Custom Tattoos

Style and quality of the artist’s work should be the first thing you are looking at. If you are “shopping” for a tattoo based on price you are probably going to make a permanent mistake. The best price does not always mean the best deal and the highest price does not always mean the best tattoo.  Price should be a priority, just not your first priority.

“Good Tattoos Aren’t Cheap, Cheap Tattoos Aren’t Good”

It really shouldn’t provided you take care of the tattoo during the healing process. There are always exceptions and everyone heals a little differently. If you find that during the healing process you lose a little pigment please contact your artist.

After your tattoo has healed you will want to use lotion and sunblock for the life of the tattoo and yourself. If you are in the sun a lot and don’t protect the tattoo, it will fade.

Yes, each artist will absolutely touch up their own work, if needed. One free touch-up is included within 6 months of the tattoo appointment. Fingers, feet, palmar surfaces, lips and white tattoos are an exception to this rule. Other exceptions would include blatant disregard of the rules of common sense and tattoo aftercare.

The final exception to free touch-ups is if you blow off your artist. Future appointments may require higher deposits, gifts or cost you more money. It all depends on how badly you offend them.

You must be 18 and be able to prove it in the State of Texas to get tattooed, period.

You must bring valid Government issued photo ID every time you come in for any tattoo. If you arrive for a tattoo appointment without proper ID, you will not get tattooed.

Acceptable forms of ID include: driver’s license, state issued non-driver ID card, military ID or passport.

THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE.

No. All tattoo clients must be over the age of 18 and have valid government issued photo ID.

THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE.

We use the highest standards of cleanliness and sterilization techniques. Our tattooers strive to go far beyond what is dictated by the Texas Department of Health. Cleanliness and health safety are of the utmost importance to us.

As for other shops, take a look around. Do you like what you see? Trust your eyes and instincts. Does it look/ smell clean? If you have any doubts, go somewhere else. Better safe than sorry.

Ask if there is an autoclave on premises and if so, do they spore test? The answer to both questions should be yes and they should be able to show you proof.

The artist’s supplies should be sterile, single-use needles, disposable, and the artist should change their gloves frequently during the tattoo process.

Smoking, eating and pets should be restricted on the premises.

Please bathe/shower and pop a breath mint. Our tattooers will do you the same courtesy.

Drink plenty of water in the days before and after your tattoo appointment. Being well hydrated makes a big difference.

Avoid alcohol for at least 8 hours before your tattoo.

Eat a good meal within 2 hours of your tattoo appointment.

Avoid caffeine and energy drinks the day of your tattoo.

Happy, healthy people heal better. Getting tattooed when you are sick, post / pre-surgery or extraordinarily stressed out is not ideal.

Furthermore, people with compromised immune systems (e.g. diabetes, Hepatitis, HIV) typically take longer to heal and are taken on a case by case basis.

Appointments are preferred but not always required.

You can stop in any time to talk with one our artists about a tattoo. If one of our tattooers is available, they will be glad to tattoo you on the spot as long as their schedule permits.

An appointment guarantees you a set time and day to get your tattoo.

No, you can make an appointment through our scheduler or in person.

Tattoo appointments require a $100 nonrefundable deposit which can be made in person or via PayPal. The deposit shows our tattooists that you are as committed to getting your tattoo as we are to doing it.

Deposits are absolutely nonrefundable and are applied towards the cost of the tattoo. Do not make an appointment unless you are sure.

48 hours notice is required for cancellations or reschedules. We do not give reminder calls, and ultimately you are responsible for showing up to your appointment.

*If you come in for a consultation: PLEASE BE PREPARED WITH PRINTOUTS OF IDEAS / STYLES YOU LIKE. A printout is a physical piece of paper with an image on it. Not your computer, not your phone.

No, All deposits are NON-REFUNDABLE. If you choose not to get tattooed your deposit is considered an appointment booking fee and pays for the artists time. Failure to call or no showing on an appointment results in a loss of your deposit. For tattoos that take multiple sittings, the deposit will be applied to the last sitting.

