So I saw a coupon for ten percent off at this restaurant in Somerville. And my daughter wanted to get a tattoo today.So remembering it was here, I just popped in. They do accept walk ins, the space is huge nicely decorated.I'm pretty private even though the booths are open. Shout out to Paul, his kindness was everything. Super chill dude, real good work. He said that one of the artist was trained in Japanese tattooing. So for those of you who are looking for that, check out their Instagram. She wanted our family motto tattooed on her arm, and we were gonna write it on paper.But Paul let us just write it on her arm, and then he traced it. Shop minimum is $100, and waiver needs to be signed. read more

Chameleon Tattoo - The original. - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Had the joy of being a walk-in at Chameleon Tattoo today. I had a clear idea of what I wanted, and my artist Midori went above and beyond my expectations. I will definitely be back and will be telling all my friends to come too! read more

Chameleon Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

I recently had the privilege of having Chris Reilly (@reillyinks) as my artist at Chameleon Tattoo in Union Square, Somerville. I was finally ready to get my full sleeve and came in with a mock up that looked a little crazy, but had a ton of meaning for me. During my consult, we discussed my vision and he showed me some ideas he had. His energy was solid. Made me feel comfortable and relaxed every time I came in. Always positive and patient. Shop was exceptionally clean and the vibe was super chill. More than exceeded my expectations. His attention to detail was impeccable. Linework and shading were clean, smooth, ... flawless. I literally can stare at my arm all day, it's that stunning. He is an incredibly talented artist, refreshingly humble, and I am super grateful for all the time and energy he spent with me. Pleasure to work with and would highly recommend. read more

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March 2023 - Just had a great experience getting second piercings in my ear lobes with Grey Moon. Everything was explained super well and patiently, and front desk staff were exceptional too. Thank you, Michael, for helping me out with that 'issue'! They just made it so tempting to get more piercings because they made it so easy - if piercings in general weren't so dang expensive! It's a relief to have a good team lined up if I'm ever at that next step. It was a little though getting through the phone lines but that likely had something to do with the snowstorm when I tried earlier in the year. Total was $135 with piercing studs or $140 with tax, as is posted on their website. Nobody likes surprises. :-) read more

Chameleon Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

The thing about tattoos is that they are permanent. You probably know that, and if you're a first timer like me you may be nervous. What is the process like? How do you find an artist? How much will it hurt? Rest assured, you are in the best of hands at Chameleon. While I worked with Dee, all of the artists I briefly met there are incredibly warm and welcoming-- and, as importantly, are insanely talented artists. Dee was nice, listened, and asked questions to make sure we were on the same page for my vision. Dee was also enthusiastic about creating the art that was going to be inked, which made me excited and confident in going forward with the tattoo. For the actual tattoo process, Dee was disarming and professional and made sure I was comfortable (or as comfortable as you can be with a needle waging a calm war against your skin) the entire time. The next day, my face was almost more sore from smiling while looking at the art that had taken residence on my arm than my arm was from the tattooing process itself. When you get a tattoo, you should be excited about the art going on your body. After you get a tattoo with an artist at Chameleon, you will also be thankful that the art is forever-art. read more

[PRE-COVID-19] I called ahead and came as a walk in on the weekend and the service was nice and I had to change jewelry for a nose piercing into a hoop and the jewelry was $40 at the time and the service was $10 and everyone was incredibly nice and professional! To date, it has also been my most flattering and durable hoop as well so definitely stop by! read more

Loved it, professional, pleasant and perfect outcome. Avi even sent us to a great lunch while we waited and Medori was awesome.

4.5 stars! I got a cartilage piercing about a month ago here and so far, so good. I'd only ever gotten lobe piercings when I used to live in California but I heard from multiple friends that Chameleon was great, so I decided to give it a try. The prices are kind of high but rent in Harvard Square must be insane, so if you're looking for a convenient, clean, and safe place and don't mind spending a little extra, this is the place for you. I'm kind of a wimp, so I have to be honest, it hurt more than I thought, but Owen the piercer was very friendly, polite, and talked through the procedure (including after care) before he started. It really depends on your body but my ear needed extra cleaning and was red / slightly swelling for about a week, and I thought that was more of a pain than the actual piercing procedure, but it actually take quite a few months before it is officially 100% healed. I definitely recommend this place to anyone looking to get a new piercing! The receptionist who booked my appointment was also very lovely and polite. Tip: they don't take credit card tip payments, so plan accordingly! Venmo and cash are fine. read more

This is the first place I recommend to my friends, if they are looking to get any piercings. I got three piercings from here (2 cartilage, 1 lobe) and I loved the entire process. The staff were friendly, and they were very patient as I took at least 10 minutes trying to mark the perfect part of the ear to place the piercing. The equipment and piercing process was extremely sanitary. When I first looked at the pricing, my first honest thought was "well this is pricey." And it definitely is much more money than going to a certain well known purple store that you can find in a mall. But a piercing is permanent, and for the quality of work that you are getting here it is extremely worth it. Additionally, I have also gone to 3+ piercing locations in Cambridge and found Chameleon to have the cheapest prices. read more

