Answered plainly
Questions we get asked most
No hedging on age and ID, healing times given as ranges, and prices only where they change the answer.
Age, ID and consent
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Do I need to be 18 to get a tattoo?
Yes. Tattooing is 18 and over only in Victoria, no exceptions, and we check valid photo ID every time.
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Can someone under 18 get pierced?
Yes, with a parent or guardian present and photo ID for both of you, except nipple and genital piercing, which is 18 and over regardless of consent.
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What ID do you accept?
A current driver licence, passport or proof of age card. We need to see the physical card or document, not a photo of it.
Booking, deposits and cancellations
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How do tattoo deposits work?
You pay a deposit once you have approved the stencil, credited in full to the cost of the finished tattoo. It is only forfeited on a no-show or a cancellation inside 48 hours.
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Do you cover up tattoos from other studios?
Yes, this is common work for us. Bring it in for an honest look at your consultation.
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What happens if I need to reschedule?
Message or call with as much notice as you can. Inside 48 hours your deposit is forfeited, since that slot cannot usually be refilled in time.
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Do you accept cash?
Card and digital payments only. We do not keep cash on the premises.
Health and healing
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Can I get tattooed while pregnant or breastfeeding?
We do not tattoo or pierce anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding. Come back and see us once that has changed.
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Do you use numbing cream?
We can talk you through options, but we do not apply numbing products ourselves. Some clients bring their own; ask at your consultation.
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How long does healing take?
A tattoo is mostly healed in two to three weeks, fully settled by six. A lobe piercing takes six to eight weeks, cartilage and nose closer to three to four months.
Visiting the studio
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Do you take walk-ins?
Only on flash day, the first Saturday of the month. Outside that, custom tattoos and piercings are by appointment so we can give you the time properly.
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How should I prepare for an appointment?
Eat a proper meal beforehand, stay hydrated, and skip alcohol for 24 hours prior. A full stomach makes a real difference to how the session goes.
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Is there parking nearby?
Metered street parking along the lane and the surrounding streets, plus a public car park a short walk away on Napier Street. Trams run along Brunswick Street and Smith Street if you would rather not drive.
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Can I bring someone with me?
One support person is welcome in the studio for both tattoo and piercing appointments. The room is small, so we ask any more than that to wait outside or come back for the reveal.
Regulation, plainly
What we are required to do, and what we do anyway
Blackbird's premises are registered with the City of Yarra for skin penetration procedures under the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations. Tattooing is eighteen and over in Victoria with no exceptions, and we check valid photo ID every time. Piercing is available under eighteen with a parent or guardian present and photo ID for both of you, except nipple and genital piercing, which is eighteen and over regardless of consent.
That registration is not a point of difference we advertise loudly, because every studio worth using should already have it. What we do talk about is the process behind it: a sealed, single-use cartridge or needle opened in front of you for every appointment, autoclave-sterilised reusable equipment logged and spore-tested on a set schedule, and every artist and piercer trained in infection control and bloodborne pathogen handling.
