*Beginning September 2025, I am only booking for handpoked tattoos. I will resume machine tattooing soon enough <333

What is handpoke: Instead of a machine quickly pushing a tattoo needle into your skin, handpoked tattoos are made by hand-pushing that needle into your skin, building a tattoo out of individual dots of ink.

Feel: All tattoos are painful, but the handpoking sensation is very different to machine. Many people describe handpoking to resemble the sensation of repetitive hair-plucking.

Healing: It’s less-traumatic on your skin than using machine, so it heals quickly and more easily than machine-made tattoos. Tattooing without machine requires precision and patience, but creates uniquely delicate, intentional tattoos. The dots create a slightly textured/stippled final product, unique to the handpoke process. Some examples of my handpoked tattoos (both fresh and healed) can be found here⋆˚✿˖° or on my instagram.

*Beginning August 2025, I am only booking for handpoked tattoos. I will resume machine tattooing soon!

Machine-tattooing is the most well-known method of tattoo. It’s very popular due to the speed of the machine. The machine quickly thrusts a needle that an artist guides into your skin — allowing for more tattooing in less time.

Healing: Compared to handpoking, machine tattoo application is usually more traumatic to your skin and takes longer to heal. Some examples of my machine-made tattoos (both fresh and healed) can be found here⋆˚❀˖° or on my instagram.

I love working with a prompt if I feel capable! Send reference photos if you’d like or I can make my own interpretation for you. Custom designs are not shared prior to your session, but we can make changes/edits together in-person.

I have hundreds of pre-drawn designs that are available for tattoo! These pre-drawn designs are called “flash.” You can find my flash book @softbarrio on instagram. Most flash designs are repeatable, but I am always willing to make small edits to flash if you’d like your tattoo to be unique!

I do not currently have a studio residency, but will instead be guesting at local (Chicago) studios until I find a permanent space. Check my instagram for updates on where I’ll be!

UPDATE: In September-October 2025 I will be guesting at Hierro y Piel Studio in Bridgeport. You can find the shop instagram here.

I do not have a studio residency right now, so unfortunately I do not have specific accessibility information at the moment since it depends on my host studio while I am guesting.

You're always welcome to bring headphones and/or sunglasses to wear during your tattoo, and I’ll have a few fidget toys that you're welcome to use as well.

Please let me know if you have any specific accessibility needs or questions!

UPDATE: September-October 2025 I will be taking appointments at Hierro y Piel in Bridgeport which is wheelchair accessible.

*Beginning August 2025, I am only booking for handpoked tattoos. I will resume machine tattooing in the future.

The minimum handpoke tattoo cost is $250 for a session. Pricing ranges from $250-550 per session, depending on the size/detail/coloring/placement of your tattoo(s.) Multiple simple tattoos in one session is very possible, and a great way to save some money. Tattoos may be done in multiple sessions by request.

In your booking form, please select the applicable pricing range for you. Pricing will be discussed and confirmed with you through email correspondence when booking with me. I want you to arrive to your appointment knowing what to expect!

Large and/or detailed handpokes are very possible to make, but consider that they may require multiple sessions to complete. I’ll let you know when scheduling if I think you may need to consider multiple sessions.

*Multiple sessions are also okay for ANY tattoo if you need to tap out at any point, or if we need to accommodate your budget.

Yes!! We can make your tattoo with any color, with or without shading, or let’s add some sparkles! If you’re inspired to, we can even make you a completely custom version of one of my flash designs. Maybe you like one of my fairies, but you want the hair or body to look more like yours. Or you’d like a design to fit a specific area of your skin. Whatever it is, I love to make any flash design into a collaboration! Please mention in your booking form if you’d like any flash customization.

— Be sure to moisturize in the days leading up to your appointment. (There’s no need to shave the area before-hand, though!)

— Hydrate (drink water!) and avoid alcohol for a couple days before your appointment. It’ll really help your skin prepare for the tattoo process. Your skin (and I) will thank you!

— Eat WELL before you arrive to your appointment. This will help improve your pain tolerance and also help you not feel faint. Please do NOT arrive on an empty stomach, it could be dangerous!

— Please arrive wearing a face mask.

— Wear a comfy/cozy outfit. Consider bringing a tank top, shorts, zip up hoodie, or button-down shirt depending on the body part you are getting tattooed.

— Please bring cash. I only accept cash payments, due after the tattoo is completed.

— Optional: Feel free to bring snacks/candy/water bottles as well as fidgets, headphones, and/or sunglasses if you’d like.

I do not yet feel comfortable with my clients using numbing cream for our tattoo sessions. I use Bactine during the tattoo session as needed in order to lessen the pain, but topical numbing creams are too unfamiliar for me to confidently work with. Each brand of topical numbing cream is very different and everyone’s skin reacts differently.

Yes, on a very case-by-case basis. Please feel free to reach out, and I will let you know if I think I can do a good job on your specific cover-up.

It depends! If it’s your art and I feel I can execute it as a tattoo, then yes. If it’s someone else’s art and I feel I can execute it, then I’ll do it if you can prove you have the artist’s consent.

When you’re ready, please fill out my booking form! here’s the link ✮⋆˙

Yes, I require a non-refundable $100 deposit in order to secure your appointment. This deposit counts toward your final tattoo cost. Payment instructions will be sent along with my reply to your booking inquiry.

Please give me as much notice as possible if you have to cancel or reschedule your appointment. Since I am working as a guest in someone’s studio, I cannot accommodate last minute reschedules.

Please remember that your deposit is non-refundable since I’ll still have to pay the studio for their time. To reschedule, I’ll require a new deposit.

Tipping is never required, but always appreciated. Monetary tips are amazing, but I also love to receive any other trinkets or art or snacks etc as tips too!!