A.W.O.L. Custom Tattooing Frequently Asked Questions
Any medical questions should be referred to a licensed physician, all information herein is based upon the experience or research of persons from within the body modification industry.
How old do I have to be to get a tattoo? Does getting a tattoo hurt? What should I get as a tattoo? Where should I place my tattoo?
How much does a tattoo cost? Why do tattoos cost so much? Do you have a shop minimum? How do I become a tattooist?
Do you allow children in your shop? Do you tattoo hands? Do you do facial tattoos? Do you do freehand tattoos?
What are the dangers involved with recieving a tattoo? Do you do glow in the dark tattoos or blacklight tattoos? Has anyone ever passed out from a tattoo?
What is the soonest that I can change my jewelry? Why do I have to be pierced with a hoop or long barbell?
Can I use peroxide to clean my piercing? Do Piercings hurt?
How old do I have to be to get a tattoo? (back to top)
In this shop you must be at least 16 years of age with parental consent. The parent must accompany the minor and both must have a picture ID accompanied by a birth certificate for our records. This rule is the same for most piercings as well.
Does getting a tattoo hurt? (back to top)
Everyone handles a tattoo a little differently. Most people describe the feeling as a dull burn, similar to rubbing or scratching a sunburn. There are exceptions in both directions varying from complete ecstasy to crying.
What should I get as a tattoo? (back to top)
This is a very personal decision. If you are having a hard time deciding perhaps you should hold off on getting a tattoo or ask for assistance with developing a design that is right for you. We do not recommend getting a tattoo on the spur of the moment and encourage you to think before you ink.
Where should I place my tattoo? (back to top)
This is also a very situational decision. Many designs are made to fit certain parts of the body better than others. An experienced artist will be able to explain these things to you. In many cases a design can be altered to fit areas other than where they were intended to go.
How much does a tattoo cost? (back to top)
Well, every tattoo is different in our establishment. The artist takes many factors into consideration prior to giving a price. Things such as size, location, and complexity of the design are among those things. We do not charge by the hour, the number of colors, or by the inch. We do, however, also have session rates for larger pieces that are discussed at the time of planning the design that allows for breaking up the cost of the tattoo to make it more affordable over time or to avoid doing too large of a piece in one session.
Why do tattoos cost so much? (back to top)
In a professional establishment there are many costs. Modern establishments operate as complete businesses. They pay taxes and social security. In the old days many tattoo shops eluded doing such things. On top of those costs there is a laundry list of overhead. So, in short, a tattoo shop that is giving out "cheap tattoos" is more than likely cutting corners somewhere. Would you like to gamble on where? The artists at this establishment are very reasonable with their rates though and you will not be overcharged for the tattoos that you receive.
Beyond the costs of business you are also paying the artists for their skills and talents. There is so much more involved in tattooing than just drawing. The majority of people don't realize this fact. For a tattooist to deal with the multitude of factors efficiently and have a great outcome is a skill. To develop a tattoo properly and place it on the body correctly is a talent. No matter how easy they make it look they are thinking the whole time. The safety and quality of going to a true professional tattooist is worth the extra money that is paid.
Do you have a shop minimum? (back to top)
The artists in this shop set their own prices so they have their own minimums. As of right now our tattooists have all agreed on a forty dollar minimum, which covers very small and low detailed tattoos.
How do I become a tattooist? (back to top)
Most people that set out to become a tattooist don't even make it past the paperwork. Be prepared to spend years learning and growing during and after an apprenticeship. This is a profession that requires an ability to learn for the rest of your career and a willingness to do so. There are more than enough tattooists out there right now so to be able to surpass anyone you will have to do it the right way. It is an incredible and satisfying career, but there are many, many things to learn. Being a professional tattooist involves medical knowledge, psychology, knowledge of design, business sense, and last but definitely not least mechanical aptitude. If you are not ready to for that, quit now.
Do you allow children in your shop? (back to top)
We do not mind if you bring a child into the shop while you look around as long as they are kept under control and are supervised. If you do not watch your child you will be asked to leave. We do not allow children into the tattooing area for obvious reasons.
