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Pierce-Ink Ltd - CLOSED
Categories: Beauty and Spas Tattoo Beauty and Spas Piercing Tattoo, Piercing [Edit]
48 Race StSan Jose, CA 95126
(408) 280-6699
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- By Appointment Only:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Adbel E. said: "Basic info- Came here in early August, 2011. This was my first tattoo and my artist was Skip. **** I had researched the place a little before I actually got to the place and my roommate's boyfriend had gotten a tattoo done here…" read more »
40 reviews for Pierce-Ink Ltd
40 reviews in English
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Review from aks r.
Mountain View, CA
12/19/2010
Months ago, there was a groupon deal from Pierce Ink - $40 for an $80 tattoo - so my coworker and I bought it. It took me 6 months, but I finally made an appointment for my ink and decided that I would get it done on my birthday.
Well, my bf and I walked into the place yesterday and we were immediately greeted by the owner and one of the tattoo artists, Rob. We looked around the shop for a bit, perused through the artist's portfolio and watched one of the tattoo artists tattoo away. Rob said that he would be tattooing me and asked me for my design. Unfortunately, the design that I had printed out did not look right on paper so he spent 30 minutes with me on the computer looking for a better "version" of the design and re-drew the whole thing for me.
He placed the stencil on me and started tattooing me and let me tell ya, out of the 4 tattoo artists that have tattooed me, Rob was by far the best. He had a light/steady hand and made sure that I was comfortable at all times. He was SUPER nice and even played a couple of Nirvana albums for me so I would feel more comfortable and not focus on the pain as much. =)
Overall, the experience was wonderful and I am SOOOOOO happy with my tattoo. It turned out much better than I had expected and he even added his own special little touches that really made the tattoo stand out. The tattoo looks so clean and the shading is amazing. I am definitely going to come back to him if I get another tattoo and am now considering getting another piercing. Honestly, my tattoo was one of the best birthday presents I have given myself in a long time. =) Thanks Rob!!!!! -
Review from Gianna D.
5/14/2011
Although this place is closed, I am really sad to see that this place has close it's doors. I have had a couple of piercings here as well as purchased a lot of body jewelery here and the staff was WONDERFUL. A lot of time they went above and beyond and did services normal body piercing places would charge for, for free which was extremely kind of them.
I was planning on coming here for more piercing services and for my next tattoo so I am very sorry that they closed their doors :( -
Review from Phoenix G.
Mountain View, CA
11/19/2010
Very Clean, Very Professional!
It was easy to make an appointment and deal directly with the tattoo artist!
Rob did a very patient and thorough job on my annoyingly intricate tattoo... The price was what i was expecting, no "bay-area-tattoo-price-gouging"
Just honest tattoo work, for an honest price...
Great staff! also picked up new jewelry for my lip piercing and the piercer bent it perfectly for me.
Tattoos and Piercings are in intimate ordeal, you should like the person working on your body, everyone i've ever encountered at Pierce Ink has had nothing short of a stellar attitude! No snobbishness here at all!
much love! -
Review from Manton R.
Santa Clara, CA
6/2/2009
Before you read my review, I must have a disclaimer that I am not gay and I had my tongue pierced back in 1995 before it became a fad. Ok, now continue . . .
When I was 18, I got my first tongue piercing at Pierce-Ink. Their staff was very friendly, kind and helpful. I told them that I wanted my tongue pierced and they walked me through the steps on what hardware I should buy and what to expect. Pierce-Ink is extremely clean and sanitary . . . as any piercing/tattoo shops should be. I felt like I was in a doctor's office. The aim to keep the shop so clean put me at ease. The piercer was very gentle and she did a great job. The piercing didn't hurt but I did feel a burning sensation which subsided within 10 seconds. Voila! All done!
During my sister's graduation at UCSB, my mom saw my tongue piercing and ordered me to take it out. I sadly unscrewed the ball and slid out the bar. In the back of my mind, I decided to just avoid any arguments and get it redone once I get back home in San Jose. Which leads me to my second tongue piercing experience.
As I explained the situation to the employees at Pierce-Ink, they walked me through the same process. The only difference was, they were very honest and told me that this second piercing would be very painful as the needle would need to penetrate through scar tissue. I decided to be tough and bear through it. During the piercing, I never had felt pain like I did. Thankfully, he was quick as he knew it would be a very painful experience. Whew!
