FAQ – Skinfinity Tattoo Company

Faq

HOW OLD DO I HAVE TO BE TO GET A TATTOO?

You must be 16 or older, not any younger. It doesn’t matter if your parents will sign for you or swear on a stack of bibles. The Polk County Health Department wrote that rule because, in other states where one parent consented and they were a divorced couple, the other parent was upset their child was tattooed, and that makes for a mess. So you have to be 16 on the dot, with no “Ifs,” “Ands,” or “Buts” about it. Be ready to prove yourself with a photo ID because we will ask to see it.

WHY ARE THE RULES OF GETTING MY CHILD PIERCED DIFFERENT THAN GETTING MY CHILD TATTOOED?

That is just the way that Florida law is written. Piercing laws have been around for over 10 years, but Florida tattoo laws went into effect in January 2013, so they were not made at the same time and were made by different people. There is no minimum age for body piercing in the state of Florida. This doesn’t mean we will do any piercing for any age, so please call the shop if you have a question about a certain piercing. If you are unsure of the procedure, it is always best to come in or call to find out if we will do it before beginning the process of paperwork.

WHY CAN'T YOU PRICE MY TATTOO OVER THE PHONE?

We are not able to see exactly what you want over the phone. Tattoos are priced by the time it takes us to do the project, not by the size of the area of skin being tattooed. Some images are more detailed than others and take longer, even though they are the same size as something that might be done in half of the time. Also, your idea of small might be completely different than our idea of small, and the location of the body that the tattoo is being put on makes a difference to the amount of time the project will take. It is always best to stop by the shop to get an estimate and/or schedule an appointment to get your tattoo done.

DO YOU TAKE CREDIT CARDS?

Yes, but we add a percentage to the cost. Normally we don’t charge our customer's sales tax, but we must pay it. Taking credit cards costs us more. But we realize things can be tight, so whip out the plastic! We will need to photocopy your photo ID to prove your visit to the credit card company, should the need arise.

SO IF YOU TAKE CREDIT CARDS, CAN I CHARGE MY DEPOSIT?

DO YOU TAKE WALK-INS, OR DO I NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT?

We always accept walk-ins if the schedule is light. Appointments are mandatory if you want to schedule anything after the day you are calling. In other words, a cash deposit is necessary for bookings in the future. People out of town or who can’t come in twice can give credit by phone deposit. We require deposits because, unfortunately, many, many, many people have stood us up and hindered our business and didn’t give it another thought.

WHY LEAVE A DEPOSIT, AND WHY IS IT NON-REFUNDABLE?

Deposits are non-refundable, PERIOD! When you give us a deposit, you have promised to come in at a certain time to have your procedure or tattoo done, and our artist has turned away other clients for you and usually spent time drawing your piece for you. If you choose just not to show up for your appointment, our artists have invested time and money and deserve to be compensated for it. If you don’t cancel your appointment and just don’t show up, we will require you to make a new deposit before scheduling a new appointment. If you call ahead at least 24 hours ahead of time to let us know you can’t make it, we will transfer the original deposit to your new appointment time and date.

DO YOU TIP A TATTOO ARTIST?

Now there’s a good question. It is always welcomed by hard-working artists, as they only make a percentage of the tattoo price. The service should be better than just “good enough,” which is what you get in most places. If a tattoo artist has gone out of their way to make things good for you or really set you up with something sweet, then, by all means, TIP WELL!!!!. What’s typical? 20-30%.

HOW DO I TAKE CARE OF MY TATTOO?

CAN I SHOWER RIGHT AFTER A TATTOO?

Absolutely, showering is preferred! Cleaning a wound is good for you. If there is any residue left over from getting the tattoo, cleaning it gives germs nothing to feed on. On the other hand, you should stay out of pool water, lakes, springs, jacuzzis, and salty beach water until at least 7 days after you get a tattoo. Baths or “soaking” of any kind is the enemy for the first week.

CAN I EXPOSE IT TO SUNLIGHT?

If your tattoo is brand new, avoid sun exposure. I always tell people not to forget that their tattoo is like expensive scrape. The skin is exposed to harm because it has lost part of its protective epidermis, so if you expose a tattoo to the sun, the sun burns your skin with nothing to stop it. So avoid the sun if you work outdoors; wear a white shirt to reflect the sun or a dry bandage, but take the bandage off afterward so your tattoo can breathe and heal faster.

WHAT KIND OF SUNBLOCK SHOULD I USE?

I'VE HAD THIS TATTOO FOR YEARS. DO I STILL NEED TO PROTECT IT FROM THE SUN?

Your tattoo will last a lot longer if you protect it. Try to use sunblock if you know you are going to tan or be working or walking in the sun for a while.

