Exploring The Tattooery in College Park, MD: A Look at Services and Customer Experiences

For local residents in College Park, Maryland, and the surrounding areas, seeking "Tattoo Shops Near Me," The Tattooery, located at 7420 Baltimore Ave, College Park, MD 20740, presents itself as a body art studio offering both tattooing and piercing services. They can be contacted at (240) 764-5146 or via mobile phone at +1 240-764-5146. Based on the available customer reviews, experiences at The Tattooery appear to be varied, with positive feedback regarding piercing services and initial tattoo design contrasted by significant concerns about tattooing technique and aftercare advice.

One customer shared a positive experience specifically related to piercing services. They visited The Tattooery to have a stubborn helix piercing changed from a hoop to a stud and commended an individual named Blake. This customer described Blake as "awesome" and "super knowledgeable," indicating a high level of expertise in piercing procedures and aftercare. Additionally, the reviewer noted that The Tattooery had a "super nice" selection of earrings, suggesting a variety of quality jewelry options for piercing clients. This positive feedback highlights The Tattooery as a potential destination for those seeking professional and knowledgeable piercing services.

However, another customer's review details a significantly negative experience specifically concerning a tattoo received at The Tattooery. This reviewer initially praised the cleanliness of the studio and expressed love for the artwork that was designed for them, indicating a positive start to their tattoo journey. Unfortunately, the positive aspects were overshadowed by complications during the healing process. The customer reported excessive bleeding from the tattoo the day after the procedure, which understandably caused concern. Furthermore, they experienced a severe burning sensation when using the lotion recommended by The Tattooery for aftercare, rendering it unusable. Attempts to address these issues by contacting The Tattooery via phone and email reportedly resulted in assurances not to worry. Tragically, six months later, the tattoo had completely healed but was marred by "raised, white, embarrassing scars" that the reviewer felt ruined the artwork. A dermatologist reportedly attributed the scarring to the artist pressing down too hard during the tattooing process. The reviewer included visual evidence of the scarring, noting its severity on certain parts of the tattoo. Ultimately, this customer expressed deep regret about choosing The Tattooery, lamenting the permanent damage to what should have been a cherished tattoo and hoping for potential correction by a dermatologist in the future. This detailed negative account raises serious concerns about the tattooing techniques employed at The Tattooery and the appropriateness of their aftercare recommendations.

Environment:

The feedback regarding the environment of The Tattooery is mixed. One customer specifically noted that "The Tattooery was very clean," which is a crucial aspect for any body art studio, indicating a commitment to hygiene and safety. However, the negative review does not provide further details about the overall atmosphere or other environmental factors. The cleanliness reported by one customer is a positive attribute, but it is essential for prospective clients to consider the conflicting experiences regarding the quality of the tattooing service itself.

Services:

Based on the available customer reviews, The Tattooery offers the following services:

Helix Piercing Services: The positive review mentioning Blake's expertise in changing a helix piercing indicates that The Tattooery provides a range of piercing services and has knowledgeable staff for these procedures. Their "super nice selection of earrings" also suggests they offer quality jewelry for initial piercings and changes.
Custom Tattoo Design and Execution: The negative review highlights that The Tattooery offers tattoo design services, with the customer initially loving the artwork created for them. However, the subsequent issues with healing and scarring point to potential inconsistencies or issues with the execution of the tattoo itself.
Aftercare Recommendations: The studio provides aftercare advice, including recommending specific lotions. However, the negative experience where the recommended lotion caused a severe burning reaction raises concerns about the suitability and safety of their aftercare guidance for all individuals.

The limited information suggests that while The Tattooery offers both piercing and tattooing services, the quality and outcome of these services may vary significantly.

Features:

Several features of The Tattooery can be identified from the customer feedback:

Knowledgeable Piercer (Blake): The positive review highlights Blake's expertise and helpfulness with piercing services, suggesting a knowledgeable and capable staff member for piercing procedures.
Clean Studio: The cleanliness of The Tattooery is explicitly mentioned as a positive feature by one customer, indicating an adherence to hygiene standards.
Nice Selection of Piercing Jewelry: The availability of a "super nice selection of earrings" is a potential benefit for piercing clients.
Potential Issues with Tattooing Technique: The negative review raises serious concerns about the tattooing technique used by at least one artist, with a dermatologist attributing permanent scarring to excessive pressure during the procedure.
Potentially Problematic Aftercare Advice: The severe reaction to the recommended lotion suggests that the aftercare advice provided by The Tattooery may not be suitable for all skin types or may need to be re-evaluated.
Customer Service Concerns: The negative review mentions a lack of helpfulness when the customer contacted The Tattooery about the bleeding and their inability to use the recommended lotion, stating they were told "not to worry about it," which ultimately proved to be dismissive and unhelpful.

Promotional Information:

Currently, the provided information does not include any specific promotional details for The Tattooery. The customer reviews focus on the service experiences rather than mentioning any discounts, special offers, or loyalty programs. Local users interested in learning about pricing for specific tattoo or piercing services or any potential promotions are advised to contact The Tattooery directly via phone at (240) 764-5146 or +1 240-764-5146 to discuss their needs and inquire about rates or any current specials.

