Question 1

How to choose a Tattoo Studio?

Accepted Answer

There is few advice to choose the right Tattoo parlor for you.

Check online for the portfolio if the style they offer fits with your expectations. Do not use you tablet or smartphone when it’s come to have a look at the pictures, search for a quality screen and do not hesitate to zoom and check for details and line work. A good tattoo should be stunning from far and perfectly done when you zoom at it. If lines don’t look straight or if the tattoo looks blur when you zoom at it, it might be useful to investigate a bit more or checking for another studio. Remember that a professional artist or studio should have enough time and money to invest in a high quality portfolio.

You can check artist portfolios or Contact us for any questions.

Browse reviews and check the studio reputation. It is pretty easy to check online for reviews and advices. Check for good and bad reviews. If you are looking for a particular tattoo or piercing, check if the studio is skilled in this style or in this body modification. If you have a question, you should be able to reach the studio and ask any questions you may have.

Ask for recommendation, does your friends have tattoo or body piercing already?  Are they happy with the job done?  Would they go there again?

Make sure the studio is professional and safe. You can check our recommendation about how to recognize a safe tattoo studio.

Question 2

It is safe to get a Tattoo or Piercing?

Accepted Answer

It is safe to get a Tattoo or a Body Piercing in a good tattoo studio.

Anybody can buy a basic equipment online and undertake a body modification for himself/herself or on others, but the practice of Tattooing and Body Piercing requires much more than an equipment and a place to get it done. All body modifications carry health risks. There is various type and levels of artist around the world and not all of them had training particularly in health safety.

Tattoo and Piercing Artist have to combine experience, artistic and technical and respect of high levels of hygiene. A high quality tattoo or piercing is a procedure executed in safe conditions in a safe environment with the proper equipment.

Only a professional studio can provide the hygiene and quality condition for a professional work. A professional Tattoo or Piercing shop should be able to explain to you the possible risk and asking you to sign a consent form.

Check how can I recognize a safe Tattoo studio

Check how to choose a Tattoo Studio

Question 3

Does it hurt to get a Tattoo?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for sure it does but maybe not the way your think it.

So, how painful a tattoo can be?

The first answer is not that bad and for sure not that much as you may first think. You will feel like a scratch on your skin, not more, not less. It’s an annoying kind of burning sensation but mostly bearable.

If you are afraid of needles as you may remember painful experiences with doctors, you have to know that the tattoo needles don’t goes as deep in your skin as the doctor one’s. Getting a tattoo is definitely not as bad as it seems.

The feeling will be different according to where you tattoo is located; how big it is (mostly how long it takes to get it done) and of course the type of design you chose. For example, for some people shading is more painful than doing the tattoo outline or line work and for others this is totally the opposite.

Getting a tattoo is for sure not a common experience and stress might make you over feel. The best is to talk with your artist, visit the studio before taking a decision. A good tattoo studio should be able to answer all your questions and make you feel comfortable even if you are not getting your tattoo done on your first visit.

Do not forget that we are all different and we do not feel the same pain. What is totally okay for your friends might be more painful for you and if you know you are sensitive to the pain in general there is not shame at all to prevent it by asking your artist before and buying a numbing cream.

Picking an experienced and professional tattoo artist does make a difference about pain. An experienced tattoo artist with good skills and a proper training would often be more light and gentle than an artist who had a lack of apprenticeship or supervision. Yes, making your customers feeling the less pain as possible when tattooing is something you learn. Practicing in good conditions such as proper equipment, position and light not only help the tattoo artist to produce high tattoo quality, it helps as well to lower the amount of pain.

More areas of your body are more painful than others. I built for you a beautiful infographic to help you to figure out where you going to get your next one.

Did you know?

Abundance of bone and nerve endings are locations where tattoos hurt the most. Any area with a lot of muscles and a lack of nerve and bone endings are almost pain free areas.

Most painful Tattoo areas: hands, throat, nipples, genitals, face, plexus, ankles, wrists, feet, spine, ribs, collarbone, kneecaps and elbows aren’t the less painful areas for sure. Almost pain free areas: butt, front arm, thighs, calves

Question 4

How can I recognize a safe Tattoo studio?

Accepted Answer

Every Tattoo studio should have 4 separate areas: the reception/waiting room, tattooing or body piercing area, bathroom, and a separate sterilisation room.

Only a professional studio can provide the hygiene and quality condition for a professional work.

The studio and the Tattoo or Body Piercing artist should place the used needle in a yellow sharps container. All the needles should be presented to you in individual packages and opened while you are present. This is the best way to ensure that the studio does not use used needles.

