The Tattoo
Tattooing is a process which is carried out with a bundle of needles, used either with a tattoo machine, or by hand (“handpoking”/”stick and poke”) to permanently inject pigments into the skin. With the help of different techniques, lines, dots, areas and shadows become images or text on the skin. The bundle of needles puncture the surface of the skin and transport the pigment into the second layer of skin (“dermis”) where it is stored in the fibroblasts.
Durability
Injecting the pigments is permanent – even temporary tattoos or “bio tattoos” where pigments allegedly disappear after a few years, are a myth and do not exist.
Pain
The pain felt while getting a tattoo is very individual. A person’s pain tolerance, the overall wellbeing that day, and the body part all play important parts. On average, the least painful spot is the upper arm, the outer side of the lower arm, and the outer side of the calf. More sensitive spots generally include the ribs, the spine and the inside of the upper arm.
Scars
Whether a tattoo can be done over a scar depends on the age and texture of the scar. Many scars can be easily covered, but this is not always the case. Changes on the skin can be concealed with pigments, but they will not disappear entirely. Unevenness on the skin due to scars will also not be changed with tattoos. If you have scars you would like to cover with tattoos, we are happy to advise you, just make a personal appointment with us!
For exact information of how tattoos are done, click here.
Prerequisites
Our customers need to be legally capable of acting and be capable of giving consent to getting a tattoo. People under the age of 16 will not be tattooed, and people aged 16 and 17 need a guardian present at the consultation or the appointment. In Austria, only people aged 18 and up can get tattoos without the consent of a guardian.
Customers who suffer from an illness (of any kind) or who take medications have to inform us ahead of the appointment.
People who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol will not be tattooed.
Hygiene in the studio
Tattoo studios in Austria have to adhere to very strict hygiene regulations as prescribed by Austrian law. Before and after every customer, the entire workspace including the used materials is disinfected with surface disinfectants which are listed in the Austrian Society for Hygiene, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine (OeGHMP). In addition, all utility objects that are not one-use are wrapped in foil to avoid contamination. Essentially, all products which come in direct contact with the customer’s skin are one-use (needles, swabs, cloths, razors, gloves, etc.).
All products which are used during tattooing (skin disinfectant, wound disinfectant, cleaning material, colours, needles, and so on) are preserved with batch numbers in the work documentation and kept for ten years.
Once a year, the studio is inspected by a hygiene, microbiology, sterilisation and disinfection institute accredited by the ministry for economics and work, and issued a proof of safety. This is proof that the studio is maintaining the current hygiene standards and is complying with regulations. During this inspection, tattoo artists have to prove that they took part in an annual hygiene training course.
Costs
We take a down payment for the appointment (see procedure), which is usually between 50 euros (for smaller tattoos) and 200 euros (for big or complicated designs). If the tattoo needs several sessions to complete, then a new appointment is arranged at every sitting. For this, we also take a down payment (usually 50 euros for further sittings). The down payments are deducted from the final price. We charge 150 euros per hour, and the minimum price is 160 euros. The consultation is included in the price, as is the design of the tattoo, the tattooing itself, as well as all material and aftercare.
It is mostly not possible to estimate the number of hours a tattoo will take ahead of time. We will do our best to give a cost estimate which is as close to the final price as possible. Payment is always in cash and in total after the tattoo is finished. Vouchers cannot be exchanged for money.
Postponing or cancelling an appointment
An appointment can be cancelled up to 3 business days beforehand. If the appointment is not attended, or not cancelled on time, then we will keep the down payment. Between making the appointment and the appointment itself, we have the commission to create a draft. If this appointment is cancelled during this time, then we will keep the down payment as pay for the working hours.
Draft Designs
Drafts and tattoo templates are the property of the tattoo artist, and may only be used or taken after consultation. If the customer does not like the first draft, then it is possible to make small changes. Two to three of these small changes are doable. If the amount of work is higher than the given amount, then we reserve the right to cancel the appointment and end the project as unworkable, or offer to continue working on the project for an hourly rate of 50 euros.
In case of a cancellation, we will keep the down payment for the hours of work so far. Drafts are created following consultations or project discussions. If the customer wants an entirely new design after the draft is completed, then this will not be considered a change, but rather a new project. In this case, we will keep the down payment for the design which was originally discussed, as well as the design itself. A new down payment will be necessary for the new project.
Guidelines/Liability
We have the right to refuse a tattoo project if the hygiene, aesthetic or health guidelines are not fulfilled. The down payment will not be returned. Ahead of the appointment, the customer needs to fill out a declaration of consent, where all questions must be answered truthfully. The studio, respectively the tattoo artist, is committed to not passing the data to third parties.
We do not take any responsibility if you come to harm from services which were carried out based on false or insufficient information from you. This includes, but is not limited to, medical issues or activities outside the tattoo studio.
The customer commits themselves to behave in an appropriate fashion during their visit to the tattoo studio. If the customer continues to behave inappropriately even after being reprimanded, the tattoo artist has the right to expel the customer from the studio, and if necessary, ban them from the premises.