If you need anything pierced, I highly recommend Pierce-Ink. I personally have not had any ink work done at Pierce-Ink, so I wouldn't be able to recommend them. From my two previous experiences of getting my piercings, I would assume their tattoo artists would be superb as well. -
Review from Khanh D.
San Jose, CA
1/19/2010
Well, here is to new experiences for this year.
On a whim, I decided to get a piercing. I live in Sunnyvale, so the first place I went to was Fatty Zone. I walked in and I was completely out of my element. I'm sure the people working there could tell, but hey, I'm trying to reinvent myself this year.
I eventually met up with Mark, but he didn't have the right jewelery for my requested piercing, so he sent me to Pierced Out. Went there and the person that normally does it wasn't in, so I got sent to Pierce-Ink.
As an example of how out of my element I am, I assumed it was Pierce Inc. (thanks business school...) and I couldn't find it on my GPS.
Anyway, I got here and they were able to handle my piercing. The place was pleasantly clean and almost had a dentist office feel. There is a nice waiting area and the tattoo and piercing offices are blocked off by curtains, if needed.
Sharrin did my piercing and was extremely friendly. She talked me through the whole thing and was even like a counselor as I went on about why I was there. I appreciate her skills and her sincerity. When it was all done, I stood up, but almost fainted, so I got to lay back down. Sharrin gave me a lollipop to keep the blood flowing which made me feel better but also like a little kid.
Anyway, the piercing went well, felt comfortable (as much as I could for my request) and I would highly recommend it! -
Review from eh w.
San Jose, CA
11/9/2007
Rating the piercing, not the tattooing since I have no experience with their tattooing.
Rude staff, short answers. Stretched my piercings with a pourous material and then they got irritated, almost infected, so I had to go to another piercing place that replaced them with regular barbells to let them heal again. They weren't gentle AT ALL either.
On top of all that, their prices are really high for the same quality jewelry you'll get at other piercing shops.
I was pretty disappointed by the experience I had there. Won't be going back there again :( -
Review from Piat O.
San Jose, CA
8/23/2009
I've gotten piercings at other places before and felt kind of dirty and/or like I was in the basement of a potential serial killer!
Pierced Ink is a lovely, clean, establishment that I have already gone back to for two more piercings.
Sharrin and her staff do not lie--they are honest when something is possible based on anatomy. It really shows that they take what they do seriously as well as have expertise when they say no to clients and give a valid reason. The last thing you want is to go through with the pain of getting pierced then find out it was the wrong thing for you and your anatomy but the piercer didn't speak up!
I love Sharrin's candor and how friendly she is. Her staff is also really easy to talk to and are super helpful.
I give them a 4/5 stars because I wish there were more girly choices for the jewelry!!! -
Review from Betsy L.
Campbell, CA
3/3/2010
FANTASTIC!
I got my first piercing since my belly button 5 years ago here. I got a microdermal implant "tear drop," sometimes called "anti-eyebrow." I went in with three of my friends, one of whom got a vertical labret, and the other got a cartilage piercing (can't remember the exact name of it!) We met with Sharrin. Before she talked to us about price or technique or anything, she asked us how long we've wanted the piercings and how long we've been researching them. If I wasn't certain that I wanted the piercing, this would have weeded me out. It was sort of like the last step in justification to yourself. Perhaps this may be a turn-off for some people, but as someone with little experience in piercings, it was great to have that last opportunity to confirm that I wanted the piercing. My piercing is permanent and on my face, so I can't easily go back on this one :)
Once Shannin knew that we weren't there to waste her time and that we all had dry senses of humor, she really opened up. She has a degree in something along the lines of Fine Arts, and she immediately returned for a masters in Public Health. She was really honest and funny, and I trusted her completely. She spent a very long time placing the piercing, making sure I liked where it would be and that it would have the smallest chance of rejection. The process was very sterile, and she obviously knew exactly what she was doing.
My piercing is nearly a surgery, because the "backing" to the piercing is placed under the skin. As such, it took about 10 minutes. The entire time she was asking me if I was okay, checking in to make sure I was feeling fine. The piercing was more uncomfortable than painful just because of the nature of it, and I think she realized that.