I got a middle-aged lady boring earlobe piercing here and they were lovely. I didn't feel like I was too old to be there, or that I wasn't getting a daring enough piercing. The young ladies that work at the front desk were friendly and welcoming and well versed in their jewelry choices. Owen was my piercer, and wow! What a lot of knowledge he has. I love an artist who nerds out about their subject. He has loads of deep knowledge and clearly loves teaching his clients. As a former nail tech and spa owner, I recognized Owen's nerdery/passion for client education, and really appreciated his approach at my appointment. I also REALLY appreciate Chamelon's sanitizing and disinfecting practices. You're in good hands at Chameleon. :) read more

Below average customer service, above average arrogance. Emails go unanswered, and even if you send reference samples of different styles, they'll say that's not their style so they can't work with you LOL. Feel bad for the artists here who are losing money because of whoever the manager/owner is. read more

Highly recommend if you need any piercing or tattoo! I got my cartilage pierced with James, and the whole process was so smooth and painless (ok maybe a little bit). They gave really detailed instructions on post piercing care, and so far my piercing is healing well. Phone appointment only, and it's two weeks ahead of your desired date. read more

They messed up my belly ring piercing when I just needed a jewelry change and they messed up my friend's tattoo. I came in just trying to get a new belly ring, because the ball fell off of mine (and they wouldn't sell me just the ball). They told me that since it'd been less than three months they would need to do it for me. When they did, they ended up changing it wrong and creating an entirely new hole. My friend decided to get a tattoo at Chameleon, despite the fact that I (and others from Harvard) had expressed our negative experiences with their piercing and tattoos. She has a good number of tattoos (about 10) so this isn't a new process to her. This is the first time, she said, that she has gotten a tattoo where the tattoo artist didn't appropriately follow the sketch. She and her best friend were getting matching serotonin tattoos, each in different spots, and the artist messed up her rather large tattoo behind her ear. read more

My best friend and I made a spur-of-the moment decision to get our industrial rings done. A year and a half ago. Haven't got the chance to write my review. Thought I'll take the time to write one now since my industrial ring is all healed! Pain was one of the issues for me since I barely survived my other single cartilage piercing. Why get another one? I love pain. lol. I mean, why not? Owen took the time to make sure I was ready. He's actually very funny and that really helped the process. I went first to get it over with. Throughout the process I felt like I was going to pass out. I forgot to breathe. I was such a baby. However, Owen was quick and made the process painless! He talked me through everything he was doing, and everything I needed to do after. Definitely a nice place to get piercings! read more

Chameleon Tattoo - Industrial ring finally healed! :') - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

I got a helix piercing from James and it's healing up really nicely. After the first day I didn't feel much pain unless I was directly putting pressure on it on accident. James explained things to me very thoroughly and chatted with me to calm me down. Overall, the process was super quick and painless and I felt very comfortable. read more

Chameleon Tattoo - Helix - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

I had such a great experience at Chameleon! I made an appointment for a double helix piercing. James was my piercer and he truly made me feel comfortable and relaxed even though I was nervous. He was also very upbeat and friendly. Would recommend to anyone! read more

I had a second lobe piercing here. All the staff and my piercer (James) were friendly and welcoming, it's a super comfortable environment and very clean. My piercing is healing well. I did have a lot of trouble trying to book my appointment though. My phone calls didn't go through for a few days and when I stopped by in-person, the staff member was so swamped with calls that she wasn't able to schedule me either. They did end up returning my call a few days later, and again everyone was patient and nice, but something to be aware of! As of now there is no online scheduling option. read more

Owen Beane is a piercing master. A month ago, I bit the bullet and got my first piercings (earlobes). Owen's skill and calming personality meant that the piercings were beautifully executed and pretty much painless. He made sure the placement was perfect and that we were both satisfied before proceeding. No surprises and just a pinch of discomfort. I went back three weeks later to get my second earlobes and right helix pierced. Once more, Owen delivered. Everything is healing like a dream, with no irritation or infection. I can't stop staring at my ears and will be back soon to round out my ear party. Thanks, Chameleon! read more

Chameleon Tattoo - Two lobe piercings + helix by Owen - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Over the past two years, I have been so fortunate as to have been pierced by James, Owen, AND Grey at Chameleon. I cannot even begin to adequately describe just how patient, professional, and personable the entire staff at this shop is. Not only are they lovely, kind people, they're skilled and creative artists who do incredible work. All of my piercings have healed beautifully thanks to their careful and precise work and great quality jewelry. I can always count on the good people of chameleon to calm me when I'm nervous and make me smile and feel acknowledged. I highly, highly recommend!! read more

