FAQ:

How old do I have to be to get a tattoo in WA state?
Legally according to WA state you MUST be 18 years of age to get tattooed in WA state by any  artist. 

If I am under the age of 18 years but my parents are willing to sign for me, can I get tattooed?
No, this is illegal.

Do I have to have an appointment to get tattooed? Or do you take walk-ins too?
Although appointments are preferred to give adequate time to the design process, we do take walk-ins on a 1st come 1st served basis.  Some artists are booked out with appointments and may not be able to fit in any walk-ins while others may only have 1 or 2 small appointments for the day and so are more likely to be able to make time for walk-ins.  Any large projects such as sleeves, back pieces etc, will have to be scheduled due to the time it takes to design the best possible tattoo design.

What is the difference between a custom shop and a street shop?
A street shop caters to more walk-in clientele as they have pre-made designs on the wall, called "flash art", readily available for the client to choose a design to be tattooed immediately. Whereas a custom shop does not have any "flash" or pre-made designs available. Rather the artist will draw you up a unique original design unlike anyone else's to be tattooed on you. Handsome Devil Ink does not have any flash available in the shop.

How do I choose the right studio to get tattooed in?
RESEARCH! Look up studios online and read about them on review websites such as Yelp. A good shop will have plenty of good reviews. You want to make sure a shop is licensed and provides sterile tattoo services. Ask to see the autoclave and ask about how they ensure sterility at their studio. Go to the studio! Do not call around or price shop. You want to make sure the studio is very clean, smells clean, has friendly nice artists who actually care about your tattoo and your tattoo experience and the studio should have portfolios filled with quality completed tattoos for you to review.

I know someone who tattoos out of his/her house and is willing to tattoo me super cheap. Why should I go to a studio instead?
Never get tattooed out of a house... No matter what they say there is no way to provide a sterile work environment to tattoo in someone’s residence. Science has proven the presence of a microscopic off-spray gets on things in the area where the tattoo is being done. Couches, etc are porous and therefore unable to be sterilized. It's not worth risking your health. Your friend is not licensed. He/she probably has had no training at all in sterile procedures and or tattooing so you will most likely end up with a nasty, poorly done, and infected tattoo... or worse HIV, AIDs, HepC, MRSA or some other incurable disease. No amount of money is worth damaging your health so don't price shop... invest in a good tattoo, by going to a good artist in a good studio.

Is your studio licensed by the state of WA?
We are licensed by the state with our master licenses, shop licenses, and artist licenses. We are also Blood Borne Pathogens Certified and renew our First Aid Certification every year. We follow all WA state laws set forth for the body art industry and we go above and beyond the state standards. We are also randomly inspected by the King County Health Department and are proud to say we have passed every time.

How do you provide a sterile tattoo procedure?
All of our needles are single use. Each needle arrives blister packed and sterilized from the manufacturer. After a needle is opened and used on a client it gets disposed of in a sharps container to be properly disposed of. We use disposable grips and some stainless steel grips. The disposable grips are single use, arriving to us sterile and then disposed of after being used on one person. The stainless steel grips go through a 3 stage sterilization process. They go into a soaking tray where the enzymes in the soap break down the bio-matter on the soiled tubes. They are then thoroughly scrubbed with special brushes under hot water until clean. Next they go into an ultrasonic cleaner with Alconox to breakdown any hidden ink that may have been missed. After 2 cycle in the ultrasonic cleaner they are then rinsed under hot water, dried off, and placed into sterilization pouches with indicators, before being put into our steam autoclave. Finally, we log the cycle in our autoclave log and stamp the sterilized pouch with the sterilization date.  We also clean our autoclave and spore test it monthly.  We have passed all spore tests done since our door opened. Before tattooing we set up our station wearing gloves, and wrap all equipment (ie. tattoo chair, bottles, clip cords, metal trays, etc.) with barrier film to make sure we keep our area clean. When done tattooing we use a medical grade cleaner, such as Madicide, to clean off all surfaces. This cleaner kills all bacterial, viral and fungal microorganisms such as AIDS, HIV, Hep A, B, C, MRSA, etc.

How do I choose the best artist for me?
The best way to do this is to look through each artist's portfolio and to ask the right questions. Look for an artist who has a portfolio which displays tattoos done in the style you are desiring. Ask the artist what kind of tattoo work they like or enjoy the best, and what kind of art most influences them.  A good artist with good morals will point you in the right direction. If they are not the best for you they should have no problem referring you to an artist within the studio or an artist within another studio who can do the best job for you.

How can I book an appointment?
You must first pay a deposit (see the policies page). Then your artist will schedule you for a consultation and 1-3 appointments depending on the size of your tattoo.

What can I expect to happen at my consultation?
You will be able to sit down face to face with your artist to discuss your tattoo idea. We will brainstorm, look at some references pictures, trace out the body part where the tattoo is going. We will take notes on all the ideas and preferences you have for your tattoo idea.

What does it cost to get tattooed?
Each artist charges differently between the 2 locations so please make sure to ask your artist their minimum and hourly rate.

Does it hurt to get tattooed? What does it feel like?
This is very hard to answer because everyone's pain tolerance is different. In short it is uncomfortable to most and depending on the area it is painful. 

How can I best prepare for my tattoo?
Make sure you get a full 8 hours of sleep the night before and drink plenty of water. You want to be well rested and hydrated to make the tattoo process go well for you. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and anything containing niacin in it 24 hours prior to getting tattooed. We recommend you to eat a larger meal 1-2 hours prior to getting tattooed to avoid feeling lightheaded when getting tattooed. Also, bring candy or some juice in case you start to feel dizzy or light headed when getting tattooed.

Can I take a pain pill or consume alcohol before getting tattooed to relax?
No. Consuming alcohol or taking pills of any kind can thin the blood and make it hard for the artist to do the best job possible. This can also lead to excessive scabbing during the healing process. It is illegal for us to tattoo someone who is under the influence. Also, any and all prescriptions must be disclosed to your artist to make sure your prescription will not have any effects on your tattoo. 

Can I have an allergic reaction?
Although not common, allergic reactions can happen. If you have any allergies please tell your artist.