Frequently Asked Questions

How much will my tattoo cost?

I am happy to share a rough price estimate for your tattoo before your visit. I am also open to chatting about working within a budget.

For custom tattoos, I currently work at an hourly rate of $200/hr (effective November 2023). My $200 hourly rate begins after you arrive at the studio for your appointment: from the start of our conversation about the tattoo design (after you have completed any forms/paperwork), making any edits etc., through the stencil placement and until the tattoo is bandaged.

For example, if I share that your tattoo should take about 1-2 hours, your estimate will be $200-400.

Flash tattoos are as advertised on flash sheets. My tattoo minimum is $200.

How should I prepare for my tattoo appointment?

My pre-tattoo checklist is available on my website here!

What is your deposit policy?

Deposits are required to confirm any tattoo appointment. Deposits are non-refundable, with a very few exceptions based on a case by case scenario. The deposit you share when making your appointment is deducted from the total cost of your tattoo the day of your appointment. I do not accept prepayment for any tattoos.

When will I see my tattoo design?

To ensure I’m allocating my energy equally to all clients, I start working on sketches for a tattoo a few days to a day before a set appointment. I usually don’t share a design before an appointment. I set aside lots of time to make small design edits the day you stop in so we can work together in person to make sure your tattoo feels as close to perfect as possible! If for some reason we don’t create a design that you feel confident in, we can always reschedule your appointment, or go our separate ways, no hard feelings.

How do you come up with pricing?

The main factors taken into account when creating and estimating an hourly rate are: size, placement, if the tattoo is in color or black and gray, and how much detail and technical skill is needed for the design. Additional elements that are factored in: keeping pricing aligned with the ever changing economy, drawing time, one-on-one energy catered to each client, the private atmosphere of an appointment based studio & time spent communicating with each client. The more concise we are with communication, the faster the entire tattoo process will be.

What happens if I want to stay within a certain budget for my custom tattoo?

If an estimate I share for a custom tattoo is over your budget, I can usually change the design to make it work, on a case by case scenario. Working within a budget will always mean scaling back an element of the original design: either making it smaller, less detailed, no shading, taking out certain design elements, etc. I can't offer a tattoo valued at $400 for $200 without making changes because $200 is all the client can afford, as that is very unfair to other clients.

With all that in mind, tattoos are forever, so I always suggest waiting until you have enough saved to get the tattoo that you want exactly as you’ve envisioned.

What happens if I want to change my design after I’ve already made an appointment?

If your design idea, size or placement changes before your visit, please let me know at least 5 days before your scheduled appointment. If the design, size or placement has large differences from the original design, I may require a reschedule to make sure we have enough time to create the new concept. If I am notified of a design change less than 5 days before your scheduled appointment, I may require a reschedule AND a new deposit be shared (on a case by case scenario, which will be communicated to you). I will always share a new estimate based around your updated idea.

Where are you located? Do you take walk ins?

I work out of an appointment based studio in Montrose, Los Angeles.

What types of payment do you accept?

I accept cash, most major credit cards, Venmo, PayPal and Zelle.

Do you give discounts?

Discounts are only available through flash tattoos (which are priced much lower than my hourly rate) and occasional sales or events which will be shared via my newsletter and social media.

Should I tip? If so, what percent?

It is customary to tip your tattoo artist. I’ve been told the average tipping percent is 20% of your tattoo total, but I believe it’s completely up to the client and what they feel is fair based on their tattoo and their experience.

What is your rescheduling policy?

I totally understand the ups and downs of life, so if you find you do need to change your appointment date, I just kindly ask for 5 days notice to have the deposit transferred from one date to the next.  Less than 5 days’ notice and/or 3 reschedules (regardless of 5 days notice) will result in the forfeiture of the deposit and requires a new deposit for a new appointment to be made. *Due to a recent increase in last minute reschedules, I must be very strict with these policies, so please consider proper preparation before sharing a deposit, making your appointment and scheduling adjustments you may need before your visit in.

What is your late arrival policy?

Arrivals 20+ minutes past appointment time regardless of prior notice will result in the forfeiture of the deposit and requires a new deposit for a new appointment to be made.

What is your policy for tattoo touch ups?

I am happy to offer one free complimentary touch up for any tattoo that I have made within 7 months after the original tattoo appointment. Many times for more delicate “fine line” tattoos, finger, palm and foot tattoos, a touch up may be necessary. After the first touch up (or any touch up on work done by a different artist) an additional fee will be required, on a case by case scenario which will be communicated before your visit. My touch up minimum for my own work is $150. If I am touching up a different artist’s work, my touch up minimum is $180.

What are the ingredients of the ink/is it vegan?

I use primarily Dynamic Black and Solid Ink: information about their ingredients can be found here: https://thesolidink.com/pages/info and here https://dynamiccolor.com/pages/sds-sheets

Do you use numbing cream? Can I use my own from home?

To ensure as comfortable an experience as possible, I do have tattoo safe numbing spray. I can use this during your session only (not before, so you will still initially feel some pain) for no additional fee. I strongly do not suggest using or applying any pre-numbing creams at home before your visit, but if you feel you need to, please inform me of what specific product you will be using by emailing me a link of the product, at least one day before your appointment.

Can I get an existing artwork as a tattoo, or the exact same tattoo as someone else?

I am happy to create any existing artwork as a tattoo if you have adequate proof of purchase or permission from the artist for the rights of the image. I will never tattoo another artists’ work without their consent. I will never tattoo a design I have previously tattooed or a tattoo design another artist has tattooed without consent.