James was absolutely sweet and calm throughout the entire experience. I had attempted to make an appointment at two other piecing places and they were so rude when I called. Absolutely would I recommend Chameleon and James especially! JL 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

I've gotten my second holes pierced here by James and a body piercing done by Owen. Both are equally fantastic and capable--they walk you through the entire process and are patient and helpful with your questions. They make you feel calm and comfortable throughout the session because they are clearly experienced and know what they are doing! Both piercing experiences were as painless as I could have hoped for, and overall, very streamlined and easy! The front desk staff is also knowledgeable in piercings and clear in their communication! Also, don't forget to tip!!! read more

Chameleon Tattoo - second hole done by James! - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Had Markus tattoo my first tattoo. Meet with him before hand to work out design. We worked together on a design. He did an awesome job interpreting what I wanted. On the actually tattoo I was amazing led at how amazing a job he did in only 3 hrs. The guy has got some real skill. Put a lot of good work in on it and I so pumped about the outcome. Thanks Markus read more

Chameleon Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

I went to Chameleon to get my nipples pierced a few days ago. The shop is clean and they are really good about keeping traffic down with COVID and keeping things sanitized. I was pierced by James, who was great to talk with, seemed really knowledgeable and confident, and was just overall very pleasant to work with. I loved the technique he used, piercing both nipples first before putting the jewelry in, and how quick, easy, and relatively painless the process. Overall, I spent just under $200 for the piercing fee, jewelry, and tip. Unfortunately, the reason Chameleon doesn't get 5 stars is because one of my piercings wasn't done quite right. After the initial piercing, while one of my piercings started feeling totally fine and I didn't really notice it anymore, the other was pretty much constant pain. I noticed that the jewelry itself seemed to really be pressing into my skin all the time. After waiting a day or 2 for any swelling to go down, I decided to get back in touch with the shop because it really seemed like something wasn't right. I got a call inviting me back into the shop to get it checked out and see why it was causing me problems. The staff kept the shop open an additional 45 minutes later than usual to make time for me to come in. This time I saw Owen, who confirmed that the piercing was done a bit too deep. Sadly, my piercing had to be taken out and needs some time to heal up before Owen can redo it for me for free (which I do appreciate, especially since it wasn't Owens mistake). After the mistake was identified, Owen and the two girls behind the desk were really accommodating trying to work with my schedule to see when would be a good time for me to redo the piercing. While it sucks that it didn't work out how I initially wanted, especially since I will only have 1 piercing for a few months before I will be able to redo the other one, I appreciated the way the staff sorted out the mistake and made sure I was comfortable! read more

It was finally time for my 10yo daughter to get her ears pierced and I knew better than to take her to the mall... Stingray was originally recommended but they won't pierce kids under 14. I asked them for recommendations and they gave me a few options, including Chameleon. Chose based on great Yelp reviews. Owen really is as wonderful as the reviews say. He was so patient, kind and calm with my daughter. Everything was perfectly clean and he was extremely skilled. Honestly could not have gone better for her and she was the happiest little girl after. Her new earrings look adorable. Definitely recommend Owen highly for kids' ear piercings. read more

BEST PIERCING EXPERIENCE EVER. After a botched nose piercing job done at Lucky's, I decided to let my piercing close and start over. First I called Chameleon and spoke with a receptionist named Hannah and she was SO informative and kind. She told me to prep my nose for re-piercing, I should come by and pick up some emu oil to heal the bump I once had from being pierced with a hoop (false info given to me by a piercer at Lucky's). Two months after using the emu oil, the bump was down and I was ready to get my nose re-pierced. I went and saw Owen yesterday and WOW. He was amazing. I told him about my sorted experience and he gave me great words of wisdom and overall just great conversation. He's so chill, but still super professional and although I had some scar tissue, the piercing itself didn't hurt as much as the first time. Any questions I had Owen answered and constantly made it a point to tell me to come back for ANYTHING big or small regarding my piercing. Much thanks to Owen & the Chameleon staff! I definitely will be returning! read more

I've had nothing but good experiences here. They're very nice, and knowledgeable. The only thing is that they book up, so it's a good idea to call in advance. It seems like a family friendly place too- lots of parents bring their kids to get their ears pierced for the first time. They're very professional, sterilize everything, and answer any questions you might have. read more

Charged me without any service. If you might be 2 minutes late due to unforeseen circumstances (and even tried to call multiple times with no answer) don't book here. read more

The work was awesome! It's been 15 days since my piercing and no infection or itchiness happened. They gave me a sheet of todos and not-todos to take care of my piercing. The piercing was done by hand, but it was swift enough so not too painful. And the artist was friendly and experienced! read more

