How long is my tattoo going to last? Provided that you have taken very good care of your tattoo and have not chosen a location that resides in a wear spot on your body, tattoos can last perfectly for 10 to 20+ years before they are clearly in need of restoration. Wear spots include areas such like hands, feet, and fingers. There are others. Ask your tattoo artist about your location choice. 

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Can I get tattooed if I am on medication or have a medical condition? Yes! There are several medications and medical conditions that do not affect the tattoo process. You may be required to acquire a signed medical release from a medical professional in order to get tattooed. Please let your tattoo artist know of any and all medications that may thin the blood or reduce clotting as well as any medical conditions that could seriously affect your health if you have an open wound. This is for YOUR safety NOT our liability. We want you to be healthy and have an awesome tattoo!

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Can I get tattooed if I am still nursing? We recommend waiting until you are finished nursing for your health and the health of your child. In the months after child birth, your body can become immuno-compromised to a degree and make you more susceptible to infection. Should you become ill from your immunity being low from getting a tattoo you can pass infections and illnesses on to your young child. Better safe than sorry!

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What inks do you use? We use industry supported and industry manufactured organic inks from various manufacturers. We only use the highest quality most mainstream brands purchased from licensed retailers/wholesalers.

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Can I shower after getting my tattoo? Yes! Showering after your tattoo is a great way to wash it for the first time. We recommend NOT using hot water, but warm water. Hot water can burn your freshly tattooed skin and affect the healing process. We also suggest not to let the water continuously flow onto the tattoo as you do not want to over saturate it and lose any of the color.

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When can I go swimming? Once your tattoo has completely gone through the shedding/peeling stage and the skin is smooth to the touch you can absolutely hit the beach or the pool! If you are unsure, please ask your tattoo artist before hopping in the water. 

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When can I go tanning? For the longevity of your tattoo, we never recommend tanning as long term tanning can affect the longevity of the tattoo, but we understand wanting that golden brown skin! In the event that you wish to go tanning, your tattoo should be completely healed plus 3 months. 

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Will I need a touch-up? If your tattoo is NOT in a wear spot and you have taken great care of your tattoo...we will not expect that you will need a touch-up. However, touch-ups are in some cases inevitable. Our touch up policy is as follows: As of January 1st 2020 - Clients may receive 1 free touch-up within 6 months of completion. After that period is expired, the free touch up is no longer valid and pricing is subject to change. 

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Can my 17 year old get a tattoo? Unfortunately in the State of Illinois, the age for obtaining a tattoo is 18. There is no parental consent for tattoos in our State and a valid photo ID is REQUIRED to be inside of the shop. 

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Do you do inner lip tattoos? Sorry folks! We do NOT perform inner lip tattoos. 

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Can I bring my child/children with me while I get a tattoo? Children ARE welcome in our shop with their legal parent, however, if you are getting a tattoo - your child's other legal parent or guardian MUST be in care of them. Children must be under the supervision of their LEGAL parent(s) at all times while inside of the shop. 

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My tattoo is flaking off the ink! What do I do? No worries! When your tattoo flakes and it appears that your color is peeling off, it is just the outer layer of "scabbing" shedding to reveal your healing tattoo underneath. Do not fret! It's totally normal. 

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What should I do before my appointment? There are many good things to do before getting a tattoo - not necessarily in this order: It is always good to eat a meal beforehand, bring a water bottle, take a nice cleansing shower, show up 10 to 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork, wear loose fit comfortable clothing, do NOT consume drugs or alcohol the night before or anytime before, and get plenty of rest. :-)

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Do you pierce babies or infants? We DO pierce children, but NOT babies. We start our piercing age at 8 years old. For details...check out our "Piercing for Minors" page. Piercing babies can be very dangerous the way that we do piercings. 

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Do you use piercing guns? No! We do all of our piercings by hand with sterile single use needles. Needle piercing is safer and does less damage than using a piercing gun. 

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How much do your piercings cost? Our piercings range from $30 to $80 and go up from there. For a complete list of piercing prices, check out our price list. 

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Do you do dermal piercings? No, unfortunately we do not do dermal piercings at this time. 

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Do you do genital piercings? No, unfortunately we do not perform genital piercings at this time. 

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What metal is your jewelry made of? All of our sterilized jewelry is made of solid 316L Surgical Steel jewelry making it hypoallergenic. 

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Do you do the migraine piercing? In a matter of a sense, yes, we do. We perform piercings for many different ailments and have a one of a kind process for doing these piercings. For more information, check out our Piercing for Cures page. 

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Can I use my own jewelry when getting a piercing? Unfortunately not. We only perform piercings with our own high quality jewelry that is sterilized to ensure your piercing is done safely and hygienic.

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When can I change my jewelry? You can change your jewelry for that new cool piece that you bought once you have surpassed the initial healing time suggested by the piercer. Refer to the care instructions you were given for more information. If you are still questioning whether it's a good time to change it, stop by the shop and talk to our Master Piercer, Meg. 

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Can I get a piercing if I am under age? YES! We do pierce minor age children and young adults. For more information on age restrictions and requirements, check out our Piercings for Minors page.

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 I lost my jewelry! What do I do? Will it close up? Whether you have lost a ball or the whole piece of jewelry, it is good to get to the shop ASAP and get something put back in before it becomes difficult to get jewelry back in. If it is a fresh piercing or one that is under the change out time frame, it will become more difficult to get jewelry back in the longer you wait. 

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I have a "bump" on my piercing! What do I do? First thing is first...contact our piercer to schedule a time to take a look. Chances are that your "bump" is a keloid. Keloids are common occurrences in cartilage piercings and can be generally not harmful to your piercing. They do, however, need to be treated with care right from the start. Every piercing and person is different, so don't wait, contact the piercer immediately if there is any issue with your piercing. 

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Does it cost anything to have my jewelry changed? If you received your piercing from Black Lace Ink, we will change the first new jewelry free of charge for each piercing that you get from us. If you received your piercing from another shop, there is a 20.00 charge for changing your jewelry. 

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I have to have an MRI/medical procedure. Will I lose my piercing? This can work 2 ways to keep your piercing. There are several non-metallic jewelry options that we can install in case you have to have an MRI. If your jewelry MUST come out, for our clients, we are more than happy to schedule a removal and replacement for before and after your procedure to ensure that you will not lose your piercing. We obviously cannot guarantee that you will not lose your piercing as in some cases this is just unavoidable. 

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How long do I need to clean my piercing for? The answer is simple...FOREVER. You will need to clean and maintain your piercing for the life of having that piercing in your body. You have created an orifice in your tissue that can inflame with irritation or contract infection at any time if not cared for properly. 

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What do I use to clean my piercing? Please refer back to your given care instructions that should be in your e-mail. If you never received your care instructions or need another copy sent to you, please contact us immediately and we can resend it to your e-mail. BEST thing to use in any piercing case that is NOT inside your mouth is SOAP and WATER...they are your very best option!