All of the artists here are individually talented and kind people. Isaac is about 50 years ahead of…read morehis time and has the skills to back it up.

Preface: whenever I'm unhappy enough with service to leave a less than stellar review, I take a day…read moreor two to figure out if I'm just frustrated, or the service/experience was legitimately bad enough to warrant that review. I'm super glad I did in this case, since a friend pointed out something I hadn't realized. I came in based on excessive amazing reviews of both tattoos and piercings. I went in initially on Saturday evening spur of the moment, but was told the piercer had just left for the night and wouldn't be back till Tuesday. That's what I get for not making an appointment or calling ahead, but like I said, spur of the moment. They told me she'd (Karina) be back Tuesday. I figured if they're referring to a single piercer, then she presumably has experience with this piecing and decided to come back Tuesday. So I went back on Tuesday. I called ahead but didn't get a response. To their credit, I got a call back after I went in 20-30 minutes later and they had been packed when I came in. I guess Karina is the only piercer that does the bridge piercing, so after she cleaned up, I came back and she prepped my face for the piercing. Maybe she could tell by looking that I had the anatomy for the bridge? Idk. Then she put the marker on my face and let me check the placement and had me lay back. She didn't even offer to let me see the piercing first, I had to ask. She was intending to use a curved barbell, despite many other piercers advocating the straight one to avoid changes in tension, to prevent gravity from pulling the curve downward and making the claim of reduced tension redundant, and mitigating rejection risk. I believe the piercers that I've followed online, blogs, Instagram, and tiktok. I don't think I can do research and know more than a trained professional, so I read what the professionals said. When I asked for a straight barbell, she seemed frustrated and claimed she didn't even have any straight barbell options despite having a full container of barbells labeled as such and insisted that she's been piercing for 19 years. (Idk their gauges but it was definitely unbelievable considering the boxes were labeled "straight barbells") I'm not trying to negate her experience, but I felt very judged for both wanting to know and having an opinion on what went into my body. If I want to mitigate rejection risk, why should that option be judged? This is a piercing I'd like to keep. It wasn't until I called my second option for the piercing and was asked a few questions and told the pricing that I realized none of that had been discussed at West End Tattoo & Piercing. I even had to volunteer my medication list as described in the paperwork, since no one asked. I wasn't told their pricing before she intended to pierce me. I don't know what the tattoo process is like here, since I've never been for that, and I definitely verified the other location pierces with straight barbells. Lesson learned. I will say everyone was friendly and welcoming until I questioned the piercing jewellery, and the decorations are awesome, but I won't be back, even for a tattoo. Added after reflection: omg, no one spoke to me before any expected piercing about after care, possible migration/rejection, other risks like scaring, etc. I hadn't initially recognized that lack due to my own research following other piercers, but recognizing it now is terrifying. 2* because they were very welcoming when I walked in, and willing to squeeze me in without an appointment.

Amazing. We got my stepdaughter's ears pierced there, she wanted her second holes done. They made…read morethe process so easy and calmed her nerves as well. Love them, definitely going back for my next tattoo.

I had a great experience. James was awesome and did an amazing job on my tattoo and my boyfriend's…read more The shop was very clean and everyone was very friendly. I will definitely be going back for more tattoos.

From the moment you walk in until the moment you leave, everyone in the shop welcomes you like a…read morewarm embrace. My artist was Papi who was not only open and friendly, but VERY professional instilling confidence I was in the right place. Located on Belmont near Carytown, this is a woman owned local business with true artists working there. Pricing is comparable. Highly recommend for your next inking.

Truly, the best tattoo experience I've had. Ian is super collaborative very experienced and just…read moregenerally a great guy to spend time with. He interprets your ideas clearly and with passion and works super efficiently. I'll be going back for my next three tattoos. I cannot recommend this place enough.

I got a tattoo here from a truly incredible visiting artist, Harmony Furman, who I hope will be…read moreback at this studio when she moves to RVA....bc it is amazing! All the artists and clients for that matter were awesome--so friendly and warm and excited to see everyone's work. I love that it's a woman-owned studio and further, Katie the owner is so talented and lovely. The studio is smaller so you can see a ton of art on the walls, which I loved since it distracted me from my tattoo. ALSO: there is amazing food and drinks within walking distance. Halal Munchies is next door which is perfect pre-tattoo food, then there is TT's boba shop a little further down. I'd never been to either and they were perfect. I can't wait to come back here for my next tattoo!

Both my tattoos have been done here. Excellent people all around here - friendly, fantastic…read moreartists... wonderful front staff. Mike Baker did both of mine and just scheduled my third with him too.

Ginny did a spectacular job. Took the time to understand what I was going for and was able to make…read moreit happen

I highly recommend Loose Screw Tattoo! I just finished receiving my second tattoo from Jason! A…read moregreat experience.