Chameleon Tattoo - Second lobes by Owen, third lobe, flat and helix by Grey - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Love love love this place! I have gotten all of my tattoos from the past five or so years here, either from Markus or Dice. It's always been so clean, even pre COVID. The people working the front desk are always fun to chat to, and so friendly. I can't emphasize enough how much I've loved getting tattooed by both Markus and Dice. They are interesting to talk to, friendly, and just overall killer artists. I get compliments on their work all the damn time. From a cost perspective, I always feel like I'm paying a fair price for the incredible art I'm getting. Cannot emphasize enough how much I love this shop! read more

Chameleon Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Brought my 16 yr old to get her ears pierced by Owen. Professional, clean and incredibly safe re:covid. Highly recommend!! Please support local business, this place is an absolute gem. read more

I got a second lobe piercing done with Owen a couple of years ago and recently got a mid-ear cartilage piercing done with him as well. His patience, professionalism, and expertise from my first experience brought me in for my second piercing, and both experiences were stellar. I appreciate how attentive Owen and the staff here are to sterile practices and to creating a friendly environment. The women at the the front with the jewelry were also very helpful! read more

Chameleon Tattoo - Second lobe piercing, pierced by Owen! - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Terrible customer service cost me $84 without any service. Yes, it's my own fault that I missed my appointment and according to the complicated cancellation policy there's no way to get the money back. I shouldn't complain too much at my own fault. But I guess I can still give an one star? In fact, I regret reading the one-star reviews of the terrible piercing appointment policy so late. I didn't know so many people were experiencing the same situation. Apparently, you have to pay in full in advance to make an appointment. On the day, you totally have to treat the appointment as the most important thing of the day and show up early to make your money worth their while. I understand there're policies to protect the interests of the business but a good company should be flexible to work with their customers. In this situation, I think it's fair if I lose a deposit of $10-$20 for no show but charging the whole $84 is absolutely not fair. I was told I'm paying for the piercer's time, but what did I get for my money? Can he/she at least call me, or tell me a joke as a service when you figured I wasn't showing up? Did you just secretly not call me only to take my money without needing to do any work? I read so many good reviews about their great work. I guess they just have grown to a point where their business is too good to value every customer's experience. Well, guess I will just move on to support other businesses who are still growing and caring to maintain a customer for the long term. read more

I came in with my friend today to get my septum ring changed out, she got 3rd holes in her ears. We both worked with Grey, and they were absolutely amazing. Before they even got started, every tool being used was explained and shown to me. They were so gentle and talked me through every step as it was happening. They made it so painless and stress free. the shop itself is clean and the front desk staff is great. very knowledgeable and kind. they do have a mask policy, and they're pretty strict with their 15 min policy to get there early, but it makes everything run smooth. will absolutely be back for any future piercing needs even though it's nowhere close to where I live. read more

My friend and I got our first tattoos here with Markus! He was super kind and informative when going through all the steps with us. From what to expect to aftercare, he made sure we had all the information and even talked to us throughout the experience, which definitely kept our nerves down. This definitely won't be my last visit and I highly recommend Chameleon for anyone looking to get tatted! read more

Customer service is crap, I mean I used to love this place and the service, but today showed up 6 minutes late because of the afternoon Cambridge traffic and I was told that the master went for a break and they cannot assist me! No offer of reschedule or trying to accommodate me in any way was offered! I did not come to get a surgery, please people be little flexible and offer people a decent service. And yeah petty people pre- charged me $10, please keep it! read more

I got an industrial piercing done with Owen last year. He did a phenomenal job! I don't have any needle-phobia, however I knew that getting an industrial could be pretty painful. I was anxious, especially to get a piercing that is notoriously uncomfortable and challenging to manage during the healing process. Owen was very informative, and he walked through each step of the process clearly so that I knew exactly what to expect and when. You can tell that he really has a passion for what he does. I am still very happy with the industrial over a year later, and I'm actually starting to plan my next trip back! The staff are very friendly too. Highly recommended! read more

Now that I have had the tattoo a few months, I am noticing some discrepancies. What I thought was bruising, actually is staining around the top left portion. After healing, part of the shading "wore off" in the top right portion. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a not so great tattoo. read more

Chameleon Tattoo - Staining in top left and color came off on top right. - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Another incredible experience today at Chameleon! James gave me a buttery-smooth ear cartilage piercing today, it was my second time working with him after a couple of piercings a few months ago. He is so good at what he does, that I almost immediately said that I wanted to get more after it was done! I will definitely be back soon to finish decorating my right ear.... and THEN we'll move onto my left ear thank you so much to James and the absolutely wonderful staff behind the counter who make the process easy, fun, and really informative. read more

