I've had all of my piercings (apart from my septum) done at Holier Than Thou. Most recent is my…read moreeyebrow, so in the selfie it's a bit bruised but it's healing great. Never had any problems, people are always super nice and I love the atmosphere in the shop, the prices are totally reasonable (my septum is my most expensive piercing because it was at a convention, none of my others were over £30), and whoever pierces me always makes sure to be respectful, letting me know what's happening the whole time and making sure I know how to do aftercare. I've had 3 tattoos done here: my semicolon on my wrist, the text on my ankle, and my stomach runes. I'm also hoping to go there for a thigh piece in the future; I fully trust the artists and their quality, and I know that anything I get there I'm going to be happy with. The minimum charge of £60 is alright for most tattoos, though I admit it was quite a lot for my little semicolon. BUT, since that was my first tattoo and I wanted it to be perfect, I didn't really mind. I freaking love this place tbh, and several of my friends do too, and my sister loves them for piercings. I've never had a bad experience or felt uncomfortable whatsoever, 10/10 would definitely recommend!

Last year, being a fresher in university and enjoying freedom at its best coupled with the will to…read moretry something new every other day, my best friend and I, decided that it was time to stop piercing the ears (which off course had been punctured way too many times!) and go for the navel! The idea was way too thrilling. We were on the hunt and while taking a walk on the Oldham Street, we stood in front of this piercing parlour-'Holier than thou'; the name and its graphics instantly attracted me as a customer and we had finally picked our place. It's very neat and spacious when one glances from the outside, in contrast to many other dingy places in the city which give the idea of it not being safe somehow, if you're new to the constant 'piercing' world. The insides are full with shelves with any type of tiny jewellery you are looking for and this will definitely catch your eye and make you look forward to the experience. The staff was very polite and assuring, almost like the assuring nurses in a clinic! There is a separate room for the piercing which looks too clean for anyone to imagine, and thus puts the customer's fears to a rest, especially at a piercing parlour! My friend and I sat through it sequentially and the guy doing it, very skilfully engages us in flowery conversation and the job is done even before you can feel it! This place is complete in itself with a large collection of jewellery and is very helpful in case you need to go back for any questions or changes. You're also given a paper with all sorts of instructions to follow for 100% safety- very professional must say! Since then, I have been suggesting and sometimes even dragging friends for piercings here and none have left without a smile or thrill swept across their face! So if you're looking for a bit of body art and are unsure about hygiene, staff and jewellery, look no further and step right in!

Staff unfriendly from the moment we walked in, piercer seemed uninterested and generally didn't…read morewant to tve there. Botched up my bridge piercing by leaving it wonky despite them apparently being "professional". Awful place, awful people, awful piercing. Don't go If you need somewhere to go, hex piercing in Blackburn is a favourite of mine and where I choose to go whenever I can.

If you're looking to keep things air tight then I'd stay well away!…read moreThis is your one stop service shop for putting holes in stuff. Whether it is your undamaged lip that offends you or the fact that your nose has a mere two holes, Shiva will banish those blues.....with the help of a big scary gun that fires metal through skin.....and see to it that you become the scourge of airport metal detectors that you've always wanted to be!

Without a doubt Manchester's premiere tattoo parlour. Though you know the staff love their mums and…read morethat the equipment is clean and sterile, Made In Manchester manages to retain that air and menace that you want from a tattoo parlour- not a place for little Beckhams, here be pirates arrrrr!! Though not the cheapest tats, the prices reflect the quality of the work and as your body art/mutilation is going to last at least until you can afford a years worth of laser surgery I'd imagine getting a good job is high on your list of priorities. Saying that, if you are the type of person who writes up priority lists then tattoos probably aren't for you.

I'm gonna keep this one short and sweet, people; don't go to Made In Manchester. In a previous…read morereview I wrote of Metalmorphosis, the piercing and tattoo heaven in Selfridges, I mentioned that I'd had a pretty cruddy experience when getting my second tattoo. That experience was here, Made In Manchester. From the word go, it doesn't look the best; it's a careworn shopfront on the edge of the Northern Quarter, and the interior is pretty bleak too. The closest comparison I can draw is with the waiting rooms in Northern train stations, but with peeling yellowing 'flash' posters on the walls. The 'stdio' space is a weird narrow side room that did not look clean (though I am not casting aspersions on the health and safety conditions here; I am sure that it is kept clean). The surroundings didn't put me at ease, and nor did the tattoo artist, who was gruff and had taken it upon himself to re-jig my sketched design. The tattoo itself didn't turn out great, for a simple black and white line drawing it has a few too many flaws for my liking. Which kind of sucks when it's permanently etched onto your skin. All in all, this is not the place to go if you want to feel confident, and if you want a friendly service. I cannot vouch for the quality of other tattoos, but in my personal opinion, my tattoo was a huge disappointment. Steer clear, go to Metalmorphosis instead.

Heres my tip: If your thinking about getting a tattoo but not sure what to get go to Wax Works. You…read morecan get a henna tattoo of it and try living with it for a week or two. To be honest I am not rebellious enough to get a tattoo so I would only get a henna to try and sock the 'rents but hey. The staff are great here and very very talented so if you want a bit fun have a go on one Saturday afternoon; No pain, no permanence and no regrets.

A fantastic Afflecks Palace resource for any emo kids who want a tattoo but are:-…read more A. Not as bad ass as they'd like to imagine. B. Not allowed by their mums. C. Quietly quite academic and likely to follow up their schooling with a career in law. Wax Works offers a huge range of Henna (coughs to disguise the word 'pussy') tattoos and also does ear piercing- you know, the socially acceptable type. If we were to call neighbouring tattoo parlour 'Holier Than Thou' black coffee in an expresso cup, then Wax Works would be warm milk in a mug. If I ever have kids and I find out they've been here I'll blow my top. What kind of pathetic teenage rebellion is that supposed to be?

I've been here twice (September and October) and each time I'm impressed by the skills of Alex…read more I will fly 10 hours on a direct flight, take a 2.5 hour train ride and then walk a half hour just to come here to see Alex. He did seven (7) small tattoos with no judgment and questions. I'm so thrilled with his artistry. I'm really glad that I have one of his designs in a prominent place so I can admire it every day. I want to add that Jess on Bridge street is a delight to correspond with: she made all my appointments in advance for me. So glad that I finally got to meet her! Thank you Jess and Alex for making my tattoo dreams come true!

Was a little apprehensive about this one but which didn't take as long as anticipated. Now very…read morehappy with this individual stylised dandelion tattoo!!