How Much Do Tattoo Touch Ups Cost?

Keeping these factors in mind, a small touch up could cost as little as nothing, which is the case most of the time as long as it is done within a certain time frame at the same shop you had it done before, to about $50~ for the average sized tattoo at a new studio.

Contents

- 0.0.1 How much does it cost to get a tattoo touch up?

1 Are touch ups on tattoos free?
2 Does tattoo touch up hurt more?
3 How often should you get a tattoo touched up?
4 How do you know if tattoo needs touch up?
5 Will tattoo artists add to an existing tattoo?
6 What color tattoo ink fades the fastest?
- 6.1 Why does my tattoo look like it’s missing ink?
  - 6.1.1 How do you keep old tattoos looking new?
7 Can you get tattoos touched up?
- 7.1 Can you touch up a tattoo years later?
  - 7.1.1 Will a tattoo artist touch up someone else’s work?
8 Are tattoo touch ups common?

How much does it cost to get a tattoo touch up?

Is Tattoo Touch-Up Expensive? – If you get to do the tattoo touch-up at the original tattoo artist, you may get it for free. The reason for this is that every tattoo artist guarantees their work. But, don’t go in there thinking people won’t bill their work if it requires more than initially thought.

Are touch ups on tattoos free?

How Much are Touch-Ups? – Many reputable artists will guarantee their work and throw in a touch-up free of charge. However, doing without proper aftercare can void your “warranty. ” If you’re neglecting your tattoo against your artist’s recommendation, you’ll likely have to shoulder the price of a touch-up yourself.

How much it will set you back will depend on the size and complexity of your piece. Some artists will consider the amount of work that will go into giving your ink a makeover. However, a touch-up should be only a fraction of the price of your ink.

Even free of charge, leave your artist a generous tip. No matter how small, your touch-up will still require equipment, ink, and time.

Does tattoo touch up hurt more?

Let’s face it: Getting a tattoo can hurt, and touch-ups can be just as much of a pain. While a touch-up doesn’t take as much time or needlework as the original tattoo, you can still expect a healing process – and you’ll need to take care of it as carefully as you did the first time.

How often should you get a tattoo touched up?

Can you go a decade without a tattoo touch up? – Olena Yakobchuk/Shutterstock Getting a tattoo touched up doesn’t mean that your artist wasn’t excellent or that you didn’t let it heal properly. According to Inkedmind. com , everyone’s skin heals and takes to tattoo ink differently, so touch ups are perfectly normal and often not the direct fault of anyone involved. However, touch ups should never be done until the tattoo is fully healed. Then, touch ups are recommended to be done between the first one to six months of having the tattoo, but can be done successfully up to one year after getting the tattoo.

This immediate form of touch ups is largely for imperfections in the original tattoo, such as some patches of skin not taking to the ink as well as others. Once you’ve had a tattoo for a while, though, you can touch them up much less often.

According to a tattoo artist on Quora , tattoos can go several years without being touched up. After the initial touch up within a year of getting it, they’re completely optional and can be done whenever you notice your ink is fading. Moreover, this tattoo artist noted that some artists offer free lifetime touch ups, so if yours does, you should definitely take them up on it.

Is it rude to ask tattoo artist for touch up?

Is It Rude to Ask For a Tattoo Touch Up? – When you notice your tattoo is beginning to fade, you may be nervous about asking the original tattoo artist to touch up their work. It is not rude to ask for a touch up. Reputable tattoo artists will stand by their work and guarantee its quality.

Usually, within a set length of time the original artist will offer free touch ups for small spots in the tattoo that may have faded due to the natural healing process;
The touch up may not be free if the artist can tell that it was not properly cared for;

If you are asking a tattoo artist to fix a tattoo they did not do originally they may charge a fee. This fee will probably be their normal rate since, for them, it is essentially a new tattoo they are making for you.

Do artists charge for touch ups?

How Much Do Tattoo Touch Ups Cost? – Many tattoo artists guarantee their work, which usually means they’ll do any touch-ups you need free of charge. There are, however, a few things to keep in mind. First, you need to follow your tattoo artist’s aftercare instructions very carefully; otherwise, they might charge you for any required touch ups.

