1. Why do you take a deposit?

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The deposit is crucial for a few reasons—

Sending a deposit is a show of good faith that you’re excited to work with your artist. It helps cover the unpaid hours they spend at home drawing your design prior to your tattoo day. It secures your booking date and allows your artist to move forward with the design knowing you are committed to showing up for your appointment. Should you fail to show up for your appointment, the deposit is surrendered to your artist and also works as a protective measure, as they now lose the additional income from your appointment.

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2. What should I expect in the healing phase of my tattoo?
During the healing phase of your tattoo, there are a few things that are normal to expect:

• Always follow your artists instructions 

• Only ever touch your tattoo with CLEAN HANDS

• Your artist will bandage your tattoo following your appointment. Depending which method, the bandage should be left on for 8-72 hours

• The skin to become flaky - the dark top layer will sometimes flake off to reveal the true tone underneath. Trust the process 

• Initial redness of the tattoo should calm down within 24-48 hours

• Itchiness

• There can sometimes be scabbing. Don’t pick at it

• Use an unscented moisturizer 

• No soaking in water for 3-4 weeks 

• No direct sun exposure for 3-4 weeks. Following, use sunscreen.

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3. Is there specific products you recommend for aftercare?

Anything unscented is great. 
 

We recommend a variety of unscented lotions— Aveeno, Lubriderm or as an all natural solution, coconut oil is great! But we also have some aftercare products available for purchase in the studio should you like to get some the day of your appointment. 

Everyone’s body is a little different, so what works for one person- may not work for another. You know your body best and we trust that you want to take care of the art you’re putting on your body.

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4. Can I see the drawings before my appointment?

This one is tricky… it varies from artist to artist. 

At Georgian Pines, we do make an effort to try to get you a rendition of your design within 24 hours leading up to your booking in case there are revisions that need to be made. Your artist will not provide you with a design without a deposit. Full stop. However, There are several reasons an artist may not be able to get or not want to give the design to you in advance of your appointment. 

• Too many people giving their input- often when the design is sent too far in advance, it gets sent to too many other people who give their input. Then the design becomes what everyone else wants, rather than what the client wants. 

• Designs are stolen- yeah, yeah. We know. You’d never do that… but it happens. Clients will want to see the design ahead of time, and then take it to another tattoo artist to have it done. 

• Last minute cancellations- life happens. And when a client has to cancel their appointment within a few days or at the last minute, if your artist has prepared in advance- the artist has now prepped for an appointment that may not even happen without getting paid. 

• Often, simply- the artist is just too busy to get to it too far ahead of your appointment. All the design process is done on the artists own unpaid time, outside of the hours spent at the studio actually tattooing. So yes, sometimes we spend 8 hours at the studio tattooing, and then turn around, come home and spend another 3-4 hours working on a design for the next day.

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5. How much does it cost?

This also varies from artists to artist. 

Some of our artists work on an hourly scale, others price piece to piece and some offer flat rate flash sales. 

Depending who you are working with at Georgian Pines, you can expect an hourly rate between $150 -200, with some artists pricing per piece or offering special rates. Most artists can give a fair approximation for timing of your piece and cost prior to your appointment so surprises are minimal.

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6. Do you do coverups?

Yes- we do! But it’s important to remember that coverups require more preparation and consultation with your artist. 

Depending what you’re trying to cover, you may be restricted to what we can do stylistically. So coming in for a coverup requires an open mind and acceptance that it may be multiple sessions to achieve the desired outcome.

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7. How can I best prepare for my tattoo?

Here are some tips on how to best prepare for your tattoo—

• ​Moisturize the week leading up to your appointment in the place you’re planning to get your tattoo 

• Drink lots of water - hydrated skin is good skin

• Make sure you get a good nights sleep 

• Bring any comforts you’ll need for your session (blanket, pillow, snacks, headphones, etc)

• Avoid sun exposure a few days prior to your appointment 

• Avoid alcohol consumption 24 hours before your appointment- alcohol is a blood thinner and this will cause you to bleed, potentially leading to problems with how your skin takes ink and how you heal

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8. What do you recommend for someone doing a longer session?

Long sessions can be a battle. 

The important thing to remember when doing a full day is to come prepared! 

Bring whatever comforts you need to be as comfortable as possible throughout the day. Pillows, extra layers, blankets, iPads, books, headphones, fuzzy socks- we’ve seen it all. 

Eat! Whether you are bringing your own snacks, or ordering in- it’s important to keep your blood sugars up. Natural sugars (like fruits) are the best. We also recommend bringing electrolytes. Eating throughout the day will make a world of difference in a long session. 

Stay hydrated. Lots of water, lots of fluids. Juices and gatorades or other sports hydration drinks are great. It’s best to not drink too much caffeine during your session as the caffeine can sometimes increase the sensitivity of your nerve endings.

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9. Can I book an appointment for someone else?

We’ve been seeing this a lot more lately- and the answer is yes and no.

We’ve decided, as a group, to allow someone to book for someone else AS LONG AS it’s a joint appointment. Meaning- if two or more people are arriving to the studio and getting tattooed together. We will no longer be accepting inquires for people booking on behalf of others. It becomes too complicated to work through a third party to coordinate and fine tune the design. Direct bookings only. 

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10. Can I bring a friend to my appointment?

We don’t mind if you want some moral support for your session. However, your brother’s best friend’s uncle’s sister doesn’t need to be there. It’s also important to remember that the space is open and the booths are not in private rooms- so more bodies equals more noise and less privacy. So in order to keep everyone comfortable, we ask that you try to limit your guests to ensure a positive experience for all. Additionally, it's important to remember that you are responsible for your guests' behaviour and it can impact or even lead to your artist implementing their right to refuse your service.