My daughter wanted a tattoo for her birthday so we headed to Lucky 13 around Noon on a Saturday in…read morehopes we could beat the crowd. We went to Lucky 13 a couple years ago and really enjoyed the experience so we knew this was the perfect place to go. As soon as we walked in, it was pretty packed. I planned on getting a piercing but when my daughter and sister consulted about a tattoo, they were about 5-6 people ahead of them but they put their name on the list in hopes it wouldn't be too long of a wait. The piercing area was a little busy but the wait wasn't long at all. The majority of their piercings are $20 so I decided on the Forward Helix and my Third Ear Lobe piercing. My piercer was great and made sure I liked the placement before piercing my ears. While we waited, I also bought new jewelry for my Naval, Tragus and Rook piercings, which they changed out for me. With jewelry being only $10, I felt like a kid in a candy store lol. Unfortunately after about an hour, my daughter and sister didn't move up in the wait list so my sister decided to get a Tragus and Second Ear Lobe piercing and we decided to leave. The service at Lucky 13 is great and with it being a pretty popular spot, expect long waits for tattoos! They open at Noon on Saturdays so definitely be there as soon as they open to avoid long waits. I absolutely love the pricing of the piercing. For $90, I got 3 piercings and 3 pieces of jewelry. Definitely check them out! Update: My Forward Helix jewelry did fall out after about a week so make sure the jewelry is very secure before leaving.

Had a great experience getting my navel pierced by Syd! They were super professional, made me feel…read morecomfortable the whole time, and everything was quick and clean. I absolutely love how it turned out, highly recommend!

Some of my friends recommended American Classic Tattoo. I like their tats so I decided to check the…read moreshop out. I met with Mike and told him what I wanted. He asked me to send him some pictures I liked and detail what it was that I liked about them. I showed up for my appointment and Mike had four designs for me to choose from. I liked them all and made my decision. I chose a fairly large phoenix for my upper arm. Mike worked on it for about an hour and a half. The outline and background are done but I had to schedule the coloring of it for another time. Mike did an excellent job and gave very clear aftercare instructions. I love it and can't wait to see it colored. It's truly art. I'll add a picture to this review after it's colored in. I have several more tats that I want and I will definitely be back to American Classic Tattoo to get them.

I always recommend this place, my wife and I have gotten work done on multiple occasions and every…read moretime the artists have been wonderful. Each of the artists we've worked with seem to genuinely care about cleanliness and the work they do. I've gone to Daniel quite a few times, he's talented in different styles and has always been respectful of me and my vision for the end product. I'll add what pictures I can find of work we've gotten done here and will edit to add more!

Lakeside Tattoo came highly recommended and I'd agree with the recommendations. Andrew was great…read moreand very polite. As this was my daughter's first tattoo, he made her feel comfortable, explained everything and kept checking on her, as this was a decent-sized tattoo.

Emailed in my design. They fit me in the next day. Such an amazing job. Adam was super helpful and…read morehis steady hands made the process too awesome! Best session I've ever had! He gave great advice and gave me little breaks and even did a touch up of a diff tattoo from someone else. Recommend!!!!! Good vibes and perfect technique. Super hygienic too!

I literally got my tattoo yesterday, and I could not be happier. Frankee (@carrion.beetle on…read moreInstagram) did such an amazing job with capturing the essence of my baby boy. I was a little worried about the tattoo process, but Frankee explained all the steps and helped walk me through what he was doing. At first, the tattoo was not how I exactly imagined it when he sent me a draft the night before, BUT he was able to mesh my ideas and his own style to create The Most Perfect tattoo. I was honestly in shock when I first saw the end product and ended up in a daze LOL. I am obsessed with my tattoo, and my friends all agree that it captures my son so well. Frankee was also really considerate of my incredibly low social battery and asked about my preference for talking or just vibing and listening to music. Anyways, 10/10 experience and recommend Frankee to the highest degree. Thank you again, Frankee (plus all the nice staff members I encountered)!

Thank u to Unkindess Art for making my very first tattoo appointment a fun and comfortable…read moreexperience!! I worked with Liam Williams who made sure I understood every detail of the process as he worked. All of their artists are crazy talented and very welcoming. Definitely a safe place for queer folk and first timers. Go support these amazing artists!! ​

If you're looking to get a piercing, river city is the place to go! The staff is top-notch. I have…read morebeen here several times and am always so impressed by the professionalism, efficiency, and friendliness of the piercers! They've always been great about explaining the process, answering any questions, and going over the aftercare instructions. I love that they take the time to check, and then double-check, that the location/sizing of the piercing is correct. The rooms are all very clean-- and private! I definitely recommend RCT for your next piercing.

Tattoo shop seemed clean. Decor was cool. Seating was average - not comfortable for waiting long…read moreperiods of time. Street parking available. A friend recommended this place so we went here. They put my name on a list. They called me up to confirm what I wanted and what I was getting then they told me to take a seat and wait and proceeded to ignore me. Other people who came after me got their piercings or tattoos done. Ended up probably waiting 4 hours of back and forth and ended up getting the tattoo done at another shop. Save your time and go somewhere else.