She was very informative on the aftercare and even gave me a free bottle of special soap. I haven't had a single problem with the piercing, but if I do, I will feel completely comfortable returning to Sharrin.
My piercing was pricey, over $100 with jewelry and tax, and then I tipped about $10. However, my friends' piercings weren't nearly as much, and so I think the rather invasive nature of mine caused the larger price. She had a nice selection of jewelry, and didn't get annoyed when I kept asking about smaller sizes, and pinkish colorings. Worth every penny.
Sharrin was the best!!!!!
Update... Forgot to add.... Sharrin stayed open about a half an hour late for us even though we didn't have appointments. How awesome. -
Review from Ben H.
Fremont, CA
6/8/2008
I don't recommend this place for piercings. Sharron (the big lady) did my piercing. She was pushing hard sales on me. A few months after my eye brow piercing still wasn't healed even though I followed her strict instructions, I went to another piercing/tattoo shop for advice. I mentioned my story and that I was interested in a new piece of jewelry. You won't believe what they said.
"I think you need a new piece of jewelry too considering how you're wearing a nipple ring in your eye brow. It also looks like they grabbed too much skin."
I can't speak for their tattoos, but I would give zero starts for piercings. What a horrible experience. -
Review from Lynette C.
San Jose, CA
8/13/2010
I went here about 3 years ago the first time was to get my lop pierced which I ended up taking out because it was too close to my lip line and would not heal.
The second time my friend wanted his tongue re-pierced so we went and while there (since I'm addicted to piercings and tats) I decided to get my eyebrow pierced. Had to take that out because it was too close to the surface and looked like it would pull out anytime plus the fact that it was crooked.
I would not recommend this shop they are over priced, the jewelry is huge compared to other places I have gotten piercings, they sell you after care crap that you don't need, they are kinda rude and not professional. -
Review from Turtle W.
San Jose, CA
5/7/2009
I got my belly pierced here and it turned out crooked. :/
the prices are also a bit steep. -
Review from Dianna L.
San Jose, CA
9/9/2008
My friend and I went here because of the decent reviews on Yelp but when we got there for a tattoo consultation, it seemed like they really rushed us into getting one and when he..i think it was Jeff? drew out what we told him she wanted, it was hideous. He wrote down her name for appt and couldn't even spell it. I wouldn't recommend this place for tattoos. I kind of agree with Ben H....Sharron kept trying to push sales on us and kept staring at us when we were looking through the portfolios.
This place smells like urine when you walk in too. Ugh. -
Review from Melissa T.
San Jose, CA
12/21/2009
I got my belly button pierced elsewhere a little over 3 years ago and it was just a constant irritation... always needed babying and didn't sit totally right.... Recently, I snagged (er, ripped) it a bit and that led to a very quick path to piercing rejectionville :-( It was painful, gross and cause for panic. I couldn't get the bar out myself so I decided to go to what is literally the closest shop to my apartment for professional assistance -- Pierce-Ink!
I talked to Kim both on the phone and in person. She was a total sweetheart, very kind and helpful... took it right out (it was that bad) and let me know that the original piercer had basically done me wrong to start with and I was lucky it lasted so long. It should have been pierced a bit differently and with a totally different bar for my navel type. Doh. I appreciate her candor and assistance, and she didn't charge me a dime to boot. When this puppy heals up and I'm ready to mutilate another body part, I'll definitely be giving them some business. It's a nice, clean shop and the staff (particularly Kim) is top notch.
I'm even giving this shop the honor being my 300th Yelp review. Two thumbs (and a failed navel piercing) up! -
Review from Ailsa B.
San Jose, CA
1/10/2008
Rating is for the piercings side only: I haven't been tattooed there since before they moved from 1st Street - nor by any of their current tattooers.
I went in when my nose piercing (which I got done somewhere else) was giving me troubles and the place where I'd had it done basically blew me off about my concerns. The owner of Pierce Ink as well as the then-apprentice piercer spent a good deal of time with me helping me save the piercing when my jewelry was giving me issues and then when it got infected. The only thing they ever charged me for was the new jewelry I bought - but I made sure to tip them for their help!
