currently on vacation in vancouver and decided i wanted to get my first tattoo. of course, the…read morewhole thing felt a bit daunting. but, once i walked into the store, my sister and i were kindly greeted by two associates. i let the girl with rad pink hair know that i wanted to get a walk-in tattoo. she lead me to another lady who helped set up the appointment. initially, i was told to come at 5pm, but was called not too long after and was told to come for 4:45. i was pleasantly surprised with how quick the whole process was. my artist was Rad and he was super welcoming and made me feel very comfortable. i absolutely adore the tattoo, Rad! i'll be coming for ink every time i visit vancouver.

Came here on a weekday night to get navel piercing. The people here are really nice and keep all…read moreexplanations simple. I actually went to Adrenaline after visiting another place that told me that there's a risk of migration/rejection due to the shape of my belly button. I went to adrenaline looking to get a second opinion and they said that migration or rejection is due to the piercing itself more so than the person's anatomy. I thought that was interesting and found both places to have a reasonable backing to their explanation (but then again, I don't know that much to begin with). Overall, the experience at Adrenaline was pleasant and there was minimal pain. I give this place a 4 as I think they can be more thorough with explaining their equipment prep procedure and the aftercare for piercing. This picture is 2 weeks after piercing and the cost was ~$80 (jewellery included).

I just got my first tattoo and Rich was great. I was advised on going bold on my design as it would…read morehold up better long term.

Quick summary if you don't want to read the whole thing - Amazing experience, wonderful people,…read moreabsolutely love my new tattoo. I was going to be in town for less than a week, but I knew the kind of tattoo I wanted. I emailed a bunch of places a few months ahead, and "Steveston Tattoo" and "Logan Howard" came up a couple of times. Steveston was farther than I had planned on going, but I sent an email anyways. Billie Jean was very professional, and so easy to deal with. She answered all of my millions of questions, and was always willing to work around my issues and requests. She made me very comfortable with the fact that I could trust these people, sight unseen, and get exactly what I wanted. Logan Howard was equally awesome. We chatted about my concept, and I know I had some design elements that aren't found in indigenous tattoo designs. After our chat, he said he'd design something that would work for us both. When I saw the result, I was happy that he didn't just do what I asked, he made some design changes that he felt enhanced the work, which I loved. I even asked for the design work, which I will frame and hang in my office. As for the actual process, I can say that Logan has a kind and gentle hand. I was in the chair for about 6 hours (off and on), and it never got unbearable. He moved around enough so that it did not cause any significant pain during the work. I like how he let me stare off at the ceiling or the artwork when I felt like it, and how he engaged in conversation when I felt like it (he has a wonderful story to share). I'm sure he wouldn't have been bothered if I had watched Netflix (on their free WiFi) during the process. I'm so glad my journey took me to Steveston, and would do it all over again for my next one.

Worked with Emilio for my first tattoo. Absolutely love it. Very professional. Will come back for…read more#2.

**Obsessed doesn't even begin to cover it**…read more Visiting Vancouver from the States, I stumbled across *The Fall* while scrolling through the internet--and I'm so glad I did. After some research, I knew I had to have my tattoo done by Fay. A few weeks before my trip, I called, paid my deposit, and sent over my design with the tweaks I wanted. Everything was set, and my excitement started to build. Fast forward to the day of my appointment--I arrived right on time, and Fay was already waiting, ready to go. She printed out my design, and let me tell you: she *nailed it*. First try, no edits needed. She even printed a few different sizes so we could settle on the perfect one. And before I knew it, she was tattooing. Yes, it hurt (because, of course it does), but the pain faded as quickly as it came. Chatting with Fay was a blast, and to top it off, she even touched up one of my older tats. And the pricing? Absolutely fantastic for the quality. But I wasn't done. Apparently, one tattoo wasn't enough--I decided to get a tragus piercing with Adam. Now, it had been 10 years since I'd had anything pierced, so naturally, I didn't quite remember what to expect. But Adam was a total pro. He distracted me effortlessly with great conversation, and before I knew it, the piercing was done. His vibe? Impeccable. Between the tats and the piercing, this experience was beyond exceptional. I'd travel out of my way again just to come back here. Thank you for making my visit unforgettable!

Romeo is creative, honest, caring, and comforting. During my 6 hour tattoo session, he ensured I…read morefelt comfortable, had what I needed on Netflix and foodwise, and was highly attuned to my body language if I was in pain and needed a break. I love his art too... it's beautiful and sharp. I had no idea I could feel this comfortable and chill while having needles poking painfully into me for hours on end... it speaks very much to who Romeo is as a person and an artist. 10/10 would recommend.

From the owner: ZEN TATTOO Specializing in Floral & Asian Tattoos. We aim to create quality custom Tattoo work…read morewhile providing a relaxing and welcoming environment.

