Tattoo FAQ — Booking, Pricing and What to Expect
Everything I get asked before a first appointment — what it costs, how booking works, what a long session is actually like, and what happens after. If your question isn't here, send it with your inquiry.
Pricing & booking · Your appointment · Design · Big projects · Aftercare · The studio
Before you book - pricing and how inquiries work
How does the tattoo process work overall?
You send an inquiry — what you want, where on your body, and roughly what you're working with for budget.
We email back and forth. I'll ask questions, talk through the design, and give you a quote. If you'd rather do it in person, you're welcome to come in for a free consult, though most people don't need to. When we're both happy, we book.
On the day, you see the design first. We change whatever needs changing, then stencil, then tattoo.
What is your pricing? How much will my tattoo cost?
The price of your tattoo will depend on the size, placement and amount of detail in the design. I charge at a rate of $250/hour. I will be able to give you a price range once we discuss all the details.
Minimum charge is $100. A full day tattoo session (max time in one day) is 6 hours. You're charged for tattoo time. Drawing, revisions and breaks aren't billed.
Do you require a deposit?
Yes, $50 to hold your appointment. It comes off the final price of your tattoo. On a multi-session project it rolls over and comes off your last session.
Your deposit is forfeited in the event of a "no-call no-show" or a cancellation/rescheduling fewer than 48 hours in advance. Deposit is non-refundable.
What do you need from me in the inquiry form?
What you'd like tattooed, where on your body, roughly what size, and any reference images that show the direction you're thinking. It also asks how you found me and what budget range you're working with.
How soon will I hear back?
Within 48 hours.
What is your availability?
I am generally booked several weeks to 2 months out. If there are any openings or cancellations, I generally post about them in my Instagram stories. I can work with you and your availability for a large project requiring multiple sessions.
Do you tattoo flash?
Yes. My available flash is on the flash page. Same rate, same deposit — nothing changes.
What tattoos do you not do?
I don’t do large coverups or reworking an existing tattoo by another artist.
I do not tattoo minors under 18, no exceptions.
I don’t do fine line tattoos, single needle tattoos.
I don’t tattoo fingers, toes, lips, ears.
I don’t do tribal tattoos.
Your appointment - the day itself
Most large pieces run across several sessions. A full day is six hours; four is what I book more often, because four is what most people can actually sit the first time.
We will take breaks when you need them for any reason. Please bring snacks and water. The studio is in a plaza with a Publix and a row of restaurants and cafés - no shortage of food options
Longer tattoo sessions can be tough on the body. I'll check in on you through the day - if it turns out not to be your day, we cut it short and pick it up next time.
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A full day is six hours of tattooing, which is closer to eight in the room once we account for setup, design time and breaks. Four hours is what I book often. We’ll agree on the session length during the consult.
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At the start of your appointment, before anything is stencilled. See Design and process for how revisions work.
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I understand that the process of tattooing can feel like a lot, and it’s nice to have a trusted person by your side. You can bring a friend with you, but please let me know upfront. Above all, I want to create an environment that is comfortable for you, while allowing me to focus on my work and bring your tattoo vision to life.
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No worries - we stop. You're charged for the tattoo time we actually did, and we book the rest for another day.
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Eat a real meal beforehand, drink water the day before, skip alcohol for 24 hours, and don't put numbing cream on the area. Wear something loose and dark that gives me easy access to the spot. Full pre-appointment instructions are here.
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We can agree on the next session at the end of your current session, or we can confirm via email later.
Design and process
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No - I don't share designs ahead of time. That's standard practice across the industry, and it's there so we do the revisions together in the room rather than over email.
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We’ll make sure to handle all revisions at the start of your appointment is for. We go over the drawing together and try out the stencil before anything is tattooed, and I change whatever needs changing.
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References, always - bring as many as you like. They tell me more about what you want than a description ever does. A finished design someone else drew is a different conversation and may require a separate look - let me know in the inquiry form.
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No. Someone else's tattoo was drawn for someone else's body. Send it as a reference and I'll draw you your own version of what you liked about it.
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As a general rule, no - I don't take on large cover-ups or reworks of existing tattoos by other artists. If you're not sure whether yours counts, send a photo with your inquiry and I'll tell you.
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Absolutely, I will work with you on the placement as much as on the design itself. I can guide you through various options, where on the body will the design flow most naturally, how will it work with the body part movement, and how it’s going to age and look like in 10 years
Large projects - sleeves, back pieces and multi-session work
Large work is priced by time like all other work by me, not by the piece. All of us humans come in different shapes and sizes, and the amount of work also varies greatly. But here's roughly what different projects take:
Half sleeve — 3 to 5 sessions, 15 to 20 hours
Full arm sleeve — 5 to 8 sessions, 30 to 45 hours
Full leg — 10 to 14 sessions, 60 to 80 hours
At $250 an hour, that puts a half sleeve somewhere around $3,750 to $5,000 and a full arm sleeve around $7,500 to $11,250. Those are ranges, not quotes - the real number depends on your design, and I'll give you a proper estimate once we've talked it through.
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Depends what we're doing. An outline needs about four weeks to heal before I shade over it. Once we're past that, if we're working different areas of skin we can go as often as once a week.
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It depends, of course (how big the area is, what type of work we are doing, and how intense are we going at it), but typically we are talking about at least a couple of months and a commitment several regular sessions. It is normal for the process to take a long time - I will work with your schedule and your budget.
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Per session. You pay at the end of each appointment for that day's tattoo time. Your $50 deposit rolls over and comes off the final session.
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Absolutely! Life happens, people move, budgets change. Let’s stay in touch while your project is paused, and resume as soon as you are ready.
Healing and aftercare
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Typically, you'll leave with a second-skin bandage on. Keep it for one to three days, then wash gently twice a day with unscented antibacterial soap and let it breathe. Start moisturising around day four. Stay out of pools and out of the sun for two weeks minimum. Full aftercare instructions are here.
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Yes, and they're free within six months, as long as the tattoo has been looked after properly (see Aftercare). The best window is around six weeks, once it's fully healed. If a tattoo has been sunburned, picked at, or otherwise not cared for, we'll talk about it and will still help - but that's not a free touch-up.
The studio and logistics
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Studio 119 at Sola Salon Studios, 2929-D N Druid Hills Rd, in Toco Hills. Free parking in the plaza, and there's a Publix and plenty of food a short walk away. Directions and hours.
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It's my own private suite inside Sola Salon Studios — a staffed building full of independent artists working in their own rooms. So you get a private room without being alone in a building with someone you've just met. By appointment only, so it's quiet and it's yours for the day.
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No. I operate at an appointment-only private tattoo studio. Please reach out to schedule your tattoo appointment.
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Cash or card
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If for any reason you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, I require a 48-hour notice at the minimum.
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You'll need a government-issued photo ID at your appointment. 18 and over, no exceptions - there's no version of this policy where a parent's permission changes it.