Chameleon Tattoo - Ear piercing - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Brought our two 16 year olds for a second ear piercing with Owen. Owen was great - he's a nice guy who knows how to relate to teenagers, and he did an amazing job - he takes piercing and aftercare seriously. The girls at the desk were very helpful as well, giving good suggestions about jewelry choices. I wish we knew about Chameleon before we went to Claire's, who did a crappy job, five years ago! Highly recommend to everyone, but especially to parents of teenagers! read more

Best piercing I've ever had! Owen was super nice, professional, analytical, and calming. He studied my ear and determined the best location for a piercing based on the folds of my ear and he made the piercing experience as painless and relaxing as possible. I was initially quite nervous but because of how calming and reassuring Owen was, I ended up feeling a lot better. I'm so thankful for the front desk ladies for recommending Owen as my piercer because it was truly the best piercing experience I have ever had. I can't wait to come back for a second piercing! read more

I had never gotten a tattoo so I was kind of nervous (alright, I'll admit it, I was a bag full of pansy) but these guys calmed me right down. The shop is clean, the girl at the front was wicked nice, and even the music was pretty cool (everything from The Dead Kennedys to Elvis Costello to god knows what else.) I told the girl at the front what I wanted (a Red Sox B, real original eh?) and she helped me pick out what size would look good. I asked her for a price and so she hunted someone down for me and they told me $150. I'm guessing it would have been cheaper if I had only gotten one color but I got a black outline around the red B. Anyway, we sat around for 10 mins or so and then Sky grabbed me and my girlfriend (she wimped out only minutes earlier) and brought us into his "office." Everything in there was clean, and he was really helpful in explaining the process and letting me know what to expect. The whole thing took probably 30 minutes and didn't hurt nearly as much as I expected it to. Sky was pretty quiet throughout the whole thing which is fine with me because I was in more of a "please god don't let this hurt" mood rather than a "hey, where ya from?" mood. He gave me instructions on how to care for it, I tipped him 20 bucks, and we left to go get some pizza at Crazy Doughs. The whole thing took less than an hour and now I have an awesome tattoo to show for it. read more

Chameleon Tattoo - My Red Sox Tattoo (Done by Sky) - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Just want to update that I have now come back here several times over the years. I have come with several friends who got tattoos and then gotten another ear piercing along with 2 of my friends this winter. I have never found anything bad to say about this place. Extremely clean, the staff is very courteous (and comforting despite me being nervous!) , and my friends have always been very happy with their tattoos or piercings. I recommend it to everyone I know. read more

tldr: my tattoo looks good, but it's not what I asked for at all. I do not recommend seeing Jorge. I got a tattoo with Jorge who was nice and fun to talk to. I came in with a design that he took and made unique, which was good because I didn't want a tattoo exactly like someone else's. He took the essence of what I was looking for and made it into a new design which I gave him light feedback on changing a few lines to dots. It didn't look anything like the picture I gave him, but that was fine by me because I liked the new artwork a lot too. He didn't redraw anything and just said he would make the adjustments. For my tattoo, it was really important to me it would look geometric and not like an object with 3 dimensions. When he showed me his design, he mentioned nothing about adding shading. Because I was getting it on my back, I couldn't see it as he was doing it and WITHOUT MY PERMISSION he added a ton of shading, making my tattoo look like a funky plant instead of a mandala design. It didn't look at all like the picture he showed me that I consented to. It was pretty, but I honestly hate what he did to it. In the end, I have a tattoo that everyone really likes, but it's not what I wanted, which sucks because it was something that symbolized something very important to me and now it's on my back forever. Other notes: pricing was good, process was fast, everyone was really nice read more

Chameleon Tattoo - The tattoo Jorge gave me - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Addendum: Easy to schedule an earring exchange! I had no issues with pain during my exchange two months ago or any infectious complications ever. I'm a little bummed that it's not recommended that I change my cartilage piercing myself but the results have been great so I trust Owen. read more

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I love this place and the place.Owen is best every time I come and I want to see him he's great !!!!!

i went in alone and terrified because i was getting my septum pierced & it was my first piercing besides ears. but James was phenomenal! he put me at ease right away. you can tell that he loves what he does & that he's damn good at it. he was super easy to talk to & made the piercing procedure fast & basically painless. the place itself it great. super clean & not a speck of dust in sight. the women at the counter were very nice and knew exactly what they were doing. the only downside of this place are the high prices, but honestly it's worth it considering you're getting an amazing piercing done my amazing piercers at an amazing establishment. they even include the jewelry in the price and sell aftercare there for cheap. i will definitely come here for my future piercings and tattoos! thanks chameleon!!!! read more

