Frequently Asked Questions: FAQ

The following information is compiled from Emails and other questions commonly asked by our customers

Click the text links below to see the answers.

• Q: How old do I have to be to sign for myself?What about parental consent?
• Q: My friend says to use something different than what my artist told me for aftercare. What should I do?
• Q: I can't find the design I'm looking for, can you draw me what I want?
• Q: Can I get a tattoo that glows in the dark or one that's UV reactive?
• Q: If I don't like my tattoo can I get I removed or covered up?
• Q: How much will my tattoo cost? Isn't that expensive?
• Q: My friend ordered a starter kit and wants to tattoo me, is this safe?
• Q: If I get a piercing done can I bleed to death or suffer paralysis as a result?
• Q: Can I tattooed or pierced if I'm pregnant?
• Q: Can I get tattooed or pierced if I have allergies?
• Q: Can I get HIV or hepatitis from receiving a tattoo or piercing?
• Q: Can I get an infection, from receiving a tattoo or body piercing?
• Q: I'm healthy and have been to the doctor…why treat me as if I'm infected?
• Q: How does sterilizing work?
• Q: What is cross contamination?
• Q: Why are single use needles and disposable items so important?







• 
  Q: Why are single use needles and disposable items so important?
  A: Single use needles and disposable items are key factors in helping to insure a minimization of cross contamination between clients. While items like needle groupings can appear clean, it is impossible to insure that pathogens are not trapped in the interior of the grouping or in the crevices of the solder, which binds them. Disposable items, such as ink caps, razors, wash cups, and plastic barriers applied to items, cannot be placed in an autoclave, and therefor must be replaced between clients.
• 
  Q: What is cross contamination?
  A: Cross contamination is, in its simplest most relative form, when someone touches anything clean with dirty hands and vice versa. Anything handled during an individual tattoo or body piercing procedure, should be considered contaminated, and used only for that singular procedure and then either thrown out or sterilized. If an item has been covered with a plastic barrier, it should still be cleaned with a class 3 tuberculocidal detergent such as madacide; this includes tattoo machines and hard surfaces, such as the tattoo workstations.
• 
  Q: How does sterilizing work?
  A: Several different forms of sterilizing exist. The most common form, for tattoo and body piercing establishments, is pressure steam sterilization. Pressure steam sterilization occurs when a contaminated item is placed under 249.8+°f under 16+lbs of pressure for 12+ minutes. This means, that cleaning items by use of Ultrasonics, boiling, dry heat, lighters, alcohol, peroxide, bleach, or ketchup does not mean they are safe to use. Also, a sterilizer should be regularly spore-tested, to insure it is in proper working condition.
• 
  Q: I'm healthy and have been to the doctor…why treat me as if I'm infected?
  A: Diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, and hepatitis have relatively long gestation periods. This means that you may feel fine now, but carry a disease that may not appear for years to come. The general practice at most professional tattoo and body piercing establishments is to treat every client as if they are infected and all bodily fluids as possible pathogens. This, after all, is not only for our client's safety but, for our own as well.
• 
  Q: Can I get an infection, from receiving a tattoo or body piercing?
  A: With proper anti-cross contamination procedures, sterilization techniques, and controlled environments, the chance of someone getting an infection directly from receiving a tattoo or body piercing, from an experienced professional, is highly unlikely. What most people mistake for infection is, most commonly, part of the body's natural healing process. Redness, irritation, heat and swelling are common to both tattoos and piercings. Discharge is common to piercings as they affect slightly deeper tissue. If you are concerned that something is not quite right with your tattoo or piercing, seek out your artist or piercer and ask their opinion before running to the er.
• 
  