When my daughter turned 12 she wanted her ears pierced, so I took her here. I wanted it done in a sterile environment with needles not piercing guns in the mall. They did a great job with her - including turning away my business when we showed up for the first appointment with my daughter on crutches (she'd broken her foot). They refused to pierce her until her foot was healed so that her body was focused on healing the bone without the additional healing (and potential infection point) of her ears. I thought that was really professional and since I had no idea it was an issue, if they had pierced her anyway I'd never have considered it!
I'm not looking to get any more piercings at this point, but if my daughter wants anymore, that's where we'll be going. -
Review from Julia H.
Milpitas, CA
11/19/2008
So I sat around on my bum for days and days, pondering if I was brave enough to get the piercing I've been contemplating. I did all my research beforehand about the different piercings and had finally, FINALLY settled on getting my tragus pierced. And since I am a total baby when it comes to pain AND needles, naturally it took me months to gather up my courage and just get it done. Because when I say I'm a wimp when it comes to pain, I really am.
My friend who just got an industrial took me to Pierce Ink. My first impression was of how clean the place is. I really like how open the area is. I know other places have a slightly more closed off areas to do piercing or tattooing but for me, there was enough walls for privacy but remained open so that I am not staring at the walls when I'm getting pierced.
Kym is my piercer and the one who helped me with deciding what to get. I was totally wishwashy over a stud or a ring and she was super helpful in explaining the differences. Then I was all set to go. Sat in the chair, squeezed my friend's hand, and braced myself for needle, pain, and piercing.
I love that Kym immediately put on gloves after gathering all the tools (clean and packaged!) she needed to do the piercing. Very professional and friendly, she talked with the both of us as she did my piercing. She answered all my questions and even gave me a lollipop to get my blood sugar up after the piercing. Since silly me didn't have any protein at all that day.
I loved my piercing so much that I went back and got the other one day 3 months later. I'm so happy I got them.
I also really liked the fact that Kyn and Sharin are very helpful and responsive to my needs since I developed a metal allergy to stainless steel and ended up getting white gold posts. My piercings have now settled down and are looking fabulous.
I would totally recommend this place to all my friends. :D -
Review from Tani H.
Los Altos, CA
11/10/2006
I had my navel pierced long before "everyone" was doing it, and this is where I went.
It is clean like a dentist's office, and the people were just great. They made me feel very comfortable during my early midlife crisis! -
Review from Jeff M.
Santa Clara, CA
3/1/2010
Tried to get a piercing here on a Sunday. The place was relatively clean and the gentleman working at the front counter was helpful and friendly (though not an expert in the piercing wares).
We waited for over an hour to even talk to someone about piercing - the interaction was uncomfortable and awkward with terse responses from the piercing professional.
While waiting we heard the tattoo staff badmouth one of the customers that had just left while we were in the waiting room - that made me very uncomfortable as this is one of the most unprofessional things you can do within earshot of other customers.
After paying almost $200 for two piercings and jewelery (which seemed more expensive than other place) we were informed we would be unable to be seen because of the physical condition of the piercing professional on staff. This almost deserves another star because I appreciate their honestly - that is the correct and professional thing to do. However after waiting 2 hours in an uncomfortable and unwelcoming environment I would advise other folks to avoid this place- if nothing else on Sundays when their more experienced piercing professionals aren't on staff. We got our money back and will not be returning. -
Review from Michelle M.
San Jose, CA
2/15/2008
This review is for Piercing Only.
I went in to continue a Valentines Day Tradition with some girlfriends last night and got my Traegi pierced. This is not my first piercing experience, I also had both my nipples done when I lived in San Diego.
Kym took care of us really quickly and professionally. My left ear took almost no time at all, there was a bit of a struggle through the cartilage and scar tissue with my right ear. But in all we did 3 piercings for 2 people and a jewelry change, paperwork and everything in 45 minutes.
During the struggle in my right ear, Kym put the plier things down on the sterile tray. When she realized she needed them again, she got another set from the cabinet, all packaged and neat. I'm putting this out there as a good example of sterile piercing practices. I bled a bit, and she changed her gloves several times as she moved between ears and putting the jewelry in. I was impressed with the care she took.
