DO NOT:

Can I smoke while I get my tattoo?
Can we bring our children into the shop?
How much do tattoos cost?
Can you cover up old tattoos?
Can I drink before my tattoo?
Do you do touch ups and what do they cost?
Do you have designs that I can choose from?
Can I bring my own design?
How do you sterilize your equipment and do you use new needles for each customer?
Here is a more detailed description of the the sterilization equipment used at Starr Asylum.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN AN ARTIST
WHAT TO EXPECT

Q: Can I smoke while I get my tattoo?
A: NO, we do not allow smoking in the tattoo shop so that we may keep a cleaner and more sanitary shop. During medium and larger tattoos you will usually be offered a short break, so feel free to step outside and have a smoke if you like.

Q: Can we bring our children into the shop?
A: This is a tattoo shop and not a playground! We do allow our customers to bring their children with as long as someone is with who can look after the kids and keep them out of trouble. If you must bring children with please keep in mind that the artists must concentrate while tattooing and crying babies get very annoying as well as bratty little monsters who like to get their noses into everything. We are one of the only shops in the country who will allow you to bring your children into the shop so please do us the favor of keeping them under control and out of trouble. Under no circumstances will we tattoo or pierce your minor children, so don't even ask!

Q: How much do tattoos cost?
A: Tattoos start at $50 and go up.

DO NOT call us to ask for a price quote as we cannot give one without seeing the actual design in person.

The cost of a tattoo is determined by size, detail, color, placement on the body, and the work and time involved in doing the tattoo. We do the highest quality tattoos at very reasonable prices so please do not try to haggle price. This is not a flea market, a Pawn Shop, or DRUG STORE! If you are looking for bargain basement prices, go to you local basement scratcher and don't waste our time. Good work is not cheap and cheap work is not good. Remember they are called scratchers for a reason, and we make our living off fixing what they attempted to do in the first place.

Q: Can you cover up old tattoos?
A: Yes, we can cover up unwanted tattoos with new ones. Keep in mind that you are very limited in what will actually cover existing tattoos as you cannot put lighter colors over darker colors without the old design showing through. The new tattoo will most times be a bit larger than the old one and usually darker in order to fully hide the unwanted tattoo. An easier and less expensive alterative to covering one up is to redo the old design. We can rework your old tattoos and make them look like new and in most cases better than the day you got it the first time. If you have a tattoo that you would like covered or reworked please stop in for a consultation and we would be happy to help you.

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Q: Can I drink before my tattoo?
A: We DO NOT recommend drinking before getting tattooed. Alcohol thins out your blood making you bleed more during the tattoo procedure which in turn pushes the ink out of your body leaving you with a faded looking tattoo that will need to be touched up. We will not tattoo you if you are noticeably intoxicated. Drunk people quite often become rude and obnoxious, move around a lot and tend to make poor decisions that they may regret in the future, like a tattoo they would not have gotten while sober.

Q: Do you do touch ups and what do they cost?
A: We guaranty our tattoos and will touch them up free of charge within 6 months of when they were done, provided that you cared for them according to our healing instructions. After 6 months you will be charged based upon the work involved. We also touch up other peoples work at a fee determined by the work involved.

Q: Do you have designs that I can choose from?
A: Yes, we have several thousand designs to choose from, or to draw
inspiration from. Designs may be changed or manipulated to suit the clients personal needs.

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Q: Can I bring my own design?
A: Yes, we encourage it. Bring your own design or just your idea and let our artists visualize it for you.

Q: How do you sterilize your equipment and do you use new needles for each customer?
A: Starr Asylum uses autoclave sterilization (the preferred method of
hospitals, doctors and dentists). And yes we do use single use needles for each of our customers and they too are sterilized using the aforementioned process.

Here is a more detailed description of the the sterilization equipment used at Starr Asylum.

An autoclave is used to sterilize all instruments used in the tattooing process. Autoclaves should be tested monthly to insure that they are in proper working order. We do this by spore tests obtained from third party laboratories. The test strip is placed in the autoclave and run with a batch of instruments. It is then mailed to the lab for processing to insure that the autoclave is achieving the proper temperature and pressure; therefore killing the spores.

An ultra sonic cleaner is the device we use to clean excess pigments from tubes used in the tattooing process. The Ultrasonic is fill with a soap and water mixture and the tubes are immersed. The ultra sonic uses sound waves to work loose the excess pigments or inks. After the tubes have ran their cycle they are rinsed clean and dried, then bagged to be run through a cycle in the autoclave.

A sharps container is utilized to dispose of used needles, it is made of a puncture proof plastic. When full, the lid is secured and the whole container is delivered to medical waste technicians and disposed of properly.

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THINGS TO LOOK FOR:
It's important when getting your first tattoo to be well informed on proper health and safety practices, the following are some basic guidelines and questions that should be asked of a potential tattoo artist.

a) Does the shop or studio seem clean and well kept?
b) Does the shop have an autoclave sterilizer? If yes, ask to see it. Any reputable shop will be more than happy to accommodate you.
c) Do they only use their needles once? This varies from place to place. Some shops may say they sterilize their needles with an autoclave, which does make it safe and free from disease, but the needles do get dull rather quickly. Since needles are relatively inexpensive, it is better just to use the needles one time.
d) Does the artist use latex gloves? This is a must!
Remember these are just a few basics. A little time investigating the studio where you wish to get your tattoo done is important, it can also keep you from getting a bad or tattoo or worse. Ask lots of questions and use your best judgment. If someone tries to avoid questions or seems evasive in any way, they probably have something to hide and should be avoided. People who practice safe, sterile tattooing are proud of the fact and will most likely answer any and all questions you might have.