No. We do not allow children in the shop.

YES. We encourage you to bring in your own artwork or references and ideas to use, to draw you a custom tattoo! The more the better. Your tattooer may need to rework personal drawings based on the drawing’s “tattooability”.

Artwork is “unveiled” on the day of the appointment, based on information, examples, and tracings gathered at the time of the consultation. If your tattooer feels a preliminary showing is necessary, they will call you to come in earlier.

Artwork is done in the days leading up to, if not the day before the appointment, as we are very busy. The artwork is usually shown at time of your tattoo appointment and can be modified at that time if needed. Any minor requested changes to the design, will be done on the day of the appointment. Extensive reworks may require a reschedule.

We take pride in producing tattoos that meet both the client’s needs as well as addressing design issues that are necessary for a tattoo to last and look good, over the course of a lifetime.

We set prices based on the size of the tattoo, the amount of detail and how long the artist will be working. Our shop minimum is $100.

Yes.

Stencils, soaps and ointments often times contain lanolin. Just because the ink is Vegan doesn’t mean the rest of the tattoo process is.

If this is a concern for you, you will be interested to know that our entire tattoo process and aftercare can be made Vegan upon request.

Yes.

We will need to see the tattoo you want to cover in person. Not every tattoo can be completely covered. Size, color saturation and location all factor into whether your tattoo can be covered well or not. As a general rule cover ups must be considerably darker than the existing tattoo. Be prepared to go at least 50-70% larger than the tattoo you want to cover.

In some instances you may need to have a few laser treatments prior to getting their tattoo covered or reworked.

A consultation in person is required for all cover ups and fix ups.

For cover ups we need to determine what imagery is necessary to adequately cover the old work. Be prepared to go at least 50-70% larger than the tattoo you want to cover.

For fix ups we can often turn the exiting tattoo you are unhappy with into a nice piece of art that will look great for years to come. In some cases we can give old tattoos new life without having to cover them up.

FYI: The most frequently covered up tattoos are lovers names.

Often times our artists would rather not do white ink tattoos, seeing as most customers are not happy with the end result. They tend to heal blotchy and/or discolored. Your skin tone is going to be a factor as well. The more fair your skin is the brighter the tattoo will be. Despite popular belief, white ink DOES NOT show well on darker skin. In the future, removing or covering white ink tattoos is considerably more difficult than other pigments.

It is ultimately up to the individual artist’s preference. You are welcome to come by for a consultation to speak with an artist directly.

There are several reasons. The pigments have a part in it as well as the artist applying the tattoo. Assuming we are doing the tattoo, your skin tone is going to be the biggest factor. The more fair your skin is the brighter the tattoo will be, and of course the darker your skin, the less bright it will be. If you are really tan and start applying sun block, sometimes the tattoo will actually get brighter as you lose the tan.

The easy answer is yes, but we leave this to the individual artist’s preference. You are welcome to come by for a consultation to speak with an artist directly.

Yes, but we leave this to the individual artist’s preference.

There has been a great rise in tattoos on fingers in the past few years. They are prone blurring, fading, falling out and blowing out. There is no way to guarantee they will look at all like they do when you walk out of a shop once healed.

We recommend doing some research before getting a tattoo on the side of your finger. Try searching “healed finger tattoos” on your favorite search engine.

You are welcome to come by for a consultation to speak with an artist directly.

Yes, we take your health and safety very seriously.  Tattoos at Lamar Street Tattoo Club are as safe as any visit to a reputable doctor or dentist. We use pre-sterilized disposable single-use equipment and supplies.  We have our autoclave spore tested every month which lets us know the autoclave is working properly, and sterilizing any reusable items.

Preventing cross-contamination is paramount to cleanliness and health safety. Cross-contamination is simply the spreading of germs from one surface to another. To prevent this we wrap anything that will be touched with a barrier film and do not touch anything else while performing the tattoo.