Chameleon Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

After reading multiple great Yelp reviews in chameleon, I decided to get an an upper helix piercing. It was very painless, has healed well and the whole experience was great. I was nervous about getting it done, but when I saw how professional the piercing room was and that everything was very sterile, my nerves calmed down. Owen also explained the whole process before actually doing the piercing, which made me more relaxed as well. He is very knowledgeable about piercing placement, which showed when he suggested that I do the piercing in my left ear instead of my original plan of doing it in the right ear, since it would work better there. I highly recommend getting your piercings done here. read more

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I went here for my first tattoo weeks after I turned 18 I had an idea and a sketch and didn't know what to do next, this place was convienent and looked clean and prfessional. it was packed when i first arrived but nothing to really worry about. the lady at the counter told me I'd have to make an appointment and suggested John to do my tattoo. I left my sketch with them and came back 3 weeks later, My piece took a total of 7 hours (over 2 sessions) and costed $400. John did and amazing job and follwed the basic guildlines I had set out for him. He was wicked funny, totally cool, and to this day the only tatoo artist to make me laugh while working on me (there have been 4 others) I've even gotten compliments from people on the street who say they "hate tattoos on women" but that mine is amazing. that has to say something right ? anyways it did take longer than anything else i've had done but it's beautiful and my favorite so i think it was worth it ! read more

Chameleon Tattoo - by John 12/06 - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Been coming here since 2010 when I got my first piercing. Rueben is currently working on my second sleeve and I couldn't be happier. He is always friendly and professional! The place is clean and essentially looks like a doctors office on the inside. Everything is sterile, they literally open needles in front of you so you know their clean and brand new. Will continue to get pierced/tattooed here! read more

Hard to find, way over priced, no parking and they were rude and unprofessional. Left before any service.

FOR PARENTS: After a mall store gun piercing my daughter was left with uneven holes and perpetual infections. Ultimately, she took her earrings out and accepted (sadly) that she would not likely wear earrings again. Then, on the advice of another parent, I took her for a consult with Owen Beane. Owen carefully inspected my daughters earlobes and explained what was good and what was problematic about her earlier piercings. He carefully measured and marked her earlobes, deciding to re-pierce one hole and create a new hole in the other ear to match. Throughout the consult and piercing he was warm, kind, and respectful. His after-care instructions were clear and straightforward. My daughter's ears look perfect and she is thrilled with the results. Please learn from our mistake and skip the piercing gun. Go straight to Owen! You will not be disappointed. read more

I got my nipple piercing done here and I think the person who did my piercing was named Owen and he was super nice. This was a while back but I just thought I'd leave the review now because even though I was such a pain in the ass for getting two piercings in three days, he was nice to me and explained everything to me about after care and I really appreciate it. Until this day my piercings are in great condition. I would go back again ! For someone who was a beginner and got something intense. read more

I don't even know why I'm writing this review, since hundreds already exist speaking highly of Owen and the amazing work he does. He obviously takes immense pride in his work, and it shines. I'm by no means an experienced piercing-receiver. Piercee? In fact, this was my first non-lobe piercing and this is my first non-food review on Yelp. I've had my eye on this place as a potential place to get my first (of several) piercing done for about 1.5 years and have put a lot of time into learning about different piercings, consequences of piercing, etc. I finally believed it was the perfect time to get pierced and I booked my appointment. The website doesn't currently correctly list Owen's hours, so it's imperative that you call to check availability, then set/pay for an appointment. I spent ~15 or so minutes on the phone since the store was experiencing wifi issues and I had to relay my payment info a few times, but the person on the phone was super sweet. When it came time to go to the appointment, I was obviously a nervous mess, but Owen was obviously very used to nervous banter. He listened to and took my concerns about hypertrophic scarring seriously (my mother and I have had sever scarring tissue form and have had to get stuff laser treatment in the past to remove some of the excess tissue). I completely trust his judgment, and none of his advice was out of the ordinary or didn't align with what I had heard from other places. The process was very simple, and I left feeling very excited for my new piercings. I certainly won't be taking my chances anywhere else for the rest of my planned piercings. You get what you pay for and even more. I've had too many friends end up with shitty experiences (new piercings with hoops---luckily Owen refuses to do that) in your run of the mill piercing places (especially in L.A.). The reviews for Owen speak for themselves, and I hope this one adds to that long list. I'll update if anything goes south with service, but I know everything from here is on me. I won't comment on pain since it's personal to every individual, but as someone whose heart rate was 113 entering the room according to my Fitbit, pain is not my friend. He doesn't make it any worse than it needs to be, for sure. read more