It’s like any other commercial guarantee. If you use the wrong chemicals in your washing machine (or decide to use it to wash your dumbbells), you’ll void the warranty and have to pay for any repairs out of pocket.

The same thing happens when you don’t take proper care of your tattoo. Some studios also have time-frames for free touch-ups. They might only give you a complimentary touch up if you get it done within a few months of getting your original tattoo. Note that some tattoo artists will charge for any touch-ups, no matter how minor. This is perfectly within their right, and you should not assume that your touch up will be on the house unless you were told so explicitly. Plus, of course, you are almost certainly going to have to pay for the touch up if you get it done by someone who did not give you the original tattoo.

When you have to pay for one, the price of a touch up will vary quite a bit depending on the size and complexity of the original tattoo, and the amount of work required to fix it. Since most touch-ups are fairly minor jobs, the cost will only be a fraction of the price you paid for your original tattoo.

Even if you get a touch up free of charge, you might still want to consider giving your tattoo artist a tip. After all, your touch up will require sterilized equipment, ink, and a bit of their time no matter how small it is.

How much do you tip a tattoo artist for a $200 tattoo?

Tattoo Tip Chart

Tattoo Price	15% Tip	20% Tip
$300	$45	$60
$600	$90	$120
$1,000	$150	$200
$1,500	$225	$300

Can you touch up a tattoo years later?

How Long to Wait Before Getting a Tattoo Touch Up? – A new tattoo can look different as it heals. Your skin is going through the healing process and this needs to be completed before you can see the final result. You should never touch up a tattoo on skin that hasn’t healed from the initial tattoo procedure.

This could do more damage than good and you could end up with something completely different than what you asked for;
Any reputable tattoo artist will advise you to wait until your tattoo has completely healed before getting a touch up;

However, we would advise that touch ups for an imperfect tattoo are completed within 12 months of the initial tattoo.

How long does a tattoo touch up take?

LEARN ABOUT TOUCH-UPS Does your tattoo need to be touched up? This is the process when your artist takes a look at your tattoo after it has completely healed and fine tune the line work and shading if necessary. We want your tattoo looking as best as it can, so if your artist has not already advised you of our touch-up policy please do not hesitate to read through it and give us a call.

How long do I have to wait before doing the touch ups? Well it all depends on the size of the tattoo, the complexity of the design, and how gently the work has healed;
If you experience long healing times (more than two weeks) or noticeable shinny-ness on the healed tattoo it is very likely that you will need touch ups;

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Allow time for the skin to settle down to a more normal condition before having your touch ups (1-5 months, but no more than 6 months). What to look before before asking the artist for a touch-up? Sometimes the need for touch ups is obvious, as in the absence of color which was present before the tattoo healed or even missing lines.

Other times the need is less apparent, but your artist will be able to spot areas of the tattoo that need to be touched up;
Only your tattoo artist can asses their own work;
How long do touch-ups take? They can take five minutes, or several hours, depending on the size of the tattoo, and on the way that the tattoo has healed;

Visit your artist a few weeks after the tattoo has finished peeling, to allow them to assess the need, if any, for touch ups. Together you can make plans on how to schedule time for the work. OUR POLICY If the fault of the tattoo needing a touch up lies within the artist, then the touch up will be executed by that artist for no additional charge to the client.

However, if the touch-up is a direct result of the client failing to properly care for the tattoo during the “aftercare” stage, for example, the artist will be able to tell if the custom picked at, scratched, did not moisturize correctly, the client will have to pay for the touch-up;

We will not be responsible for doing finger, inner lip, and/or hand tattoo touch-ups free of charge, due to the fact that the client is told before hand that the tattoo will be on a surface area that fades quickly (due to the oils on the skin). If clients would like those particular tattoos to be touched-up, we will gladly do so, but at the normal rate of the original tattoo.

In addition, our tattoo policy at ShowOff Ink Artistry only applies to customers that have gotten their tattoos done at our location;
If customers are seeking a touch-up for tattoos done by an artist currently working at our location but was executed at another location, our touch-up policy DOES NOT apply;

We will gladly assist in doing the touch-up, but the artist will assess the proper rate for which they will charge the customer at that time..

Can any tattoo artist do touch ups?

You Can Find a Studio Willing to Touch Up Another’s Work (where applicable) – You should not be punished for not living in the same locale as the tattooist who completed the original work. You may have received a tattoo in another destination while on vacation or you (or the artist) may simply have moved.

