GOT INK? Section 1
Getting a Tattoo
What does the shop look like? What is its ambiance? Does it look like a barber shop, a hair salon, dental office or an art gallery? If you are a nonsmoker, will cigarette smoke bother you? Look for used ashtrays as signs. Do the work areas offer you any privacy? Do they use shower curtains, private booths or shoulder-high room dividers? Try to go and visit and then come back another day. Don’t feel pressured into having to get one right then and there. Try and talk to some people that have experience with the artist (and not the groupies that you’ll find hanging around the shop). You should feel comfortable with the artist and you should like him/her. If you don’t, then don’t get a tattoo. Make sure the artist is willing to listen to you and respects what you want. Don’t go to an artist that has an agenda of what he/she wants to do. The artist may make suggestions, but the final word is always yours. Finally, make sure you take their business card with you. If the artist you talk to does not have his/her own card, jot down the name on the back, and perhaps some notes to yourself about the shop and the artist. R-E-S-P-E-C-T: What to ask from artists? It has been brought to my attention that some tattooists have an attitude problem when it comes to potential customers. Tattooists (and piercers!) need to realize that not every person who walks in has to look like a grunged-out leather-wearing biker, or a raven-haired cleopatra-eyed septum-pierced zombie. People from all walks of life may be interested in bodyart. A potential customer should *NOT* be made to feel out-of-place or ashamed for walking in wearing a business suit, or an LL Bean dress. It is amazing to think that someone with purple hair and eyebrow rings could actually discriminate against someone, but apparently, this seems to be happening. Just as a customer should expect certain sanitation standards, they should also expect an inviting atmosphere. Re tattoo shops insured? Most reputable tattoo shops are insured. The problem is, they’re usually insured against premises liability. This means that they have insurance coverage if you fall and hit your head on their floor, but *NOT* if you’re unhappy with their work. In the past, the only insurer who would cover the latter was Lloyd’s of London, and their rates were apparently very high.
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