Common questions.

Start by submitting your idea, references, sizing, and placement through the Book Appointment page. After review we'll either confirm the project or schedule a consultation, send a quote, collect the Booking & Drawing Fee, and lock your date on the calendar. Custom artwork begins after the fee is received.

It's a non-refundable fee paid before any artwork begins. It compensates the artist for consultation, research, planning, scheduling, communication, and the time spent designing your custom piece. It also reserves your spot so that block of studio time cannot be offered to anyone else.

No. The moment it's paid, time is blocked on the calendar and custom drawing begins. That work has already been done whether you show up or not, which is why the fee is non-refundable under any circumstances. It is also separate from the session price — it does not come off the final total.

Artwork begins only after the Booking & Drawing Fee has been received. This protects the studio's time and ensures every client is fully committed before drawing time is invested in their project.

Most artwork is finalized at or near your appointment so we can refine details together in person. This gives you the chance to view it on your body, adjust placement and sizing, and approve any final tweaks before we begin tattooing.

Every tattoo is priced based on estimated tattoo time, complexity, placement, size, and detail. After your consultation you'll receive a clear quote so there are no surprises on the day of your appointment.

Yes. Clients who pay for their session in full at the time of booking receive 15% off the session price. The Booking & Drawing Fee is separate and is not included in that discount.

Payment is due in full on the day of your appointment. For larger multi-session projects, each session is paid for individually as the work progresses. Anything outside of that is handled case by case during your consultation.

Every tattoo is different. Estimated session length is discussed during your consultation and depends on size, detail, placement, and your own pain tolerance. Larger pieces are often broken into multiple sessions.

Honestly, yes — but it's manageable. Pain varies based on placement, your tolerance, sleep, hydration, and how you've prepared. Areas over bone, ribs, hands, feet, and the inside of arms tend to be more sensitive than the outer arms, legs, or back.

Only if it has been discussed and approved in advance. Some numbing products change the texture of the skin and can affect how the ink takes, so they should never be applied without checking with the studio first.

Absolutely. Visual references — photos, textures, color palettes, or examples of styles you love — help communicate your vision clearly and lead to a stronger final design.

No. References are welcome as inspiration, but every tattoo at Hollow Oak is custom designed for the person wearing it. Copying another artist's work is disrespectful to them and unfair to you.

Not every project requires an in-person consultation, but larger pieces, cover-ups, scar work, and complex custom designs almost always do. Smaller, more straightforward work can usually be handled through detailed messages and quality reference photos.

Size is determined by the level of detail your design requires, the placement on your body, and how it will age over time. We'll guide you toward a size that holds its detail beautifully for decades rather than something that looks great today but blurs in five years.

Sleep well the night before, hydrate the day prior and the morning of, moisturize the area for several days leading up, eat a real meal within a couple of hours of your appointment, and skip alcohol for at least 24 hours. See the Before Care page for the full guide.

Yes — always. Tattooing puts stress on your body and can drop your blood sugar. Eating a substantial meal beforehand helps prevent lightheadedness, nausea, and fatigue during the session.

Photo ID, water, snacks, lip balm, a phone charger, headphones or something to entertain yourself, and comfortable clothing that allows easy access to the area being tattooed. If you're diabetic, prone to low blood sugar, or know you sometimes get lightheaded, please bring juice, glucose tablets, or a sugary snack and let me know before we begin.

No. If you're running a fever, fighting an infection, taking antibiotics, or feeling significantly run down, please reschedule. Your body needs its full immune capacity to heal a fresh tattoo, and being sick affects both how the ink settles and how cleanly the piece heals.

No. Hollow Oak Tattoo Co. is a fully private, by-appointment-only studio.

One adult guest is welcome to accompany you. Please let the studio know in advance so the space can be prepared. Additional guests cannot be accommodated due to limited space and the focus required during a session.

Children are not permitted in the studio. Tattooing involves sharp instruments, blood, and a sterile environment that cannot be maintained around minors. Please arrange childcare before your appointment.

No. We do not tattoo anyone under 18, no exceptions. Valid government-issued photo ID is required at every appointment.

Yes. Rescheduling requests made at least 72 hours before your appointment can typically be accommodated without losing your Booking & Drawing Fee. Inside that window, a new fee may be required to rebook.

A short delay is understandable — please communicate as soon as you know. Excessive lateness may shorten your session, force rescheduling, or result in forfeiture of the Booking & Drawing Fee, depending on the schedule that day.

No-shows forfeit the Booking & Drawing Fee in full, and a new fee is required to schedule any future appointment. The time was reserved for you and the artwork was already drawn — that work cannot be undone.

Yes. Every cover-up requires an in-person consultation so the existing tattoo can be evaluated for size, density, age, and color. The new design must be planned around what's already there, which takes more time and care than a standard piece.

Often, yes — but every case is evaluated individually. Scars must be fully healed, typically at least 12 months old, soft, and no longer raised or sensitive. A consultation is required to determine whether the area will hold ink properly.

A minimum of 12 months is the general rule, and longer for surgical scars, burns, or skin grafts. The scar should be fully matured, flat, soft, and free of any tenderness before ink is introduced.

Moles are avoided entirely — they should never be tattooed over, as doing so can hide changes that might need medical attention. Freckles are usually fine and the design can be planned around or through them depending on density and placement.

Yes. Touch-ups within six months of your original session are offered at a flat $60 supply fee — no hourly charge — provided aftercare was followed properly. Touch-ups outside that window, or due to neglected aftercare, are billed at the standard hourly rate.

The quality of the work itself is guaranteed at the time it leaves the studio. How a tattoo heals and ages depends largely on aftercare, lifestyle, sun exposure, and skin type — factors outside the artist's control. The $60 supply-only touch-up within six months covers most normal healing variances.

Every style. After two decades behind the machine, the full range has been mastered — traditional, neo-traditional, Japanese, blackwork, black & grey, realism, hyper realism, portraiture, color realism, illustrative, sketch, watercolor, ornamental, geometric, dotwork, stippling, micro-realism, fine line, single-needle, script and lettering, tribal, biomechanical, surrealism, anime and pop culture, cover-ups, scar work, and large-scale custom projects including sleeves, back pieces, and bodysuits. If it can be tattooed, it can be done here.

Surface healing typically takes 2–3 weeks, while full healing of the deeper layers of skin takes 2–3 months. During that time the tattoo will scab, peel, itch, and look slightly cloudy before settling into its final appearance.

Yes. Detailed verbal and written aftercare instructions are provided at the end of every appointment, and the After Care page on the website is available as a complete reference at any time.

Avoid strenuous exercise for at least 48–72 hours, and longer for larger pieces or tattoos on areas that stretch and sweat heavily. Sweat, friction, and bacteria from gym equipment can all compromise healing and introduce infection.

No swimming, soaking, hot tubs, saunas, lakes, oceans, or baths for a minimum of 2–3 weeks. Submerging a healing tattoo softens scabs prematurely and exposes the open skin to bacteria, which can cause infection and ink loss.

Reach out any time through the Contact page or directly via the methods provided at your appointment. Healing concerns, questions, and follow-up are part of the experience — never hesitate to ask.