Aaron Bell's Slave to the Needle | Tattoo and Body Piercing, Seattle


Tattoo Questions \| Piercing Questions \| General Questions

Tattoo Questions:

Q. What is the legal age to get a tattoo?
A. Washington state law requires that one must be eighteen years of age (Regardless of parental consent) to get a tattoo.

Q. Can I bring in a drawing of what I want tattooed?
A. Of course! All of our artists are very well rounded and cater to custom artwork as well as “flash.” They will work with you to make your tattoo exactly as you want it. Often it is helpful to both the artist and the client if a consultation is set up before the actual tattoo appointment. A consultation is a quick five to ten minute talk with your desired artist that is free of charge.

Q. What is flash?
A. "Flash" is the term used to describe the design sheets that you see on the walls and in racks at tattoo studios.

Q. How do I take care of my tattoo?
A. Upon arrival for your tattoo we will give you a card that is labeled “tattoo aftercare.” This card is a list of our suggested aftercare for your tattoo. Each artist's recommendation may vary slightly. We suggest that you remove the bandage after several hours, wash area with mild unscented soap and warm water, apply a thin coat of A&D ointment several times a day, after 48 hours replace A&D ointment with a water based fragrance free lotion(Tattoo Goo brand lotion is available for purchase here), continue applying lotion several times a day until skin stops flaking. Discard lotion once tattoo is healed!!

Q. What's in the tattoo ink?
A. Alcohol, distilled water, glycerin, and color numbers.

Q. Is there anything I need to bring with me for my tattoo appt.?
A. It is helpful if you bring any reference (artwork) pertaining to your tattoo. Anything visual that you think will aid the artist in grasping your idea should accompany you to the appointment. Also, make sure that you have eaten before you come in, and if not, bring food with you. We will also need a valid form of State or Federal ID (Drivers License, Military ID, or Passports are all excepted)

Q. Does it hurt?
A. Everyone's definition of “hurt” is different because everyone feels pain differently. Unfortunately, there is no real gauge of pain that we can give you without being disingenuous. Some people say that it feels like a cat scratch and afterwards it feels like a sun burn. Different parts of your body will be more sensitive than others, usually bony parts or areas with thin skin.

Q.Can my friends sit with me while I get tattooed?
A. It depends on the day and the amount of people in the shop. Usually on the weekends we have a number of clients being tattooed and most of our artists here, so it tends to get a little crowded. Also, when massage tables are in use, we ask that clients refrain from having a guest back with them; due to limited space. If there are too many people to have a friend back with you, they can always wait in the gallery and take a look every once in a while.

Q. Can I take home a design?
A. All of the artwork available to the public, which is often referred to as “flash” is copy written. Therefore, legally we cannot allow the artwork to be removed from the shop. As for custom pieces our artists take a deposit to insure that there time is properly compensated. Custom artwork for tattooing cannot leave the shop either (unless there is an exception granted by the artist).

Q. How much does a tattoo cost?
A. Our shop rate is $150.00 per hour (with the exception of Aaron, the owner who's hourly is $175.00) and we have a $75.00 shop minimum. Sales tax is added on to the tattoo total. We require a $50.00 in order to hold your appointment ($100 for pieces that will take over 2 hours) which will go towards the cost of your tattoo.

Q. Is there a charge for an artist doing a drawing?
A. No, there is no additional charge for custom drawing. The required $50.00 deposit ($100 for pieces that will take over 2 hours) needs to be taken first before the artists starts on the piece.

Q. What can I expect after my tattoo is done and throughout the healing process?
A. There are several reactions your skin may have to your new adornment. It is normal that some of the ink collects under the bandage or blots off onto your towel after a shower. Bruising may occur and flaking will occur in the later (several days after tattoo) stages of healing. After the flaking is done the skin will look very shiny for a few weeks. Feel free to call or drop in if you have any questions or concerns.

Q. Do you charge for a consultation with an artist?
A. Verbal consultations take five to ten minutes and are free of charge.

Q. How do I keep my tattoo looking new?
A. The best method of keeping your tattoo looking new is to follow the aftercare instructions, make sure your tattoo does not become dry, to not pick at any flaking skin or mild scabbing, avoid immersing a fresh tattoo in water until it is healed, and finally keep your tattoo out of the sun by keeping it covered or using sun block once it is healed.

