Piercer Referrals

Note that I still pierce regularly around the US, so if you'd like to get pierced by me personally, check my events calendar or contact me for information.

I'm asked daily to provide referrals for competent piercers so I'll post all the information I have here.

Other advice aside, one of the best things you can do to make good decisions about piercings is to read my book, The Piercing Bible. After reading it you'll be well qualified to evaluate and select a safe piercer who will do a great job. In fact, (unfortunately) you'll have a lot more knowledge than some "professional" piercers who are practicing in the field!

IMPORTANT!
If you don't see a referral in your area, it means I don't have a particular piercer to suggest. You can check the website for a local member of the Association of Professional Piercers. The APP is a non-profit organization dedicated to disseminating vital health and safety information about piercing to piercers, piercees, medical professionals, legislators, and the general public. I'm the Medical Liaison for the organization.

Members uphold a high level of hygiene and agree to use only quality jewelry in fresh piercings. The piercers are not "certified" by the organization, however, and the APP does not monitor their piercing skills per se. Learn more about the membership criteria here.

While some of the piercers on the list have taken my seminars at the annual APP conferences, I still wouldn't consider them to have been "trained by me," as those courses only last a few hours and aren't sufficient for providing a thorough education. Please meet the piercer to see if you develop a good rapport and if they inspire your confidence.

Please do your homework; I receive emails daily from people who have gotten botched piercings from piercers who are supposedly skilled and experienced! Note that the piercers named below are specifically the individuals I refer to; other piercers in these studios might not have the same level of training or experience.

I frequently refer clients to all of the piercers listed below and have always received positive feedback. If you visit any of these piercers, please feel free to contact me with your impressions.

 Piercers I Trained Personally (they served a lengthy apprenticeship and worked extensively with me):
Pat Roig, NOLA Tattoo  -  504.524.6147
8120 Hampson Street, New Orleans, LA
www.nolatattoo.com

Paul King, Cold Steel America  - 415.933.7233
1783 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
http://www.coldsteeltattoo.com/

I haven't personally trained the piercers listed below, but I know them (mostly) through the Association of Professional Piercers, and I have confidence in their skills and ethics

California
Didier Suarez  Enigma Professional Piercing  -  619.516.4343
2079 Garnet Avenue, San Diego, CA 92109
http://www.enigmapropiercing.com
didierasuarez@gmail.com

John C. Johnson, Outer Limits Tattoo & Body Piercing  -  562.437.9121
22 Chestnut Place, Long Beach, CA 90802
johnj@outerlimitstattoo.com
http://www.outerlimitstattoo.com/
http://www.johnjohnsonbodypiercing.com/

Roger Rabb!t Prix Body Piercing  -  310.659.3502
8776 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Roger's own site: http://www.ancientadornments.net/
http://www.prixbodypiercing.com/
r.rabbit@me.com

Becky Dill, (and Paul King, who is listed above) Cold Steel America  -  415.933.7233
1783 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
http://www.coldsteeltattoo.com/

Cricket Keene, Electric Pencil Tattoo and Piercing  -  530.541.8600
2540 Lake Tahoe Blvd. #6, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Electric-Pencil-Tattoo

Colorado
Alicia Cardenas at Sol Tribe  -  303.832.1311
56 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203
http://soltribetattoo.com/home.html
soltribe@gmail.com

Florida
Bink Williams at Body Piercing By Bink  -  850.681.0060
11733-B North Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32303
http://bodypiercingbybink.com/
Bink is not only a skilled, experienced piercer, he is also an RN (and a friend)

Georgia
Bethra Szumski at Virtue and Vice  -  404.315.6925
2261 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atlanta, GA 30324
http://virtueandvice.com/
and
Pain and Wonder  -  706.208.9588
285 West Washington Street, Athens, GA 30601
http://painandwonder.com/
Bethra worked with me for a time to polish her skills. She did not serve a complete apprenticeship, but she is a piercer I hold in the highest regard and recommend with great confidence.

