I work at Cattail Tattoo Collective in Durham North Carolina!

No, as of now I am appointment only. However we do host flash events as a shop from time to time.

You should aim to get a full night’s sleep, avoid drinking within 24 hours before your appointment, and make sure you are as hydrated as possible.

One of the most important things you can do before a tattoo is to eat a full meal before arriving. This helps your blood sugar stay at normal levels and can greatly help with pain management! You’re welcome to bring snacks and plenty of water with you as well.

Wear clothing that is both comfortable and provides access to the area being tattooed, as well as something that is not something you would mind potentially getting ink on. For example, a button down shirt is perfect for providing both access as well as coverage for torso placements.

I prefer to wait to discuss custom designs until the day of your appointment once you arrive. I reserve plenty of time for us to go over your tattoo and make sure everything is exactly how you want it! I find that the consultation process can be a lot more streamlined in person as opposed to a virtual back-and-forth, and frees up more time for me outside the shop to work on customs.

I will sometimes make exceptions for larger, multi-session projects.

I charge a sliding scale of $125-$150 per hour with a $125 minimum.

I require a $75-$100 deposit, depending on size and complexity of the piece, that will be subtracted from flash appointments only. For custom tattoos, this acts as payment for my time spent outside of your appointment creating your designs and is not subtracted from the total cost.

I’m always happy to work within a budget as much as possible, and am willing to agree on a price before the appointment. Sometimes it’s helpful to split projects into multiple sessions for larger projects, both for pain management and staggered payments.

The room I work in is fairly small and gets cramped quickly. I kindly ask that you only bring a guest with you if it is necessary for your comfort.

I generally advise against using numbing cream, as it is prone to wearing off well before the session is over and can lead to a lot more physical shock as your body processes all of that pain immediately, as opposed to gradually acclimating to the sensation and allowing your body to build up a helpful amount of adrenaline.

A couple years ago the FDA released a statement (which can be read here) advising against certain brands of numbing cream as well.

However, with this in mind there are ways to safely approach using numbing cream if this is what you feel is absolutely necessary. I want you to feel comfortable, but also make sure you are safe! Let me know if this is something you’re interested in beforehand, so we can go over safety precautions together.