The staff are so friendly and knowledgeable! They are great if you are looking to style or plan future piercings, I always appreciate their insight and advice. They have a great selection of jewelry as well! read more

Kirsten was amazing, patient, and so kind all around. She helped me correct a navel piercing I got at a different place that my body rejected, and her ability to pierce it and not show any scarring was phenomenal. highly recommend her and this place. read more

Got my first helix piercing done by John. He took the time to explain the procedure and after care for the piercing thoroughly. The process was quick and less painful than I expected. He's a professional and the studio is very clean with a really nice jewelry selection. Almost 4 months later I accidentally snagged my piercing and the gem fell out, I brought it in and he replaced it without issues. Can't recommend this place enough! Everyone is very nice. Wish I had all my previous piercings here. read more

Needed both lobes re-pierced after 8+ years of no studs. Picked out some new surgical steel/blue opal earrings, and I walked out wearing them after only 30 minutes. Very professional, friendly and helpful with aftercare recommendations. PS - I got my first ink here seven years ago and it still looks awesome! read more

Kirsten was absolutely lovely! She made me feel super comfortable and did an excellent job with my navel piercing. I've seen lots of horror stories about incorrectly pierced navels so I was psyched. Also, it didn't hurt much at all and she talked me through the whole process. Very hygienic, as well! I will come again if I get more ear piercings. read more

No price list. Called but no answer. Have to make an appointment but going downtown with no parking is a pain. Appointment is mandatory to get a price list. read more

Such nice people and very clean place. I've gotten my belly and nose pierced and everything went so well.

Clean, thorough, and professional. I've never seen anyone use 5x pairs of gloves just for piercing haha! I really appreciate the tedious cleaning standards this place has. For my visit, I made an appointment ahead of time. I had my traqus and daith piercing done. John made sure to let me know the prices before proceeding. He ensured to explain care requirements for the fresh piercings. The store offers a large selection of amazing jewelry (BVLA!). I highly recommend coming here. I will definitely be returning here as a customer. read more

Scarab Body Art Studio - Daith piercing - Tattoo Near Me - Syracuse, New York

See all

Fuck this place. Got a background tattoo for scarification here, and it came out wonky. I live in Rochester and woulda got that done here, but the scarification guy John said it'd be best to go to their artists. Should be a triangle but the edges are off. But when I pointed it out to John, he just wanted to gaslight me into thinking I don't know what a triangle should look like? Lol. Literally everyone I show it to sees the sides aren't straight and a corner is very off - Regular people AND the tattoo artists I've gone to see now just to confirm we aren't crazy. All the artists I've talked to are like "Nah, don't settle for a big, dark, incorrect shape. No it's not swelling, it's not because it's healing, it's not the position of your leg.." That was all stuff he told me, and I wouldn't accept it. I'm like "it's not good no matter how I move my leg, even if I pull the skin totally flat it's not good, even fresh an outline shouldn't do this." I tried to find a way that it looked ok, woulda loved to believe it was - Couldn't. But he insisted it was way too early to even tell anything's wrong, and I gotta be patient/wait til it's healed. I knew it wasn't right and said something immediately after the tattoo was done. I definitely COULD tell. I've never heard of anyone thinking a tattoo will just improve with time, so I don't know why he'd claim it was too soon to know. And it's frustrating of course to be told it's fine when you can clearly see it isn't, especially after ya drove 3 hours/spent $300 because he said going there was the best move. I'm like "no offense, but I know I coulda found someone good at geometric tattoos locally and had no issues right now. I'd be ready for the scarring in a month vs now needing 2+ months to get this fixed and healed again. Kinda depressing to make a trip and pay $300 for that." Anyway, I said I'd just book an appointment in Rochester to get the sides fixed (shops I've talked to here acknowledge seeing multiple issues), and then I'd go back to him for the scarring. BUT THEN he tells me well maybe I just shouldn't even get the scarification at all, because we don't know how it'll heal, and I 'might get upset'... Like uh wtf dude, I already have the background. I know how scars work, still cool no matter how it heals. Still interesting. Bad tattoos are NOT cool, no reason for me to not want it fixed. I just wanted to have someone redo the outline/edge to make it clean and straight. Like a triangle, the shape I wanted. Now I don't know what's goin on. Like, what's he want me to find someone else for scarification now once I fix the triangle and heal it? All because I'm not quietly waiting/hoping these sides heal into crisp, straight lines and the corners fix themselves? ‍ Never thought he'd deny anything was wrong in the pics, let alone flip it into 'maybe you're just not tough enough for scarification then.' ?? What a fuckin reach. I didn't get less aware of what scars do, nothing I want changed. Wanted a triangle, didn't get it, gonna go get it. Then you do your part, that I also still know I want? Might make me less 'upset', if that's his worry . Lol anyone I tell the story/show the emails to is like "How'd he try to turn obvious issues with the tattoo into being a YOU problem?!" ...I deserve only a background, all for not saying it looks good enough? Or not believing it'd morph into being good? ...Coulda simply owned it, like "yeah the edges aren't great, someone can fix that with a thicker outline." And I know I can get a free touch up at scarab to try to fix it, but it would be goofy to do that at the one shop that apparently thinks nothing's wrong. Feels safer now to just pay local people here that see the issues. Don't know what will happen after they fix it though. Not sure if he even plans on doing his part after him saying that, and then nothing at all. Maybe he'd really rather have a tantrum and leave me screwed with only a background/make me find someone else for it than admit they've made any mistakes. No idea. UPDATE: I got it done by a better artist! Happy now!! Sure as hell never going back to scarab, for anything. read more