Alternatively, you may not be all that happy with the original work, or found that the tattooist, while skilled, had a terrible bedside manner. Regardless of the scenario you need to find a studio that is willing to do a tune-up on old work.

Some parlors won’t do this, so do your homework ahead of time before walking in to a shop near you.

How do you know if tattoo needs touch up?

Will tattoo artists add to an existing tattoo?

Let the artist take lead on the design Most tattoo artists are in fact artists. They want to tattoo you with their own art. This isn’t just a creative preference. Tattooers generally have perfected a certain style (or styles). Their best designs and their best execution will be in this style(s). They want to be confident and and proud of your tattoo.

Don’t send them a picture of another artist’s work and say “I want this tattoo”.
Don’t be surprised if the artist does not want to tattoo in a style that is not their own.
Do share reference images for the subject matter you like.
Do share reference images from the artist’s own portfolio and say “I like the style you used here. “

Be as specific as you need to be. Not more or less. Artists love it when you give them creative freedom but don’t do it unless you really do want them to make all creative decisions. If you have something specific in mind, tell them.

Don’t tell the artist “you have complete freedom” and then come to the shop and make a lot of corrections.
Do tell the artist any specifics you have in mind before they work on the design!

New tattoos are always a better option than “adding on” to, or modifying an existing tattoos. Most artists would rather not work with another artist’s tattoo. It adds constraints to their design potential and it forces them to either: (a) Vandalize an existing, nice tattoo or (b) Have their work seen alongside an existing ugly tattoo. Either way, this won’t be a portfolio piece and won’t get the best work from the artist.

That’s not possible if you give excessive direction or if you force the artist outside of their core styles;
Also, remember that good artists won’t copy another artist’s design so don’t ask;
Consider: do you really need your existing tattoo to keep growing and becoming more and more of a Frankenstein’s Monster? Or can you offer new real estate to each artist? Cover-ups are a different story;

If you need a cover-up, you need a coverup. Not all artists are technically capable of good cover-ups and not all artists like to do them because of the additional constraint but it’s always worth asking.

Don’t think of your tattoo as a house you are continually remodelling.
Do think of tattoos more like paintings you are commissioning. Give the artist a clean canvas.
Do consider going back to the same artist for modifying or touching up an existing tattoo.

Don’t design by committee There’s nothing worse than customers who bring an opinionated friend or loved one to “help” them with design decisions. You hired the artist to help you with design. Adding a third party can complicate the already-delicate balance of artist/client in the design process. The more opinions you solicit, the harder and more confusing the process will be. Only you know what you want and the artist can help you.

Don’t bring a friend or spouse to speak for you.
Don’t text photos of the design to friends asking for their opinion.
Do tell your opinionated friends to quiet down if they become too involved in your tattoo design process.

Limit your party to yourself + 1 max Speaking of bringing others with you… consider visiting the shop alone for your appointment. Most shops are limited in their space and cannot accommodate your friends. Not only that, your friends might think it sounds fun to be at the shop while you get tattooed, but it’s not. Your friends will be bored.

Don’t bring extra people with you to be tattooed without asking the shop first. Most shops don’t want your friends sleeping in the waiting area while you get tattooed.
Do limit your party to just you or one other if you must and encourage your friends to go do something while you get tattooed so they don’t sleep in the waiting area.

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Let the artist concentrate while you get tattooed Even the most experienced artists need to limit stressors during their tattooing. Tattooing requires intense concentration. Some artists love to gab while tattooing but others prefer to be quiet. Let the artist take the lead or ask them what they prefer.

Do bring a book to read or movie to watch provided you can do it without moving.
Do let your artist take the lead on whether or not to talk.
Don’t stare at the tattoo while your artist is working. This is stressful.
Don’t talk too much unless your artit is the chatty one.

Sit still! For obvious reasons, you never want to move while there is a tattoo needle inking your skin. If you might have trouble with pain, consider a numbing cream in advance of getting tattooed (ask your artist first). If you’re jumpy, you’re wasting tattooing time and risking mistakes. Generally though, you’re stressing out the artist which can mean not getting their best work.

