Tattoo questions

Fill in my quote form with your idea, where you'd like it and a few photos. I reply within 48 hours on WhatsApp with your quote and the dates I have free. Once we've agreed a date, a £100 deposit secures it. Nothing is booked until then.

Monday, Thursday and Sunday, by appointment only. My books open a few months at a time with limited dates, and the quote page always shows which months are open.

Reference images of the style you like, where on your body you'd like it, and roughly how big, in centimetres. The quote form asks for all of it, so there's nothing to remember.

No, and that's on purpose. Many of my florals are drawn freehand, straight onto your skin, and it's easier to adjust things together in person. I prepare your design from everything you send me and show it to you on the day. We go over it together, adjust anything you'd like, and I never start tattooing until you're completely happy with it. That's why the more you tell me in the form, the better. See my prices.

For most pieces I don't use a stencil. I draw the design straight onto your skin with markers, so it follows the natural shape and movement of your body and fits far better than a stencil could.

I'm sorry, I don't take on cover-ups. If you ever fancy a brand new piece, I'd love to hear from you.

It depends on the size, placement and detail. Florals start from £200 and pet portraits from £400. A half-day botanical piece is £500, a pet portrait with flowers over half a day is £600, and a full day is £800. I design every piece from scratch, so your quote is always made for your idea. See my prices.

A £100 deposit secures your date and comes off the final price. It covers the first hour of your session. If you don't turn up, or cancel, the deposit isn't refunded. If I have to cancel, you choose: a full refund or a new date. I send you the payment details once we've agreed your date.

Yes, once. Give me at least two weeks' notice and your deposit moves to the new date. With less notice it can't be moved, and a new deposit is needed for the new date. If you're unwell, the two weeks don't apply: tell me as soon as you can and your deposit moves to a new date.

Yes, £200 for a custom design, however small the piece. Flash designs and birth flowers have their own set prices, shown with each design.

If it needs one, yes: one free touch-up within three months of your session. About 30 days after, once it's healed, send me a photo and I'll tell you if anything needs retouching.

Yes. I'm registered for tattooing with Manchester City Council under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, certificate number LC202504-553217, since April 2025. I only tattoo at premises that are registered with the council too.

Every needle and cartridge is single-use and opened in front of you, and anything that touches your skin is either disposable or cleaned and disinfected between clients. All my equipment and surfaces are disinfected with Clinell Universal wipes, the same ones used in NHS hospitals. My workspace is wrapped and set up fresh for each session, I wear new gloves throughout, and I only use inks and products made for tattooing.

No, never. Numbing cream hardens the skin, makes it much harder to work on properly and affects healing, so the tattoo can end up healing badly. It can also cause allergic reactions, and there have been serious cases linked to it. It's the one rule I never bend, and I hope you understand.

A few small things make a real difference:

• Keep your skin moisturised in the days before.
• No fake tan for at least a week before (longer is better, as it dries the skin).
• No alcohol the day before.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Eat a proper breakfast and bring a snack for a break.
• Wear something comfortable, ideally black: it keeps the focus on your tattoo in photos.
• Bring a book, a Kindle or headphones. You'll be with me for a few hours.

Tattooing is careful, handmade work and I never rush it. My sessions take between half a day and a full day, so keep the day free and we won't have to hurry.

5 cm. Any smaller and there isn't room for the detail to age well: tattoos soften and spread a little over the years, and a tiny portrait can lose its definition and become hard to recognise. I want yours to stay clear for many years, not just look good while it's fresh.

You don't have to decide on your own. I prepare two versions, one in black and grey and one in colour, and show you both on the day so you can choose before we start. You can tell me which you're leaning towards in the form.

As many as you have, and mark the ones you love most. That helps me choose the one that works best as a tattoo and means the most to you. How to take a good photo.

I'm sorry, I don't. I keep my setup as sterile and controlled as possible, using only products made for tattooing, and I can't guarantee that cremation ashes are sterile or how they'd react in the skin. Some brands sell ink with the ashes already mixed in, but I've never worked with them, so I couldn't promise you how the tattoo would heal. I've worked to the same hygiene standards since I started tattooing in 2019, and it's not something I'm willing to compromise on.

Healing is the most important part of getting a tattoo:

• Keep the second skin on for 4 days. Take it off completely if it starts to peel and part of the tattoo shows, or if ink leaks out at the sides: that means there's a gap, and bacteria can get trapped underneath. If it doesn't last the 4 days, that's no problem at all.
• Wash it gently with antibacterial soap.
• Moisturise whenever it feels dry, with cocoa butter or Cicaplast, never anything scented.
• For 2 weeks: no gym or other exercise.
• For 30 days: no pools or sea, no direct sun, and no sunscreen on the tattoo.
• Never scratch it or pick at scabs. While it heals, it's an open wound, so treat it gently.

Read the full aftercare guide, which you can print too.

A little redness and tenderness in the first few days is normal. If it becomes sore, inflamed or oozes yellowish fluid, see your GP. If it's very red and swollen, or you have a fever, get help the same day: call NHS 111, or go to A&E if you can't see a GP within 24 hours. You can always message me too.

Blood thinners make you bleed more easily, which makes tattooing and healing harder. Please speak to your GP or anticoagulant clinic before you book, and let me know in the form. Never stop or change your medication yourself.

Usually, yes, as long as your diabetes is well managed. Keeping your blood sugar stable before and after your session lowers the risk of infection and slow healing. If you're unsure, check with your GP or diabetes team first.

No, I don't tattoo during pregnancy or while you're breastfeeding. A new tattoo is an open wound, and even with strict hygiene every tattoo carries a small risk of infection, and the NHS notes that some infections can pass to a baby during pregnancy, at birth or through breastfeeding. Pregnancy also naturally lowers your immune defences and makes keloid scars more likely. However small the risk, it isn't one I'm willing to take with you or your baby. I'd love to tattoo you once you've finished breastfeeding, and you're welcome to get in touch before then to plan it.

If you've had a keloid before, or tend to scar that way, the NHS advises avoiding tattoos, as a new wound can trigger another. Please check with your GP first, and tell me about it in the form.

Of course. Your skin tone helps me plan the colours and how fine the lines can go, which is why the quote form asks for it. If you tend to form keloid scars, see the question above.