IS IT TRUE THAT BLACK INK WILL OUTLAST COLOR INK OVER TIME OR AFTER SUN EXPOSURE?

IS IT TRUE THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF GREY? SOMEONE CALLED ONE TYPE "JAPANESE GREY"; WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

There are basically two greys: one mixed with white ink and the other mixed with an antiseptic water-based solution. The second type is sometimes called Japanese grey or grey wash because it is used in the tattooing of wind bars, so common in Japanese sleeves or back pieces. I like to call it portrait grey because I used it mostly for that. With portrait grey, you can almost get an infinite amount of tones and blending.

HOW DO YOU STERILIZE YOUR INSTRUMENTS?

We use what’s now the industry standard – the autoclave. Any reusable piercing instrument is soaked first in an enzymatic cleaner and then sterilized by the autoclave, just like at your dentist or doctor’s office. All of our tattoo tools are single-use and disposable. We always use brand new, pre-sterilized needles for EVERY person, EVERY time. We also spore-test our autoclaves monthly; this ensures that they are still doing a great job at killing bacteria, viruses, etc. We post the latest spore test results near the front of the store.

DOES IT HURT TO GET TATTOOED?

Some people are annoyed by this question, but it really is a valid question because what people really want to know is how MUCH it will hurt. Yes, it hurts, but: everyone handles it differently. What you feel depends on who you are, whether you had a good lunch, if you got a good sleep that night, etc. I feel that the stress involved in getting a tattoo is good for people. It is very much like a healing ritual in which you volunteer to endure to reach a higher goal. Some people find getting a tattoo will snap them out of depression for a while. The human body “rewards” you with endorphins to deal with pain. So the tattoo usually hurts only for the first 5 – 10 minutes, and then you either feel numb in that area or you feel very good all of a sudden. I always feel like I accomplished something really good after getting a tattoo, and that’s a good feeling. Of course, being rewarded with a beautiful tattoo is an even better feeling.

WHAT PART OF THE BODY HURTS THE LEAST? WHAT HURTS THE MOST?

The arm is the absolute easiest, and the genitals would probably be the most, but since we don’t tattoo those…..Areas where you have lots of muscle will absorb the needle better and, as a result, hurt less. The places that hurt more than usual are areas of either high nerve concentration, erogenous zones like the inner thigh, or areas right over the bone like the ankle. Certain areas that hurt a lot, like the ribcage, usually are chosen by those with more experience. But if it’s your first tattoo and you are nervous, stick to the arm or leg. Really though, I think people should get them wherever they envision the tattoo looking good regardless of pain because once it’s over, you live with it for your ever, which might be a long time.

SO, DO ARMS AND LEGS HURT THE LEAST?

Definitely, I’d be covered head to toe if everything was as easy.

WHAT HURTS MORE, THE OUTLINE OR THE COLORING OF A TATTOO?

The outline typically almost unanimously hurts more. Physiologically the outline needle typically goes in deeper, and the outline needle is shaped like a point, whereas the color needle is shaped like a small brush. The color needle, therefore, is interpreted as a blunt force. On the other hand, because of endorphin release, the coloring comes later in the pain cycle. Usually, after about 3-4 hours, endorphins wane, and even the color will seem painful. Also, in a very large tattoo where multi-sessions are involved, there may only be color left to do on the tattoo, and thus the body has nothing to compare it to.

I CAN GET HIGH OR DRUNK TO DEAL WITH THE PAIN, RIGHT?

Wow, what a bad mistake. That question always reminds me of people who say they drive better when drunk. Alcohol makes your surface blood vessels dilate, which means you will bleed more, and that means it will be harder to have ink spread evenly in the skin. People who are drunk, I find, can never stay still while getting tattooed. This is incredibly annoying; trying to paint a straight line on a moving car, for example, almost impossible. If you want straight, even lines, you have to stay still. The main point, however, is that we want you to be 100% with us when you are being tattooed, so you are happy with all your decisions later.

ARE TATTOOS ADDICTIVE? WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE SO MANY?

Honestly, most people do end up getting more than one. I personally don’t see anything wrong with that. A lot of people feel off-balance with just one tattoo. In my opinion, there are three major rewards to getting tattooed.

“Runners high” or endorphins after enduring something stressful like getting a tattoo or running 4 miles.
The feeling of accomplishing something, enduring stress toward the higher end of a beautiful design on your skin forever.
Attention from people, especially your own peers, in which the tattoo is appreciated for its beauty or “coolness” (and don’t underrate the sexiness factor)

CAN TATTOOS BE REMOVED?