Don’t move unexpectedly.
Don’t talk if you’re getting your ribs tattooed.
Do let the artist know if you need to move or stretch.
Do let the artist know If you think the furniture can be adjusted to be more comfortable.
Do consider topical numbing cream in advance of your tattoo if you’re worried about tolerating the pain (ask the artist first though)

Tipping It is customary to tip tattoo artists just like (in the US) it is customary to tip restaurant wait staff. Because it’s customary, not tipping is seen as a sign of being dissatisfied with your tattoo.

Do expect to tip when budgeting for your tattoo.
Do tip the artist directly and in cash.
Do tip big (e. 20%+) if you love your tattoo.
Do talk to your artist whenever you feel something isn’t being handled well (consultation, design, etc). A small tip (or no tip) shouldn’t be the only sign that you are dissatisfied.

Aftercare There are many different aftercare procedures out there. Always follow the artist’s own aftercare instructions because you and the artist are both responsible for the quality of your tattoo.

Do make sure to get precise instructions for aftercare from your artist.
Do feel OK to ask questions during the healing process if something seems wrong.
Do a little research about healing tattoos to know what’s normal. Scabbing is normal. Ink on the bandage is normal. Looking faded in the first couple of weeks is normal.

Touch-ups Most tattoos will not need touching up — at least for many years. However, sometimes ink does fall out or fade. This can happen for many reasons. The artist’s tattoo technique matters but it’s just half the story. Healing/fading is also affected by aftercare, your biology, the placement on the body (bendy parts like wrists, elbows, fingers, etc will fade more and faster).

Do wait 30 days before even considering a touch-up. Tattoos can look less-than-perfect while healing and need 30 days to be completely healed.
Do take good care of your tattoo following artist instructions and avoiding any strong sun exposure, rubbing, or soaking of the tattoo area while it’s healing.
Don’t expect the tattoo ink to look as vibrant as it did the day of your tattoo. Tattoo ink sits under the top layer of skin so, once healed, you’ll be looking at the ink through the top layer of skin.
Don’t be confrontational with the artist about your touch-up. Your artist cares as much as you do about the tattoo looking great so there’s no reason to take an aggressive posture if you have concerns about your tattoo.

What color tattoo ink fades the fastest?

Best Tattoo Colors that Last the Longest – Below is a quick guide to tattoo colors, ranked from the color that lasts the longest to the one that fades the quickest.

Black and gray: Black and gray inks are the boldest and most dense; thus, they are the most fade-resistant colors. These are suitable for any skin tone, especially with tan or black skin. With proper aftercare, black and gray colors last for up to 10 years or longer before requiring a retouch.
Dark blue: Like black ink, dark blue tattoo colors are suitable for dark skin. They have long-wearing pigments and can also last for up to 10 years.
Red, orange, yellow, and purple: These tattoo colors fade faster on light skin and are more crucial to working with sensitive and freckled skin. They generally last for about eight years or longer before requiring a retouch.
Pastel colors and white are the lightest tattoo colors; thus, they fade the quickest among all colors. They generally last for about five to eight years before fading. Moreover, pastel and white ink colors may look like scars if not done correctly.
‘Glow-in-the-dark’: UV tattoos are trendy since they appear fluorescent with UV light. However, they do not last as long as the other tattoo colors. Most tattoo artists say that glow-in-the-dark tattoos can last for three to five years before starting to fade.

Why does my tattoo look like it’s missing ink?

You’ve recently had your first tattoo, and you’re doing everything your artist told you to do, following their instructions to the letter. But to your horror, you can see that the ink is coming off as you shower! Is this normal or is it the tattoo not healing properly?! – The quick answer is that yes, it’s perfectly normal for ink to come away as a tattoo heals.

Ink is driven deep into the skin by the tattoo needles, but some will be on the surface of the skin, and some others will collect in scabs above the tattoo. It is normal for some of this excess ink to be lost as the body tried to repair the wound that the needles made in your skin.

There will still be enough ink for your tattoo to look bright and intense, if you follow instructions carefully. Just remember to blot tattoos dry with a paper towel, rather than rubbing with a cotton one, and wear loose clothes over it, rather than anything tight.

How do you keep old tattoos looking new?

Can you get tattoos touched up?

