Please read through these FAQ’s before reaching out. For inquiries not covered here, feel free to email me. I do not make appointments via Instagram DM’s.

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How do I book an appointment?

Please, only email me to book an appointment if you're ready to pick a date and make a deposit.

Please include the following when emailing me for an appointment:

• A brief description of your request in the header

• The design or description of the tattoo

• Where you want it placed

• Approximate size (In inches)

• Choice of appointment dates/times availability

• What your budget is

I will then provide you with a quote, and any other pertinent information or questions I may have.

I will not hold any dates or draw any designs until I have a deposit. The deposit is what secures your appointment and your design. I work on a first come first serve basis.

Please note that the amount of time I book us for (ex: 3hrs) may change so please allow enough time during our appointment incase anything changes especially for longer sessions. (Ex: stencil and prep time takes longer than expected, tattoo was larger or smaller than expected, etc)

If you have limited time available during our appointment please let me know before hand so I can accommodate you!

Where are you located?

Pioneer Tattoo

3513 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

Paid parking on Lincoln, free parking on Hermitage and Cornelia, make sure to read any parking signs.

We have placards to put in your car during baseball season since we are in range of Wrigley Field.

We are located on the second floor of our building and you will need to buzz in. The buzzer code will be sent to you once I’ve received your deposit.

Can I bring a guest to the appointment?

I personally would prefer my clients to come alone since it is very distracting to me to have extra people around if they are not getting tattooed.

If you are in a specific situation (Ex: traveling from out of town, etc) please let me know so I can try to accommodate for you!

What is your schedule?

I work Monday-Wednesday at Pioneer Tattoo. My hours are 11:00am-6:00pm! I post my updated schedules on Instagram and through my mailing list.

What is your minimum price?

My absolute minimum price is $150 flat.

What is your deposit policy?

All deposits must be paid before the tattoo appointment is scheduled. This deposit secures your appointment slot and will be deducted from the final price of the tattoo. If you are booking multiple days I require a deposit for each day you book.

It's important to note that deposits are non-refundable, as it guarantees your commitment and compensates the artist for their time in preparing for your appointment.

Deposits for Tattoos under $200

For any tattoos that are estimated to cost under $200, the deposit amount will be half of the owed amount.

Flat Rate & Hourly Tattoos Deposit

For tattoos that are offered at a flat rate or a hourly rate, a standard deposit of $200 is required.

What is your hourly rate?

My hourly rate is $185/hr.

I charge my hourly rate for larger scale projects that normally take longer than 3-4 hours to complete.

I also offer flat rates. Flat rates depend on: the tattoo’s size, the tattoo’s placement, and the intricacy of the design.

There are many factors that go into how long a tattoo may take and I aim to be as transparent and accurate as possible with price quotes before your appointment.

If you have a specific budget please let me know and I will try to work within your budget within reason of the scope of the project.

What is your rescheduling policy?

If you need to reschedule your appointment, it needs to be done at least three days prior to your appointment in order to avoid the rescheduling fee. If you reschedule within three days of your appointment or if you are more than 20 minutes late to an appointment with communication, you will be required to pay a $45 rescheduling fee.

If you need to reschedule your appointment, it needs to be done within two weeks from the date you are requesting a reschedule. Note: the appointment does not need to fall within those two weeks.

What is your cancellation policy?

If you cancel your appointment, and don’t reschedule, you will not receive your deposit back.

If you are more than 20 minutes late to an appointment without communication, you will be considered a no call no show. This results in a forfeit of your deposit and if you want to re-book you will be required to submit a new deposit.

If you show up to your appointment and due to circumstances on your part, we don’t tattoo during our appointment, this will result in a forfeit of your deposit. This is to accommodate for my time that was set aside for our appointment.

(Ex: You end up not wanting to get tattooed anymore, you had to leave before we started tattooing, etc)

What types of payment do you accept?

