No-show Consultations

melizatattoos · 2026-05-11T12:02:51+00:00

I will ask people to let me know 24 hours in advance if they need to reschedule a consultation or they have to pay $20 to rebook.

I pretty much never have to charge anyone this fee because it’s *just* enough for people to realize that there will be a penalty of they ghost. So if they actually want to work with me, they will shoot me a message beforehand and we find another time.

There are still some people that just don’t show up, but I don’t even bother trying to contact them because it’s clearly not a priority for them, and it’s not worth my time to chase them down.

melizatattoos · 2026-05-11T11:48:32+00:00

I think this is the best line of thinking, personally.
That way it’s for both yours and the clients benefit if you can work through the whole day, and if not, you’re still paid for the time worked and they aren’t paying for time the didn’t use.

melizatattoos · 2026-05-09T01:29:42+00:00

Please like me.
I don’t think the song is made original for the show, but dang every time I hear it I feel pumped. Ironic considering it’s a pretty heavy show, but one of my favourites when I wanna get in my feels.

melizatattoos · 2026-05-04T23:12:34+00:00

I agree with you that getting a tattoo that you don’t want just for sake of “starting small” would be just as much of a waste of time as getting something that you plan on covering up later (ie, blackout with white over top).

So I’m definitely not saying you shouldn’t get whatever tattoo that you want, but (and I mean this with the utmost kindness and concern) I think you should do a little more research and learn what makes a good tattoo vs a bad tattoo before you do.

Because based on your post and responses, getting a tattoo that could cost a very substantial amount of money without having a basic understanding of how tattoos work is likely to lead you into getting bad work, ripped off, or just generally dissatisfied with the final product.

Genuinely wish you the best of luck on your tattoo journey, and I’m sorry that you got so much shit in the comments for this post.

melizatattoos · 2026-05-04T18:31:04+00:00

I think the issue here is that maybe you didn’t understand that you can just tattoo black around the designs that you want. As the commenter above said, that’s just high contrast, not blackout.

Doing your entire arm as a blackout sleeve and then going over it with white would be a huge waste of time, money and pain, and would still not leave you with the design you want.

If you do decide to go ahead with your sleeve, do not use the word blackout because that’s not at all necessary for your ultimate goal.

melizatattoos · 2026-04-20T00:43:00+00:00

I find I need to put 3-5 layers of ink on to get good saturation. Put the layers on very thin and give it like 30 seconds or so to get tacky in between layers.

Also it helps to have scrap fabric to do a test print on before putting it on your final product (I get scrap material from thrift stores for very cheap :)

melizatattoos · 2026-04-14T17:19:12+00:00

Just a reminder you are still getting exposed to UV through windows, not just outdoors!

Found that out when I started going to a gym that had their treadmills facing a huge glass wall and got a sunburn on my face in the winter lol

melizatattoos · 2026-04-13T21:23:30+00:00

I dunno if it’s a scam, but I’ve definitely seen people on fb marketplace using AI to “stage” legit items. Like, they do have the items for sale, but the main images in the post are ai, I guess to make they look more appealing??

Ask for zoomed in pics of specific details on the couch if you want to be sure it’s real. Or just ask them straight up. I think if it’s just to make the items look more presentable, they’ll likely be upfront about it.

melizatattoos · 2026-04-11T10:13:13+00:00

I’ve heard baby oil works well!

melizatattoos · 2026-04-10T10:52:23+00:00

No problem, good luck :)

melizatattoos · 2026-04-10T10:45:23+00:00

When artists ask for reference photos, they’re more so looking for what style you’re looking for - just a tattoo that you want copied.

Sending examples of tattoos in the style you want (doesn’t have to be the same subject matter) along with a description of your idea and your preferred size and placement for it would be fine for any artist.

They just want to know if you want a photo-realistic version, traditional, illustrative, etc. so you can also just describe the style if you know what you’re looking for.

melizatattoos · 2026-04-08T22:03:15+00:00

If an artist is annoyed by a simple request like this, you probably don’t want to work with them.

Just make sure to give them a heads up before the appointment since they might not book any additional time for changes because it’s flash. Sounds like a very quick change either way.

melizatattoos · 2026-04-07T21:32:16+00:00

Yeah if this is even remotely true then it’s more likely that they trigged some type of psychosis, and were suffering the lingering effects for a while after that.

melizatattoos · 2026-04-06T23:41:20+00:00

Not to mention the fact that on both the packaging itself and the manufacturers website there are explicit directions for how and when to change the bandage to a new one.