Touch ups can correct the new ones as well as can give a new life to your old tattoo. Your tattoo will not look same after a couple of years. The color will start fading gradually. You can get touch up to offer it a new and fresh look to old tattoos.

Can you touch up a tattoo years later?

This could do more damage than good and you could end up with something completely different than what you asked for;
Any reputable tattoo artist will advise you to wait until your tattoo has completely healed before getting a touch up;

However, we would advise that touch ups for an imperfect tattoo are completed within 12 months of the initial tattoo.

Will a tattoo artist touch up someone else’s work?

Don’t send them a picture of another artist’s work and say “I want this tattoo”.
Don’t be surprised if the artist does not want to tattoo in a style that is not their own.
Do share reference images for the subject matter you like.
Do share reference images from the artist’s own portfolio and say “I like the style you used here. “

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Don’t tell the artist “you have complete freedom” and then come to the shop and make a lot of corrections.
Do tell the artist any specifics you have in mind before they work on the design!

That’s not possible if you give excessive direction or if you force the artist outside of their core styles;
Also, remember that good artists won’t copy another artist’s design so don’t ask;
Consider: do you really need your existing tattoo to keep growing and becoming more and more of a Frankenstein’s Monster? Or can you offer new real estate to each artist? Cover-ups are a different story;

Don’t think of your tattoo as a house you are continually remodelling.
Do think of tattoos more like paintings you are commissioning. Give the artist a clean canvas.
Do consider going back to the same artist for modifying or touching up an existing tattoo.

Don’t bring a friend or spouse to speak for you.
Don’t text photos of the design to friends asking for their opinion.
Do tell your opinionated friends to quiet down if they become too involved in your tattoo design process.

Don’t bring extra people with you to be tattooed without asking the shop first. Most shops don’t want your friends sleeping in the waiting area while you get tattooed.
Do limit your party to just you or one other if you must and encourage your friends to go do something while you get tattooed so they don’t sleep in the waiting area.

Do bring a book to read or movie to watch provided you can do it without moving.
Do let your artist take the lead on whether or not to talk.
Don’t stare at the tattoo while your artist is working. This is stressful.
Don’t talk too much unless your artit is the chatty one.

Don’t move unexpectedly.
Don’t talk if you’re getting your ribs tattooed.
Do let the artist know if you need to move or stretch.
Do let the artist know If you think the furniture can be adjusted to be more comfortable.
Do consider topical numbing cream in advance of your tattoo if you’re worried about tolerating the pain (ask the artist first though)

Do expect to tip when budgeting for your tattoo.
Do tip the artist directly and in cash.
Do tip big (e. 20%+) if you love your tattoo.
Do talk to your artist whenever you feel something isn’t being handled well (consultation, design, etc). A small tip (or no tip) shouldn’t be the only sign that you are dissatisfied.

Do make sure to get precise instructions for aftercare from your artist.
Do feel OK to ask questions during the healing process if something seems wrong.
Do a little research about healing tattoos to know what’s normal. Scabbing is normal. Ink on the bandage is normal. Looking faded in the first couple of weeks is normal.

Do wait 30 days before even considering a touch-up. Tattoos can look less-than-perfect while healing and need 30 days to be completely healed.
Do take good care of your tattoo following artist instructions and avoiding any strong sun exposure, rubbing, or soaking of the tattoo area while it’s healing.
Don’t expect the tattoo ink to look as vibrant as it did the day of your tattoo. Tattoo ink sits under the top layer of skin so, once healed, you’ll be looking at the ink through the top layer of skin.
Don’t be confrontational with the artist about your touch-up. Your artist cares as much as you do about the tattoo looking great so there’s no reason to take an aggressive posture if you have concerns about your tattoo.

Are tattoo touch ups common?

A tattoo touch-up is a very common aspect of getting tattooed, but one most people seem to neglect. Much like most other artworks, with time, tattoos fade , and sometimes they might not heal exactly how we had hoped. Even the most reputable studios and experienced artists will say that after a certain amount of time, it pays to give your art a little lift.

If you’ve got a tattoo that’s looking a little dull, or not quite right, you may benefit from getting a tattoo touch-up. There are many ways a touch-up can elevate a piece, from adding linework and shading or simply defining the key features, getting your ink overlooked can give it a whole new life.

Here’s everything you need to know when considering a tattoo touch-up.

Julia