See all

I was treated with so much dignity and respect. John is amazing, and the entire experience was incredible. I cannot possibly overstate how happy I am. This was a seriously transformative process for me, and I can't imagine doing it anywhere else. read more

Amazing experience, amazing customer service, amazing attention to detail. My wife and I went to Scarab to get our septum's Pierced. They did an amazing job and were so professional and communicative. We are so happy with the results and will be customers from now on! Great experience! read more

Nice people but way overpriced for piercings. They said you can come in and bring your own jewelry if it's clean and proper material (surgical steel or gold), which I did. Brought it in and they wouldn't let me use it. It was brand new pure gold earrings. I paid more for those earrings than the visit and they wouldn't let me use them. Drove through a blizzard to make my appointment during COVID late last year. So I payed around $140 for 2 regular ear piercings. The jewelry started at $40. And I got the cheapest one they had. Felt like I got scammed after leaving because I went to another piercer and they confirmed my earrings weren't spaced correctly. If you want to spend the money, come here. But I paid $40 for piercings elsewhere in Syracuse and had a great experience. Won't be returning read more

I called as I was driving downtown to make sure that they took walk ins and they said it was first come first serve for piercing. 10 minutes later I walked in and John was the piercer and within minutes I picked out jewelry for my septum. He gave great recommendations and made me feel very comfortable with going through with my decision. Everything was very sterile and he was very informative with every step of the procedure. Overall, it was a great experience and I recommend Scarab Body Arts. Moving forward, if I decide to get any other piercing John will always be my first choice! read more

Scarab Body Art Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Syracuse, New York

I called a week in advance and asked how much a Tragus piercing would be which John said it was 70$ not including jewelry which I thought was overpriced at the start! I then asked how much a jewelry change would be because I was looking to get new jewelry and he said all jewelry starts at 15$ not bad! I decided to make an appointment and I went in and was immediately upset! Whoever the lady was that approached me was SOOOO UNBELIEVABLY RUDE! And immediately approached me with an attitude! And after she showed me the industrial bars and I picked one out she said the total would be 115$!!!!!! WHICH IS RIDICULOUS!!!!! She then said the cheapest one she had was 50$ and then proceeded to tell me the craziest opinions on my piercings which I've never heard from another piercer before! Idk why this place has over even 3 stars let alone 4.5! Never coming here again! And ended up getting it pierced by my regular piercer (tragus) by Ruth at Carmelo's ink city!!! Best place ever! But never coming here again! The vibe was off and very rude read more

I have gotten numerous piercings done here (maybe 6?) and I have to say, every single time I have had a fantastic experience. The piercers are so gentle, professional, clean, and accommodating. They typically make you lay down while they pierce you, which is something not a lot of places do but I always prefer. They also truly take their time with placement and make sure you like it before moving forward. The jewelry can be pricey (depending on what you choose) but the quality makes it worth it and they do have cheaper options. I have had no issues with healing ever, mainly because the piercers won't do anything unsafe. 10/10 recommend! read more

I got my helix pierced today and John was so nice, and professional! The shop is super clean, and I got to see everything was sterilized. They changed their gloves at the appropriate times, and opened up every package they used right in front of me so I saw it was clean. And as soon as my procedure was over he stopped to clean everything off. The jewelry is a little expensive there, but everything is a great quality and absolutely beautiful! I can't recommend them enough. read more