I accept Venmo & Zelle for deposits.

I only accept cash on the day of the appointment so please plan accordingly. We do not have an ATM at the shop.

Should I tip you on top of my tattoo payment?

Tipping is appreciated but not necessary. If it is not within your means, do not feel obligated to tip :)

If you decide to tip I prefer cash!

Do you do custom work?

Yes! Feel free to email me with your ideas for custom work.

I charge $50 for custom designs on top of the initial quote for the tattoo. This will be included in the price of your tattoo.

*All price quotes are subject to change depending on the amount of time that is spent on the custom drawing and how many revisions are made throughout the process*

You will see the drafts of the design as well as the final design before the appointment.

When can I expect to see the custom design?

You could get a draft sent to you the day after you book your appointment with me, or you could get it 2 days before the scheduled appointment. It all depends on when I have time to draw customs and how many I have to do. Don’t worry, you will see the design at least two days before the appointment. Please do not email me asking to see if I’ve started on the design yet.

Can I use numbing cream?

I prefer that you don’t use a numbing cream prior to our appointment. Numbing creams can change the texture of your skin, making it harder to tattoo, leading to a longer session. It also can give you an allergic reaction depending on what ingredients are in that specific product, leading to you not being able to get tattooed at all that day. The products on the market are not well regulated and have many ingredients in them that can potentially cause issues. The less products on your skin while tattooing the better.

We do have Bactine Spray that I can use on your tattoo once your skin is broken if you do not have any lidocaine allergies. It has 4% lidocaine in it and it will help with the pain & swelling and does not cause any change in texture to your skin.

Do you work with color?

No. I only tattoo black and grey palettes.

Do you tattoo other artists designs?

No. I am only tattooing my own designs. All of my available designs are posted in my Instagram highlights. I post new designs once or twice a month. I also do custom work that I think is a good fit and in my own style.

What is the difference between your tattoo designs and flash?

My tattoo designs that are available are one and done designs. Once someone claims it, I will not tattoo that design again. I can create something custom that is similar if you really liked one design but I won’t repeat it.

My flash pieces are available for anyone at anytime and can/will be repeated on multiple people.

Do you do coverups?

My work is generally not well suited for coverups. Feel free to reach out so we can discuss the specifics over email.

If it’s not within my scope of work I can recommend artists who I think will do a fantastic job with your coverup.

Removal is also a great option if you want your piece lightened or removed completely. I recommend Removery; they do free consultations.

How long should I wait before working out with a new tattoo?

It’s recommended to wait at least 2-3 days to do LIGHT exercising. If you are doing high intensity workouts/lifting it is recommended to wait until the outside of your skin is finished healing. This will help prevent any type of infection. If you do workout, make sure to clean your tattoo afterwards to also help prevent any infections.

Can I swim with a fresh tattoo?

Nope! Do not submerge your fresh tattoo in water while its healing (Bath, Swimming, Hot Tub, etc.) You can shower though! Try not to use super hot water for the first week after getting your tattoo!

Can I still get tattooed if I’m sunburnt?

Nope! Even if it’s sunkissed. Please don’t expose yourself to the sun for at least two weeks before your tattoo appointment. I can’t tattoo over healing skin and we would need to reschedule if you come in with sun exposure so please be careful!

Do you refuse tattooing certain placements?

I don’t tattoo the rib cage or genitals.

Can you tattoo over scars?

Most of the time, yes. The scar must be fully healed (at least 1 year). If you’re interested in tattooing over scars, we can discuss the specifics over email.

Can I bring my pet/children to the appointment?

No. The only people allowed in the studio are the people getting tattooed and no one under the age of 18!

What can I expect from signing up for your mailing list?

Every month on the 15th I send out a mailing list with all of my new designs, flash designs, any updates, and my current schedules! This is early access to all this information before I post it to Instagram! So you have a chance to claim a new design/date before anyone on Instagram sees it!