We went to Geronimo Tattoo & Piercing to see about getting my ears pierced for the first time…read more Parking was restricted out front as per the location during rush hour (no parking 3-6pm), but there was a tight parking lot behind that we were able to squeeze into. After meeting Staci, and having a conversation involving candy, expectations for piercing, and signing a waiver, I got seated promptly as a walk in, and was taken into the back for my first piercing. She was professional, courteous, friendly, and highly informative as well as supportive for after care. With a bright disposition and welcoming attitude, I will definitely be back here again and stay in touch in future. Thanks for the great first experience- one of many more to come~! :)

I'm very disappointed in my service today especially since I trusted Staci. The good reviews and…read moreher experience was something I trusted and was even confident in. This piercer had a lot of red flags and in hindsight I should've not even gotten it done there as soon as I saw the equipment, and even before I got there because Staci was just brushing me and my concerns/questions off before the actual session. The first red flag was she had her apprentice pierce me and she wasn't even there to supervise. 2nd red flag was them using bioflex (which is made out of plastic and should never be used for initial piercings and titanium is the only appropriate piercing to be used, they were touting it like it was the best thing to use though) I should've walked out as soon as I saw that because never in my life have I been pierced with bioflex, it's always titanium flatbacks. They used 18g needles and said my piercing will heal as 20g too which is not a good gauge for cartilage piercings, they told me to just stretch it which is counterintuitive, CARTILAGE IS MORE RIGID AND WILL CAUSE ME A LOT MORE PAIN TO STRETCH!!!. I went to an APP store and they said while the piercing was straight, it's just the jewelry was highly inappropriate bc it's a corkscrew for nose piercings. Anyways I came back and Staci just exploded at me saying it was an insult I got a second opinion and just very passive aggressively telling me to sit down and she'll put metal in my ear if I wanted that so bad. It made me highly uncomfortable and I didn't even mean to insult her, besides she can't even be mad because it was her apprentice and NOT HER who pierced me. I spent 50 bucks to be berated and I will not be going back again. I felt very blindsided especially since she's been saying she uses surgical steel, even that's better than bioflex. I feel SCAMMED. Avoid this piercer. She was very defensive and mean, I have the RIGHT to get a second opinion because it's my body, no reason for her to be so unprofessional and raise her voice at a customer like that. I asked her to educate me on bioflex and she got even madder and defensive. Traumatic experience.

i visited this studio two years ago to see a guest artist. the guest artist was fine. the studio…read morephysically is beautiful. however, i was not greeted in any way by anybody in the studio as i stood there patiently waiting to be acknowledge while making eye contact with multiple people. the studio is private, so they had to buzz me in and were expecting me regardless. after my appointment, i realized i left some of my belongings there and could not call the studio as they were not advertising their number. i then returned to the shop downtown and buzzed on a weekday afternoon, to get no answer. there was no email, and the artist i specifically saw said they'd reach out to see if it was found. it was found, but i could not possibly get in contact with the studio itself and it got nowhere. this shops is not what tattoo culture strives for, it is the instagram post they care most about.

I've heard great things about this studio and the amazing team that fills this location. Came…read moreacross this studio while scrolling through social media and I had to check it out. I've been in contact with Louise who has been amazing throughout our email exchanges and helping me decide the tattoo size and placement. Definitely made it an easier experience.

I have been to Gastown Tattoo many times over the past several years for laser removal, and I have…read morehad one tattoo done here. Laser: Cleo, who does the laser removal here, is so nice and friendly. She knows what she's doing, and she made a very painful experience for me a little easier. I would always look forward to seeing her and having a little chat. I appreciated her knowledge and expertise when it came to having my tattoo removed. Tattoo: There is a vibe here that I find a bit off-putting. Sometimes the people at the front desk have been courteous, but often aloof to the point of unfriendly. I feel quite unwelcome in the space, and the artist who did a matching tattoo for my friend and me really didn't seem to want to be doing it (we had asked and made sure he was ok with it, and he agreed). I would come back her for laser removal, but not tattooing (unless there was a specific artist who I wanted to see).

Been coming to see Amanda for a few years now. Gone to a…read morefew artists before, but didn't get along as well as I'd like. Pros: - Amanda's a gem: honest, funny and fun personable. Need to talk to be able to talk to someone when you're laid out for a few hours in pain. - bit of a wait for bookings, I waited four and a half weeks between consult to ink time. - a good job coordinating and multiple reminders. - super clean studio FYI: - parking is brutal in gastown. I park at Tinseltown and go over sometimes (if tat is under two hrs), but super easy to just transit - shop sits on a one way street, if driving - be prepared to pay a deposit aft the consult ($100 usually)

I had been very interested in getting tattooed by Shiyu for the longest time. Some of my friends…read morehave full sleeves and back pieces done by her, and they look incredible. She has a waitlist channel on Instagram that I follow, and as soon as the booking form opened, I submitted it. At the time, I wasn't completely sure what I wanted, so I gave a vague description of my idea. When I arrived for my appointment, she showed me her design, which was very similar to the references I had provided. However, it wasn't quite what I truly wanted deep down, and she could tell. She asked me more questions and showed me drafts, inspirations, and additional references. Once she fully understood what I wanted, she created a new design. Shiyu was incredibly kind, patient, and skilled throughout the process. She made sure the placement was perfect and that I wouldn't have any regrets. The result was amazing--I was extremely satisfied. The price point was also very fair. I would 100% recommend her if you're looking for a Japanese-style tattoo.