My best friend and I drove 3 hours just to come to this specific place. Kaitlyn and John are both amazing. They were thorough, clean, friendly, and went above and beyond for us. Next time I want piercings I'll drive another three hours because this place is just that good. read more

Over charging for piercings. I never actually went in for my scheduled appt bc something came up but the thought of paying 80 for a piercing and then jewelry starting at 40 was really off putting. They also made it seem as if you try to bring in your own jewelry it wasn't going to be good enough or up to their standards when stainless steel is just fine.. kind of to get you to pay their expensive jewelry prices and that really rubbed me the wrong way. I'm glad I've found a place that does piercings for 25 with jewelry included instead. read more

After reading the reviews I figured I would try this place for a new piercing I wanted. John, the owner, was fantastic! I had very little pain in a typically painful piercing. John's placement of the piercing could not have been better. I would recommend this shop to anyone looking to get a new piercing, this will be the only place I go from now on. read more

Wow just wow, this had to be my best tattoo parlor experience ever. From day 1 I called to ask about re piercing my navel. Katlin was amazing and was super informative. She was 100% honest and let me know the good the bad and the ugly possibilities of the outcome with this piercing even before I got it done. She was super friendly and the office was very clean and all staff wore face masks and aprons and all tools were taken out of a sterilized new package. She totally calmed my fears and nerves with her cool collected demeanor and convo. I barely felt the piercing when she did it Bc she was so quick and precise. I would highly recommend this place to anyone deciding to get a piercing or tatt. They are on point. I will say however they are not cheap the navel piercing starts at $80 and depending on your choice of jewelry could be higher, but in my experience when it comes to tatts n piercings you don't want cheap Bc then you risk dealing with infections and such. 10 stars in my book;) these cats know what they're doing and they're doing it right! read more

Scarab Body Art Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Syracuse, New York

I got my eyebrow pierced with Kaitlin at Scarab a few months ago and it was an amazing experience! The staff is friendly, the shop is clean, and they take lots of precautions in light of COVID to make the experience safe and comfortable. Kaitlin was great at explaining everything about the piercing and answering all of my questions. During the process, she adjusted the placement several times until it was just right, and then the piercing itself was just about painless. The aftercare tips were great and my piercing has healed up great! All in all, I was in the shop for 15 minutes, got an amazing piercing, and the total cost including jewelry, tax, and tip came out to about $100. I would highly recommend coming here for any piercings you are interested in getting! read more

I brought my daughter in to get her ears pierced for her 8th birthday and John was nothing but professional. He was very patient in explaining to her what was about to happen and she didn't so much as flinch throughout the whole process. A little pricey, yeah, but you get what you pay for: professionalism. Highly recommend them. read more

By far the most comfortable I've ever felt getting a piercing. Incredibly clean,welcoming,and professional. Love the jewelry selection also.

I contacted Nik Moore about completing a sleeve I had already started. Due to the subject matter of what I wanted I thought his artistry would be a great addition based on his profile on their site/myspace. It took quite a while for him to get back to me and even longer for him to email me. After I took pictures of the work I already had, created a photobucket album for inspiration images, and emailed him several times he stopped returning my calls and email. I had been burned already by the artist who started my sleeve and was very selective and weary of going to someone new. This place will NEVER get my business, no matter how good Mr. Moore's art work is online. Why trust a flake with artwork that will be on your body forever? read more

Incredibly professional and safe piercing studio! I had a double helix done by John and it was the best piercing experience I've ever had. He explained what he was doing, kept everything super clean, and his piercing technique was impeccable. I walked away with almost no inflammation for a double cartilage piercing which is insane! I have also had friends go here to get oral piercings like snakebites and tongue piercings and they had no complications! I cannot recommend this place enough :) read more

I can't praise Scarab Body Arts enough. I've gone here over the years for my navel, nostril, septum, and my tattoo. Everyone is professional, knowledgeable, and helpful. The shop is extremely clean and John always takes his time to make sure your piercing is located appropriately according to your anatomy. I went today to get my septum done and I barely felt it. Their jewelry selection is always top notch; deciding on a what piece to go with will be the only difficult aspect of your visit. read more

