Policies
This sections covers our shop policies including our deposit and cancellation, late, touch up, and shop minimum policies.
1
Deposit and Cancellation Policy
All appointments at Cutaway require a deposit which will go towards the final price of your tattoo (if multiple sessions are required, the deposit will come off of the final session). All deposits collected are non-refundable. These deposits cannot be transferred between artists. Any cancellations without the request of a rescheduled appointment will result in a forfeited deposit.
All appointments require a minimum of 48 hours notice to reschedule. If you cancel within 24-48 hours of your appointment, your deposit will be kept and 25% of your total service cost will be charged to the card on file. If you cancel the same day of the appointment, 100% of your total service cost will be charged to the card on file. If you simply don’t call or show up to your appointment, 100% of your total service cost will be charged to the card on file and we will require a $100 fee to rebook an appointment. We are kind and understanding people and are aware that true emergencies happen. Please do not show up to your appointment sick as this can spread to everyone in the shop and can inhibit your healing process. If you are sick please let us know and we will reschedule you accordingly. If you sound sick at your appointment, we will most likely side eye you and ask if you are sick resulting in some really unnecessary awkwardness! Any adjustments made to the cancellation policy and potential refunds will be made at the discretion of each individual artist.
2
Late Policy
Please let us know if you are running late to your appointment. We know that traffic, accidents and life happens, but we do ask that you keep us updated on your estimated time of arrival. If you are 20 minutes or more late to your appointment without giving notice, you are subject to forfeiting your deposit and potentially being asked to reschedule your appointment with a new deposit in place. This will be at the discretion of your artist.
3
Touch Up Policy
Touch ups are at the sole discretion of each artist. Any touch ups requested that are due to client negligence or failing to follow our recommended aftercare steps will be charged the same rates as if it were a new tattoo. We warn our clients of the potential for poor healing and fast fading of tattoos on areas such as the hands, fingers, feet, and face. Touch ups on these areas will be charged as if they were a new tattoo. If you have finger or hand tattoos, please don’t make that stop you from washing your hands due to the fear of your work fading, instead be a sanitary boss and wash them for at least 20 seconds each time you do! Nothing will really stop that fading from occurring, that is just to be expected with those areas. We do ask that you please, please, PLEASE wear sunscreen on your tattoos! Tattoos will fade quickly without proper protection from the sun.
4
Shop Minimum Policy
At Cutaway, our shop minimum is $100. This covers fees for the artist’s set up and supplies, as well as the time provided by the artist. This is the lowest that we can charge, even if the tattoo is super tiny. You want a single dot? That’ll be the best $100 dot tattoo you could get. It is safe to assume that any tattoos that take over 30 minutes will start to go higher than the minimum price. Pricing is at the sole discretion of our artists. Some choose to charge hourly, while others may have a flat half/full day rate. These rates are non negotiable as we have all worked hard and charge based on our worth and what we can bring to the table as your tattoo artist.
Before & After your Appointment
This is important information to know before you come in for your appointment and after you leave. You will find step by step guides for how to prepare for your appointment and heal your new tattoo in this section.
Before your Appointment
Please come to your appointment prepared with your photo ID and comfortable clothes that allow us to easily access the area that will be tattooed. Getting a good night of sleep the night before your appointment helps get you through the tattoo process as it can be exhausting! Please make sure you eat a decent meal prior to your appointment and bring snacks and water. Hydrating yourself with lots of water in turn hydrates the skin making it optimal for tattoos! It is important to have food in your system due to the possibility of your blood sugar dropping during the tattoo process.
For our clients that have more body hair, please feel free to use clippers on the area being tattooed prior to your appointment but do not use a razor on an area you do not typically shave because we will be shaving it again at your appointment and would like to avoid potential razor burn. Please do not come to your appointment with sunburn in the area that is being tattooed 1. It will hurt like heck 2. Talk about a nightmare… We will not tattoo it!
We are okay with someone coming with you for moral support but we do ask that you limit that to one person other than yourself. We love kids and animals but they are unfortunately not allowed into the shop due to regulations set in place by the health department. Trust us, we would definitely have at least 6 llamas and 4 capybaras in there if it were allowed.
After your Appointment
You will either leave your appointment with a second skin bandage covering your tattoo or instructions for alternative healing for those sensitive to adhesives. Instructions for each can be found below along with what to expect in each phase of tattoo healing. If your artist has given you specific instructions that slightly vary than those found below, please follow those! Although everyone’s skin is different, you can expect your tattoo to take about a month to look visibly healed. Even when a tattoo appears to be healed there is still internal healing occuring for several months after the initial tattoo. It is important to follow our aftercare instructions for a few months after your appointment to assure you get optimal results for your tattoo.
While cleaning your tattoo, please use unscented, antibacterial soap (we like Dial antibacterial liquid hand soap or Dr. Bronner’s unscented baby soap). It is best to use your clean hands while washing to assure that you are not getting bacteria from a loofah or washcloth onto the area. Please do not attempt to use any alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or anything else to clean your tattoo- the soap will do!
