Frequently Asked Questions
Where are you located?
Our address is 106 N. Commerce St., Centreville, Maryland 21617, United States.
What are your hours?
We are open to the public most days from Tuesday through Thursday, 11 to 6pm and Friday through Saturday, 11 to 7pm. Subject to change depending on day and availability. We are closed on Sundays and Mondays, and for major holidays.
What forms of payment do you take?
We accept cash and all major credit cards. Please note that credit card transactions are subject to a 3% surcharge. Now accepting AfterPay!
How can I book an appointment?
Please submit a request form here [hyperlink] or contact us on our social media pages.
FOR TATTOOS: Please include a description of your idea, a size in inches, placement on the body, a color scheme, a style preference, artist preference, and availability preferences if necessary.
FOR PIERCINGS: Please include the name of the piercing.
FOR HAIRDOS: Our stylist takes all her appointments directly. Please contact us with your name, your cell phone number, a brief hair history (including any previous color jobs), a description of your idea, and any reference photos if necessary.
Do I need a consultation?
Consultations are not always necessary, especially for smaller projects. The more detail provided upon booking, the better understanding the artist will have of what you’re looking for and can prepare accordingly. Larger scale projects with significant detail or complicated coverup projects will require a consultation upon request of the artist.
Do you offer coverups?
All our artists are versed in coverups. Not every coverup is accomplishable, so please keep an open mind in your design ideas when requesting a coverup. Your artist will know best! Please attach a picture of the existing tattoo when submitting a coverup request.
Do you accept walk-ins?
Typically, we are an appointment only shop. However, we offer walk-ins subject to availability based on cancellations, guest artists, et cetera. Follow our social media pages to watch for announcements on future walk-in days!
How much is a tattoo?
Our current artist minimum rates range from $125-175, depending on the artist. This applies as a base price for any tattoo, no matter the size or details. Prices will increase into artists’ rates for anything upwards of an hour or more. We have artists that work at either hourly rates or flat rate pricing.
HOURLY: Hourly rates currently range between $160-175. This rate is charged for the time you are in the chair under the needle; we do not charge for design times, set ups, breaks, et cetera.
FLAT RATE: Flat rate pricing is determined on a piece-by-piece basis by artist discretion. Please contact the Studio with your ideas to get a quote from a flat rate artist.
Do I need a deposit to book an appointment?
We require a NON-REFUNDABLE deposit upon booking an appointment. The deposit will be applied to the total of the service at checkout. For multiple session bookings, your deposit will be deducted at the final session. Tattoo deposits can range between $100-150 depending on the appointment length; piercing deposits are $30. These deposits are valid per booking, per person. Appointments will be forfeited if your deposit is not paid within 24 hours.
Deposits can be paid either in person during our open business hours, or through an invoice via email. When booking an appointment, please provide your contact information to be sent an invoice for your deposit. Please refer to our cancellation policies PRIOR to paying your deposit. Note that once this deposit is paid, you are agreeing that you have read all of Ink or Dye Studio’s policies and agree to abide by them without any exception.
What is your cancellation/rescheduling policies?
We have a strict 48-hour cancellation policy for your deposit to remain valid. Should you need to cancel or reschedule for any reason, you must reach out to us prior to 48 hours before your appointment. Deposits can be rolled over with appropriate notice but will be forfeited without. You will have to put down a new deposit to rebook an appointment should your deposit be forfeited. We understand that life happens, whether it be an illness, a last minute call to work, or other unfortunate events. However, this deposit policy is in place for the protection of our artists. Without advanced notice, we can’t guarantee a client in their chair, which means they lose out on their day. By paying your deposit, you agree to abide by this cancellation policy.
Deposits are also forfeited if you need to leave early from your appointment without advanced notice. Your appointment length will be sent to you in your appointment reminder.
What if I am running behind to my appointment?
If you are running behind, you must call the shop in advance to let your artist know. Typically, we do not accommodate appointments more than 15 minutes late. Should this happen, your deposit will be forfeited, and your appointment will not be accommodated. To reschedule your appointment after 15 minutes, you will have to put down a new deposit.
Will I see my drawing in advance?
All designs are typically provided the day of the scheduled tattoo. Due to the high volume of appointments with mostly custom designs, our artists draw in the order of their scheduled clients. We also ensure the protection and integrity of the artist and their work by providing the design upon the appointment. Clients are welcome to reach out to the front desk staff to submit any additional details or set up a consultation to further discuss the design.
What if I change my idea at the last minute?
We accommodate enough time at the beginning of each appointment to discuss the design and make any minor changes as needed. However, should you scrap the original design booked for an entirely new idea, we’ll need 48 hours’ notice to accommodate your design. Should we not receive 48 hours’ notice of a design change, your deposit will be forfeited, and you will be required to reschedule.
What is your touch up policy?
We offer one touch up session for our tattoos at no additional charge. After your first touch up, it will be booked and priced as a regular appointment. This policy also applies to finger tattoos.
Can I bring someone with me to my appointment?
