Tattoo FAQ
The questions people ask me most: booking, price, how color holds up, traveling in, and what your first tattoo will be like.
Booking & Process
If it's something I'll do well, yes. If it isn't my strength, I'll tell you honestly instead of taking it anyway. The consultation is free either way, and it starts with the booking form.
My assistant replies within 48 hours. If it's a good fit, the next step is a free consultation where we talk the idea through. If it isn't the right match, you'll hear that clearly, with the reason.
It depends on the size of the piece and my schedule. Smaller pieces can often be booked within a few weeks. Bigger work, especially anything over several sessions, gets planned further ahead.
Yes. You don't need a finished concept. Placement, size and direction are all part of the conversation, and the more you tell me up front, the more focused it gets.
No. Everything I do is custom and booked ahead through the booking form.
Pricing & Deposits
It depends on size, placement, detail and how many sessions it takes. Bigger custom work is priced by the full-day session. See the pricing page, or tell me your idea and we'll talk it through. Consultations are always free.
Yes. A deposit holds your design time and your appointment date. It isn't refundable, but it can be moved once if you give me enough notice.
No. Each session is paid in full at the appointment.
Color Realism & Longevity
Well, when it's done right. Color realism with full saturation, clean contrast and smart placement holds up far better than color that went in too light. Aftercare and sunscreen do the rest. See healed work, including a galaxy elephant seven years in.
Every tattoo changes over time, black and grey included. Color that's packed in fully and cared for stays strong for a long time. What fades fast is color that went in too light.
Flatter, fleshier areas hold color longest: upper arm, thigh, back, calf. Hands, fingers and feet fade faster in any style. We'll figure out placement together as part of the design.
First-Time Clients
Yes. First tattoos are welcome, and you don't need to know everything going in. Read what to expect for your first tattoo. We settle placement, size and design together before anything is permanent.
Pain depends more on placement than on style. Spots close to bone or with thin skin are more intense. If it's your first, I'll give you honest options that balance where it shows, how it lasts and how it feels.
It depends on the piece. Smaller work can take 2 to 4 hours. Bigger pieces are full-day sessions and may take more than one visit.
Travel & Destination Clients
Yes, traveling clients are welcome. Bigger pieces can be planned around a few days in Austin so you get the most out of the trip.
Book your trip around the session dates, leave time to rest before and after, and plan for a return trip if the piece needs more than one session. The Travel page has the details.
Usually not. A full sleeve takes several sessions spread over a few months so each layer can heal. One trip can cover one or two sessions, and we schedule the rest for your next visit.
Aftercare
Keep it clean, moisturized and out of direct sun while it heals. No soaking (baths, pools, the ocean) for at least 2 to 3 weeks. The Tattoo Prep Guide covers the basics, and I go over aftercare with you at every appointment.
The surface heals in 2 to 4 weeks. Underneath, it takes 3 to 6 months. Color can look dull or patchy while it heals. That's normal.
More About Color Realism
Smaller pieces can take 2 to 4 hours. Bigger work like sleeves and back panels is done in full-day sessions, usually 4 to 6 weeks apart so each layer heals.
Every tattoo changes, but color realism with full saturation, clean contrast and smart placement holds up far better than color that went in too light. Technique, ink quality, placement and sunscreen matter most. I design every piece for how it will look years from now.
It depends on size, placement, detail and how many sessions it takes. Bigger work is priced by the full-day session. There's no flat price. Each piece is quoted on its own design, and we talk price during the free consultation.