Illinois
Robert Jones at Insight Studios  -  773.342.4444
1062 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60642
insightstudiosonline@gmail.com
http://www.insightstudiosonline.com/

Massachusetts
Marc Williams at Piercing Emporium  -  508.754.0564
400 Shrewsbury St., Worcester MA 01604
yourholepuncher@gmail.com (I believe Marc does not do triangle piercings)
piercingemporium.com

Michigan
Tiffany Diamond at Lady Luck, Inc.  -  248.673.0670
5310 Highland Road, Waterford, MI
http://ladyluckink.com/home.html
Though I didn't apprentice her, Tiffany worked at my studio Rings of Desire for some while

Minnesota
Derek Lowe at Saint Sabrina's  -  612.874.7360
2645 Hennepin Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN
http://www.saintsabrinas.com/
info@saintsabrinas.com

Missouri
Clay Wanstrath at Freaks on 39th Street   - 816.561.0038
311 W. 39th Street, Kansas City, MO 64111
http://freakson39th.com/
contact@39th.com 

William Spencer and Courtney at Cheap Trx  -  314.664.4011
3207 South Grand Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63118
http://www.trxtattoos.com/
cheaptrx@gmail.com

New Mexico
Crystal Sims and Noah Babcock at Evolution Body Piercing -  505.255.4567
4517 Central NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108
www.evolutionpiercing.com

New York
Pete was an APP member for a number of years, and has moved to a new location which has yet to be approved--though I'd still suggest him.
Pete Lozada at Painless Steel Tattoos  -  718.267.8114
23-15 Steinway St., Astoria, NY
Peteluck@rocketmail.com

Oklahoma
Jason King and associates at 23rd Street Body Piercing  -  405.524.6824
411 N.W. 23rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73103
http://www.23rdstreetbodypiercing.com/

Oregon
Ed Chavarria at High Priestess Piercing -  541.302.6714
3870 Center St. NE Salem, OR 97301 -  503.967.6232
e_f_chavarria@hotmail.com
http://www.highpriestess.com/

Pennsylvania
Kellan Smith at Infinite Body Piercing, Inc.  -   215.923.7335
626 South Fourth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
kellan@infinitebody.com
http://www.infinitebody.com/

Texas
Richard (Rick) Freuh at Industrial Primitives (Inside Black Cat Tattoo)  -  512.476.6343
He is in the studio Tuesday-Friday from noon till 7pm, but check with the studio before visiting!
315 East 6th Street, Austin, TX 78701
http://industrialprimitives.com/
jagerick@yahoo.com

Eric Marucci at Obscurities  -  214.559.3706
4008 Cedar Springs Rd., Dallas, TX 75219
http://obscurities.com/
e_marcucci@yahoo.com

Byriah Dailey at Texas Tattoo Emporium (Downtown) -  713.807.7171
1540 Westheimer, Houston, TX 77006
http://texastattoo.com/TexasTattoo/index.htm
tat2@texastatto.com (studio--not direct email)

Washington State
Charlotte "Chuck" Elliott and Terrie Maskill at Pierced Hearts Tattoo Parlor  -  206.729.0200
5307 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105
http://www.piercedheartstattooparlor.com/
piercedheartspiercer@yahoo.com

International
Canada
Tye Olsen at Tyetanium Piercing Studios
905.802.2984
Facebook Page
(website coming soon)

Mexico
Danny Yerna at Wakantanka  -  52.55.1998.1989
Insurgentes Sur 221-C, Mexico DF, Mexico
info@wakantanka.com
http://www.wakantanka.com/

UK
Julie at Cold Steel Body Piercing  -  020 7267 7970
Camden Town, 238 Camden High Street, London NW1 8QS
juliehowick@hotmail.com
Daily 11am - 7pm (except Monday and Tuesday)
Note that there are a number of things Julie does differently from how I do them (for example, she starts VCH piercings with a ring rather than the curvved bar that I prefer).