We practice safe tattooing, but what you come into contact with after you leave the shop is something we cannot prevent. An infection occurs from an outside organism coming in contact with the tattoo and not from the sterile equipment that we use.

If you have any questions about this please contact us.

There is some discomfort associated with the procedure. Some patients have described it as a rubber band being constantly snapped at the skin. However, we all experience pain differently and tolerance is a variable factor. Luckily, Lamar Street Tattoo uses the Zimmer Cryo 6 cooling machine to effectively numb your skin before, DURING, and after your treatment. Read more about this noninvasive cooling method in our technology section.

Yes. However each tattoo is different and this is decided on a case by case basis. If your tattoo is very blurred or small we may recommend covering it.

You will need to come in and speak with an artist. We will need to see the scar in person and get some history. The severity and maturity of the scar will factor into whether or not we can tattoo into it. This is judged on a case-by-case basis.

Review our extensive Tattoo Aftercare Guide for all the information you need to heal up right.

Yes. Some peeling or flaking is totally normal. Also, depending on how sensitive your skin is you could experience bruising following the tattoo. In any case, if you are concerned, please call the tattoo shop or stop in for the artist to look at it.

To say that everyone heals differently is more than an understatement. Smaller tattoos tend to heal faster. Larger more extensive work can take considerably longer.

Generally your skin will be back to normal after the 2-3 weeks of healing. Outer layers of skin will heal in the first 7 to 10 days while deeper layers will still be repairing themselves for several weeks more.

More often than not, what people perceive as an infection, is actually an irritation. Allergic reactions and infections are fairly rare.

If you think there is an issue, please contact your artist. We can often times identify the problem and save you the time and money of a trip to the doctor’s office.

With that said, if there is any doubt you should absolutely see your regular doctor.

All tattoos hurts to some degree. Pain varies from person to person. Most are an annoying pain that is uncomfortable but tolerable. Often times people compare getting a tattoo to the discomfort of a cat-scratch on a sunburn.

Relax, don’t fight it and it will all be over soon or in 3-4 hours, depending upon the size of the tattoo. If tattoos were terribly painful no one would have them and if they were easy everyone would have one.

While all tattoos hurt to a degree. The general consensus is that the stomach, sternum, ribs, back of the knees and palms of the hands will tend to be the most painful.

Don’t choose an area or a size based on the pain factor. The tattoo’s beauty will last for decades longer than the minimal difference in sensation.

Blood flow is an integral part of the healing process. Tattoos further from the core of the body tend to heal slower.

Friction can also be a factor affecting healing tattoos in locations where clothing can constrict or constantly rub.

Areas of the body with natural seams, like ankles, wrists, elbows and knees as well as fingers, feet and palmer surfaces are notoriously difficult to heal.

It is illegal and ill-advised to get tattooed while you are under the influence of alcohol. It will not make your experience any better. It actually makes the process more difficult for you and the artist. It raises the risk of complications and poor decisions.

No. Getting tattooed while pregnant or breast-feeding can negatively impact both your health and that of your baby.

We do not use any latex products in the shop. You should inform your tattooer of any and all allergies you may have prior to getting tattooed.

Scabbing, flaking, peeling and dryness are all natural parts of the healing process. Severe scabs that are deep and thick may indicate a need to change your aftercare routine and should be addressed with your tattoo artist.

UV light/ the Sun is one of the most detrimental things to tattoos. Any form of tanning can and will damage and fade a tattoo. If you are a sun worshiper, we recommend a SPF 80+ sun block.

In general it is best to stay out of the sun and tanning booths. DO NOT tan at all and minimize sun exposure during the healing process.

We are not interested in tattooing hate imagery or known gang signs. Outside of that we are happy to tattoo just about anything as long as we feel it will hold up and heal well in your skin.

Highly visible locations like the face, neck and hands are taken on a case by case basis.

Our artists reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason. Especially mean, nasty, rude people with bad attitudes. Feel free to take your attitude elsewhere.