FAQ
What do you do for sterilization?
I use one time Needles, Bars, Inks and Tubes. What this means is I don’t reuse anything used to apply the tattoo. The law states the only thing I need to throw away is the needle and inks. Everything else can be reused.
Some artists reuse the bar the needle is soldered on and reusable metal tubes. After working years that way I decided to switch to totally disposable. The bars cost 15 cents, disposable tubes are less then a dollar so instead of wasting hours scrubbing, ultra sounding and then autoclaving I just use a new plastic, pre-sterilized tube every time. So now I throw everything away.
I buy my needles loose then solder them into the desired grouping, package and sterilize in my autoclave. By doing this I totally eliminate the possibility of blood born infections to my clients like staph-infections and tetanus.
Can I drink before/during/after the tattoo?
I wouldn’t recommend it. Drinking heavily 24 hours before getting a tattoo can cause your blood to thin causing you to bleed more making the pigment harder to stay in during the tattoo process. This makes the tattoo heal lighter and can be an inevitable touchup.
If you decide to party after getting your work just drink in moderation. Stay away from becoming blackout drunk.
I’m not 18 can I get tattoo with my parents consent?
No not in the state of California, you need to be 18 no matter what even with parent consent
Can I take pain pills before I get worked on (Vicodin)
Some pain pills are blood thinners and pills are for after pain not to help numb you. I’ve had people take prescription pain pills right before and they reported it hurting worse then when they didn’t take anything. It’s best to have a good meal before tattooing to help with pain.
Do you have anything to numb me before or can I buy it somewhere?
There are products out there that are numbing agents but since they are topical they take forever to set in and have to be placed on the skin for an hour or more before getting the tattoo. Some products don’t really work unless the skin is broken so that defeats the whole purpose of using it anyway.
During the tattoo process the numbing agent will be wiped off while the tattoo is being applied. I’ve tried suggested tattoo numbing products and they come in half oz. sizes and that doesn’t go very far for the price they tend to be expensive.
What is the hardest body part to Tattoo?
The stomach is the hardest place to work on. No matter how in shape the person is, it is the loosest skin. It moves really easy and is difficult to try and work on. It’s like trying to tattoo a fried egg. It’s hard to get a stretch on the skin and the person is breathing the whole time causing your work area to rise and fall. If it hurts then the breathing is erratic from the tensing up; which is all the time because the stomach is the most painful. The top four most painful places are the stomach first; ribcage and sternum are a close second, inner arm third and lower back last. Women tend to take pain better then men
Can I go swimming or hot tubing after?
I don’t recommend any water sports of any kind until your tattoo has done peeling. It can leach the ink out possibly leaving a scar. Chlorine will suck the ink out of your skin and leave a nasty white scar, ocean and lake water have a ton of bacteria that isn’t good for you on a large open wound.
Stick to just showering and cleaning it and you’ll be fine.
I have dark skin can I get a Tattoo?
Yes but with exceptions. Depending on how dark you are the tattoo might not show up. Skin isn’t a solid object that pigment floats on top of. The ink is getting trapped in between your skins pigment and under a translucent piece of tissue.
White will not show up on really dark skin and most light colors will not either. If you are really dark then sticking to black tattoos or black and gray wash tattoos might be the best option for you.
I’m pregnant can I get tattooed?
I and most other artists would strongly recommend waiting till after you have given birth and are done breast feeding. Tattoo pigment even though found to be safe is not FDA approved. Even though it is a mild experience tattooing may cause injury or even in a rare case might cause miscarriage.
When breast feeding the ink is absorbed into your skin and bloodstream which means it can be ingested by the baby.
I have an old/poorly done/gang tattoo, can I cover it?
Most tattoos can be successfully covered. The cheaper the materials used the easier it is to cover. The more professional the prior artist was the harder it is to cover.
Not all cover ups need to be covered in black, the darker it is the harder it is to cover. You need to use colors that will blend over easily and will hide the tattoo underneath. Sometimes a really faded tattoo can even be covered by yellow. They will almost always never be as good as if you started out with a good tattoo in the first place.
You should always cover an old tattoo with one larger then the original. If you are going to use some of the old tattoo in the new piece, it all has to be re-inked to make it look the same. Running a pattern over the old tattoo is a good way of covering an old one. If you do want to have bright large fill areas to cover, the old piece has to be well faded.
Every tattoo has to be approached differently. Sometimes it will look covered after you do it but then it will show up after the skin has peeled and will need another shot of color. Once you cover it there still might be a ghost image. Even if I can’t see it anymore the (You) the client more then likely will because you have lived with it so long that’s all you can see. That’s the nature of the beast.
The one way to totally cover a tattoo IS with solid black. I try to avoid this at all costs that way the customer can have a descent tattoo instead of a piece of tribal they are going to hate just as much. This is a last case scenario.
I have an old tattoo I like but it’s old/wasn’t done right. Can you fix it up?
That’s not a problem, basically I take the original foundation and fix or redo what you had or wanted.
Can you tattoo over scars/ stretch marks?
You can cover both. It has to be done very carefully, A scar is tough skin but it tears and cuts very easily and isn’t as pliable anymore. Scars might not have any feeling on top but I have had clients tell me they are extra sensitive when the needle penetrates. Thin old scars are easier to cover. Thick or rough scars (road rash, burns) either pale pink or gray are very hard to cover and you might notice the scar underneath the tattoo. You might have to decide if getting a tattoo that might not look as good is better then the scar itself.
Stretch marks are from excessive weight gain. Usually from pregnancy. The milder the stretch mark the easier it is to cover. Deeper the stretch mark the harder it is to cover. The ink might look a little weird over the stretched area.
I don’t recommend trying to get tattooes with subtle gradients or fades in very deep marks they won’t look as good as they would on normal skin.
I have acne can I get tattooed?
I don’t recommend getting worked on anyplace that has acne. If you have a blemish in an area that is going to be worked on it has to be avoided. A pimple makes a pocket of fluid. If the needle hits it, that pocket will be charged full of ink and cause a big dot when healed that is permanent.
If a person has severe sebaceous acne a tattoo needs to be avoided altogether. You need to go to a dermatologist to have it cleared up before getting a tattoo.
I have a tattoo on my hip/stomach will it stretch out if I have a baby?
The only time I have seen a tattoo stretch out severely was around the navel. It didn’t get any stretch marks it just seemed lighter with color missing because it was stretched farther then it was when it was tattooed. It was like a design on a balloon.
Under the belly or on the hips tend to stay normal. If there is excessive weight gain then any tattoo might distort or seem lighter.
What is red reaction?
Red reaction is the allergic reaction to red pigment in inks. It tends to happen most to people who are allergic to shellfish or Iodine. It doesn’t matter what brand if a person reacts to one red then it is most likely to happen in other brands of inks. In lesser extent people have a reaction to yellow but that is rare.
What it looks like is the red ink gets puffy and swollen and tends to be sore. It happens only to the red ink leaving the rest of the tattoo alone and in tact. I haven’t had or ever heard of anyone getting severely ill from a red reaction. Their isn’t even a fever associated with it just a swelling and usually a sever loss of ink and the red usually having to be replaced with another color.
If you know of being allergic to red or Iodine you might see what it would cost to have a sample section of red done to see if you react to it.
I have Diabetes can I get a tattoo?
Yes you can but you need to be extra careful when getting tattoos on lower extremities like calves and feet. People with Diabetes sometimes suffer from poor circulation this can cause poor or long healing times. It may cause infections and in some cases injuries on the legs of diabetics had to be amputated.
Consult your physician before getting a tattoo if you are a severe diabetic