Advice
1. Do not let anyone talk you into getting a tattoo. It should
be for you and you alone,
not the result of peer pressure or demands.
2. Before you go to get a tattoo, eat a high protein, high carbohydrate
meal. This will
make your blood sugar level stay more regular. If you tend to get
queasy when
getting a shot, you might when getting a tattoo. Eating will help
avoid this.
3. If you have doubts or reservations, concerns or questions, ASK.
If you do not
get answers that rid you of these hesitations, WAIT. You must be
sure of your
decision. A tattoo is permanent. Even the best removal methods
are scarring to
your skin.
4. Be prepared to have to take care of your tattoo. Essentially,
you have a wound to
your skin and it will heal best if you follow the care directions we provide
you with.
5. We reserve the right to refuse to tattoo you or your design.
If we do so, please
understand that it is from our experience that to do so would be against
what is
your best interest. We have a certain responsibility to you, and
to uphold our personal
convictions.
6. Please feel free to contact the Knox County Health Department
to ask questions about
us.
7. We do not quote exact prices over the phone. Please stop
in to discuss pricing
with us. There are too many variables in the art, and we do not want
to mislead you.
8. We have hundreds of thousands of designs available, you're welcome
to bring in your
own, we can design them for you. The only thing that limits the design
is limited
imagination. Remember, the design is permanent, it must be what you
want. We
highly recommend you bring one with you, you're less likely to have someone
else
walking around with "your" tattoo.
9. Do not settle for a "cheaper" tattoo because you can't afford
the one you really
want. Wait, save money if you need to, but get the tattoo you desire.
(We offer
gift certificates and a lay-a-way plan).
10. Ask questions. Ask about single use needles, etc.
Ask about autoclave sterilization,
health department inspection results, years of operation, employee turnover,
etc.
11. Above all else, DO NOT get a tattoo at a shop with high employee
turnover rate,
one that doesn't guarantee the work, one that the staff won't talk with
you to help
you decide or to answer your questions, or one with a staff that is obviously
using
illegal substance on the job. DO NOT get a tattoo at a shop that will violate
ANY
Health Department regulation. (If they are willing to violate one regulation,
they're
willing to violate them all.)
** The state of Tennessee has deemed it illegal to tattoo anyone under
18 years old,
with OR without parent consent. In other words, consent doesn't matter.
If you're
under 18 we WILL NOT tattoo you. We do require STATE ISSUED photo
identification.
(The exception being ages 16-18 CAN be tattooed to cover up an existing
tattoo
only! Parents must be present, and enough proof must be offered to
prove that
you are the parent, and the age of the minor. If you do not have
sufficient proof
that we can Xerox, we WILL refuse to tattoo.)
Parents: If your minor child comes home with a tattoo, you should
contact the
Environmental Health Department at Knox County Health Department to find
out
what you can do. Your child could have been exposed to deadly diseases
as
well as having their and YOUR rights violated. If you don't
report this, it will
continue, and more children will be subject to this abuse.