As much as we dislike this question, we have to admit there are definitely tattoos worth removing. Before we get into it, however, I have to say you shouldn’t get a tattoo if imminent removal is on your mind. Almost every method of removal leaves some trace scar tissue. The best method is laser removal, in which a laser vaporizes the ink particles in the skin. Old methods usually involved burning or abrading the entire area, which was definitely messy. If you like tattoos, we suggest you look into getting a coverup from someone competent. Look at their coverup skills in their portfolio. Laser removal usually requires many sessions, and the fees add up usually 3-4 times what a coverup would have cost.

IF I HAVE DARK SKIN, CAN I STILL GET A TATTOO?

Absolutely, all our artists have experience tattooing darker skin. The most important thing to understand is that the style should be adjusted for the design to be bold and show contrast well, especially if the person is very dark. In general, I encourage having a large design tattooed on dark skin because it’s easier to decipher the image. Believe me, there’s nothing more disheartening for a person with a new tattoo than to have all their friends wondering, “what is that on your arm?”

BUT, CAN PEOPLE WITH DARKER SKIN GET *GOOD* TATTOOS?

Notice I phrased the question as I did. If your artist knows what he/she is doing, they will take into consideration just how light or dark you are. If you are a light caramel color, then you can have black & grey, red, orange, blue & green. Moderate colored skin, we use mostly black & grey & red. Red combines with brown skin beautifully. For really dark skin, you should stick to black and shades of grey.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET A TATTOO AT SKINFINITY?

The shop has a minimum charge of $100.00. All artists do custom work and charge about $150-250 an hour. The rate in Florida for top-rated artists is $300+/hour, so we are still slightly below that to match our area’s economy, although we are definitely considered top-rated. More commonly, we quote a price for the tattoo itself if it can be completed in one sitting. If we feel it will take more than one session to complete, a price is set per session until the tattoo is completed. And don’t forget you’re not buying a bag of chips, or sneakers that might be the same from one store to the next, so choose your artist not based on price but based on his/her work.

HOW DOES SOMEONE "BECOME" A TATTOO ARTIST?

It is our humble opinion that the best tattoo artists are people inclined to prolific drawing. And we said drawing, not painting or sculpting. The discipline of line work in tattooing derives nicely from a skill like drawing. I would say apprenticing is unrealistic for many people who feel they want to become tattoo artists. There are no formal schools available. The artists who offer apprenticeships charge anywhere from $5000-$20,000. This seems reasonable to me, considering the time and personal attention necessary. Other artists expect 100% devotion, and you work off your apprenticeship by doing all the dirty work in the shop. Most artists I know have a tough time being someone else’s underling. A teacher of this kind of art must be on top of everything you do, and that includes improving drawing skills and people relations. Learning under the guidance of an experienced tattoo artist or two is absolutely the best way to avoid hurting people, putting their trust in you and their skin in your hands.

I feel personally responsible for only letting the best people touch my clientele. You must draw very well and have good social skills to work at Skinfinity. It’s impossible these days to become a good tattoo artist if you can’t draw, especially considering the high demand for custom work. I think most apprentices these days are friends with good tattoo artists and have proven themselves as artists in other media. They pay off their apprenticeship by taking a very small percentage of the tattoo fee.

HOW LONG HAVE THE STAFF AT SKINFINITY BEEN TATTOOING?

Everyone at Skinfinity Tattoo Company has been Tattooing for 3 years or more.

To speak for myself (Heather), I’ve been tattooing for 20 years, and Bobby has been tattooing for 13 years. Derrick 21 years. The rest of our artists have been tattooing for 3-10 years each.

HOW CAN SOMEONE BE A BETTER TATTOO ARTIST?

If you’re already tattooing and you are not sure what’s going on, or you want to improve yourself, I suggest the following:

Draw any chance you get. Whenever possible, make a complete drawing for a custom tattoo. Go all the way with color and shade, and do 2 or 3 different drawings if you can. This way, you work out the possibilities on paper, and you don’t end up wishing you could have done it differently.
Go to Tattoo Conventions or other shops and watch how other people do things like set up their shops or showcase their flash or portfolios. Warning: be very cordial with other tattoo artists because they sometimes bite.
Expose yourself to other art experiences, not just tattoos, all the time. It’s very refreshing and good for the mind and soul to experience different things. If you even get to practice a different art medium like, say, painting, you may free your soul and register different shapes and compositions you may be able to apply to tattooing. Whatever you do, make your second art form something nowhere near as stressful as tattooing. Something with fewer rules and more forgiving of “mistakes”.
For God’s sake, try to stay humble. Art on the skin can be very impressive, especially to people who can’t draw on paper. But if you let all the compliments get to your head, you become complacent with yourself, and you don’t try as hard. And remember — there is always someone out there that can tattoo better than you, so be humble and keep learning.

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