Are You Ready
Are You Ready?
We want each client to be confident and calm when they receive their tattoo. It is a big decision to imprint a design on your body that will stay with you for the rest of your life. We want to help you make the best decisions so you will love your body art for a lifetime. This is why we will spend the time with you getting every detail right before any ink touches your skin. We have a few suggestions to walk you through the process of preparation before you get your tattoo.
It is best to have an idea of what tattoo you want on your body before you arrive at the shop. This does not mean just bring a picture of the design to your artist and hope for the best. The more you know about placement, size, and the finer details of your tattoo the better.
It is very important that your tattoo artist has many years of experience and has been doing this type of work for all of their career. Proper training, as well as mentorship from a seasoned professional, will ensure that your tattoo will be of the best quality and precision. Price Tattoo guarantees to match you with this qualified artist at your nearest location.
At Your Service
Welcome to Price Tattoo, home to some of the most talented tattoo and piercing artists in the Chicagoland area. We prioritize cleanliness and quality, intending to meet your highest standards and expectations. Your experience with us should be as memorable as the body art you leave with. We are committed to maintaining a sanitary working space, while simultaneously providing a relaxed atmosphere so both artist and client will feel calm and confident throughout the artistic process.
Our goal is to match you with your ideal artist in design and personality to create the perfect harmony between vision and talent. Our staff at Price Tattoo are certified in cutting-edge methodologies and skilled in the art of listening, so we can provide quality service to bring your ideas to life. Schedule your initial consultation today to get started!
The Permanence of a Tattoo
Everyone has heard the expression “once it’s in, it’s in.” What does this mean? It means that once a tattoo is applied to the skin, there is no way to completely erase or remove the art. Even if you could erase all signs of your tattoo on your own body, it’s not recommended because it could damage your skin.
So how can you be certain the intricate, vibrant, and colorful design of your tattoo will remain in place for a lifetime? It’s simple. By choosing to get your ink at a reputable tattoo studio with clean sterilized equipment like ours. We use single-use sterile needles and single-use ink tubes in our shop. We also practice strict hygiene practices when handling your skin to keep everything sterilized.
There are several ways you can remove or fade ink from skin tissue. However, the most commonly used methods involve covering up the tattoo with another image or treating it similar to skin scarring
Aging Tattoos
Conventional wisdom says your tattoo will never fade or disappear. It may lighten over time, but it will not go away. Depending on the area of your body and how much sun you get, there is a chance of your tattoo becoming somewhat blurred with age.
The skin on our bodies is designed to heal from everyday cuts and scrapes and help our bodies fight off infections from bacteria. But, a tattoo needle actually creates tiny little punctures in your skin as it deposits ink into the layers of your skin. As you may already know, new skin cells are created under the surface of your skin replacing older cells that have died. The process of creating new cells is called “healing.” When you get a tattoo, your body is essentially healing a wound the entire time, working to replace those skin cells. This process can take several years. And during this process, your original tattoo will fade and appear blurry as the new skin grows behind it.
The older your tattoo becomes, the more likely you are to notice the ink is fading into your new skin. This does not mean your tattoo will disappear completely. But your original design can be replaced with an outline of the image unless you are vigilant about protecting your tattoo from the sun and using sunscreen or quality moisturizer every day, which will help slow down the process of healing.
This process can take several years depending on the color and complexity of your tattoo. The more vibrant and detailed, the longer it will take for your tattoo to become a part of you. If you get say an American flag or a highly detailed graphic design, the process may be sped up as those images have large areas of saturated color which create dark ink in your skin.
Whether your tattoo will speed up or slow down the process depends on numerous factors including how much sun your body receives, the color of ink you chose, whether it is black and gray as opposed to a brightly colored design, etc. Some people choose darker colors thinking they last longer than say light yellows but this is a misleading assumption. All colors will need to be maintained over time.
Choosing Your Tattoo Design
Unlike a piece of clothing, there is no right or wrong when it comes to fashion because style is subjective. But your tattoo design should never be subjective. You want to make sure you are completely confident with the art will become a permanent part of your body forever. This decision should not be taken lightly so here are some things for you to consider when choosing your tattoo design.
Most tattoo artists will require you to choose an image from their portfolio or a book of flash art they have created. This is because those images are theirs and the artist wants to be sure you choose an original design and not copy one of his images for your ink. Remember, in most cases, you are paying for the time of the artist and his talent to create an original design just for you.
Are you choosing a tattoo that means something special to you or someone else? This is probably the most important factor in your decision. We know many people who have gotten tattoos as memorials for lost loved ones, pets, etc. There is nothing wrong with this, but make sure you and the artist are on the same page as to what it will represent to you.
Your tattoo is a permanent part of your body for life. So choose an image you will not regret being etched on your skin forever. It is also important to consider how large the image is going to be and whether you will be able to carry it off as you age. We have heard countless horror stories of individuals who get some sort of black and gray image they think is cool when they are young but by the time, they are 40, no one has any idea what it is or why they would have gotten something so strange. This can cause problems as you get older so consider this before you commit to a specific image for your tattoo.
If you are choosing an image from someone else’s portfolio, make sure the character or subject matter of the art is something that appeals to you. If it does not speak to you, then do not choose it as your ink design. This is your tattoo and you want it to be something meaningful to you. If the image does not personally mean anything, make sure it will look good on your body.
If you know there are some parts of the image you do not like, talk about them with the artist before he starts drawing out his design. They can revise the sketch to give you the look you are hoping for. Always pick out exactly what you want and do not settle for something just because it is there if it does not work for you.
All of these things will play a factor in your decision-making process, but the one thing they all have in common is you need to be 110% convinced the design you choose is something you will love for a lifetime.
Tattoo Preparation
We highly recommend you remove any jewelry. Some jewelry can be damaged by the tattoo process and others have metal that might interfere with getting a good electrical conductivity to the area. If we need to, we will ask you to leave your jewelry at home. Any other accessories like watches, rings, bracelets, or necklaces should be removed. We will also want to remove any lotion from your hands and wrists.
We recommend you drink plenty of water before the tattoo session. If you are thirsty, take a break! Your skin is porous and can absorb liquids quickly so if you are feeling thirsty, it’s time for a water break.
We have many clients who will dress comfortably and usually in shorts or pants they don’t mind getting dirty. A large towel on a couch works great for this.
If you are planning to get your tattoo on your back or somewhere difficult to reach, we recommend coming in with no make-up on, hair held up into a pony tail, or at least put it up and back so it doesn’t get in the way. When you are in the chair, we suggest taking a short power nap before we start so you will be rested and alert when it’s time to get your tattoo.
The most important thing is to bring someone with you. Not only can they help us during the session by holding off your clothing or other things, but they can also calm your nerves. It is normal to be nervous and getting your tattoo is a pretty big deal, but having someone with you will make the experience more enjoyable.
If the person who is going to accompany you does not want to sit in the tattoo room, we have an area out front for them or they can wait across the street at a restaurant if they would prefer. Though we ask they do not come back into the room until you are finished.
If you are under 18, we will need to make arrangements for your parent or guardian to sign our liability release form and the guest policy waiver when they come in with you. If your parent or guardian is not coming with you, we will have them fill out both forms ahead of time and have you bring them with you.