The best advice is to visit the tattoo shop before getting you tattoo done. The studio need to look clean and well kept. You need to feel comfortable to ask all the question you have. The staff should be happy to introduce you to the full process and do not hesitate to request a tour.

Question 5

Will my Tattoo look bad when I start to age?

Accepted Answer

The skin and flesh change in some places as you age but that doesn’t mean that your tattoo will look bad. Tattoo tends to fade over time, colors tend to fade more than black and you may need to get re-inked. The type and quality of the ink used by the Tattoo studio or artist will really change the quality of the tattoo over the time.

There are several places where you can get a tattoo that won’t change too much over the years. Tattoo on hands, foot and head/neck tends to fade away faster than other parts of the body and requires regularly touch up.

Finally, keep in mind that often a tattoo that looks bad is often a tattoo that looked already bad freshly done or poorly done by a non experienced artist.

Ask your tattoo artist or the Tattoo studio staff, they like tattoos and will gives you tips to keep your tattoo as vibrant as it looks when you just got it done.

Check our After Care recommendations

Question 6

How much does a Tattoo cost?

Accepted Answer

The price of a tattoo will vary according to the size and the tattoo designs. Often a larger design will cost more than a smaller one but not only, some design might be more complex to tattoo (even for the same size) and the price will vary according to the work needed before and during the tattoo.

Keep in mind that good tattoos aren’t cheap and cheap tattoos aren’t good.

The best thing is always to ask. To get an accurate quotation you are welcome to pass by for a free consultation.

Check our Tattoo prices or Contact Us

Question 7

How to choose a Tattoo Artist?

Accepted Answer

As a tattoo is a very personal choice, pick a Tattoo artist is too.

There is few advice to choose the right Tattoo Artist for you.

The most important thing when it comes to choosing a tattoo artist is certainly their skill level.

Usually, a good and complete artist is comfortable in different techniques. Like all artists, tattoo artists have their own style and they often specialize in what they are good at. Some tattoo artists are better at fine line tattoo, others at realism or portraits, some of them only specialise in black and grey when others love colourful piece of work. And like artists, only a few talented ones can realize almost everything.

Check for the portfolio if the style of the artist fits with your expectations. You can either check the work done and the drawings of this artist to have an idea of what he likes to do. Not all of the tattoo artist can draw, but it is definitely a strong wakeup call if the artist you target cannot show you a portfolio of pictures and sketches in the style he works into.

Do not use you tablet or smartphone when it’s come to have a look at the pictures, search for a quality screen and do not hesitate to zoom and check for details and line work. A good tattoo should be stunning from far and perfectly done when you zoom at it. If lines don’t look straight or if the tattoo looks blur when you zoom at it, it might be useful to investigate a bit more or checking for another Tattoo Artist. Remember that a professional artist should have enough time and money to invest in a high-quality portfolio.

A professional Tattoo Artist will only accept to work in conditions that are safe for themselves and for their customers. Sterile conditions cannot be met in certain environments such as at home, in pubs or food places, and don’t mix good with barbers and hairdresser’s activities.

You can check artist portfolios or Contact us for any questions.

Question 8

Do you have tattoo laser removal?

Accepted Answer

To be able to treat the different type of tattoos (home made or professional, permanent or semi-permanent, black and grey or colors tattoos) a professional practitioner will have different type of laser and not only one that fit to everyone.

A proper medical training and equipment is a huge investment and there is no place for low quality medical installation when is comes to health.

An important knowledge about the skin is mandatory and can only be learn with a proper few years medical education and a proper experience in dermatology. In Ireland, we all have a different type of skin and undertake a tattoo laser removal operation without addressing a professional may lead to health injuries from a burn to a skin cancer.

A serious practitioner will be aware of the last technics and invest in the most recent and performant equipment in order to offer a qualitative service that minimise the risk for your skin.

In the Black Hat Tattoo we have validate few professional clinics that respect theses values and we can refer you to them if you wish.

Question 9

Do you Tattoo under 18?

Accepted Answer

In The Black Hat Tattoo, we do tattoo under 18 years old and from 16 years old with legal guardian present, both ID and birth certificate.

Your legal guardian will sign the contract for you and has to be present during the tattoo process.

We are pleased to share with you few samples of the work done at the studio by our amazing team of tattoo artists in our Tattoo Gallery. Check out our advice about the healing process, aftercare and tattoo prices.

If you have any question, contact us or just call in to the studio 11/12 Parnell Street Dublin 1, all of the Black Hat Team will be happy to welcome you.

Niall Bloomfield

About Niall