Icon Tattoo and Body Piercing

Here is a list of our most asked questions.

Q. "Does it hurt?"
- A. It's different for everyone so this question is impossible to answer. Generally with tattoos you can expect some discomfort during the process. Generally it starts out a little intense, then starts to become a little intense as it goes. As for piercing, you can expect a sting when the piercing is first done, then afterward it will feel kind of warm and be a little tender.
Q. "Is it safe?"
- A. At Icon, we sterilize everything that is reused such as piercing tools and tattoo tubes and grips. Everything else we use is single use disposable supplies. We never reuse needles. EVER. All surfaces used during the process are wiped down with a germicidal disinfectant solution after each client. Basically, it's similar to a dentist or doctors office conditions.
Q. "Can I get tattooed if I'm under 18?"
- A. In the state of Tennessee, it is illegal for us to tattoo anyone under the age of 18. It doesn't matter if there is parental consent or not. The penalties for us tattooing anyone under 18 is license license would be revoked, we would be heavily fined, and there could possibly be jail time or all of the above. Give it a little more time and come see us when you do turn 18. You have plenty of time in life to get tattooed.
Q. "Can I get pierced if I'm under 18?"
- A. In Tennessee, we can pierce people under 18 with parental consent. Our shop policy is that we won't pierce anyone under 14 years old except ear lobes, and we won't pierce nipples, genitals, or do surface piercing/dermal anchors on people under 18. If you come in to get pierced, we need both you and your parent present. Both of you will need some sort of state issued photo ID such as drivers license, learner's permit, Passport, DMV issued ID card, or school ID. We can also use a yearbook photo. If there is no birthday on the ID, we will need a birth certificate. The last names or addresses must match on both ID's. In the case of a legal guardian signing for the minor, we will need the court papers saying that the person is the legal guardian.
Q. "What are the risks?"
- A. Tattoos and body piercings are open wounds. Just like any other open wounds, there is a possibility of infection. If you take even decent care of your new piercing or tattoo, you should have no problems. If you are unsure of how to care for your new piercing/tattoo please visit our aftercare section. Some people have been known to be allergic to certain colors of tattoo inks. Generally this isn't a problem anymore as they are usually made with synthetics now. If someone does have a reaction to the ink, usually it just means that that part won't heal very well and will likely have to be touched up at a later time. Someone having a reaction to the ink is very rare.
Q. "I'm allergic to nickel, can I get pierced?"
- A. The steel jewelry we use is a permanent implant grade steel. It is the same as if you were go get a pin or screw put in during an operation. We have seen no reactions to our steel jewelry. You can read more about this under our jewelry info section. Other options are Titanium, Gold, Platinum, and sometimes glass. You can get pierced and if you have any problems with it, we will be more than happy to check everything out and let you know what's going on.
Q. "Why can't I get a tattoo price over the phone or internet?"
- A. We can't give a price over the phone because we need to be able to see the design so we know how long the tattoo will take. No matter how simple the design may be, we simply have to see it first. As far as over the internet, if you send us the design exactly how you want it and the exact measurements, we can likely give you a rough quote, but the quote will be for exactly what you ask for. If you get here and the size has changed or you want some changes to the design, the price will change. We can tell you that we have a $50 minimum and prices run roughly $100 an hour although some artists charge a little more or a little less per hour depending on how fast they work.
Q. "My piercing is infected. What should I do?"
- A. Most of the time, people mistake an irritated piercing for an infected one. Some redness and tenderness is expected during the healing process and if it gets irritated due to clothing or if it gets bumped or caught it can become more red and more sore. Real infections are pretty rare in piercings as long as basic aftercare is followed. A real infection will be very red, very swollen, will have excessive discharge dark yellow or green or brown in color, and is usually warm to the touch and accompanied by a fever. If you have any of these symptoms, you will need to go see a doctor immediately. If you are unsure of what's going on with your piercing, please feel free to stop by and talk to one of our piercers and they will let you know what's going on and some ways to fix the problem.
Q. "My friend said..."
- A. People sometimes get some advice from friends on how to take care of their new tattoo or piercing. Maybe they did something different than we suggest and it worked great for them. Everyone heals differently and the aftercare we suggest is from years and years of figuring out what works best for the largest number of people. It's our job to help you heal your new work as quickly as possible. If someone suggests something different than we have told you, please contact us and ask our opinion on it before doing it. There have been many many different opinions on caring for new work over the years, and a lot of them have been proven to be bad ideas.
Q. "I have a keloid on my piercing. What should I do?"
- A. Keloids are like real infections in that they are really rare. The main difference is that they are even more rare than infections. Most of the time what people call keloids are just bumps due to irritation or swelling. Real keloids are large masses of scar tissue that occur on healed wounds. If you are unfortunate enough to have a real keloid then you will need to go see a dermatologist. There is no guaranteed way to get rid of a keloid but there are several different treatments that can be tried. A dermatologist can do more for you than we can such as injections or prescriptions.
Q. "Why do you have a separate price for piercing and for jewelry?"
- A. The reason we have a separate charge for piercing and jewelry is that we offer a large selection of jewelry that ranges widely in price. We buy the highest quality jewelry we can find so while low quality jewelry may range in price by a few cents, our jewelry costs range up to $20 or more per piece. This makes in impossible for us to give a flat rate for jewelry and it gives you a larger selection of jewelry to choose from.
Q."Do you do branding?"
- A. We used to, but the Tennessee Medical Board ruled that it is a surgical procedure and can only be done by doctors no matter the method that it is done. We are hoping that someday this decision will be reversed, but as of now it is illegal in Tennessee for us to do branding.
Q."I want to be a piercer/tattoo artist. How do I get started?"
- A. Getting into the tattoo and/or piercing industry is tough. The only way to do it and do it properly is to find a shop willing to apprentice you. It likely won't be easy as piercers and tattoo artists generally don't want to train someone that may eventually become competition. It is also a lot of extra work for an artist to train someone and it's usually without any compensation. Try to find a shop you feel comfortable with. You will likely be required to start as a counter person and do cleaning and other chores the artists may not want to do. You will clean tools and toilets. Usually it is at least a few months or even a year or more before you ever pick up a tattoo machine or a piercing needle. There is also the chance that you can't find a shop in your area willing to apprentice you, but knows someone who would. There is a chance that to get an apprenticeship you will have to relocate to another city or even state. Some shops will apprentice pretty much anyone for money. These shops generally aren't concerned with making you into a good artist or piercer. They will give you an apprenticeship, then fire you to make room for the next one. These types of shops can somtimes give you a bad reputation just by association. If you don't ever want to work in a reputable shop, then go for it. If you do want to work in a good shop, keep trying for a better apprenticeship. Keep in mind that we get phone calls and emails every day asking about apprenticeships and there just isn't room for all the people that want to do this so we know how frustrating it can be. If you are serious about it, stick with it."
Q."But I can buy a tattoo/piercing kit on the internet. Can't I get started that way?"
- A. Yes, you can buy all kinds of things on the internet. You can buy a kit and start piercing/tattooing immediately. You can also start doing really bad work on friends, form really bad habits that are hard to break, possibly transmit a disease, and pretty much guarantee you will never work in a reputable shop. The tattoo industry is a very small and close knit industry. Once you are labeled as a scratcher or a hack it is nearly impossible to get away from that."
Q."That sounds tough, isn't there an easier way?"

If you have any questions that haven't been answered, please contact us. We'll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.