The place was clean, Kym was friendly. I didn't find it overly pricey but it wasn't dirt cheap. I don't think places like this should be dirt cheap. The jewelry was a tiny bit more than I was expecting, but not terribly over the top. Each piercing was $25 which I thought was reasonable. I paid $40 for the rings and beads for two traegus piercings. And $36 for rings and beads to replace my nipple barbells. Like I said, a little expensive on the jewelry end, but not overly so.
I'd recommend them for piercing, definitely. -
Review from Amy K.
Newark, CA
9/24/2009
Clean, friendly, reasonably priced for tattooing.
Zack did a beautiful half sleeve of mermaids and seahorses that I constantly receive compliments about. -
Review from leigh e.
San Jose, CA
12/7/2009
I love this place.
I've had a handful of piercings done here. They've all been perfect.
The piercers are extremely professional.
Add to that the environment is clean, comfortable and nice to look at.
When I moved out of the area, I still made the drive to pick up supplies and get piercings with Pierce-Ink. They're worth it. -
Review from Uyen L.
San Jose, CA
10/11/2010
Sharrin took good care of me and my best friend. She was honest and very helpful. We got the tragus pierced, which I would rate the pain a 4 or 5 since my belly piercing was only a 1. Piercing and jewelry cost us $70. 5 stars for customer service, but -1 for the steep price.
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Review from SD V.
San Jose, CA
1/22/2011
It's probably a good idea to show up on time for your client's appointment; otherwise, you get 1 star on yelp. I'm just sayin.
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Review from Cyn S.
Campbell, CA
8/31/2006
Zack is a genius. He did a wonderful job on my tattoo, and was great to work with. Really clean shop, very professional attitude. Zack and Sharin both gave me great advice when I came in for my consult. I am really happy with my new tattoo, what a good experience.
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Review from Jennifer E.
San Francisco, CA
8/5/2007
I don't even remember who did my tattoo here 6 years ago, but they did a great job, at a TOTALLY reasonable rate. I went to 20 different places, who had priced it at 250+, but they did mine for 125, full color. Yay good work at reasonable prices! I was only in the chair for 45 minutes, and I LOVE my tattoo.
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Review from Ann C.
Campbell, CA
4/4/2007
LOVE IT! I originally had my upper cartilage done and I went back here for another above it. Sharin does a great job and she's talks you through really well. Kim who was in training when I was there is also very sweet. I brought my mother in law here for her piercing and she too had a great experience. She never had her ears pierced before and was very afraid!
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Review from Alie C.
1/22/2009
My friend got her tongue pierced here and it scabbed over so she had to go get it fixed. The lady at the counter was super rude and treated my friend like crap. I decided to get my ears stretched while I was there and the piercer ripped my ear! I have been stretching my ears for almost 7 years and they have never ripped. There was a girl getting her ass tattooed and we saw way too much then we wanted to. All in all neither my friend or I will be returning.
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Review from Kristen K.
Santa Clara, CA
4/4/2008
I've gone here for almost all my piercings. I really like how clean the place is. I was really happy with my lip piercing since now that I have taken it out there is hardly any scar. I prefer to have a female do my feminine piercings and am happy that both Kym and Sharrin are female and really good peircers.
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Review from Tom Y.
Carlsbad, CA
5/7/2009
I got my last two tattoos here and both times I just kind of woke up on a day off, scratched something out a piece of paper, had lunch and drove on over. They were really cool about doing a walk-in on me, both times the inking took about 2-2.5 hours, I had two different artists who worked on each of the tattoos that I got here and advice is to really get to know and work with your artist to see what kind of style you are going for. This place is clean, professional equipment, their music is not at a volume where you can barely think, not very expensive considering the quality and amount of time spent doing the drawings before. And they have a great policy on touch-ups, which someplace really have a problem with.
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Review from Bradley S.
Sunnyvale, CA
2/18/2010
Pros:
- tattoo turned out great
- staff was friendly and interesting
- incredible, original art on the walls
- clean environment
Cons:
- appointment was for 5pm, but didn't get started till around 6:30pm (glad he took his time to get the drawing correct though)
- not much privacy -
Review from Anna M.
San Jose, CA
4/17/2008
I got my first facial peircing here and it was great. I was able to just go in and have the procedure done without an appointment and Sharrin was so great at answering all my questions and recommending a good sized eyebrow ring to compliment my face. I liked how clean the place is and that everyone there was so friendly. I will definitely use them again.
