Yes, you can get temporary tattoos at tattoo shops and parlors, but not many will do. Most tattoo shops only concentrate on real tattoos, and in any case, the hype about temporary tattoos is almost only a couple of years old.
Nevertheless, there are different temporary tattoos, ranging from airbrushes, sharpies, and henna to press-on tattoos. Henna artists will mainly specialize in henna art. However, you could get lucky with sharpies and airbrush tattoos at tattoo shops. Press-on tattoos are stickers that you can buy from any non-tattoo store. However, there are parlors such as Tattly that specialize in press-on tattoos as well.
Can You Get Temporary Tattoos at Tattoo Shops?
While there is no guarantee that you will get a temporary tattoo at tattoo shops, tattoo shops offer this service. When you are unsure whether you want to commit to a permanent design on your body, these tattoo shops will provide this temporary option.
If a tattoo shop offers temporary tattoos, they will usually indicate it in their services since this is extra for the parlors. Other tattoo shops have henna artists, and they will also indicate this in their services as well.
What if you don’t want to keep asking for temporary tattoo services in tattoo shops? I mean, it is quite funny, especially for adults. But, in this case, there are purely temporary tattoo shops.
Here is a table of some of the most popular tattoo shops offering temporary tattoos;
| Tattly |
| Inkbox |
| Ephemeral |
| Get Simply Inked |
| Small Tattoo |
Let’s use Tattly as an example;
Tattly Temporary Tattoo Shop
Nothing differentiates Tattly from a typical tattoo shop. It has all the decor and designs that top artists have to offer. When you get in, you might as well ask for a tattoo, thinking that it is a real tattoo shop.
Nevertheless, Tattly only offers temporary tattoo options and press-on tattoos at that. At the shop, you can choose from the wide range of designs that the parlor presents. Then, a professional artist will apply it to you so that it will not differ from a real tattoo. Better still, the tattoo will last longer with all the application measures taken.
However, Tattly does not only offer the physical shop option. You can get press-on tattoos from their online stores as well. In addition, the tattoos come with an application manual, which allows you to apply them on your own easily.
Henna Tattoo Shops
Henna artists prefer having their practices. However, you can get some work with regular tattoo shops. But hey, if you want to get a henna tattoo, it would e best to visit or contact a henna artist directly. Most are so flexible that they will even visit you at home for your design.
How Do Tattoo Artists Do Temporary Tattoos?
Let’s skip into the different temporary tattoos and how tattoo artists manage them;
Sharpies
If you are looking for a very simple temporary tattoo design, a sharpie may be a great option. Then, you neither have to shave nor exfoliate your skin to get the tattoo.
Basically, the artist will use a sharpie to draw on your skin directly. They are precise on the tattoo since a mess has no way of correcting it. However, since it is usually a simple design, most cases are successful.
Then, they will apply tattoo gel on the sharpie, which makes a protective layer on the sharpie last longer. Sharpies could last anywhere between three to five days before starting to fade away.
Press-on Decal Tattoos
Press-on decals are temporary tattoos that you can do on your own. However, having an artist apply them to your skin gives you a more precise and longer-lasting design.
So, the artist will first clean your skin. Then, if it has hair, they will shave the hair, exfoliate the skin and clean it thoroughly.
Then, they will remove the tattoo covering and apply the print on your skin. Usually, they have special wet sponges that they use to press the tattoo on your arm.
After a couple of minutes, you will have the tattoo imprinted on your skin. Next, the artist will apply tattoo gel or spray on the tattoo, ensuring that it resists water and wear for as long as possible.
Press-on tattoos could last as long as seven days after application.
Henna Tattoos
Henna tattoos stand out from the rest because they are prettiest when they are intricate and more detailed. However, while other tattoos are easy to apply on your own, you may well need a professional with henna unless you are a practicing artist.
Henna tattoo artists have their henna paste ready in bottles where they attach a tip snip. Then, they apply the paste thick on the skin with gloves on, detailing the design as you want it. Usually, it is large, covering a palm, a whole forearm, or the whole foot area.
Once they are done with the design, they allow it to rest for a minimum of thirty minutes, during which the henna dries. After that, it starts cracking, and the artist may still let it stay longer. The longer that the paste stays on the skin, the darker the henna appears, hence prettier.
Finally, they remove the paste crumps and leave it at that. They advise that you let the henna stay off the water for at least 12 hours, which helps it last longer. However, you can still wash your tattoo right after. The water will not affect the design at all.
How Much Does a Temporary Tattoo Cost?
Temporary tattoos have different costs, depending on the type of tattoo. Let’s have a look at the table below, with price ranges for different temporary tattoo types;
| Temporary Tattoo | Cost range |
| Sharpies | $5 to $10 |
| Airbrush tattoo | $10-$20 |
| Press-on tattoo | $5 to $25 |
| Henna Tattoo | $100 to $190 |
Essentially, the cost of temporary tattoos depends on the following factors;
- Size: larger tattoos are more expensive than smaller tattoos. For instance, a sleeve-long tattoo is way more expensive compared to a small moon tattoo on your finger.
- Design: the more intricate and detailed tattoos tend to be more costly than simpler designs.
- Type of temporary tattoo: as shown in the table above, the different temporary tattoos have different prices. Sharpies are the least expensive, while you have to prepare your pocket for a henna tattoo.
- Temporary tattoo shops and locations. You could buy the same temporary tattoo at a different price depending on the shop or location. However, the difference is quite minimal, especially for sharpies, airbrushes, and press-on tattoos.
Besides, unlike permanent tattoos, most people can do their temporary tattoos. There are a range of Youtube and article DIYs that you can use to perfect your temporary tattoo without the extra application cost.
For instance, you can do your sharpie, while if you own a printer and a Cricut, you can make a personalized press-on tattoo.
Final Thoughts
Can you get temporary tattoos at tattoo shops? Not really. While there are tattoo shops that have embraced the art, most are still yet to catch up.
The good news is that there are temporary tattoo shops where you can get these perfect short-term designs. Better still, the professionals are mostly the same tattoo artists that you get at a real tattoo shop.
