Questions answered!

Hi there everyone!

I wanted to take a few minutes and answer a few questions that I have been asked  about tattooing recently.I understand that many clients are walking into the shop for the first time and I want everyone to be as comfortable as possible here at Tailor Made Tattoo & Body Modification.

Q: Do you re-use tattoo/piercing needles?

A:NO,Absolutely not.In this day and age needles are easy to come by and an inexpensive part of tattooing.Even if you hand make your own needles(sometimes I like to make different groupings).Any needles that are hand made are sterilized in our autoclave before use and all pre-made needles are sterilized in a blister pack via gas/chemical sterilization.In the State of Wisconsin it is legal to re-use any tattoo needle,as long as it is cleaned and sterilized.The thought behind this is that tattoo needles are not removing any tissue like some piercing needles do.I tend to disagree with this and the reason being is that the groupings of needles that we use are soldered together in round configurations and the tiny little spaces could collect dead or infectious tissue that is then able to be deposited into a new tattoo with a re-used needle.You will find that opinions on this vary from one person to the next.I can say that neither I or any of my co-workers re-use any needle for any reason.We are concerned with the well being of our Clients and we want everyone to treated with respect.Proper sterilization and professional integrity are a part of that respect.

Q:Does a “color” tattoo cost more than a “black and gray” tattoo?

A:No,not here at this shop anyway.The Artists that work here tend to charge on an hourly basis.The hourly rate is somewhere between $100 and $150 an hour depending on who you are working with and what the subject matter is.We just charge for our time and this can include drawing time on large projects.Most tattoos that are the size of a grapefruit or smaller are priced outright.If you are wondering what your tattoo will cost the bring in any photo reference that you may have and we will try to figure out an estimate for the work.

Q:Do I need to get “touch-ups” on a somewhat regular basis?

A:No,but there are a few exceptions to this rule.

If you get a tattoo and you need a touch-up or think you may need a touch-up then you need to come in and see the Artist that did your tattoo or have another Artist here at the shop take a look at it .That way we can see what kind of condition the tattoo is in and give our opinion based on seeing the finished product.If you are a sun-worshiping tanning type of person then your tattoo is NOT going to be really bright and colorful,at least not for long.The tattoo pigments we use are not “light-fast”.That means that they do not hold up well when they are exposed to UV light for long periods of time.The Sun is the worst enemy of any tattoo.If you are going to tan, then you should cover your tattoo with a sunscreen of SPF 30 or better.Protect your investment!

Tattooing is not a perfect science and sometimes things need to be darkened up or refreshed a bit.Try to get in and have this done within 3 months of getting the tattoo done.The more time that passes the more work we have to do in order to make everything match up.Tattoos settle into the skin over time  and it’s important that everything should age at the same rate.I can only speak from my own experience and say that if you take care of the work I have done on your skin with the same care that I put into doing the art then you may never need a touch-up.I do about 10 touch-ups a year.In my mind the people I tattoo are doing their job and I am doing mine.

There is one more point I would like to touch on here before I sign off for the time being.If you start a large tattoo and don’t come in to have work done on a regular basis then that tattoo is NOT going to age at the same rate that it would if you were doing monthly sessions.A good example would be a full sleeve.We all know that the tattoo process is long,sometimes painful and it costs money.If you start a full sleeve and do longer appointments(3-6 hour) sittings then you will have that arm finished in about a year,faster if you have extra funds set aside and you are dedicated to getting it done.On the other hand,if you get the work started and then bail for a year or more, then you are going to be paying more for that tattoo when you decide to finish it.The reason being is that we have to try and get everything to look like it was done all in the same time frame.You may wind up paying for an extra hour or two just to have things matched up due to the natural aging process and from sun exposure.The art a person is doing is also in a constant state of flux and evolution.Stay in the loop with your Artist and get your tattoos finished in a timely manner.Tattooing is a partnership.Don’t drop the ball when it’s in your court.

Thank you for checking the site out and feel free to send me any questions you may have..The questions I’ve answered here or tried to answer here,are from phone calls and a few clients that stopped in during the last few months.

Take care and take care of your tattoos!

Jon