I've only gotten piercings here, but I can never say enough good about John Joyce (the piercer and owner of the shop) and Scarab Body Arts in general. I feel lucky to have had him so nearby to the town I grew up in. John is an incredibly knowledgeable piercer, and he also does great scarification work. He's done and continues to do his homework to keep on the cutting edge of the body modification industry, and (at least the last I knew) remains consistently active on BME (www.bmezine.com), which is basically the piercing/tattoo/scarification e-bible. His passion for and dedication to his work shines through every time I've been in to see him, and he has a very calming "bedside manner" which will put any nervous clients at ease. I would recommend him in a heartbeat to anyone considering getting any kind of work done. One note: Yelp says this business is wheelchair accessible. It is on the second floor, and there is an elevator, but the last two times I was there the elevator was not functioning. If this could be a problem for you, you may want to call ahead just to make sure you'll be able to get in! read more

I cannot tell you enough how much I LOVE THIS PLACE. I needed to find a new place for my piercing and jewelry needs as I am in the area to attend school. Being from SF, I am used to HIGH QUALITY jewelry, OPTIONS, and GREAT piercers. LUCKILY, I found Scarab! My Original Need: Infected ROOK for way too long. I needed good ADVICE. I arrived on a Saturday, but John was on out until Wednesday. BUT, a very FRIENDLY and HELPFUL Natalie gave me a TON OF INFORMATION on when he'd be back and, of course, suggestions, on how to best deal with the trouble I was having. I came back when John was there and he IMMEDIATELY took me into the PIERCING ROOM for an assessment. He was also very FRIENDLY and HELPFUL. Most importantly, he was HONEST about my piercing problem and provided great ADVICE. How Else THEY ROCK: I wanted a new piece of JEWELRY, but they didn't have what I was looking for. FORTUNATELY, they offer many OPTIONS for ordering what I want. Within a week and a half, I received a call from John who let me know my jewelry arrived! Yay! A very bad me got wrapped up in coursework, and forgot. When my message came up for deletion on my voicemail service I was reminded. It was a month later! I immediately rang Scarab and explained what happened with meek apologies. John said NO PROBLEM, and to come right over (it was nearly 10 pm). Not only was John very nice, but he took the time to put my jewelry in! I got a CORKSCREW, and one of my three holes hadn't held jewelry for about 10 years. John PATIENTLY used a taper to feed the jewelry in. It took at least 15 minutes! When he rang me up, he did NOT CHARGE me EXTRA! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND HIM AND THIS PLACE! read more

Scarab is a fantastic piercing shop. I got my daith pierced shortly after moving to the area and when I was asking around for recommendations of where to go, everyone pointed me to Scarab. I've had several piercings and tattoos before, and the biggest issue I have with shops is that at times they can be very unwelcoming to new customers. When I walked into Scarab it was obvious right away that this was not that kind of place. Everyone is super friendly and professional. The jewelry they have on hand isn't the world's largest selection, but it is extensive and all very nice. Everything is very clean and sanitary, and the piercing area is very private. I came back a few months later for a conch piercing and received the same high standard if service, and again more recently to have them check it out after I got it caught in something and needed to be told my ear wasn't going to fall off (spoiler: it was fine). I'm sure I'll be back soon to order some jewelry. read more

I've lived in four different cities now, and no piercing/tattoo shop can hold a candle to the quality of service, jewelry, and most importantly, PROFESSIONALISM that Scarab offers. Every time I get an itch for something new, I just wish I could transport myself back to scarab and be pierced by John Joyce. If you care about yourself at all, this is the only shop you need to visit. Love you guys :) read more

I have a number of ear piercing and I have to say Scarab was one of the best experiences I have had. I went with two friends and we were very indecisive and Kaitlin was incredibly patient and helpful. One friend was getting her first lobe piercings ever and Kaitlin walked her through all her options and the process. Scarab takes extreme care to be clean and through with explanations of how to care for your piercing, Kaitlin was so friendly and chatted with me through the whole process, I especially appreciated that they had me friend and me, who were getting helixes, lay down to get our piercings. My total came out to about $130 with the jewelry, piercing, and the saline spray. Amazing and I cannot recommend enough, read more

I have been trying to arrange for a piercing for months. John was so patient with me answering each and every email I sent to him in a timely manner. He worked around my busy schedule and didn't make me feel As if I was bugging him. Superb customer service . On the day of my appointment the apprentice set me up and Kaitlin.... who I never met before . Did my piercing . All I can say is if you are looking for a piercer LOOK NO MORE!! She was friendly , courteous , and although everyone 's pain level different, I didn't experience any. I was so nervous as I was only used to John whom did my rook a couple years ago... but Kaitlin was awesome. The establishment has the coolest vibe. It is clean, spacious and cool tribal art is displayed . The jewelry selection is bar none and high quality and variety. Thank you for yet another positive experience. I am So glad I ran into a lady a few years ago who recommended your establishment as I was admiring her piercings . read more