  Q: Can I get HIV or hepatitis from receiving a tattoo or piercing?
  A: "CDC knows of no instances of HIV transmission through tattooing or body piercing, although the hepatitis B virus has been transmitted during some of these practices. One case of HIV transmission from acupuncture has been documented."
• Taken from the CDC(Centers for Disease Control) report on "HIV and it's transmission". July,1999
• "Although some studies have found an association between tattooing and HCV infection in very selected populations, it is not known if these resultscan be generalized to the whole population. Any percutaneous exposure has the potential for transferring infectious blood and potentially transmitting bloodborne pathogens(e.g., HBV, HCV, or HIV); however no data exists in the United States indicating that persons with exposures to tattooing alone are at increased risk for HCV infection. For example, during the past 20 years, less than 1% of persons with newly acquired hepatitis C reported to the CDC's sentinel surveillance system gave a history of being tattooed."
• Taken From the CDC report "CDC's Position on tattooing and HCV infection" August 25th, 2001
• A professional tattoo or body piercing establishment should be using proper controls and practices to insure a minimization of cross contaminate pathogens in the work area; such as single use needles, disposable ointments, ink caps, razors and the like. Since, both of these diseases require a minimum fluid transfer to infect a new host, reusing unsterilized, reused equipment is one of the only plausible ways to infect someone by way of receiving a tattoo or body piercing.
• 
  Q: Can I get tattooed or pierced if I have allergies??
  A: Yes, in most cases, if you have allergies, you can still get tattooed or pierced. Most reactions to tattoos or piercings are specific to individual agitators(i.e, latex, nickel, shellfish, sulfates, etc.). It is your responsibility to inform your artist of any possible allergies(or illnesses) that you may suffer from.
• 
  Q: Can I tattooed or pierced if I'm pregnant?
  A: The safest course of action for a pregnant woman is, simply, to wait. While, there are no proven risk factors, the undue stress upon both mother and child is logically, not something that most artists would feel comfortable subjecting themselves or their client to.
• 
  Q: If I get a piercing done can I bleed to death or suffer paralysis as a result?
  A: This urban legend probably has it's basis founded in either a misrepresentation of facts or, in the completely improbable event that either of these instances took place, they would, most likely have been the result of someone with no training or experience attempting to do a piercing. Most professional piercers serve or have served an apprenticeship that takes nearly 2 years to complete under a senior piercer whose clinical experience is usually no less than 5 years.
• 
  Q: My friend ordered a starter kit and wants to tattoo me, is this safe?
  A: No!!!! Absolutely not, by no means should anyone let someone without training or experience attempt to tattoo or pierce them. The "scratcher" mentality is responsible for not only some of the worst work seen on skin but is also, the most dangerous to your health and safety. Most, "scratcher" types, work from their homes, sacrificing your safety with contaminated equipment. Without knowledge of; blood borne pathogens, sterilization procedures, and anti-cross contamination procedures, a person has no business, in this day and age, affecting the possible health of another. If someone is serious about learning the art and science of tattooing or body piercing then they should seek an apprenticeship from an experienced artist or piercer.
• 
  Q: How much will my tattoo cost? Isn't that expensive?
  A: The cost of a tattoo is probably the least expensive thing most people will ever buy, considering it is probably, the only thing they will have for the rest of their lives. To run and operate a tattoo or body piercing establishment is not only expensive but also time consuming. Expensive, in the fact that since the advent of HIV, and hepatitis everything that can be: is disposable and gets thrown out for every procedure. Time consuming in the fact that many studios are open 6 if not 7 days a week 6-12 hours a day, which is not only time away from family and home but time spent waiting for a client to show up and ask for a tattoo 20 minutes before closing time that takes 3 hours.
• 
  Q: If I don't like my tattoo can I get I removed or covered up?
  A: The question of tattoo removal has come up repeatedly in the last few years with the introduction of ruby laser technology. Laser tattoo removal is very costly and commonly misconceived as a one-stop fix for removing tattoos. It is in fact extremely painful and takes several sessions to even lighten them. The tissue affected by the laser also usually scars and destroys not only the tattoo pigment but also the natural pigmentation of the skin, leaving a lighter silhouette roughly shaped in the manner of the pre existing tattoo. Covering a tattoo, is usually a much easier and less expensive alternative, while some shadowing of the former tattoo may peek thru, most experienced artists can readily cover or rework older or poorly done work that few recognize as an actual cover-up.
• 
  Q: Can I get a tattoo that glows in the dark or one that's UV reactive?
  A: To our knowledge, there is no safe material, at this time, that can be put into the human body for a tattoo which is, glow in the dark or backlight sensitive.
• 
  Q: I can't find the design I'm looking for, can you draw me what I want?
  A: Yes, our artists are more than capable of putting on paper, and on your skin nearly anything you desire. However, if you do not plan on having our artists do your tattoo, do not expect us to work up your design for you.
  
• 
  Q: My friend says to use something different than what my artist told me for aftercare. What should I do?
  A: Considering, your friend is probably not a liscenced or professional tattoo artist or piercer, you should probably stick with the advice of your artist. Also, just to clarify, most of your 'better' tattoo and body piercing studio's will probably not suggest you use products like; isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, neosporin, bacitracin, beer, dogspit or yak vomit in the care of your new tattoo or piercing and just so you know; if you have seafood or shellfish allergies don't use betadine or other iodine derivitives.
• 
  Q: How old do I have to be to sign for myself?What about parental consent?
  A: To sign for yourself you must be atleast 18 and have ID to prove it. If you are under the age of 18, we require you to be atleast 16 for us to tattoo or pierce you(with a parent's consent) and within reason. No oral or genital piercings will be performed on a minor for any reason. Tattoos are also left to the descretion of the artist and the parent/L.G.. While you are welcome to bring both; Only one parent will need to accompany you. This does not mean a note from mom, a boyfriend, your aunt, your older brother or your great great grandpappy, it must be a custodial parent or legal gaurdian, end of story. You and your custodial parent or legal gaurdian will be required to show picture identification(drivers license, passport, etc.)and proof of gaurdianship or birth parenthood(gaurdianship papers, birth cerificate, etc.).