Chameleon Tattoo - My new cartilage piece! - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

My experience with Chameleon Body Piercing was pleasant! I wanted a nose piercing since I was 18 and decided that this year I will not delay it anymore and to just go for it. Everything from booking an appointment to having my piercing done was easy and straight forward. James (who did my piercing) and Owen (who treated my piercing injury from snagging and a sport accident) were so kind, gentle, knowledgeable, and professional. I highly recommend them to have your piercings done! read more

Today, Owen removed a septum piercing that my daughter (18) had done by a mall piercer a week ago. Owen explained what was wrong and informed us we should contact the board of health in the town the other piercer was located. He was informative, kind, caring, sanitary and patient. Once the first piercing is healed (approx 2 weeks), we are taking her back to Owen to have the piercing done properly. He may be a little more expensive than the mall, but the cost will be worth it! read more

Had to cancel my niece's piercing appt same day because she ended up rolling her ankle last night and had to go to dr today. No flexibility with canceling, whole amount was taken. I would have called yesterday but ... they were closed. So I eat the whole amount I prepaid. Thanks anyway. Won't be rebooking. read more

I needed to have an ear repierced that was stitched up over the the summer due to a rip. This was my first ever piercing studio experience as my mom made me go to a doctor's growing up. Got a same day appointment that was scheduled over phone but they do take walk in's. The front desk staff was welcoming and friendly. James was excellent and made me feel comfortable about the process. The studio was very clean and the setup reminded me of a doctor's office. I work in healthcare so cleanliness is always something I pay careful attention to. They even sent me home with instructions for caring for the area. Embarrassed I did not think to bring tip money as this was my first piercing studio experience but hoping my review will make up for that a little. read more

I got my lobes pierced a second time after I was pierced 17 years ago as a child. James was incredible in speaking to me about the process and calming my nerves down. He was very serious about making sure that I liked the position of the piercing and used a device (not sure what it's called) to accurately measure the distance and replicate it on both ears. The piercing was not painful at all! He did an amazing job during he piercing process and made sure to guide me step by step so that I would not be nervous. The front desk staff was also very patient in kind! Will come back again for future piercings! read more

Having lived in and close (or close enough to travel) to Boston for the last 6 ish years, I've collected a number of tattoos and piercings from this place over the years. Off at the Harvard stop, just around the corner, in a little "mall" with a variety of stories, including a Newbury Comics. I believe it's been an established shop since 1995 so they've been around for a while and it shows in the work they do. They split the tattoo and piercing sides up in the last couple of years so you don't have to battle for an artists to do either. Recently took out my nipple piercing I received here over 6 years ago (done by Owen who is really good). Was a clean, professional process. The place is super busy, with my most recent attempts to get through to someone proving to be a huge challenge. But I was able to schedule an appointment with Reuben so my best friend and I could get friend tattoos together. Once we got through the mob of people at the front, it was actually super quick and easy to get tattooed, as it's been in the past. They don't add tip to cards, but I know Reuben does have Venmo so I was able to send a tip that way, which is convenient. They schedule appointments during the week, but do walk ins on Saturday I believe. Professional, clean, quick, and not an overly complicated tattoo process. Pretty much how it's always been there. read more

Nostril piercing by James James was FANTASTIC! My friend and I walked in to get our nostrils pierced, and the wait was pretty short. James was very confident yet cool and collected, which immediately put us at ease... along with his 23 years of experience. After he placed the ink dot, he very clearly explained his logic, which was great. Chameleon as a shop is very cute, too - a hidden gem. read more

OWEN OWEN OWEN, what a piercing god!!!!! His voice, his demeanor, personality, level of knowledge, voice, AURA, is EVERYTHING!!! I swear I have never, in the amount of piercings that I've had, had such a gentle piercer. He made me feel so comfortable and was there with me mentally every step of the way. I am flabbergasted at how patient & soothing he was. I had sort of a botched nipple piercing prior and not only did he educate me on what to look for moving forward, so the red flags sort to say he put me at a level of ease I'm not accustomed to with a complete stranger. Although now, I'll never go anywhere else. My nipples are so sexy right now. No pain at all and I honestly can't stop staring. I had so many reservations about going down this path again but I am ecstatic that my fellow yelpers lead me to him. I am more than satisfied, I feel perfectly accessorized and that's all thanks to him. My god, thank you Owen !!!!! read more

It is a bit pricey but Owen was amazing!!! Before this visit I had never gotten a piercing ever... He was very sweet, calm and gentle. He made my friends and I feel very comfortable! I mean I just got it so it's 5 stars. read more

Great staff and very clean environment. So grateful that Horikei was able to do my tattoo. Very happy with the tat and the service. 100% would recommend. read more

Low rating because the guy in the cash register is super rude. Did not make us feel safe or comfortable enough to come back for the actual tattoo. read more