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Review from Haily W.
San Jose, CA
1/28/2007
I got my first tattoo here two day's after my 18th birthday. I picked out the place cause it was the cleanest looking place along San Carlos (the area where all the tattoo's shops here are). Zach was nice, though didn't talk much while I was getting my tattoo done (nearly an hour), but it is nice. I returned yesterday to check on getting another done, and their pricing has gone up and the lady we talked to seem to over estimate the time on the tattoos and frankly creeped me and my boyfriend out.
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Review from Joy C.
San Jose, CA
8/20/2007
I found this place on the internet and decided to go with them because their reviews seemed okay. Wendy did a good job for what it was (my daughter's name and birthday), but her tattooing apparatus (dont know what it's called) was spittin out ink in different directions. I could tell she was having trouble with it, but didn't say anything. She was shakey most of the time, but still ok. I gave them three stars coz the place is clean and Wendy was nice. But the big lady kind of scared me and I thought what she charged me was way too much.
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Review from Kelly L.
San Jose, CA
5/2/2008
I just got a tatto covered up here and they did a great job. It's not quite done yet, but I look forward to going back and getting it finished in a few weeks. The staff is very friendly and helpful, they made me feel totally comfortable. I haven't been pierced here for years, but I remember having a great experience with that as well. And if you have problems with a piercing (as my sister did. She had the piercing done elsewhere initially) Sharrin is totally willing to give advice on how to fix the problem, even if you didn't get the piercing done there. I would (and am) definitely have more work done here.
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Review from Mark S.
Santa Clara, CA
11/6/2008
I've been getting my ears stretched here for the past two years. Their selection of jewelry is decent, but the peircers are really nice. I've went to peirced out a few times and decided I like this place alot better. To me it all has to do with the peircer having good knowledge of what they are doing, and the right attitude. This place has got it. Not sure about the tattoos though.
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Review from Crystal S.
San Mateo, CA
7/21/2008
I've gotten 11 of my 18 piercings from them, and each one has healed beautifully and looks great.
I got double nipple piercings back when they were still on 1st st. They did them with 2 piercers at the same time (That was quite the rush!) and they still look fabulous.
Two elf ears, one industrial and a navel from Sharrin when they were on Park Street across from Leather Masters. Also various ear piercings.
And the most recent: a lovely anchor on my septum, done by Sharrin. It was the least painful of all of my piercings and it has healed beautifully.
Keep in mind, not everyone takes care of their piercings. And not everyone's body does well with them in all locations. And not everyone does well with stainless steel. People who have problems with any piercings should know whether they're allergic to different metals, and take good care of them.
I'm a lucky person in that my body doesn't seem to reject the metal, and I really keep an eye on them and take good care of them.
But yah, I love these guys to death. I had a really difficult and painful piercing done in Seattle and Sharrin took great care of me in the miserable 6 months that followed. Once my cat stepped in my ear and bent the piercing all to hell and gone. And the original piercer didn't use long enough barbells. and... and... and... She fixed each problem and the whole thing has healed up beautifully.
I really can't say enough good things about this place. -
Review from J A.
Mountain View, CA
4/25/2008
I wish I could give this place zero stars. The lady who owns this shop is horrible at customer service. She is only out there to get your money. She doesn't really care on the outcomes. I had my belly button pierce here about a year ago. It was my first piercing and I trusted she knew what she was doing. BTW, I think her name is Sharron. After a month, it got infected and I started to worry. So I decided to find another place to see if they would help me. I found a place in Hayward and went to them. The piercer there told me that the jewelry I had in was for an eyebrow piercing and that it was too small for me. And that is why I was getting an infection. I also noticed my belly jewelry didn't look like most. I later found out that Sharron at Pierce-Ink pierced my belly at a wrong angle. Sharron says she has years of experience, but I think she is full of it. She thinks she knows, but she's just there to make money. Overall, I recommend people to NEVER come here! Also, they are so expensive. It is not worth it. You can find another place to go for better quality and service!
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Review from ruth c.
Santa Clara, CA
8/22/2010
love my tattoo! zack was great! planning on going back soon!
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Review from Josephine K.