The artist sean morgan does not have any respect for people with small tattoos. I went to get a simple design, one I left him with SEVERAL pictures of before and went to my appointment. He had no recollection of what I wanted, drew a sloppy design that was not that close to what I wanted. When I told him this, he made it smaller instead of neater. The outline cost me 80$ and was extremely sloppy and jumpy when a full color tattoo at halo cost me 60$ for much better work. The man is good at art-but should not be allowed to work on peoples bodies. It's honestly disgraceful. read more

I cant say enough good things about Scarab and John for any work you want done. I've been coming here since he opened up shop and have always been treated with respect, care and friendliness. The shop is always immaculately clean, and has private spaces where work is done. An atmosphere that is appreciated, as many shops are wide open. Most recently, he closed my decade old stretched lobes and they're healing great! read more

i got my first ear lobes pierced by kaitlin and she was great. the studio was honestly one of the cleanest tattoo/piercing studios i've ever been in. kaitlin was super professional and so sanitary. she was also very sweet. i was super nervous because i got my ears pierced before but they got infected and i had to let them close up but she just talked me through everything and was super nice. just an fyi though, this place is pretty expensive. you are paying for the nicer jewelry, but the cheapest lobe piercings i could get were $125. i am glad i spent that money though, this place was awesome. read more

I walked in on a weekend and got my conch pierced by an apprentice who did a great job! I called ahead to see if anyone was in and she picked up the phone and asked about what I was planning on getting just in case she was not able to do it. I was really glad she took the time to make sure both of us were comfortable with everything during the process! read more

I've been trying to get ahold of one tattoo artist (Pat Stevens) since early November 2008. I visited the studio (I live over an hour away) and left a portfolio with a computer image of something I was interested in having done along with my contact information. I actually gave the folder directly to John the shop owner. I then called every two weeks leaving my name and number and referencing the folder I left during the previous visit. In January of 2009 I sent an email with the artwork and by name requested the artist again. He finally emailed me after another week and two more phone calls. We had several emails back and forth. He said he'd have some designs for me in a week. A week came and went with no more contact. I called the studio three times and emailed Pat directly twice. Every time I made contact he promised me an email that night with something. To date I've received nothing. It's now three months later (Feb 2009) and he still has not provided me with anything. The date we discussed for getting the tattoo has come and gone and his last email was less than professional. Pat Stevens may be the greatest tattoo artist in the world, but he is an irresponsible, unprofessional jerk who does not deserve your business. It's truly tragic that I have showed him more loyalty as a customer than he quite frankly deserves. On a positive note, the studio was a clean place, in an ideal location in Armory Square, with a lot more space than I'm used to seeing in a studio. read more

Currently, I am working in Brooklyn. I plan my visits back home to Syracuse - several hours by train or bus - around my visits to Scarab. That's how awesome this establishment is... I have worked with Jaime Santos for 20+ hours. Sitting in her chair for ink is like spending time with a friend...a very talented and meticulous artist friend. :) She's much better about getting back to me than I am about responding to her. Her work is gorgeous and exactly what I want. John Joyce has pierced me on several occasions. He has also worked on several of my family members. I have a tendency to memorialize loss with piercings. On a particularly rough day for me, I showed up and not only did he give me all five piercings I asked for but he took his time. We joked and talked about my horrible day. He is thoroughly professional. When I'm in the shop, Kaitlin is friendly, knowledgable, and honing her craft. Whenever I see Sean, he's tattooing or drawing. I have not had the opportunity to work with Nick, but he did my fiancé's calf pieces. They are strong and detailed. read more

I checked this place out a few years ago when my friend decided to get his labret pierced. The owner/piercer was amazing. Not only did he know what he was talking about, he was incredibly friendly and took the time to answer all our questions. The studio is impeccably clean. read more

I heard about this place from some friends and added it on myspace. The piercer posts bulletins about upcoming deals and sales and stuff. He mentioned that he had an apprentice who was almost done with her apprenticeship and who was doing piercings for cheap. We went over and I decided to get my tongue pierced. Even though the apprentice was new, she did a great job and I was very happy with the results. I am planning to go back when I am back in Syracuse. By the way, check out the store above it. They have a lot of brand name stuff for cheap! read more