FAQ | Tattoos by See See Kwan

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I book?

Returning clients go to the CUSTOM and email me your ideas directly.
FLASH BOOKING FORM opens March 1st 2025 here.

Announcements are made on Instagram stories, posts, and/or website.

Currently booking 2 months at a time.

When will your custom books open?

The custom form currently functions as a waitlist. Due to limited availability, I may not be able to accommodate your inquiry made through the custom form.

Thank you for understanding! I do appreciate the support and interest in my work.

Returning clients can inquire by emailing me your ideas directly.

Next custom opening for new clients TBD.

Thank you for your patience!

How much will my tattoo cost?

CUSTOM TATTOOS:

Custom tattoos are priced per piece (flat priced) or $300 per hour.

For larger, multi-session tattoos, I do not tattoo longer than 3 hour sessions. I make exceptions for traveling clients.

Deposits are $200 and non-refundable. Deposit applies to most flat priced tattoos, unless otherwise noted.

For custom multi-session tattoos, the deposit is a drawing fee and will not apply to tattoo cost.

I give approximate time frames with a consultation (email or in person for very large pieces).

I consider the location, accurate size measurements, level of detail, and projected drawing time.
For larger/multiple session tattoos, as the tattoo progresses, I am able to give more accurate estimation of how many more hours are left to complete the tattoo because I am able to get to know your skin and how well it takes the ink.
Some locations are more difficult to tattoo (ie. ribs, lower back, chest, waist, stomach, sternum, neck).

Some smaller tattoos that are more finely detailed can actually take more time than a medium/larger tattoo.

How do I book a flash tattoo appointment?

SEE FLASH INFO here.

Flash openings are announced on instagram and website

How should I prepare for my tattoo appointment?

Please see Studio.

Do you do cover ups?

I do not work on most coverups. I can refer you to an artist that specializes in this kind of work. I do, however, do small coverups that are very faded already with laser removal (1x1" or smaller tattoos to be covered). Photo of the existing tattoo wanting to be covered up must be sent with your inquiry.

I do cover up old scars that are not too fresh/deep.

What kind of tattoos don’t you do?

I do not tattoo white only tattoos.

I do not tattoo on face, feet or hands unless I see the actual skin beforehand.
I do not tattoo high realism portraits. I do, however, do line portrait style.
I do not tattoo other artist works.
I do not tattoo genitals.

I do not touch up old tattoos that I did not do.
I do not tattoo quotes unless it is family related.
I do not do miniature tattoos or hand poke.
If you need an explanation for any of the above, feel free to ask!

How do I take care of my tattoo?

Please see Aftercare Instructions

Do you send artwork before the scheduled tattoo appointment?

Yes, I send the bare bones artwork. I am open to small changes to the design, but mostly a clear idea should be discussed during consultation. Also, please understand that the design on my iPad is a simple line drawing without shading. During consultation we should have discussed the level of shading detail you want.

Deposits are non-refundable. Changing your tattoo idea after consultation will result in losing your deposit. And may require a rescheduled tattoo appointment date, following another deposit to be made for the new idea.

Will it hurt?

Yes, definitely. But when your adrenaline kicks in, the experience becomes less painful. For some people, the pain is not as bad as they thought. For some people, it is very intense in the moment. Also, physical pain is generally forgotten pretty easily (which is why most people may say it isn’t that bad). Remember that the pain does go away and once it heals, the pain will feel like a distant memory, but now you have a beautiful tattoo to look at.

Certain locations of the body may hurt more than others. This is more obvious when the tattoo expands to many locations on the body in one session. Generally, tattoos that are located near joints/tendons/bones, can feel more spicy!

How long will my tattoo session be?

I will give you an estimate of the session time during consultation.
Timing can depend on a lot of variables like drawing composition and tattoo location. You can check my tattoo posts on Instagram, many of them have the actual needle time and session time noted in the comments.

Multi-session tattoos have a min 2 hours and max 3 hour sessions.

Single flash tattoo sessions are generally 1-1.5 hour depending on which flash design.

Why should I eat right before my tattoo appointment?

Most people do better when they are not depleted of nutrients. Throughout the day your body undergoes stresses, and uptakes nutrients and burns calories. Getting a tattoo is not exactly easy. People build tolerance to the experience of pain. Those who are experiencing their first tattoo, and even those who are seasoned in getting tattoos, must realize that when the needle hits the skin, your body goes through a natural physiological response.

Your brain will respond to the pain receptors, sending signals of a threat to your body that results in the adrenaline response. Your heart rate may increase, you might sweat more, breathe more heavily, etc. In order for your body to be resilient against pain, your body uses up carbohydrates. The food that you ate before your tattoo appointment is metabolized as carbs(sugars), pushes the sugars into your blood, so you can have energy.

If you come to your appointment depleted, your chances of passing out during the first ten minutes of the tattoo session increases. The first ten minutes is when your body undergoes the adrenaline response, and during this time is when people are most vulnerable to passing out. This is easily remedied by eating a complex meal (carbs + protein) 30 minutes before your appointment time. Eating 1-2 hours away from your appointment time is not recommended (this depends on your metabolism).

Do you do touch ups?

I do not touch up other artist's work. But yes, I do do touch ups on my tattoo work. Cost for touch up: $50-100 for a small touch up done within the year to cover set up fees and time. Small touch up means very minimal work usually less than 10 min.

For my older fineline work, an refresh/finishing touch up can sharpen the edges of the work. Some may not need touch ups at all but some maintenence may be required for others. This can happen due to differences in skin cells and it is normal for fineline work.

Older (3+years) tattoo touch-ups will cost the hourly rate (at needle start) for a touchup.

(i.e. 30 minutes of tattooing = $150, session likely to be approx. 40 minutes).

If you are a returning client coming in for a new tattoo, it is likely that I will touch up your 1 year old tattoo (that I did) if it needs one at no additional cost.

For some tattoos, I may apply a portion of your deposit for a "finishing touch up session" after the tattoo is completely healed (3 months after the last session). Most of the time, this includes larger tattoos, color tattoos, or areas that are difficult to take ink, like the hands, feet, neck, elbows, or ditches of the elbow.

When do I wear sunscreen?

Wear sunscreen under prolonged sun exposure (over 30 minutes). When your tattoo is on a location that is not as exposed like under your clothes, sunscreen is not usually necessary. Check the UV index under the weather app, it changes depending on the time of day. Colored tattoos can be more vulnerable than black ink. If it is under your inner upper arm, sunscreen application is also not as important either. It is extremely important to wear sunscreen on the outer forearms/shoulders (think driver side arm/shoulder).

I just got a tattoo, how come it’s not posted on Instagram?

Since 2023, I don't post consistently on instagram anymore. I get most of my clients through referrals. I am not a photographer, and I use my iPhone to take photos. Sometimes it doesn’t capture the tattoo very well because of bad lighting, skin pore inflammation, extreme shine, extreme swelling/redness, etc; these reasons are why some tattoo artists completely de-saturate and edit all their photos to remove the appearance of redness/irritation from the tattoo. I rarely edit my photos anymore.

I prefer to post well photographed healed photos of my tattoos. I always appreciate receiving healed photos!