I had an amazing piercing experience at Chameleon Tattoo. I was initially very nervous about getting my ear lobe pierced, particularly since I had gotten it pierced with a piercing gun twice before, but was forced to let the piercing close since my ear kept getting infected. I decided to give piercing one last try by going to a tattooing parlor instead. Boy, am I glad I did. Owen did a phenomenal job allaying my fears by explaining everything in such detail to me. Beyond that, however, he had a really customer-centric approach to piercings. Upon inspecting my previous piercing further, he discovered that my previous piercing had not closed completely. As such, he dissuaded me from getting a completely new piercing (which would have cost me more money), and together, we decided on the optimal option for me, simply reopening the piercing. The whole affair was as painless as it could get, and ended up costing me $20 less than I expected. Couldn't recommend this place and Owen more! :) read more

Just had my second tattoo done by Jorge, wonderful atmosphere of the place with a very welcoming reception! Jorge was very professional and kind and helped ease my nerves by talking with me and playing music during the tattoo Will be going to him for any more future tattoos! read more

I had my second holes repierced by James today and he was great. I even made an appointment to get third ones done. I felt like I could ask all the questions I needed to. Thank you!! read more

I had to make a Yelp account to give a shoutout to James. I came to Chameleon because I was in the area and had noticed one of my nose piercings seemed to be stuck - it's a hoop and it felt like maybe the hole was closing in the gap where the hoop had opened a bit. It was certainly one of those things I'd been putting off for a few months. Arrived at Chameleon and they were able to squeeze me in immediately to take a look and see if they could re-open the piercing for a $10 fee. Super reasonable, and even more reasonable once I realized James is incredible. He was transparent (he told me it was going to hurt, which I appreciated!) and very skilled. The hole had almost completely closed so he really had to dig in to fit my hoop back through. After a few tries we heard the pop of success. The amount of pressure he had to apply was huge and I'm very grateful that he was able to figure it out! It didn't even hurt all that bad, and I'm convinced that's because of how good he is. Really appreciated the quick and professional service and will definitely be coming back for future piercings. read more

amazing work! got mine done by James and everyone including the front desk girls who welcomed us and assisted in picking out jewelry were very warm, welcoming, and professional. i never felt intimidated or unwelcomed. i was pretty impressed with the hygiene and PPE practice and appreciated the mask wearing. James was super knowledgeable about the piercing process and was quick to pierce my ears which was probably my favorite part ! id definitely go back here if i want anything else done - the staff, warm (and super clean!!!!) environment, and jewelry selection is impeccable. process and pricing: i made an appointment via phone call, and was charged (via phone) $36 for the piercing and $10 fee that could go towards tipping the artist or towards the price of the jewelry. **come at least 15 mins prior to your appointment time to ensure you check in smoothly and have ample time to choose your jewelry** after i showed up and got my piercing, i got charged $78 for the jewelry pair that supported my piercing (all options given for lobe piercings are stunning circular studs). if you want to give an additional tip there are venmo QR codes for the artist who pierced you or you can also do cash. hand hygiene, sterilization, gloves were used throughout. James cleaned my ears w antiseptic, marked my ears after measuring them and then changed into a new pair of gloves before piercing my ear. i was dumb and touched my earlobe after he cleaned it so just dont do that ... book your appointment - u wont regret! read more

UPDATE: lowered to one star due to a LOT of correlation between my review and countless others here. I also just found out from my friends who stayed that he mentioned he would have attacked me if he wasn't at work. The lack of maturity and professionalism from this underweight 40-year-old is absolutely disgusting. Spend your money on genuine artists with respect for their trade and customers. Short story? The tattoo that my friend got was fine, kind of sloppy line work, but for $80, it was a fine last minute tattoo. Unfortunately, the artist (Jorge Seested) who did the work was juvenile and unprofessional and actually told me a tattoo I have is impossible and "will look like kool-aid in 5 years" (I've had it for 4) and that the reason my artist did it was because he didn't care about his work. As well, he didn't understand the concept that the image I emailed them wasn't scaled to the size I want it and when I asked him to explain the issue, he said, "Too. Much. Tattoo. Not. Enough. Skin." - he wasn't making any effort to work with me. I wouldn't have had an issue with Jorge and our disagreement, but he insulted the artistry and integrity of a man he has never met, assumed my experience and knowledge, and made his fragile ego apparent. I had to get up and leave for a few minutes so I didn't escalate the situation and make it worse for my friends who were staying for a tattoo. When I returned after cooling down, he slammed his door in my face, asked my friends, "Why did HE come back?" and proceeded to trash talk me behind closed doors. I can't speak for the other artists, they all seemed like good people and the girl behind the counter was pleasant. I'll happily admit that of the three of us, two of us were told our tattoos weren't possible (we asked for tattoos with color outlines). The two of us decided we wouldn't get work done in this shop. We aren't locals, so our friend, who was getting a tattoo still, called some of her other favorite places to ask if they had any openings for two. It was pretty rude, but it hadn't even occurred to me. I tried to explain the situation as best as I could, but the artist didn't care to have a conversation as much as he wanted to flaunt his inferiority complex (stating, "Well I don't want to be your consolation prize," not understanding that we were NOT getting work done by him, but our friend was). So, if you want to get something done that they won't do, don't expect to be treated well. This particular guy will attack you, belittle you, and brag about his outdated, irrelevant misinformation. My advice? Come here with an open mind, give them a shot, but be smart about where your money goes. In the meantime, I'll be sticking with our local artists at 12 Tattoos and other talented businesses. read more

