Tattoo cancellation in the time of Covid

January 18, 2022 9:49 AM

I have my first tattoo appointment next week and I think I want to cancel/postpone because of Covid.

I’m scheduled for my first tattoo on the 26th. The artist hasn’t responded yet to my email asking what precautions the shop is taking. Omicron cases here are really high and our hospitals are full.

The artist is visiting from out of town. She used to live here and now visits a few times a year to do guest stints at the shop where she used to work. She said in a previous email to me she’s planning to be back in March. I know last time she visited, all her slots filled pretty quickly (I wasn’t able to get in last time because I reached out too late). She posted recently on Instagram that her slots were nearly full, and her stint here is going to be a couple weeks long. So I guess I feel cautiously optimistic that she’d be able to fill my spot? She also hadn’t asked for a deposit yet, so I figured I’d offer to PayPal her a deposit when I email to cancel.

Basically I want to cancel/postpone because of Covid concerns (obviously Covid won’t be gone by March but hopefully Omicron will have slowed by then) but don’t want to harm the artist financially, or hurt my relationship with her. Since I’m new to tattoos, I’m looking for thoughts/advice here. Thanks!

posted by skycrashesdown to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (2 answers total)

Sharing with the artist what you've shared here seems like a good path to take. You have reasonable concerns. Giving / receiving tattoos has always involved a health / infectious disease component. This is just an airborne problem instead of something transmitted via needles.

The relationship with the tattoo artist is a two-way street. It's reasonable to ask what precautions they take and to ask to reschedule in the face of COVID / Omicron. It's reasonable for the artist to set and expect customers to adhere to their cancellation policy - presumably it's communicated to you already?

If your artist is in that much demand, it should not be hard for them to fill your slot. I'd worry if they are put off by this. It's unclear how long you've been waiting for a response, but I'd consider it a red flag if it's more than a few days.

I'd hold off on deposits until asked, but that's just me.
posted by jzb at 10:01 AM on January 18, 2022 [1 favorite]

Let her know ASAP so she can fill the slot. Ask that she keep you on the list for March. You don't have to over explain yourself. In 2022 I'm reminding myself not everything requires an explanation :)

"Hi Artist, I need to cancel my appointment on Jan 26th because of Covid. Please keep me on the list for March. I look forward to working with you! Thanks, skycrashesdown"
posted by Juniper Toast at 10:32 AM on January 18, 2022 [9 favorites]