Q. Can you tattoo over a scar or stretch marks?
A. People do use tattoos as a method of concealing unwanted scarring or stretch marks. However, it is not always possible to tattoo over certain scars/stretch marks. A consultation would be necessary to determine if a tattoo could be done.

Q. Is it possible to be allergic to the ink?
A. On rare occasions people experience adverse reactions to the ink. Most commonly people get a little itchier from reds and magentas. The reaction can be similar to that of someone allergic to hair dye and should dissipate over time.

Q. What should I do to prepare for my tattoo?
A. Make sure to bring all reference with you and be sure that you are well fed and hydrated beforehand.

Q. How soon can I go in water after getting a tattoo?
A. Once your tattoo is completely healed. This varies from person to person, but most tattoos are healed after a couple of weeks.

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Piercing Questions:

Q. How old do I have to be to get a piercing?
A. Anyone at least 18 years old can get pierced. We will pierce minors starting at 16 years old with parental permission; however certain piercings will not be done on a minor even with parental consent.

Q. Which piercings can I get with parental permission?
A. A 16 or 17-year-old can get a navel, nostril, eyebrow, earlobe or outer ear cartilage piercing.

Q. What do I need to bring with me for my piercing appt.?
A. State issued identification (for example: driver's license, passport, birth certificate in conjunction with a photo ID). A parent/guardian must accompany a minor during their piercing and both the minor and parent/guardian must provide State issued identification which has the same last name and address on it (proof of relationship).

Q. How do I take care of my piercing?
A. Upon arrival for your piercing we will give you a card that is labeled either “body aftercare” or “oral aftercare” depending on what kind of piercing you are getting done. This card lists our suggested aftercare for your piercing. Body aftercare involves soaking your piercing 2-4 times daily for 10 minutes with a warm NON-IODIZED sea salt solution (1/4 tsp. salt/8 oz. water or 4 tsp.salt/1 gallon of water). Oral aftercare involves rinsing with the same sea salt solution as body piercing does, but you will need to rinse every time you eat, drink, or smoke anything. The sea salt aftercare needs to be done for the duration of healing time for your piercing.

Q. What is the standard jewelry gauge for most piercings?
A. Between 16 and 12 gauge.

Q. Can I use my own jewelry for a piercing?
A. Certain requirements must be met before we can tell if your jewelry can be used. We will only pierce with internally threaded surgical steel jewelry and it must be the proper gauge, size and in good condition for the piercing. We also require 24 hours to sterilize the jewelry prior to your appointment and there is a $10.00 sterilization/room rental fee (Of course if you purchase the jewelry here, this fee is not charged).

Q. How soon can I go in the water after I get pierced?
A. Once your piercing is completely healed. Healing time varies for different kinds of piercings and from person to person.

Q. How much do piercings cost?
A. On average, most piercings are $25.00 to $30.00. The cost of jewelry is additional and is applicable to sales tax.

Q. Does it hurt and do you use any numbing agents?
A. We do not use any kind of numbing agents. Everyone's definition of "hurt" is different because everyone feels pain differently. Unfortunately, there is no real gauge of pain that we can give you without being disingenuous. Piercings are very quick and most people are pleasantly surprised that it was “not that bad”.

Q. Can my friends watch while I get a piercing?
A. One person (must be at least 18-years-old) is allowed in the piercing room with you. If you are a minor, your parent/guardian must accompany you during your piercing.

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General Questions:

Q. Do you reuse needles for tattoos and piercings?
A. We have a' single use' policy. All needles are disposed of after each use in a special sharps container that is picked up by an outside service.
The new needles are sterilized before use and remain in a sealed sterile pouch until the time of use.

Q. How do you sterilize equipment?
A. Tools are put through an ultrasonic cleaning cycle, they are thoroughly scrubbed and dried, and then the tools are put through a full cycle in a spore tested autoclave. The autoclave sterilizes with a combination of heat and pressure to render the items inside sterile.

Q. What's a spore test? Why is it done?
A. This is a test done on our autoclave by an outside lab to ensure that the machine is working properly. The tests are done on a weekly basis to determine the presence of spore growth in a test load because spores are the largest and hardest particles to destroy. We have been doing this since 1995.

Q. Are children allowed in the shop?
A. No. Due to the nature of our business we feel it is best not to allow children in the shop without exception.

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