Do you tattoo hands? (back to top)
The final say on that is up to the artist but in general we have a sleeves or better rule on tattooing hands. If you don't at least have a sleeve we don't touch them. Tattooing the hands is a very huge decision and most people that aren't already heavily tattooed don't truly comprehend this. There is a lot of stigma associated with hand tattoos. We call them job stoppers for a reason. It is hard to find work once you have them and it is even harder to get someone to look at your eyes rather than your hands while they are talking to you. Very few people that get them done live without regret in having done so.
Do you do facial tattoos? (back to top)
That is up to the artist but typically that is a giant NO! We do make exceptions in rare instances, such as repairing poor quality face tattoos.
Do you do freehand tattoos? (back to top)
Our tattooists typically will do skin drawn freehand work if that is what the project calls for. There are times when a stencil is a much better idea, such as portraits and highly geometrical designs. On the opposite side of that sometimes freehand is a much better way to go if a design needs to flow better with the body of the recipient. None of us really do absolute freehand with nothing drawn on the skin at all. It is better to have some sort of attack plan before starting a tattoo.
What are the dangers involved with recieving a tattoo? (back to top)
Well, in almost all cases there is no danger. Most problems that occur with tattoos done by an educated professional tattooist come from an outside variable such as coming in contact with some form of staph while the tattoo is healing, letting the tattoo scab, or applying too much ointment. There are however some very rare instances of people having allergic reactions to the pigments. Since all of our systems are different there is always a possibility of allergic reaction to anything.
There are typically two types of allergic reactions to tattoos if they do happen at all, contact dermatitis and photoallergic dermatitis. "Dermatitis (eczema) is inflammation of the upper layers of the skin, causing itching, blisters, redness, swelling, and often oozing, scabbing, and scaling." says Merck. Contact dermatitis is simply from coming in contact with an allergen, while photoallergic dermatitis is a chemical reaction occuring between the pigment, your body chemistry, and the sun. Ray (who's been tattooing for over 18 years) has only seen one extreme case (1/4 to 3/8 inch swelling) and three or so incredibly minor cases (slight swelling involving 1/32 to 1/16 of an inch) of the photoallergic type as well as a small handful of contact from the use of inferior inks used by other people. There are a few very extreme possibilities of danger associated with allergies but there are no documented cases anywhere that we are aware of so we won't bother going into them.
Essentially, if you are not prone to cellulitis, are not allergic to an abnormal amount of things, and are going to a professional there is nothing to worry about besides taking great care of your tattoo while it is healing. Here is our aftercare to point you in the right direction.
Do you do glow in the dark tattoos? (back to top)
All information at this point directs us to believe that glow in the dark tattoos are not safe, so we don't do them. We currently do not do blacklight tattoos either, these may be a possibility in the future but as of now it is not likely that we will ever do them.
Has anyone ever passed out from a tattoo? (back to top)
Every once in a great while someone's system will go haywire and the will pass out. This generally happens from anxiety and/or shock. Remaining calm and being sure to eat prior to getting tattooed are two ways to avoid this happening. There is nothing to panic about, we've never lost anyone :), and the pain is usually mild and only temporary if it's not.
What is the soonest that I can change my jewelry? (back to top)
This varies by the piercing. A cartilage piercing must be allowed to heal for approximately two weeks prior to changing the jewelry. A nostril piercing should be allowed to heal for at least three days. Navel jewelry should not be changed until three to four weeks have passed. The eyebrow can be changed after about a week. These are all approximations and may vary depending on your own body's healing time. You can refer to our piercing aftercare section for more information on piercings.
Why do I have to be pierced with a hoop or long barbell? (back to top)
The reason for being pierced with a hoop or long barbell is to allow for swelling. If the jewelry does not allow for swelling there are possible complications with the jewelry becoming lodged in the flesh and/or prolonged healing times.
Can I use peroxide to clean my piercing? (back to top)
Short answer, no. The long answer being that while your piercing is healing your body is forming new layers of skin and the peroxide can irritate or remove those layers which will prolong healing time and will be likely to cause infection. The best bet is to read our aftercare instructions or check with a physician.
Do Piercings hurt? (back to top)
Piercings definitely have a pinch to them, but it is generally a quick sharp pain and then it is over unless you swell a lot.
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1147 W. Hackley Ave, Muskegon MI, 49441
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