All tattoos hurt a little bit. Some areas will hurt more than others and sometimes you will barely feel it, but all tattoos are bearable, otherwise there wouldn’t be as many people with tattoos. The best thing to do to minimise the pain and anxiety of getting a tattoo is to stay calm and do not tense up, breathe slowly and accept that it will hurt a little. Avoid using Goggle or asking others about how much it may or may not hurt, everyone is different. Make sure you are wearing comfortable (not new or light colours) clothing that allows for easy access to the area of your tattoo. Make sure you have eaten and had a good night’s sleep beforehand and remain hydrated for a few days before hand. Many people chose to take a pain killer such as ibuprofen an hour before the tattoo and find that this helps to take the edge off.

Everyone’s pain threshold is a little different so this will vary from person to person. When thinking about the placement, you should have the tattoo where you want it, not where you think it will hurt less, the pain will be short lived, but the tattoo will be permanent.

We do not recommend numbing cream. Over the last few years numbing cream has become readily available, however the use of it is not beneficial to yourself or the artist in the long run. They generally do not work for the duration and can affect the process of the tattoo and the healing, also been known to cause severe reactions of the skin. You will be required to sign a disclaimer that will state that you have not applied any numbing agents to the area that you would like to be tattooed.

It is not advisable to get tattooed while pregnant and no reputable tattooist will do this. You will be asked to sign a consent form before your appointment, one of the things it will ask you to declare is that you aren’t pregnant or breast feeding.

The general healing time for a tattoo is 7-14 days. This does not mean that it will hurt for 14 days but you may find that is it a little itchy and scabby. Each artist will provide you with suitable aftercare instructions for the tattoo you are having. In general, the best advice is to keep it clean by washing with hot water and a natural, perfume free baby soap for the first few days and then to make sure you use a recommended tattoo aftercare cream to moisturise the healing tattoo. Never pick the scabs off a healing tattoo as this will result in colour loss and patchy healing. You need to keep a new tattoo out of prolonged contact with water for 14 days, so no swimming or long soaks in the bath. Showers are fine though. It is advisable to keep any tattoo out of the sun and to always use factor 50 sunscreen.

By law you must be over 18 to get a tattoo in the UK. You must be able to produce a valid form of photo ID. Unfortunately parents permission has not been allowed since the 70’s.

You can have a consultation with either the chosen artist before your appointment to ensure that your design is exactly what you want. This a free service and usually takes around 15 minutes, you can book this in, via the online booking link.
Can I get a memorial tattoo using ashes?
For contamination reasons we do not tattoo using ashes.

To book your tattoo message your chosen artist’s Instagram account, or on our website and one of our team or the artist themselves will reply to start the booking process with you. You will have a consultation and you will need to leave a non-refundable deposit (which will come off the price) to secure an appointment. We will let you know an estimated price before you schedule your appointment.

Your design will be ready to view in the studio on the day of your appointment. If there are any small changes that you want to make there will be plenty of time for you to chat with the artist and they will be more than happy to amend the design.

Unfortunately, you cannot bring a friend into your tattoo appointment, there are loads of great coffee shops and restaurants nearby where someone can wait for you though. If there are circumstances where you require someone to be present, please let the studio know beforehand so that we can make arrangements to accommodate you both in the studio.

There are a variety of car parks that are near the studio however the easiest way is to download either the Pay by Phone app or Mi Permit this allows for you to extend your parking without leaving your appointment. Also please do not arrange anything to close to your appointment to allow for you to not leave prematurely.

The time your tattoo takes will vary depending on size, placement and detail. Your artist should be able to give you an idea of how long the piece will take at the time of booking. Please note that we can only give an estimate on the time a tattoo will take as each design is custom.

Both floors (1st and 2nd) are accessed via Celly’s at 254 high on the ground floor and entrance is via a door towards the back of the salon (signposted). Unfortunately we do not have access for anyone who are unable to comfortably get up the stairs. Link to our map is on our website.

When choosing a tattoo artist, it’s essential to thoroughly do your research, look at artist’s portfolios, read reviews from previous clients, and schedule a consultation to discuss your design and ensure a comfortable and confident partnership.

The cost of your tattoo will vary depending on the size, placement, design and artist. The best way to get an accurate price estimate for a tattoo is to have a consultation with the studio or artist and we will then be able to advise you on the price.

Once you have filled in the above online booking form, you are welcome to use any of the accepted payment types showed in the last step of the process.

We are sorry to hear that you are facing issues with our booking system, please report any problems to hello@thatatooatelier.co.uk and we will have a look ASAP.