Yes, tattoos hurt. I do my best to be as gentle as possible in order to make the experience positive for everyone! While pain levels vary greatly depending on placement, size of the tattoo, complexity of design, and saturation, generally I have found that the awesomeness of the process generally overshadows the discomfort. 

Most people agree on some comparison to a cat scratch/sunburn feeling. In my opinion, it feels like if you have a nasty sunburn and someone draws on your skin with a pen. I have heard feedback ranging from “It literally feels like nothing” to “tickles more than it hurts” to “it feels like I’m being mauled by a tiger and stung by a swarm of bees”. Mindset is the biggest factor in pain level! 

If the “Booking” section of this website has a form to fill out, then you are welcome to request an appointment! I will follow up with you via email.

If you do not see a form, that means my books are closed at the moment.

I book online via this website only.

I book out three months at a time. Once three months are full, I close my books and reopen them prior to the next three month block. The best way to stay up-to-date on upcoming booking is to check here, or follow me on Instagram for updates!

I recommend a very straightforward aftercare regimen, consisting of washing the tattoo regularly with a mild unscented antibacterial soap, and applying a mild unscented lotion as needed after a few days. The initial healing process typically takes about two full weeks, but can vary depending on your body, physical health, tattoo placement, etc.

During the 2-3 weeks following your tattoo, you should plan to avoid swimming, tanning, hot tubs, saunas, beaches, lakes, pools, and super dirty camping trips. Exercise is generally no big deal - sweating shouldn’t be an issue, but I do recommend carefully avoiding any contact with surfaces in gyms. Your new tattoo is an open wound, and other people’s germs are gross.

Placement is generally subject to personal preference! I typically suggest placing a tattoo in an area where it fills the space comfortably - a golf ball sized tattoo usually fits much better on a wrist or ankle than it does in the middle of a back. 

While most parts of the body are totally tattooable, there are some placements I prefer to stay away from due to inconsistent healing results. Side/inside of fingers, palms of hands, sides/bottom of feet, and inner lower lip are some placements where I am not able to guarantee healing results, so I generally stay away from tattooing these areas. If you’re curious, do a google image search for “healed finger tattoos” and you will find lots of examples of healed results!

For small tattoos, I price by the piece. For larger, multiple-session tattoos, I charge $200/hour.

Small minimal tattoos similar in size and complexity to the ones pictured on the “tiny tats” section of my portfolio page range around $150-300-ish. Minimum is $100 for the simplest of simple tattoos. This minimum price covers my time and the cost of my setup.

I try my best to give an accurate ballpark range of cost prior to setting an appointment. While it is tricky to give an exact price until the design is finalized and at size, if while making your drawing I come to anticipate more time needed!

For large tattoos such as full sleeves, big leg pieces, etc - it can be a little tricky to give an exact estimate of hours total up front. Time required comes down to many factors - remember that big tattoos are a financial commitment!

Unfortunately, I do not share any designs before the appointment for a number of reasons. The best way to ensure we are on the same page regarding design is to send a CLEAR, CONCISE description of the design you have in mind when submitting a booking request. Once I follow up with your request, I will ask you to send reference images, which tend to help greatly to clarify what exactly you are looking for in your design.

If you arrive on the day of your appointment and would like to make changes to the design, those changes can often be made on the spot! Worst case, if a complete redesign is required, I am happy to discuss and reschedule ASAP if need be. 

In my experience, here are the best things you can do to prepare to get tattooed!

Get a good night’s sleep beforehand.

Don’t drink alcohol the night before.

Make sure to eat a substantial meal in the hour or two before your appointment time.

Drink water! Being well-hydrated makes a HUGE difference in pain levels, healing results, and overall experience.

It never hurts to bring a water/soda/gatorade and a small snack (granola bar, etc) if you’ll be getting tattooed for a few hours.

Don’t have a sunburn!!!! I can not tattoo skin that is sunburnt/peeling.

Definitely do NOT be intoxicated. If you show up for your appointment visibly intoxicated, you will lose your deposit and not be able to reschedule. 

You can not get tattooed if you are pregnant. If you are breastfeeding, please consult your doctor.

If you have any medical condition that may affect your body’s ability to heal, please speak to your doctor before submitting a request. Diabetes, use of blood thinning medications, blood clotting disorders, autoimmune conditions, etc… I am not a doctor and am not qualified to give any medical advice or make judgement calls on this matter.

I am extremely cautious/selective regarding tattooing any minors, with a minimum age of 16, state issued photo ID required as well as additional forms of ID, and parent or guardian must be present during the entire tattoo procedure. I do my best to be cautious in order to avoid tattoo regret, so please understand that I will not tattoo certain designs/sizes/placements on minors.

I do not!

While I do enjoy working in a variety of styles, if your request is for something I am not comfortable with, interested in, or think a different tattooer would be better suited to, I am happy to provide referrals to other tattooers who I think may be a better fit for your project.