Perhaps you are familiar with tattoo studio rules & etiquette as you have visited them before, or maybe this is completely new to you and this is your first time in a tattoo/piercing shop. Here are some useful pieces of advice for you to follow to make the experience enjoyable for everyone involved.
This goes without saying, but we aim to provide a professional and friendly service so any rudeness, poor behaviour or abuse will not be tolerated in any form from clients or staff alike.
Please contact the artist directly and let them know if you are running late for an appointment. We also appreciate clients not turning up too early, unless we have asked, this is because your artist could be still working and does not want to feel rushed, or maybe they are having a lunch break. If you are running early go grab yourself a coffee and a snack :)
This is a non-negotiable and not only for your safety and hygiene, but also for the welfare of our staff and other clients who share the space. We advise clients shower or bathe the same day of their tattoo / piercing appointment and to follow good personal hygiene. This also helps reduce infection risk at all stages of the process. There are some free to use sanitary products provided in our bathroom if you need them.
No one is immune from the odd dizzy spell after a tattoo or piercing. If you haven’t had time to before your appointment you are more than welcome to bring food along to your appointment, in fact we encourage it. We also usually stock some sweets/snacks for clients if you have forgotten!
We don’t mind if you would like to bring a friend along for moral support, but ideally we advise against larger groups because it’s a shared working space and it can become crowded and that can be distracting for other artists and noisy for clients.
Strictly no under 18’s are allowed in the tattoo area. This rule is non-negotiable as it is the law. Age of consent for piercings depends on the area you are having pierced, so please check this with the piercer before your appointment if you are unsure. If you are having a piercing done and under the age of 16 you must attend your appointment with a parent. If you are coming for a tattoo or piercing you must bring ID in the form of a passport or driving license. No other form of ID is accepted. We cannot have children on site at all, so please arrange childcare for when you are due in for your appointment.
It’s seen as rude and disrespectful within the tattoo community. By all means if you have a budget we can potentially work to that for you, but approaching it in the right way rather than devaluing an artists work is important. Tattoos are an investment and nothing else you will ever buy will last you as long. Piercings are at a fixed and fair price.
Deposits are required to secure your booking and unless your artist has clearly expressed it‘s not necessary, then assume you are not booked in unless a deposit has been paid. We cannot hold appointments for people as this regularly results in no-shows which causes a direct loss of income for our team. Each artist has their own policies regarding deposits so please check with them if you have any queries.
If you are unwell (stomach bug, cold, flu etc.) please reconsider attending your appointment. Our team are all self employed so if we get sick and have to take time off we directly lose income. Please consider us and message one of us to rebook / move your appointment.
No alcohol or drugs allowed on the premises and certainly not before your appointment. You will be turned away from your appointment if we think you have been drinking or using drugs.
Smoking is not allowed inside or outside of the front of the shop. There is a designated smoking area directly opposite the shop entrance.
Tattoo designs are not done unless a client has booked in and paid a deposit. Designs are usually not done until close to the appointment time, regularly the day before. This is because on the lead up to the appointment people will often ask to change or add to the design, which can create extra work if the design has already been done well in advance. If you are doubtful the artist can achieve your desired look then perhaps it’s not a match this time.
Following on from the previous section:
If you are wanting to change your tattoo design please let us know no later than 48 hours before your appointment, and not on the day of your appointment.
This is so we have time to design the new idea, as we may have other appointments the same day and cannot run late.
If you leave it too last minute we may have to reschedule your appointment, and you will have to rebook and pay a new deposit if we do not have time to change the design in the allotted time.
Moonlight Tattoo and Piercing
9 City Business Centre, Hyde Street, Winchester, SO22 3TA