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WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN AN ARTIST:
This can vary greatly depending on who you ask. When searching for an artist to suit your needs ask around, people who have tattoos are usually more than happy to talk about their work and the artist that applied it. When you are interested in getting a tattoo and you tell everyone you will more than likely get a few select persons who will tell you about good or bad experiences that they have had. Word of mouth is the best form of advertisement an artist can have. Once you decide which shop or shops are worth checking out, and you take that first step inside a studio, the following are some things to look for or ask about.

a) Is the artist helpful or does he or she have a bad attitude? Remember you are doing them the favor by patronizing their establishment.
b) Ask to see a portfolio of the artists work. Does their work look up to your standards.
c) Are the pictures in the portfolio in focus or distorted and unreadable? If someone shows you pictures that are unclear or distorted they may be trying to hide something.
d) Ask the artist how long he or she has been tattooing and what they do for health and safety practices. (Refer to health and safety procedures.)
Again these are just basic guidelines when choosing an artist. Artists have many different styles, some may suit you and some may not. Some artists are versatile and can work comfortably in any style to suit you. Use your best judgment and common sense. You also get what you pay for, good art doesn't come cheap.

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WHAT TO EXPECT:
Many people will say many different things about their tattooing experience, you can believe about half of them. Nervousness is commonplace when going to get tattooed, some people experience a "butterflies in the stomach" type of sensation. This is normal. You should be well rested and have a full stomach when you go, this is a must since getting a tattoo can drain you physically. Going on an empty stomach can have a very adverse affects, such as loss of consciousness or nausea. As far as what to expect as pain goes, many describe it as annoying rather than painful. Descriptions of the feeling range from a "cat scratch" to a sun or rug burn. When getting a tattoo your endorphins can kick in and you may feel energized for a period of time, but you will feel drained after the tattoo, the longer the tattoo takes the more drained you will feel. These are basic sensations you may feel. Experiences will vary from person to person. These paragraphs are written to give a first time tattoo recipient some idea of what to ask and what to expect. If you have any other questions that are more specific please don't hesitate to call .

Under Age with Questions?
This is for all of you under age kids, who think they want a tattoo.
A Tattoo is is for life, and it doesn't matter if you LIKE it or NOT. There is also more to consider when looking for a place to get your ink. Don't just goto the first place that tells you YES. Are they steril? What kind of artist are they: Scratcher, Chop Shop, OK, Fair, Good, Great, Exellent? You may not know it, but there are pleanty of so called "professional" Tattoo studio's in the area, all of them CLAIM to be something they are not. It's up to YOU to figure that out. When we go to other shops to get ink, the first thing we look at is the studio it's self, is it CLEAN? If not we move on, not wasting the time talking to the artist. Next his/her portfolio. What kind of artist are they? Don't think because they have trophies in the windows, or in the studio that they are great. Can they actually Tattoo? Or does the work they do, look like a kid with crayons? Or worse? TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK AT PICTURES OF THERE WORK, And ask questions. All we are saying is, it's not about where can I get this done at my age. It costs nearly 3 times more money to fix, cover-up, or remove the tattoo. If a studio will tattoo you, under the age of 18, what kind of morals do they have? And NO MATTER WHAT, UNDER THE AGE OF 18, YOUR PARENTS HAVE TO BE PRESENT DURING THE PROCEEDURE, AND THEY ALSO HAVE TO SIGN THE RELEASE FORM.
Our suggestion to you kids would be to take the time to research your shops, and artists, then pick the tattoo you want, Then wait 6 months, and ask your self, "Do I still want this?" then wait another 6 months, and repete the question, if you still want it, 1. You are one year closer to being old enough, so whats one more year right? 2. You are more mature now, so picking the correct studio and artist to do the job is that much easier. 3. You should have pleanty of money in the bank to buy the Tattoo. Because Great Tattoo's are not cheap, and cheap Tattoo's are not great. Most Studio's are around $100 Per hour, or more. Most with a $40-$50 minimum charge, no matter what. Getting a Tattoo at a party by a scratcher is NOT the way to go. Not only is it UN-SAFE, but every Party piece we've seen is horrid. They have no clue HOW to Tattoo, let alone be steril. This is why they DO NOT WORK in a Professional Studio Enviornment. Trust us the last thing you want from your tattoo is DEATH.
We've complied a few other places for you to research information to help you LEARN about Tattooing and why its best to wait until you're at least 18. This way you don't have to take our word for it. Trust us we would rather see you return for life, getting exellent tattoo's, then slap a piece on you, that you hate when you are about 20, discouraging you from getting any more, ever. Our client base is strong and returns often to add to there body art. So check these links before going anywhere and getting a un-pleasent experience in the tattoo field.
STATE TATTOOING LAWS
Teens Who Take Risks, to be cool.


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