When drying your tattoo, pat dry with a clean paper towel instead of wiping dry with a towel. Towels carry tons of bacteria! Once you make sure that your tattoo is completely dry, apply a very thin layer of unscented lotion or body butter. We personally love Hustle Butter but anything along those lines works. DO NOT apply any vaseline, aquaphor, neosporin or any other thick ointment of that nature to your tattoo. These will suffocate the area and can cause issues with healing. Use your lotion or aftercare morning and night for the month following the tattoo. Remember, less is more.
We also advise clients against wearing any tight clothing as this can rub against the tattoo, irritating it and increasing risk of infection. With any new tattoo, we never recommend excessive heat or sun exposure to the area. This means no hot tubs, saunas, soaking in the bath, spending time in the pool, tanning, etc…
Please do not attempt to scratch, pick at, or peel any parts of your tattoo. If scabs occur, leave them alone and let them fall off naturally. It is also VERY important to have clean hands any time you are touching your fresh tattoo. A tattoo is still an open wound and touching it with any fingers, hands, or other surfaces that are not cleaned prior can lead to an infection. Staying hydrated after your appointment is just as important as doing so prior. This aids in the healing process!
If Using Second Skin
Second skin is a clear, waterproof, breathable barrier similar to Tegaderm. You can see your tattoo through it and it acts exactly as it sounds, like a second skin. With second skin on you can sweat, shower, and pretty much do anything you would do on a regular basis. Remember, with second skin as well as any uncovered tattoo, we never recommend excessive heat or sun exposure to the area (no hot tubs, saunas, soaking in the bath, tanning, etc…). Please leave your second skin on for the full amount of days that your artist requests (we will tell you anywhere from 3 to 6 days depending on the type of work you're getting done). The second skin can sting a bit when coming off so take it off in the shower and let the water assist you for more ease.
When the second skin is off, your tattoo will be mostly healed. It will still be doing some healing so begin the general steps of the aftercare after this (unscented soap, patting dry with paper towel, using a very light layer of aftercare balm or unscented lotion until 100% healed). Usually second skin speeds up the healing process and you can expect your tattoo to be a little waxy or shiny still but shouldn’t experience much (if any) peeling or scabbing after the removal of the bandage.
If at ANY point during second skin use a rash or redness starts to form underneath or around the bandage, please take it off immediately and reach out to your artist for the next steps to take.
If Healing Without Second Skin
If you are healing your tattoo naturally without any second skin, expect to leave the shop with a sanitary covering wrapped around your tattoo. Please leave your wrap on for at least 2 hours and then take it off and shower/clean the area before the night ends. After this, leave your tattoo dry without any lotions or balms for 2 full days following your appointment. During those 2 days, wash your tattoo with unscented soap twice daily (morning and night) and pat dry with a paper towel. After the 2 days, Begin the general aftercare process using a very light layer of unscented lotion or aftercare balm twice daily after washing. Blot off any excess because less is more when it comes to healing a tattoo! If your tattoo seems to be seeping, you are most likely overwashing or overwetting with lotion or aftercare- back it down a notch! If your tattoo seems very dry or crusty, you are most likely not moisturizing enough.
What to Expect During the Healing Process
This is a guide that explains the stages of tattoo healing and what to expect in each time frame. Everyone's body is different and heals at different rates so these are just general descriptions.
Days 1-3 Why does my tattoo hurt so bad and feel hot and swollen?
These first few days of your tattoo, your body is trying to respond to the irritation caused by the new tattoo. Here we can expect swelling, redness, tenderness, warmth, and drainage. This is normal for the first part of your tattoo healing process, but any symptoms like this later on can potentially be an infection so it is important to keep an eye out on the tattoo, making sure it is following the healing cycle appropriately. It is expected in this timeframe for plasma to weep from the tattoo. This is a clear liquid that comes from the body to promote healthy scabbing and is the body’s natural response to trauma, beginning the healing process. If you are using second skin, the plasma may build up underneath of the wrap. This is normal. Please leave this alone and don’t attempt to pop it, it will dry up underneath. If for some reason it starts leaking out of the side of the second skin, drain out what you can and then patch up the open edge with the extra piece of second skin that your artist gave you. This usually only occurs with larger pieces or tattoos with more color or shading.
Days 4-7 Why am I itching?
It is normal to experience itching during this phase as itching signifies your skin healing. If the itch is irresistible, please try to gently pat the tattoo instead of scratching it. Absolutely no scratching! During these days, the tattoo should start to peel, and flake. This is a normal part of the healing process (unless there is second skin covering the tattoo, then you won’t visibly see this step). Remember, no touching with hands that aren't freshly cleaned and no picking or scratching!
Days 7-14 Why am I peeling and scabbing?
After the initial peeling phase, your tattoo continues to peel and possibly scab to shed the next layer of skin. These scabs and flakes will most likely look like they have ink on them which is completely normal. We promise, your tattoo will still be there when you're done healing! When any peeling, flaking, or scabbing occurs, it is crucial to leave those areas alone and let them come off naturally when they are ready. Premature removal can compromise the healed results of the tattoo and cause potential scarring.
Days 14-30 Is my tattoo healed yet?
After all of the obvious stages of healing, the tattoo still continues to visibly heal for the rest of the month after the appointment. You may have a waxy or shiny appearance to your tattoo which is normal in this stage and will subside over time. Although your tattoo may look healed, there is still internal healing going on in this phase and it is important to continue to keep your tattoo clean, protected and keep up with your aftercare.