You can! We do not allow any kids under the age of 13 to be in the Studio without an appointment, which means even if one of your kids is being serviced, you cannot bring another kid along to attend the appointment unless they themselves are getting serviced.
Do you service minors?
Certain services have certain age restrictions. Please read the following information regarding minors.
Booking an appointment: We do NOT allow minors to book appointments on behalf of themselves. Their parent or legal guardian must book an appointment on behalf of the minor.
ID Requirements: For ANY minor, we require that a parent or legal guardian be present at the time of and throughout the entirety of the appointment. The attending parent must bring the minor’s original birth certificate; we do not accept any copies, pictures, or digital forms. The parent’s ID must also present a valid, government issued photo ID that matches the listed parent on the birth certificate. If a legal guardian, you must bring original court ordered documentation that lists both the minor and attending parent’s names, alongside a birth certificate and guardian ID. These papers are required at EVERY appointment, even if you are an existing client. There are no exceptions to this policy.
TATTOOS: We will tattoo minors ages 16 and older with consent and identification. Tattoos will be limited to arms and leg placement only.
PIERCINGS: Earlobe piercings start at 6 and up. Any cartilage piercings in the ear, including (but not limited to) helix, rook, conch, et cetera, start at 13 and up. Nostrils and navels are 15 and up, and oral or eyebrow piercings are 16 and up. Nipples are 18 and older only.
How much is a piercing?
Service fees on the majority of piercings are $60, except for the following marked at $75: Earlobe set, nipple set, industrial, & septums.
Jewelry is priced separately from the service fee. The price of the jewelry will depend on selection. Base prices for a standard labret set up will start around an average of $25 and will go up from there depending on stylization and necessary jewelry.
What kind of piercings do you offer?
We offer earlobes, all cartilage piercings (including helix, rook, conch, daith, et cetera), standard lip piercings (including labrets, paired labrets, and philtrums), eyebrows, navels, nipples, nostrils, and septums.
We do NOT offer dermals or surface piercings of any kind, including vertical labrets or vertical philtrums, or surface tragus. We also do not offer frenulums (smileys), horizontal tongues (snake eyes), or any genital piercings.
What kind of jewelry do you carry? Is it nickel free?
Our basic level jewelry is ASTM F136 6AI-4V ELI Solid Implant Grade Titanium and Niobium. We also stock 14kt and 18kt solid gold. All our jewelry is hypoallergenic and safe for sensitivity.
I haven’t heard back yet. Now what?
We thank you for your patience. Our staff is incredibly busy and does everything we can to get back to you in a timely fashion. We answer messages in the order in which they were received typically within 48 hours during a normal work week. We encourage you to contact the shop versus individual artists, as our artists are incredibly focused and cannot respond to many inquiries on their own. Please redirect any questions, comments, or concerns to the shop.
How can I best prepare for my appointment?
Get a good night’s rest the night before, take a shower, and eat a hearty meal. Dress in comfortable, loose-fitting clothing; keep in mind the placement of your tattoo, so be sure to wear something that’s easily accessible to that location. Please do not arrive with any products on the area, including spray tans, lotions, or creams, et cetera. We encourage you to bring snacks for longer appointments! The shop has complimentary coffee and water and offers other beverages at additional charge.
For a piercing appointment, it is recommended to arrive 30 minutes prior to my appointment. Our autoclave currently runs on a 30 minute cycle. We have plenty of jewelry in the display to choose from! If you cannot arrive 30 minutes prior, you will have to select from pre-sterilized jewelry for your initial piercing. Keep this in mind when booking your appointment should you want to have more options available to you.
What are your aftercare procedures? Do you have aftercare available at the shop?
Your body modification artist will run through all of our recommended aftercare procedures following your appointment. Aftercare instructions are automatically forwarded to your email upon submission of your waivers, and are available in a printout upon request. If you would like an additional copy of our aftercare procedures, shoot us an email and we’re happy to provide you with some!
The shop carries a full line of everything you should and will need to take care of your new tattoo or piercing. For tattoos, we also offer a second skin bandage as an alternative option to traditional aftercare. This will be reviewed with you at the time of your appointment.
Can I use numbing products on my tattoo and/or piercing?
We strongly recommend against arriving with numbing products prior to your appointment. Our artists cannot guarantee that any of the products or ingredients inside the products being used outside of the Studio are safe, and therefore cannot be responsible for any interactions/reactions that may occur following the application.
For tattoos, numbing cream tends to warp the skin tissue, making it more difficult to tattoo and could impact the finished product. Numbing cream also unfortunately does not tend to last through longer sessions, creating a more intense pain after wearing off versus without using it at all. Should the tattoo become incredibly uncomfortable, the shop offers various numbing products to be applied with the tattoo that are safe!
For piercings, any numbing products only touch through a few layers of your skin; remember that a piercing is penetrating through the skin. Regardless of the product, you will feel the entire piercing.
Can I get serviced while pregnant or breastfeeding?
We will not service any pregnant or breastfeeding individuals due to the risk of infection that it poses.
Do you sell gift cards?
We sell physical and e-gift cards! Please visit our webstore to purchase a gift card or stop by during our regular business hours.