Please read below for common questions concerning tattoos at HOWL Gallery.
Q: Do you tattoo minors?
A: No, we DO NOT tattoo minors. Though it is legal in the state of Florida with parental consent, HOWL does not practice the tattooing of minors. Please wait until you are 18 and visit us then!
Q: Does HOWL Gallery do piercings?
A: Sorry, we DO NOT do any piercings. Our focus is on visual art only.
Q: How much do you charge for tattoos?
A: Tattoos start at $50 and go up depending on size and detail.
Q: Do you have a minimum on tattoos?
A: We usually charge around $50 for a small tattoo. We also have a selection of $40 tattoos available, see our $40 tattoo page for details.
Q: Can I go swimming with a fresh tattoo?
A: We recommend waiting at least 1-2 weeks to swim with a new tattoo. You can sometimes get away with swimming sooner than that, but we can not guarantee the tattoo will be unaffected. If your tattoo scabs you should NOT swim. The most important thing to remember is to keep the tattoo clean. Wash it with an anti-bacterial soap if you go in any pools, hot tubs, etc. Your SAFEST best is to avoid hot tubs and pools since they can be breeding grounds for bacteria. For this reason we encourage everyone to wait at least 1-2 weeks to allow the skin to heal over from a recent tattoo session.
Q: How long have you been tattooing?
A: Currently all of our artists have been tattooing between 5 and 10 years. Andy has been tattooing since 2002 and Steve has been tattooing since 2005. HOWL Gallery/Tattoo has very strict procedures for tattoo application and setup.
Q: How long will my tattoo take to heal?
A: Usually your tattoo will peal like a sunburn within 7-14 days. You may get a second peel after that. We recommend keeping a thin coat of A&D ointment or Aquaphor on your tattoo for the first 3-4 days and then as needed. Ointment helps speed up healing and makes scabbing less likely to occur. If you do scab refrain from using ointment as this will cause the scab to get mushy.
Q: What kind of tattoo ink do you use?
A: We use only the very best ink designed for tattooing. For black inks we use ONE, Silverback and Pelikan brand inks. For color ink we use Intenze, Eternal, Starbrite, and Unique/Permapro inks. These inks have the highest reputation in the tattooing industry and are used by the very best tattoo artists around the world.
Q: Are your needles single use?
A: Both our needles and our tips/tubes (the object that the needle moves up and down in) are single use and disposed of after each tattoo. They are both pre-packaged and sterilized during the manufacturing process. We have an autoclave for sterilizing everything else, including grips, grip covers, squeeze bottles, etc. The autoclave is tested monthly by a labratory to ensure that it properly sterilizes. Proof of sterilization is provided to everyone. We consider ourselves on the forefront of tattooing and are constantly updating ourselves on current sterlization standards.
Q: Are your tattoo artists licensed?
A: By law tattoo artists are NOT licensed in Florida. We are under the supervision of a medical practioner in Florida, and all of our artists have extensive training and tattoo experience. We are also tested and certified in OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standards annually. The local government issues occupational licenses but does not review tattoo artists individually for training. For this reason it is important to look at an artist's portfolio and feel comfortable with who is tattooing you. Do not get tattooed by someone with questionably hygiene or work environment.
Q: Why are you guys so friendly? The artist that has been tattooing me is a meat head!
A: Because we like people and think everyone should be treated with respect no matter what tattoo they want or who they are. We are the opposite of a traditional tattoo shop. We are very friendly and have plenty of experience dealing with regular people.
Q: Do you do touch-ups or fix-ups?
A: Yes, stop by and we can take a look at it. If we did the tattoo, the touch-up is free. If someone else did the tattoo, we will charge a fee based on the estimate of time it will take to fix it.
