Common Questions about Tattoos

Over the past decade Chronic Ink has become known as the studio to visit if you are looking for the best tattoos Toronto & Vancouver can offer. While working with current clients and consulting with future clients there are always questions that come up around our favourite art form.

How Much Do Tattoos Cost?

The cost can vary greatly depending on the tattoo studio and the artist. Generally speaking your artist will work on an hourly rate. Most start at $160 an hour, with an $80 minimum per tattoo. Depending on the final size of the custom tattoo, your artist may choose to work on a flat rate per piece. At all of our Chronic Ink locations in the Greater Toronto Area and Vancouver we offer free consultations. During the consultation process we will work with you to find the artist whose style best fits your ideas and discuss sizing, placement, and other factors that may help in determining the cost of your new piece.

How Long Does It Take For a Tattoo to Heal?

Healing time will depend on your aftercare process, how well you are taking care of your new body art, and your body itself. Complete healing may take up to six months, but after two to three weeks scabbing should be complete and it is generally okay to continue activities like swimming or soaking in a bathtub. With small tattoos and large scale pieces, at the two to three week mark you tattoo will appear to be healed on the outside. All of the scabbing from the tattoo healing process should have fallen off by now and the pigment should look bright and fresh beneath the skin. Although it may look to be all healed, the process underneath takes much longer. When working on a larger piece that requires multiple sittings, it is best to allow enough time in between appointments for proper healing. This will help avoid any un-need discomfort during the other sessions.

Can You Donate Blood If You Have a Tattoo?

In Canada, Canadian Blood Services asks that you please wait a minimum of three months after getting a tattoo before donating blood. This is because some of the infectious diseases associated with improper practices can not be detected immediately. If you are in doubt or concerned about your eligibility of giving blood due to recent body modifications it’s best to reach out to Canadian Blood Services directly or reference their ABCs of Eligibility document. These guidelines are different depending on your locations, so please contact your local blood services agency with any questions.

Can You Get a Tattoo While Pregnant?

While it is technically possible, as a general best practice we do not tattoo clients who are pregnant or nursing. The main concern with getting tattooed during your pregnancy or nursing period is infection and unknown reactions that may harm the development of the unborn baby. It’s best to wait until after your child is born. During pregnancy or while nursing it is still possible for us to perform a tattoo consultation. During this process we will walk through your tattoo ideas and work on pairing you with an artist that will work with you in the future. After the tattoo design is complete we can work on scheduling appointments for after your pregnancy.

Do Tattoos Hurt?

The pain associated with the tattoo process highly depends on the individual. Although there are several elements that can contribute to the overall sensation of pain:

• The Reaction of Your Body to Pain
• Location on Your Body
• The Style and Technique of the Artist
• The Type of Machine Being Used by The Artist
• The Size of Needle being used

While some may find that the process is extremely painful, others may find that it’s the equivalent of a mild sunburn. Location on your body can be a big factor. Some parts of the body are naturally more sensitive than others. The artist themselves can be another factor as some are “heavy handed” where others seem to have a very light touch. Some people have also noted that if their artist is using a Rotary Style machine that it can hurt less when compared to a traditional Coil Style machine.This may have to do with the force at which the needle is moving. Most people who have been through the process several times will also say that outlining is more painful than colouring. While it is up to debate around whether this is due to the size of needles or your body adjusting to the sensation it is another thing to consider. For most it is not an extremely comfortable, but tolerable experience, that leaves them with a piece of new body art to be proud of!

How To Take Care of a Tattoo?

Each tattoo artist will prescribe the methods of aftercare that they feel will work best for their client. Although the individual steps may be different from artist to artist and between different studios the main types of aftercare are:

• Dry Healing
• Wet Healing
• Saniderm

There are advantages and disadvantages with each different method of tattoo aftercare that are to be taken into consideration, so please listen to your artist and follow their instructions closely.

How To become a Tattoo Artist?

An apprenticeship at your favourite tattoo shop or with your one of your admired artists is always the best way to get involved with tattooing industry. A proper apprenticeship should set you well on the path to becoming a tattoo artist by providing you with the knowledge required to properly draw materials for your client to ensuring that you are using the right techniques for placing the tattoo pigment effectively in your client’s skin. At Chronic Ink we offer our apprentices a robust program that sets them up for success in their future careers.

Ready to Get a Tattoo in Toronto, Mississauga or Vancouver?

Chronic Ink hosts some of the best tattoo artists in the world. Our artists work across all styles including traditional asian tattoo, blackwork, fine line, and realism. Contact us with any questions you may have or walk-in for a consult at any of our locations.