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How I Snagged An Appointment With An In Demand Tattoo Artist

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There have always been tattoo artists who are more sought after that others. Maybe they specialize in portraits, or amazing color. Maybe they happened to win a tattoo reality show, or they really nail cover ups. The fact of the matter is, there are artists out there that have their books filled for months, if not years in advance. These artists have the ability and luxury to pick and choose what they work on as well. That means it’s not as easy as calling a shop or sending an email in order to get a spot with them. So, how did I manage to secure a spot with Halo? I’m glad you asked!

I started following him on Instagram awhile ago and honestly this is my number one tip. It’s the easiest way to find out when they open their books or if they had a cancellation. About a year ago he posted a collage of a few super hero related portraits that he wanted to do. All you had to do was send an email with the subject you wanted. One of those was “Batman Returns” Catwoman. This is actually a tattoo I’ve had in the back of my mind for awhile but wanted to make sure I had the right artist. When I saw she was included, I quickly sent off an email. I was lucky enough to get picked! But the timeline didn’t exactly work. Since it was something he really wanted to do, he opened his books later in the year for me. I put down my deposit and then just waited! Then around October the day finally arrived and 5.5 hours later, I had a beautiful new piece of art on my body.

If you’re open about the subject of the tattoo, you’ll probably have better luck securing a spot. You’ll find a lot of times tattoo artists will do what Halo did. They might post flash they’ve worked on and are looking to tattoo, or just ideas that they’ve been playing around with. Of course you shouldn’t get something done if it’s not something you actually want or like. It is something that will be on you forever. I recommend paying attention to what they like to do as well. Are you going after someone who does portraits mainly? Then maybe don’t submit an idea about flowers. If they do amazing color work, don’t go in looking for black and gray. You want to play to their strengths! If they love doing jewel work like Jenna Kerr above, then that’s what you go for! The most important thing though is to just follow them on as much of their social media as you can. Some artists travel around and don’t really have a “home shop” or they have their own private studio. Speaking of traveling around, tattoo conventions are a huge thing now. If there’s an artist that you’ve had your eye on, be sure to see if they ever do conventions. It’s a great way to get amazing work done by non-local talent. Again, most of the time they’ll post on social media about their con schedule and how to get booked for those events. The most important thing is to just be sure to read everything they ask when it comes to sending in a request. This might include having a few ideas or spots open on your body. It might mean only paying in cash. Maybe they want you to send in reference photos. Just be sure to read and re-read everything before hitting send on that email. You don’t want to miss out because you didn’t read the rules.

That’s it really. It’s not magic or something complicated. It’s just about keeping your eyes open and paying attention to the artists you enjoy. Plus a nice mix of keeping an open mind when it comes to what you want tattooed. If you have any other questions, let me know in the comments!

Let’s Talk Nipple Piercings!

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I wasn’t sure if I was going to go through with this post or not but figured what the hell. It’s important to put different experiences out there. If I can help someone along the way when they’re doing their own research, then I’m happy to put this out there.

I had been thinking about having my nipples pierced for awhile now. It was something I was always curious about. I started doing some research late last year. I watched a few YouTube videos, and read some posts over at /r/Piercing. I basically just tried to read whatever I could about it. I know my body though and I know when it comes to piercings, at least my ears heal pretty well and quick. Of course this was a completely different body part! I just wanted to be prepared from everything to possible pain levels to after care and healing. After taking some time, I booked my appointment with Matt at Freyja Piercing. He’s the only person I go to when it comes to my piercings. I knew I’d 100% be comfortable with him and that all the jewelry they offer is high grade and top notch. I scheduled my appointment back in January. I knew I wanted to have it done way before Summer. I had beach vacations planned and I wanted to make sure everything was pretty much healed before they rolled around. This is something to keep in mind anytime you have a tattoo or piercing done! I arrived at the shop a little early. I wanted plenty of time to pick out my jewelry. They just offer such a variety I knew it would take some time before I landed on what I wanted. I ended up going with barbells that featured an amethyst bullet end.

What I picked looks very similar to this but I have white gold instead of yellow. The nice thing is that I can easily switch the ends out for different colors without having to purchase an entirely new bar. Which means if I want to switch out to black, or red, maybe opal, I can without any real issues or additional costs besides the cost of the ends.

When it came time for the piercing, Matt took me into one of the private rooms. Jessi was in the room as well just to make sure I was extra comfortable. Honestly, I really appreciated that! It can be a little weird to just have your boobs out ya know? He sterilized everything, explained the steps he would take, and all that fun stuff. Honestly, this was my 4th time seeing him and at this point, he knows that I know how everything works. He used a pen to mark the spots on each nipple and then asked me to take a look in the mirror. Everything looked nice and even and we were ready to go. I laid back on the table and he placed a medical sheet over the breast that he was getting ready to pierce. I’m having a hard time thinking of what it’s actually called but I just wanted to stress you aren’t just laying there tits out. Matt doesn’t use a clamp, and does all his piercings free hand. He asked me to take a deep breath and on the exhale he did the piercing. It worked exactly the same way for the second one. As far as the pain level, I’d put it around a 5. I didn’t think it was that bad but it does hurt. You’re sticking a needle through your nips ya know? Since he doesn’t use clamps, I have no idea if that would affect the pain or discomfort level. I chilled on the table for a bit and then took a look in the mirror was beyond thrilled! Everything was nice and even and just looked fantastic.

