Is probably one of the most frequently asked questions. We’ve tried to make it easier by offering the ‘how to book in section’. So take a look and hopefully that will resolve that for you.

A valid question. It varies. Each artist sets their own hourly rate, day session rate OR even set a charge per piece. Contacting your chosen artist directly is the best way way to answer this.

In short; no. However, individual artists may offer this for people wishing to buy existing clients a gift. The reason we don’t offer this is because the artist who work here are in charge of their own diaries and what work they take on. If we were to offer gift vouchers it may oblige artists to take on work that ordinarily they don’t do or worse, mean that the artist turning down the work and offering a refund. This is a situation we certainly would want to avoid as it would ony cause disappointment to the bearer of the voucher.

How long is a piece of string is the classic answer to this. Impossibe to say. We all charge different rates. Work in different styles. Work at different speeds. Work to differing levels of detail dependant on style. Skin types vary. Design detail varies. Pain thresholds vary. So, until an artist, style and design are all aligned we can’t really ever give an anser to that. A ball park for a black and grey realism sleeve is 5-6 day sessions but that is still very subjective to all of the above.

This question, like the one above is near on impossible to answer. It all depends on size, style, subject, artist, detail, placement and pain threshold.

I’m afraid that we don’t do piercings, no.

In short, not really. We can never tell how an individual will react to numbing cream. i.e whether or not that person will have an allergy to the ingredients within the numbing agent. Typically Lidocaine. We can’t stop you using numbing cream before your appointment but please bear in mind that some artists may refuse to tattoo you. You can take painkillers before and during the process but that is on the client as we do not and cannot offer painkillers to clients.

In short. Yes. Pain is a variable thing. Some clients find it theraputic, some excruciating. It’s a mindset really. If you approach your session with an attitude of excitement about your new tattoo and the recognistion that you are taking time out of your schedule to do nothing but lay or sit still then it can really have a positive effect on your pain threshold. The important thing is to relax. Make sure you have eaten before your session, you are not under the influenece of alcohol or drugs (we won’t tattoo you) and had a good night’s sleep.

Not ideal at all. Firsty if you are hungover you are not going to be able to relax during the session and find it quite uncomfortable. Also, depending on how much you had to drink you may bleed excessively due to alcohol having a thining effect on the blood. Also if you arrive under the influence of alcohol you would not be able to sign the disclaimer as you potentially are not of ‘sound mind’ to make the decision to be tattooed.

Not really. We like to keep the studio to clients and artists. If everyone brings a chaperone then it’s going to get very crowded. However, if you deem yourself to be a vulnerable person (that’s at your discretion, you don’t need to explain yourself to us) then you can simply ask your artist if they can be accommodated. You can also message the studio direct to ask ahead.

No. In the UK the legal age for tattooing is 18. No exceptions regardless of parental consent. If we suspect that you may be under 18 we will always ask for proof of identificfation on the day of your tattoo. A valid passport or driving license is required. Technically tattooing anyone under the age of 18 is classed as assault on a minor. Our reputation is far too important to us to risk any repurcussions. Not to mention our moral stance on this issue. Under 18s are highly likely to be impulsive when it comes to tattoo choice. We are all speaking from experience.

We don’t. However each artist will take their own payments via cash, bank transfer or PayPal. All tattoos must be paid for in full on the day so please make sure you have enough funds to pay.

Tough one. We hope that will never happen. Although most of the artists don’t allow clients to see the design before the session we will always work with the client to get to the result that they love. Please remember that when getting tattooed there will always have to be some level of trust relinquished to the artist. It’s ok if you’re not comfortable with that but then you will have to ask whether you should be getting a tattoo and whether the artist is right for what you want. We won’t tattoo any deigns that we think will not last or look good. It’s still our reputation at the end of the day.

That depends on the artist that you have chosen to work with. It’s usually a no. That is because the process ends up being design by committee. We cannot allow third party influence over a clients decision. This is a moral red line for the artists. We’ve all made this mistake many times over the years by allowing partners or friends to have influence over a clients tattoo decision.

If you need to cancel or move your appointment then you need to take in mind the process laid to you by each individual artist. Deposits are generally non-refundable and each artist will have a differing period of notice for cancellation. Please don’t be offended if you cancel at the last minute and lose your deposit. Deposits are taken to insure the sincerity of intent to get a tattoo and to cover the time spent by the artist preparing your design. If you are booked in and don’t show up or cancel last minute there is very little hope of the artist filling the space. If this happens then the artist is likely to lose out on up to a whole day’s income. Some artists have processes in place to recoup loss of earnings from clients who ‘no-show’ so please bear this in mind.

Make sure you’ve had a good night sleep before hand. You are not hungover/drunk or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Make sure you have eaten properly at least an hour before your session. Ideally moisturise the area for a few weeks beforehand. Don’t turn up too early or too late for your appointment. on time is just fine.

Absolutely not! It will make it a thousand times worse. So don’t turn up baked! We wouldn’t be able to tattoo you anyway and you will lose your deposit.

Yes in short. We find that when we tattoo people who use steroids for the purposes of building there their skin can be very hard to tattoo and you should also expect variable healing results. Sometimes tattoos can heal lighter or patchy. We don’t know the medical reasons for this it’s purely from years of observation.

Yes but it does depend on each situation. Your artist will be able to advise you on timings.

Yes and no. It all depends on what needs covering and what with. Your artist will be able to advise you.

No we don’t but we can always advise you on where to go. We have places that we can recommend.

That would need clarifying with each artist depending on what the brief is.

It depends... It depends on the client. Age/profession/whether you are experienced in getting tattoos/what the subject/style is, will all factor into this decision. And ultimately which artist you want to work with.

Ideally you’ll need to have at least 2 weeks either side of a holiday before going in the sun or in the sea/pool. This is to allow the skin to fully seal over the new tattoo so it won’t be affected by undesirable environmental factors.

We recommend that clients always use at least factor 50 when in the sun. Regardless of whether you have tattoos or not you should always take good care of your skin in the sun.

This is something that very rarely happens in the studio. Pain doesn’t cause people to pass out when being tattooed. It is usually an anxiety driven response caused by the aprenhension of not knowing what to expect followed by the resulting dropping in blood pressure once the adrenalin wears off. We alieviate this risk by having a very relaxed environment and promoting a ‘day off’ mindset. Laying the client down for a tattoo really helps as does the proper preparation beforehand in making sure you have eaten well and had a good night sleep.

If you do pass out, you’re in a safe environement. We all have experience in how to deal with this situation. Passing out is usually a fleeting experience. There is no pressure to carry on but usualy once a client has passed out, the anxiety has gone and that will be the last time it ever happens to them once they realise there was in fact nothing to be afraid of.

How much is a car? A tattoo can take one minute or be an ongoing project for years doing 8hr sessions at a time. Style/size/skin/artist/colour/body part all play a part in this how long it takes. For example a black and grey portrait tattoo can anywhere between 5-10 hours depending on all those factors. A colour tattoo, because every part of the tattoo is saturated with ink is likely to take longer again.