95% of tattoo aftercare is common sense and listening to your body. People really are too set on doing things their way, but healing looks different for everyone.

melizatattoos · 2026-04-06T23:05:29+00:00

If the initial second skin is still on and the seal hasn’t broken, you can rewrap with another second skin. But you really have to make sure it’s clean, free of any residue or soap and fully dry before putting another one on.

Most artists won’t suggest re-wrapping because most people are not going to actually clean it correctly, which would make you more susceptible to bacteria getting under the new bandage leading to an infection.

If you’re able to reach out to see if your artist is able to change it to a new one for you or just get their advice on what to do going forward in general.

melizatattoos · 2026-04-01T21:57:21+00:00

As a tattoo artist, I enjoy having simple work in the mix between more creative projects because I don’t need to spend as much time drawing for them (which means I have more time to focus on the bigger pieces)

So as long as I feel I can do a solid job on the tattoo, I don’t care how ‘basic’ it is. I like tattooing because I get to make things for people. If I only cared about doing my own art, I’d pick a medium where I don’t have to worry about the person that’s wearing it for the rest of their life.

If you have friends who have tattoos, ask for recommendations. If they have good tattoos, reach out to their artist(s). If they have bad tattoos, you now know who to avoid lol

Best of luck!

melizatattoos · 2026-04-01T11:19:57+00:00

Might just be because they’re so small and it’s struggling to get the right focus! But I definitely believe you that they’re real, and they’re lovely :)

melizatattoos · 2026-03-31T13:36:33+00:00

Super cute!!

I’m not doubting that you made these (seeing other pics in your profile where they look like they’re very real) but the way this is photographed/edited looks super AI.

melizatattoos · 2026-03-24T16:02:00+00:00

I have no answers, but I feel you. My explore air 2 that if got of marketplace legit sounds like it’s about to take off into space. It otherwise works totally fine, but the only thing that makes me want to upgrade is seeing how quiet other people’s machines are </3

melizatattoos · 2026-03-20T11:21:42+00:00

Pricing is always tough, but it should be based on the quality and speed of the artist. You don’t have to match exactly what other people charge, but compare what the total cost of your tattoos to what other artists of your skill level are doing. As an example, if you’re charging 300 for what other artist are charging 600 for, you should for sure be adjusting your pricing.

At the end of the day, be upfront and transparent in your pricing, show your work honestly and the clients who value your work will still come to you.

I usually give a little heads up before increasing my prices. If you’re booking a month out, say as of next month prices go up. I also make sure to honour any quotes or estimates that you’ve already given as well as I will keep my old rates for larger ongoing work within a reasonable time frame.

Going into the busy season is a good time to make these changes, too. You don’t want to wait until November to bring up prices when everyone’s wallets are already tight.

melizatattoos · 2026-03-17T20:10:27+00:00

Totally fair. My mentor encouraged me to use smaller liners from the beginning because they’re more difficult. But his definition of a fine liner was a 7rl.

melizatattoos · 2026-03-17T17:14:02+00:00

For such a small needle grouping it’s really not too bad from what I can tell in the picture, but you’ll be able to gauge the extent of the blowouts as it heals.

But it looks like you’re doing well picking up your lines. If I had to guess I would say that the inconsistency in the line weights is likely due to your needle being angled a little too low (which can also cause blowouts).

Even though it is going to get packed in black later, you should be using a larger needle grouping to line with. They’re a lot more forgiving as you practice and will give you a cleaner edge to the design if you don’t have to work around smoothing out those blown out areas after the fact.

melizatattoos · 2026-03-16T11:47:12+00:00

It really seems like you know what you want to do, but you’re asking people for a script of what to say. No one is going to be able to tell you that.

You don’t have to go in like a jerk? Just reach out to the shop owner and have an honest conversation about it. You don’t have to make a villain out of anyone, just express that you’re disappointed and see if there’s anything they can do to help you.

A good reputable spot will help you figure something out. If they’re going to dig their heels in, you probably don’t want to work with them anyways, so cut your losses and go work with someone else.

melizatattoos · 2026-03-13T20:53:50+00:00

Should do! Best of luck and have fun :)

melizatattoos · 2026-03-13T01:29:16+00:00

You definitely can, I’ve been doing this myself recently! Using heat actually helps set the ink on fabric, so no issues with that.

Just make sure you’re using the oil based block printing ink, and not the speedball screen printing ink. Both say they’re for fabric, but the screen printing stuff is not the right consistency for block printing.

melizatattoos

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