I got a nose piercing (2 years ago) and I could not believe how painless and how quickly it healed. Very gentle, and easy to work with. Best experience out of my 4 piercings. Front desk at piercing shop could be friendlier though. The tattoo side is friendlier read more

This is where I got my first tattoos and everybody that I encountered were so nice and friendly. Jasmine at the front desk was very accommodating and was so quick to make a walk-in appointment. The actual tattoo artist, Jared, was very patient and kind to me. He was very knowledgeable and knew where to put my tattoo at a body location that would be the best for its skin longevity. I had an amazing experience here where I got my first and meaningful tattoos! read more

Chameleon Tattoo - Post tattoo happiness - Tattoo Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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The most amazing experience with Owen. My kid had their ears pierced wrong at Clair's years ago. We had so many problems that we had to let the holes close. We recently tried again with Owen and he was incredible -- so knowledgeable and careful. The piercings healed great. I wish we went to him in the first place. I had no idea how problematic gun piercings could be. read more

My 10 year old daughter had her ears pierced here. So disappointed with the placement of the hole. Too far back on the ear that I can't look at it without feeling upset. The man who pierced her ears acted like he was such an expert that you couldn't dare challenge him and in the end I deeply regret going here. They said they put it there because the ear droops over time which may be true if you wear super heavy earrings but the location of the hole is so far back that she can never get a second piercing. In my opinion they disfigured my beautiful daughter. This place is terrible. read more

Extremely professional, courteous, and friendly staff! Had a great experience getting a piercing for my niece. Definitely taking maximum precautions for COVID. Highly recommend for piercing. read more

Recently got a PA and the piercer (saint) James Is the most professional and responsive and nice person I've met. He is always there to answer your questions and reassure you. I would do it again any day. Thanks James and Chameleon tat and piercing. PS I am not paid to write this review! Ciao. read more

I was nervous about getting my piercing (simple ear piercing) because of a terrible experience at a different parlor. When we got there, the girls at the desk were extremely helpful and kind and were patient as I picked out jewelry. When we got to meet my piercer, Owen, I expressed my concerns about my last experience and what went wrong. He was very kind and explained what the previous piercer and had done wrong and went through step by step exactly how he was going to pierce and how it is supposed to be done. He listened to what I wanted and in the end it was absolutely perfect! You can tell that he is passionate about what he does. I highly recommend this place, they are incredibly professional and kind and everything about the place and the employees gives off a good vibe. Will definitely come back! read more

Just had a cartilage piercing done with my roommate at Chameleon. From the moment we walked in, the energy of the studio was so positive and uplifting. It feels so welcoming and inclusive and the staff from greeting to jewelry selection to piercing were incredibly pleasant. James was our piercer and he was phenomenal! I loved his down-to-earth energy. It's very apparent that all the staff are taking social distancing very seriously and James did a great job communicating clearly their sanitation protocol. My piercing looks so beautiful and I will definitely be coming back for more piercings! Thanks Chameleon for a fun Friday afternoon during a pretty dreary year! read more

I had my double helix pierced by Owen in December and couldn't be more happy with the results! Not only was everyone at Chameleon extremely helpful and professional but Owen in particular was beyond patient and kind as he helped me on a few occasions as my ear healed. Even while the store was closed, he responded to an email that I sent to him for guidance and input about how to care for my ear. It is clear that everyone here truly cares about their clients. Thank you so so much to everyone at Chameleon, I cannot wait to come back for my next piercing! You guys rock! read more