San Jose, CA
2/9/2008
had a piercing done at Pierce Ink by the owner about a year ago. The gal who did the piercing said it wouldn't hurt... well, it REALLY hurt. OK, so piercings can hurt. During the piercing, she asked me where I got my other piercing and then said I should never go there, because of blah, blah, blah etc. ( I was very happy there, it was just that they did not do this particular piercing there so I came to Pierce Ink). The piercing "room" was not a room at all. It had walls but no ceiling so everyone in the waiting room can hear the whole piercing taking place including the conversations. Several days later, the ring fell out and I called to see what I should do. They were not helpful at all and basically told me that I should take care of that myself. The prices were on the high side. I won't go there again. The whole experience was not pleasant. I will go never back to Pierce-Ink for any further piercings.
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Review from Chris M.
San Jose, CA
5/24/2009
i got my lip pierced here back in like 2001 or 2002. i remember it well because i found out later it was the 'new girl' that did my piercing, which sort of explained my nightmare of an experience. here's the story:
i went her for my lip ring because my tattoo artist switched shops and was now working here. i came in on his day off but was determined to get the piercing regardless. the shop owner is also a friend of my moms.
when my lip was getting pierced, the lady piercing it did not apply enough pressure and the needle would not penetrate the last layer of skin on the inside of my lip. so she had to back the needle out and jab it in harder. i know a lip ring isn't suppose to hurt (or so i am told) but the feeling of the needle backing out then pushing harder through hurt like a mo'fo. the inside of my lip busted and the whole area surrounding the hoop looked horrible. the piercer just laughed it off (despite my pain) and even told me "that was the worst piercing I've done." Then i got charged $60, which is more than I've ever heard anyone paying. it wasn't that i was expecting a discount (OK maybe i was! Since my mom was friends with the owner and i hung out at the shop occasionally with one of the artists, plus the fact that the inside of my lip looked like Frankenstein, i thought maybe I'd get a 10% discount of something. but nope.
i did love the lip ring though and I've had it ever since. thinking of getting another one, but definitely not here... -
Review from Caro L.
San Jose, CA
3/14/2010
Alright, there are a few reasons why I gave this place one star...and here it goes.
First, for their business hours, it says that they close at 9pm. For me, I thought that was great, since I was going to wait for my friend to get off of work at 6pm, so that she could go with me...you know, for moral support :) We meet up at about 6:15pm and arrive at the place at 6:30pm. I walk in and ask if I could get my lip re-pierced. The girl told me that she had to go to her other job and to come back the next day between the hours of 1pm and 9pm. Ummm, I know times are tough and you need to make your money, but you don't close til 9pm! You are going to make me come back tomorrow? It's 6:30pm...nowhere near 9pm! It's not like I walked in at 8:50pm!
Second, the fact that I did have to come back didn't make me too happy. I could've gone to another shop, but this place got good reviews and it looked exceptionally clean.
Third, I go back at 1pm, the next day. I encounter a different person, which is okay. This girl was weird, to say the least, and really liked to talk...but not to me! My friend came along with me and she was just chatting up my friend and pretty much ignoring me, her client! It bothered me how slow she moved, because it raised concerns as to whether she would pierce me at that slow pace! I thought it was kind of expensive and she didn't answer any of my questions until after I had paid. I didn't know they used the fish tail method for jewelry...which I now HATE! She claimed how great it is for your gums and teeth, when it annoys the crap out of me. It feels like I have a paper clip in my mouth. Also, it's an 18 gauge, which is the size of your standard earring...good luck finding jewelry for that! If I would have known all this prior to paying, I wouldn't have gotten pierced there.
Fourth, I was forced to buy soap and mouthwash, which were expensive and unnecessary. The first time I had my lip pierced, all I needed was Listerine and Bactine, not some special doctor grade crap.
Fifth, while she was prepping me, she still kept talking to my friend!! Pay attention to me! She was slow, but got the needle through fairly quickly...which surprised me. She gave me a long list of rules, that were unnecessary and retarded. I guess it's better to be safe then sorry.
Will I go back...yes, because I want spider bites, so I need to get my lip pierced again with an 18 gauge needle. Do I recommend this place to others? No way and if I didn't have to go back I wouldn't. I'm actually trying to find another shop that does 18 gauge and if I find one, then I wouldn't have to go back to this place.
