Deposit Policy

A deposit is required to hold your appointment time and is non-refundable. A gift card cannot be used to put down a deposit. Your deposit cannot be transferred to another person. It will come off of the final cost of your tattoo and can be rolled over if multiple sessions are needed for the same tattoo. If you need to reschedule your appointment, you may transfer your deposit ONE time and only if you give notice at least ONE WEEK (7 days) before your appointment.

If you arrive more than 15 minutes late to your appointment without notice, your deposit will be forfeit and your appointment may need to be rescheduled. If you no-call/no-show or cancel altogether, your deposit will be forfeit. I do not accept cancellations over the phone or via social media- it must be via email so that I have a documented notice with a date/time stamp. If I don’t tattoo, I don’t get paid, even though I have put work into scheduling and preparing for the appointment. This policy helps soften the blow if my work is affected by something out of my control.

If you need to reschedule, it is your responsibility to reach out to do so via email. I will only hold your deposit for 6 months from the date of your missed appointment. After then, it will be forfeit and a new deposit will be required to book.

I do understand that life happens and if you are sick or experiencing an emergency, please email me as soon as possible. I use the honor code here- I won’t take your deposit for something out of your control and will work with you. Please be respectful of my time and I will return the effort!

Right to Refuse Service

The tattooing process has many stipulations and failure to follow the following guidelines may result in being turned away/rescheduled (I don’t want to! Don’t make me do it please!)

Do not schedule an appointment or please reschedule if any of the following apply to you:

• No minors (under 18)

• Must have a state or federal-issued ID

• No pregnant or breastfeeding individuals

• No one under the influence of drugs/alcohol

• No blood thinners 48 hours prior to appointment

• No sunburned skin

• No active skin condition flare-ups or wounds

• No numbing agents without prior agreement (see policy below)

• If you have major design changes/have gotten a tattoo in the area we agreed upon

If you would like reasoning or clarification on any of these, feel free to contact me.

Numbing Agents

I typically do not allow the use of pre-numbing creams/gels. There are too many variables that can negatively impact the tattooing process and healing process. Marinating your skin in a gel or creme before your appointment makes this skin squishy and it lose’s the surface tension required for the needles to interact properly with the skin. Also, numbing agents have become widely accessible (and not always from reputable sources) and are not regulated by physicians. I don't know what ingredients are safe- I'm a tattooer and not a doctor and only use products that I know and trust. I have also seen other tattooers post numbing horror stories of clients getting chemical burns or having trouble healing and being left with splotchy ink and scarring. It's not worth the risk and is a liability, in my opinion, so I don't allow the use of it in my practice. If needed, I can use my own numbing spray (Bactine, 4% lidocaine) on you midway through the tattoo if you need it (the line work has to be completed before use). Numbing doesn't erase the pain- it just reschedules it. That being said, with a numbing agent, the pain can hit you like a freight train during the tattoo process as your body hasn't needed to produce adrenaline and endorphins, so the pain may be way worse and abrupt than getting tattooed and getting used to it. This can also send your body into shock either during the tattoo or after you get home. Tattooing is a painful and invasive procedure, I prefer to limit variables that affect the body's natural response and defense protocols. 

If you show up having pre-numbed the area without consulting with me first, I reserve the right to reschedule your appointment and your deposit will be forfeit. Please don't make me do that! 

If you really think you need a numbing agent, we can talk about it further. I do allow it on special cases (I.e. we have had a session without it and you cannot tolerate the area and we need to finish the piece somehow).

Design Changes

I do not show designs before your appointment, but I allot time in your appointment to make minor adjustments. Significant redraws may require rescheduling your appointment, but we will transfer your deposit once. I allow for ONE complete redraw if you aren't satisfied with the design. After that, any further new designs will require a new deposit. This very rarely happens. I want you to be in love with the design I come up with and I put a great amount of time, research, and effort into my drawings. I just need you to communicate your wants and expectations clearly and concisely so I don’t misinterpret your request. You will not hurt my feelings if you want to make a change! However, I can guarantee that I have thought out why I drew something the way I did and am happy to explain this to you.

Customs and Copying

Please keep in mind that I am a fully custom artist (unless tattooing repeatable flash, a logo or common piece of media, or I have permission to tattoo another artist's design). That being said, I will keep your references in mind when drawing your custom piece instead of just copying them verbatim. That way, I am not plagiarizing another's work and simultaneously diminishing the individuality of the tattoo their client thought of, paid for, and is wearing on their body already. I draw considering how I tattoo and I keep legibility and longevity in mind. Not all artwork makes for a good tattoo due to the limitations of the “canvas”- a living organ.

The designs and tattoos I post are NOT TO BE COPIED by another artist. The only exception to this is if my studio is having a flash event or if your artist has my explicit permission to replicate something I’ve done.

Tattooing Scars

Self-harm and other significant scars need to be at least one year healed before I tattoo over them. Scar tissue is different than factory-setting skin and takes time to settle. Tattooing it prematurely can result in more scarring and other complications. This doesn’t apply to small scuffs/cat scratches/etc. If you are unsure if a minor injury will affect your tattoo, please contact me.

Tattooing Fingers

It is my professional responsibility to inform my clients of all possible outcomes when getting tattooed, especially in areas that universally heal poorly (fingers, palms, feet, inner lip, ears, creases, etc). Biologically, these areas do not have the same dermis layer as arms/legs/etc and are typically used more in day-to-day life, causing them to deteriorate faster than a typical tattoo. They tend to fade faster and splotchier and will not look as crisp as they are the first day or what you may see on social media, regardless of my skill as an artist. Also, I will always recommend the top of a finger over the side or palm side. The type of skin varies widely in a small space and some areas are slightly more reliable than others. Of course, how these tattoos last over time depends on many factors (skin type, lifestyle, medications, etc) and no two individuals' skin holds ink the same. 

Since this is a known phenomena, I do not guarantee the legibility of these tattoos as I would with a tattoo in a "normal" location. 

Typically my minimum is $100 and I offer one free touchup within the year. However, since these locations almost always need a second pass and the fact that I am experienced in working with these difficult areas, my minimum for fingers (top/side/under), feet (side/under), inner lip, and ears will have a minimum of $150 and I will allow for one free touchup within the first year. Most artists will not touch up these areas for free and will require another minimum payment. I feel that my way is a fair way of charging and giving you the best product. 

If you would like to proceed knowing the aforementioned information, I would be more than happy to! I do actually really enjoy tattooing these areas!

Tattooing with ashes/UV ink/other substances

I only tattoo with regulated materials that I know and am comfortable with. I do not know the potential risks involved with adding foreign substances to ink and do not want to be liable.