I went to Phoenix for my first tattoo and my experience was, simply put, amazing. In fact, I'm making an account just to post this review.
First, the basics: they follow allow of the standards of cleanliness you expect from a tattoo shop. The shop itself is very clean, bright, and open. My artist told me about their procedures (single use needles, everything that isn't single use is sanitized via autoclave, the basic stuff) and she was happy to answer any questions I had. Everyone I interacted with there was friendly and helpful.
My artist was Colby June and I definitely plan to see her again. I wanted a Mickey Mouse, but I didn't just want the image you get from a google image search. I showed her some references on my phone and gave her a little sketch I made (I'm not artist- I just wanted to communicate the idea). She took my crappy little picture, cleaned it up, and added some extra flair. It was my idea but, you know, actually good. The result was EXACTLY what I wanted: a funky take on Mickey that's unique to me. I should also note that she was cool with me readjusting the stencil a million times.
She was extremely patient with me as I was a bit nervous and I'm also prone to fainting. She told me to just tell her if I felt any changes in my body, which I did. We started off with a juice box and, when I continued to feel faint, changed my position so that I was laying down (I was being tattooed on my upper arm). She told me what she was doing every step of the way and encouraged me to speak up if I had any concerns or if I needed a break. In short, she did everything she could to ensure that I didn't feel intimidated or out of control. As someone with anxiety (and a needle phobia, actually) this helped me to have a VERY positive experience. Her entire attitude was compassionate and genuinely excited to go through this process WITH me (as opposed to me just being a canvas).
Before I left, I was given an aftercare kit with instructions, ointment, and unscented lotion. They stressed that I shouldn't hesitate to contact them if I had questions or concerns as my tattoo heals.
I will be returning to Phoenix and Colby without a doubt. I've heard so many horror stories about people's first tattoos and I'm really grateful that mine is the complete opposite. read more