Only a bit.  Initially all tattoos feel a bit sharp, but you get used to it within a few minutes.  Sometimes you can hardly feel it, other times you have to grit your teeth a little, but it's really not that bad.  If it were, why would people have as many as they do?

Well everyone is different, but most people find it sharp:

 - on the love-handles around your sides

 - on the sternum in the middle of the chest

 - behind the knees

 - on the bottom of the foot (definitely not recommended!)

Apart from that, the sensation only varies a bit, so don't let this influence where you want it.  Have the tattoo where you want it, not where you think it will hurt less!

Yes! Needles are disposed of after each customer and we use new, sterile needles for every customer.  Other equipment is either disposable or thoroughly sterilised in an approved, certificated autoclave which is tested regularly to ensure it's effectiveness.  We also follow a "Sterile Chain of Events" which ensures there is no cross-contamination between customers (e.g. we would not handle the phone with dirty gloves on, etc etc).  We take hygiene extremely seriously at our studio and Wendy, the owner, is an ex-hygiene inspector, with qualifications in infection control, auditing and microbiology.  You are in very safe hands!

Yes, do we LOADS of cover-ups.  See our special cover-up advice section by clicking HERE or visit Wendy's Cover-up page by clicking HERE.

Our minimum charge is £20, which covers our set-up costs.  Other tattoos are marked at a fixed price as shown by a letter next to each design.  If it's your own design, or if we design something with you, we tend to find a similar design (in terms of size, colours, complexity) and we price it the same as that so you know you are being charged a fair rate.

Our session work is charged at £60 per hour, which applies to all work which cannot be completed in one go (at our discretion).  If you want a sleeve, for instance, that would be several sessions.  We will not commit to a fixed price for such work because the time required depends on you - your skin, how well you sit, etc.  We can give an approximation on time but that's all.

Generally we do not charge for designing something for you, but we may ask for a deposit as a sign of commitment from you.  If you do want a full colour design before committing yourself, we will charge for design time at the rate of £25 per hour.  If you pay for designs you can take them away, otherwise they remain our property.

Swim, sunbathe, scratch, pick, soak in the bath.  The tattoo will scab after 24-48 hours, and the scabs will last a few days.  During this time you must be careful not to disturb the scab or contaminate it. Click HERE for full aftercare advice.

On weekdays we can usually accommodate you without an appointment although you have have to wait.  We do recommend appointments for weekends, although by all means phone us. If we're free, just come on down!

We are just off Worle High Street in Worle, on the outskirts of Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, 5 minutes drive from Junction 21 of the M5. Within an hour or so we can be reached from Swindon to the East, Exeter to the South, Gloucester in the North and Cardiff to the West.  Our studio is in Mendip Avenue, opposite Skidmore furniture store.  Click HERE for a map and full directions.

No, sorry.  Kids are not allowed on the premises at all - not even in the waiting room.

ONLY use Savlon cream or Hemp Co.'s Tattoo Healing Cream (THC) during the healing process.  Once the tattoo is healed - and ONLY once its healed and there is no flaky skin left - you can use moisturisers like E45 or Aqueous Cream (available in large pots for only £2-ish at Lloyds Chemists).   Avoid anything perfumed though.

You must be at least 18, end of story.  The only ID we accept is photographic ID in the form of driving licences or passports.  If you are under 25, bring ID.

We accept cash, credit cards (Maestro, Visa, American Express) and debit cards (Switch, Delta, Solo, Solo Electron).  We do not accept cheques.

No and you won't need it.  Tattoos are only sharp for a few minutes and you soon get used to the sensation.  As we are not doctors we are not licensed to provide injections and we avoid using "topical" anaesthetics (creams & gels) because they cannot usually we used on broken skin.  We avoid the introduction of any unnecessary chemicals which may interact with the ink or cause adverse reactions.

No - the outline can sometimes be sharper than the colouring, and the outline is normally black, which is why this myth arose.  But all inks are the same basic ingredients, just differing pigments.

Only if you abuse it.  The sun (and UV from sun beds) is the major culprit as the UV rays break down the pigment in the same way as a photograph in a window will fade.  Always wear a high factor sun-block (minimum 30) when out in the sun and the tattoo will stay fresh and you'll avoid skin cancer into the bargain!

Yes - out the back and on the left!

Yes - we welcome the opportunity to do something different and it's good for you to have an input into your design so you'll be happier with it in the long term.   We may suggest some changes, perhaps to the size, colours, etc. to make it work better on your chosen area, but we'll work with your ideas as much as we can.

Yes - see our links pages where you can get translations yourself, or we can get them for you.  BUT names often do not translate.  For instance, the name "George" is unlikely to exist in Arabic or Japanese, so the closest you will get is a phonetic translation.  This means that if an Arabic speaker read the name, they you say "Jorj", which when spoken sounds right, but it's not a proper translation.  A noun, however, like the word "temple" will exist in most languages and therefore will be a proper translation.   Currently we cannot provide Arabic translations as the site we used has started charging, but you can certainly bring in a translation by paying yourself at www.almisbar.com/salam.html.