Now it was time to talk aftercare! As always, he stressed it was important not to move the jewelry around and touch them. You don’t want any germs getting in there. I could use the same solution that I used on my previous piercings. I had to be extra careful about not hitting my boobs on anything, and to be careful when it came to showering and drying off. You don’t want a towel or loofah getting stuck and ripping something out. Just typing that out makes my body cringe. He recommended wearing sports bra, even to bed. I did this for about a week before I was comfortable enough to switch back to my normal routine. If you wear anything lacy, like bralettes, you want to be careful again that nothing gets snagged. Also, you don’t want to rewear the same bra everyday. I know us ladies do this a lot but again it’s a hygiene thing! Luckily I’m swimming in bras and didn’t have a problem switching them out. I used the NeilMed sterile saline wound wash twice a day, once in the morning and again at night. When I was in the shower I’d make sure to let warm water wash over the piercings to help rinse away any soap or shampoo.

Honestly, I had a very easy healing experience. Any pain I had was gone by the time I left the shop. I never had any bleeding. I was extra careful and made sure to pay attention to things. Seriously, you never realize how often your boobs hit things until you’re actively trying to avoid it. It’s now been five months and sometimes I forget they’re even there. I don’t feel any weird pains, the sensitivity is the same, if not a little higher than before. I know that’s a concern for some people but in my experience, everything is cool as a cucumber in that department. I will say that my nips are basically hard 24/7 now. They were always a little bit on high alert but it’s pretty much all the time now. I don’t find it to be an issue but someone else might! While they might be visible depending on the bra I wear, the bars themselves aren’t. Now, this will probably all depend on the jewelry you pick. If you have something that’s larger on the ends (trust me, the options out there are endless), then you might run into an issue. I haven’t worn a swimsuit with them yet, so I can’t speak to if that’ll be a situation or not. But I can report back on that later if anyone wants info on it! As far as the gym, I took about a week off. Your mileage may vary here depending on what type of working out you do. I mainly do cardio and body weight workouts. If you’re someone who’s lifting or doing pole routines, you might want to wait a bit longer. You know your body! Just make sure you listen to it and you should be good.

Pricing will vary depending on the shop you use and the jewelry you pick. The picture on the end, you’re looking at $200 there. Body jewelry isn’t some cheap stuff you get at Spencer’s anymore. It’s high quality. Some have diamonds and other legit stones. It can be a bit of a sticker shock! But you can still find basic options that are affordable. I think each end (because remember, you need 4 of them), was around $36 each. Most shops offer basic starter jewelry as well that you can always switch out later if you want an upgrade. You don’t have to go balls to the wall your first time out. As far as finding a shop, a good place to start is the Association of Professional Piercers. Of course not every great piercer is going to be a member but it’s a good place to get an idea. They have an Instagram account as well! I recommend giving them a follow because they’re always giving shout outs to shops. If you have friends or family that have piercings, ask them where they went! The subreddit I linked to earlier is a good place to look as well. People are always sharing their piercings there and people are more than happy to give recommendations. In the end, it’s just about doing your research. It’s really no different than picking out an artist to give you a tattoo! Listen to your gut as well. If you walk into a shop and don’t feel comfortable, leave. If they can’t answer your questions, feel free to walk out. This isn’t just your money that you’re spending, but it’s your body too.

This post got a little long but it was worth it. If you have any other questions, let me know! I’m more than happy to answer them in the comments!

Checking Out Maryland’s Only Piercing Only Studio: Freyja Piercing And Fine Jewelry

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I know that title sounds redundant but I wasn’t sure how else to word it. In most cases, when you think about a piercing studio or shop, you think of one that’s attached to a tattoo shop. The two just go hand in hand. That’s how I’ve always experienced them. But now Maryland has it’s first and only piercing only studio, Freyja Body Piercing & Fine Jewelry. The studio is owned by Matt Buonantuono, with the help of Jessi who oversees the service/customer side of things, and another piercer, Chris. If Matt’s name sounds familiar, you might know him from Black Lotus Tattoo. That’s where I first met Matt! The studio is located in Gambrills, Maryland and let me tell you, it’s beautiful! The shop opened early January and I couldn’t wait to check it out. Everything they had teased on Instagram had me itching to see it in person. I was finally able to find the time a few weeks ago.

Freyja offers nothing but the best when it comes to jewelry, carrying brands like BVLA, Anatometal, Body Gems, and more. The amount of choices there is almost overwhelming. They even have options like Harry Potter and Wonder Woman! Not to mention, if you want something custom they can help you with that as well. It’s my goal to one day have something custom but that’ll have to wait a bit. You can find out more about what they offer here. The most important thing though, to me anyway, is how professional everyone at the studio is. I’ve always felt comfortable with Matt. He really cares about every customer that comes in. He explains everything in perfect detail, always open to questions, and won’t do a piercing if it doesn’t work with your anatomy. He doesn’t consider the job done until your piercing, no matter what it is, is healed. Because the studio is piercing only, it’s a very relaxing atmosphere. There’s no buzzing of tattoo equipment, not a mess of background noise of people having consultations. You’re able to focus 100% on what you’re there for.

If you’re in the area, I highly recommend checking them out. Even if you only need new bling for current piercings. Everyone at the studio really is amazing and professional. Plus they make it very easy to book appointments by offering online bookings through their website, Facebook, and Instagram. No need to try and get a hold of someone on the phone! You can do it all yourself. Of course if you aren’t sure what your piercing is called, or have questions, you can always give them a ring. And I can’t end this post without a photo of their floors. Honestly, pictures don’t do them justice. You should go visit them just to see the amazing details in their flooring.

As far as what I had pierced? You’ll have to wait to see! What piercings do you guys have? Ever been to a “piercing only” shop? Let me know in the comments!