoo if you are under the influence or behaving in a disrespectful or rude manner in the studio.

Do you use Vegan ink?

I do use inks that have been certified as vegan and I use vegan and cruelty-free products wherever possible, however, there may be some products in the tattoo process that are not vegan. If you have any concerns with this please feel free to ask about alternatives.

All aftercare sold in the studio and lubricants used during the tattoo process is certified Vegan.

Can I bring my friends while I am getting tattooed?

Please do not bring guests with you to your appointment. If you need to be dropped off and picked up, this is okay and if it is your first time being tattooed by me, it is perfectly fine for your friend, partner, or family member to come in and meet me to be reassured you are in safe hands!

There are multiple reasons why I prefer not to have extra people in the studio while I am working, but it is mainly for my ability to concentrate and for you to be able to relax and focus on being still for the duration of the session so I can create the best tattoo for you!

It is not required that you are vaccinated, and masks are optional.
I cannot accommodate children and babies in the studio for health and safety reasons. 

Is your studio clean and safe?

I have strict hygiene procedures in accordance with state Health Department regulations. All needles and grips are single-use and disposed of correctly. All area preparation, workstation equipment, tattoo bed and pillow are covered in single-use, disposable wraps, and draping. I take the utmost care to prevent cross-contamination.

You are more than welcome to sight sterilization and packaging in my setup process.

CAN I USE
NUMBING CREAM?

Over-the-counter numbing creams such as Dr Numb, Etaderm, Hush, and Painless Tattoo Numbing Cream, are mostly safe to use as they only have a concentration of 5% or less active numbing ingredients - but there are many other ingredients specific to those brands that you should consider and read labels thoroughly to make sure they are safe for you. 

The use of numbing creams is entirely up to you, however for them to be effective you need to shower in hot water, exfoliate the area of application to open the pores and apply liberally to the entire area to be tattooed and wrap air-tight and leave sealed for at least 30 mins to 1 hour prior to tattooing. 

I do not recommend use over a large area of the body ie. Full legs, arms, or torso as this can become a health issue if the product is overused. 
If you want to just concentrate on one part of your tattoo per session that will make this process easier in terms of application of the product. 

When we do fitting and stenciling, the numbing cream needs to be completely removed and skin dried and free of any residue in order to apply a stencil which means that the effectiveness of the numbing cream will be reduced from the moment we clean the area. 

Numbing creams usually have a working time frame of about 2 hours, give or take, depending on the type you use and your body’s specific metabolism of the product. 

So you’d get about 1.5 hours after stencil application - which is obviously only going to be effective for a small portion of the tattoo session. (Which is why in larger projects, it’s sometimes not worth it). 

Professionally, I do not entirely recommend their use as they change the skin’s consistency, vascular constriction, and texture which can affect linework and healing, and because my work is mostly based on lines, it’s not advised. 

There are other more serious complications that need to be considered including reactions like chemical burns to the skin when the product applied is for too long, has too much concentration of active ingredient or the consumer has a sensitivity. 

This can result in what looks like an infection during the healing process and will require antibiotics and/or topical treatments to heal. The healing process from this side effect will often leave larger imperfections in the tattoo and scarring that will later need to be corrected and touched up when fully healed.

The biggest danger, however, is those with heart conditions who may be affected by the ingredients entering the bloodstream. So please be aware of these potential issues and if you have any doubts, I recommend not using these products at all. 

I do carry anesthetic sprays in my studio with a form of topical lidocaine at a lower concentration that can be used AFTER the linework is complete (because they remove the stencil, they cannot be used before the outline is done). These are different forms of anesthetic that does not change skin consistency but will provide some relief as they enter the skin easier when it is broken. 

If you have any further questions relating to the use of these products in tattooing, feel free to ask me directly or consult your doctor. 

CAN I HAVE AN ALLERGIC REACTION TO TATTOO INK?

I use a brand of black ink called Dynamic. My grey-wash set is made by a company in New Zealand called Dark Horse Shading Black and my White ink is from a company called Fusion.
All are very highly reputable brands, FDA-approved, and in the category of hypoallergenic for tattoo inks.
I have yet to have a single client with a reaction to any of the products I use in the 11 years of my career.

Older brands of ink used to contain some metal and contaminants including nickel, however, these days that doesn’t exist as much - only in cheaper, unregulated inks that may be used by unprofessional tattooers or in countries without regulation on ingredients.

The most common allergies where tattooing is concerned is with latex, (which I don’t use - I have Nitrile gloves) and the adhesive on medical tape or dermal covers (which I always check for with every client and have alternatives if needed).

It is possible to have allergic reactions to ink, but these are usually color-specific and due to other underlying allergies or developed allergies - meaning that at the time of the tattoo, you may not react but can later on, even years later.
The reactions aren’t life-threatening though and although they can cause undesired healing results the majority of this can be touched up to bring the tattoo back to life.
There is also the risk of your immune system going into overdrive with recognizing a foreign body and trying to remove it, which can trigger some types of allergies or make tattoos appear patchy when healed - again, this is not something to be overly concerned about and will usually be fixable.

There are still unknowns when introducing foreign things into the skin, and there is always a risk involved. Unfortunately, there is no fool-proof way to test for this in advance and even patch tests will not be reliable evidence of non-reaction.
That being said, most people would be able to safely get a tattoo and if you did happen to be in the very small percentile of people who do have reactions, it should be very easy to control with either topical steroid cream or allergy medication and also able to be touched up at a later date as previously mentioned.