Life sized body art paintings are canvassed on the walls... all created by Jeff Tam. He is the…read moremastermind behind this already popular tattoo parlour. He's worked for Art at (the infamous) Funhouse for many years before leaving to make his own (ink)print in the tattoo world. Travelling for years in Japan and across Europe to learn and practice with some of the greatest. When I met Jeff for the first time, it was an instant connection. I loved his groovy reggae tunes blasting from his ipod, his very chill and relaxed demeanour and his humbleness of what fantastic work he is capable of doing. His store is immaculate, décor asian inspired. I already had my left shoulder done with a dragon and wanted to give it a 'companion' by tattooing a lion on the opposite side of my back. I explained to him the meaning behind my choice and then he was off. Throwing out ideas and how and what it should look like. Everything he suggested I loved so I gave him full artistic reins of what he wanted to do. Best decision I made...just look at the photo I post up. It was his idea to add the clouds and moon around the dragon and have the lion climbing up out of the flower onto the rock towards the sky to clearly distinct the difference between land and air creature. It took 3 different sessions...and probably a total of 5-6 hours of work done. I chose to stay with the black and grey shades but his colored tattoos are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. One of the things about Jeff that makes me respect him so much as an artist, is that he has no problem refusing clients and sending them on their way if they come in with a silly request like a "winne the pooh" tattoo or is getting something done for the sake of it. I asked him why, and he says its because he is an artist and as an artist, doesn't want to have his work on somebody's body that doesn't have meaning or represent what he wants to put out there.. he also takes whatever 'idea' or picture of what someone wants, and adds his own 'spin' to it...basically making it his own. Don't worry people, whatever he touches, will turn out to be a masterpiece.

You can tell a lot about a tattoo shop I've found by the way it's decorated and the Star Wars motif…read morewith Stormtrooper helmets had me right away. The place has character and that, to me, means a lot for a tattoo shop. It's also very clean, another very important thing. I had my work done today by an artist named Brittany, who did an amazing job. A hidden gem and I would recommend taking the time to seek them out!

Been going here for three years now Ian is awesome. Takes…read morehis time to hear and understand your needs Very professional artist, from his work to his attitude. Shop is cozy and friendly staff and clean. Busy so getting an appointment with ian might be a little hard since he's usually booked up. Worth the wait, going to empty dead spots to get inked done not always a good thing, better deal with a busy artist that's doing well than someone's who's in need and just after your cash. Haven't dealt with other artists at the shop so can't make any reviews on them but they seem friendly and knowledgeable. Have done both chest. Shorts. Inside of arms and two cover ups Deff recommend

My ear-piercing experience with Adrenaline seemed fine, meaning staff were friendly and helpful,…read moreand didn't treat me like I was in the wrong place simply because I'm a senior citizen. My granddaughter also felt her experience there was fine. We both had earlobe piercings but at different times. Well, all WAS fine until we tried to remove the studs. We were both told to leave them in for 6 or 8 weeks (can't recall) but I waited another couple of weeks just to be safe. One stud came out fine but the other one seemed to be caught somehow. It was really painful and my ear bled when I tried to remove the stud. I left it in but felt alarmed that even though I'd left it for two extra weeks it was still raw and bloody. Every time I tried to remove it the pain was intense and there was still blood. Weirdly enough, my granddaughter had a very similar experience with hers. One came out fine, but one "caught", hurt, and bled. We left them in longer and kept hoping they would heal and be fine. I finally got mine out without it bleeding, but it was very difficult to put in an earring. It just felt blocked or not completely pierced. It was painful and uncomfortable. Same experience for my gdaughter. She also couldn't put in earrings without feeling blocked and hurting in one earlobe. I gave up trying to use that piercing because it hurt too much and still bled a little. I went back to Adrenaline and told the female at the front counter about our unsatisfactory and painful experience. There was no sympathy or apology or any apparent interest. She just told me we could have them redone for $75 each, which was 50% MORE than we'd paid in the first place! I would think a reputable, established shop (which I thought Adrenaline was) would offer a redo, at least on the affected ears, but she barely looked at me, just offered to book us in, again, for more money than we'd already paid! No doubt they would just try to blame us, say we did something wrong, took the studs out too soon... or I don't know what. They certainly showed no interest in finding out what had gone wrong or how it happened that two clients had the same painful experience and were unable to wear their pierced earrings after paying to have their ears pierced! I don't get it. Maybe they just don't care about the service they provide and their customers. Too bad. Adrenaline is very conveniently located for us but now we are looking for ANOTHER piercing place to get our earlobes pierced yet again, spending more money, when we should be happy with our Adrenaline piercings and experience. I cannot recommend Adrenaline, based on our unhappy outcomes.

After much research, I made the trip out to Kitsalano from Surrey to get my 3 year olds ears…read morepierced. Craig and Francis were phenomenal, and literally did everything perfectly. Not only did she have a great time, but they were making faces while marking the lives, and did it quickly without a tear from my daughter. The peircers also did not cry. 10/10 will def be back for any piercing needs. Thanks guys, you lived up to all of my expectations.