Recommendations for Local Users:

For local residents in College Park, MD, and the surrounding areas considering The Tattooery for body art services, it is crucial to carefully weigh the contrasting customer experiences. While the studio appears to offer knowledgeable piercing services and maintains a clean environment, the serious concerns raised about tattooing technique and aftercare advice should give potential tattoo clients pause. The permanent scarring experienced by one customer serves as a significant warning.

If you are considering getting a piercing at The Tattooery, the positive feedback regarding Blake's expertise and the jewelry selection is encouraging. However, if you are considering a tattoo, it would be prudent to seek further information, potentially including viewing portfolios of the artists' healed work and inquiring in detail about their tattooing techniques and aftercare protocols. It may also be wise to seek second opinions or consider other tattoo studios in the area with more consistently positive reviews regarding their tattooing services and aftercare support. The stark contrast in customer experiences highlights the importance of thorough research before choosing a body art studio.

Apr 16, 2025

Came in to get my stubborn helix piercing changed from a hoop to a stud and Blake was awesome! Super knowledgeable! Their selection of earrings is also super nice!

Nov 20, 2016

The Tattooery was very clean and I really loved the artwork that was designed for me. However, once my tattoo healed, the real problems began. I bled a lot from this tattoo and was very concerned about it the next day. I was also unable to use the lotion they recommended for me because it burned SO badly. I called and emailed about the problem and they said not to worry about it. Well---flash forward to 6 months later with a completely healed tattoo and you can see the raised, white, embarrassing scars ruining my tattoo. The dermatologists says that the artist pushed down too hard, thus ruining my tattoo. You can see the raised, white, scars on the pictures below. They are the worst on the girls body and on three of the birds on the top row. Overall, I wish I had never gone because this beautiful tattoo that I should have loved is ruined. Hopefully my dermatologist can fix it in a year or so.

Oct 16, 2024

I had already called in and asked about the jewelry and said I would be right there. When I entered this janky shop, there were 3 white people sitting down, waiting as if they had already been assisted. I asked if they were waiting, they said no. I went up to the register and looked for the jewelry I needed. Blake entered and asked me what jewelry I wanted and the ring I selected was being falsely advertised, as he claimed the shop didn’t have any. Therefore, it should not be on display for sale. I also asked for an extra industrial earring and he told me I’d need to wait 30 minutes to be sized, so I said nevermind - no issue. I picked a different ring and asked if the jewelry would snap automatically once I connected them in my nose because I was familiar with this type jewelry and he said yes. If there were other instructions specific to the type of jewelry that this specific location purchases to sell to their customers; this would have been the perfect time to explain them. However, Blake proceeded on with the sale and hurriedly dismissed me on my way after I finished paying. Once I stepped to the side, he apologized to the two white women who began standing behind me saying “sorry about that” as if my purchase had inconvenienced him or them even though they were sitting down once I entered. I called back once I noticed the ring did not snap down automatically, then Blake decided this was the time to explain the extra directions, after I explained my frustration with his lack of communication. He claimed that I was in a hurry, because I didn’t want to wait for ONE of the THREE earrings that I asked for. He was also very dismissive when I explained over the phone that he had a span of 15 minutes to explain any extra information while I was standing in front of him and he chose not to. I’ve purchased this type of jewelry from several other well known tattoo shops and never had this issue with the jewelry or staff, plus I spent over $50 of my hard earned money in this shop on two small earrings to be treated with such disregard. Blake was very rude and standoffish when I was making my purchase & on the phone but did not give this attitude to anyone else in the shop. Based on their other reviews, it seems like they have a lot of run-ins or bad interactions with BIPOC. Will not be returning. Cheap jewelry, horrible service.

Jun 28, 2019

I was waiting until my tattoo finished most of its healing to write a review and all of the scabbing has subsided and it looks great! My friend and I walked in to the Tattooery about two weeks ago to get our first tattoos. We were seen almost immediately (although we had called earlier in the day to see if any artists were available). We were seen by Sean. We described what we wanted and showed him some pictures of ideas and the he went back and got to work on some sketches. About 30 minutes later he showed us his ideas and sketches and after a few minor tweaks he got to tattooing! Sean did a really amazing job with two completely different tattoo styles. It was both me and my friend’s first tattoo so we weren’t really sure what to expect. All in all, between walking in the door and walking out with two completed tattoos it was about 3 and a half hours I think. My tattoo (the flower) was $100 and my friend’s tomato was $160 (before tip) but was a bit bigger than mine and also had full color. Sean explained the aftercare clearly and they have both healed really well and healed pretty quickly I think. One thing I would say is, if you’re going to do walk ins, call ahead to get a sense of availability. A pair walked in right after us and were told it would be at least a two hour wait before they could be seen because we had already snatched up the last available artist!

Oct 13, 2017

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY AT THE TATTOOERY. Would give 0 stars if I could. I got my first tattoo from here, and they charged me way to much. They say they decide the cost based on "size and design", which is a rip, go to a place that charges by the hour. I got an extremely simple design on my forearm, the design took 20 minutes max, and the tattoo took literally 40 minutes to do, and they charged me $300 (with a $50 tip as well). In the end it came out filled with white scars because the artist pushed too deep into my skin. Even if this happens however, you have to up to 90 days to get it touched up for free, even if they messed it up. Seriously, don't waste you're money here, there's a way nicer place 30 minutes north called Black Lotus, they charge $150/hr, so I would've saved so much if I went there instead. My brother just got a tattoo from Black Lotus, it was way more detailed than mine and it looked amazing, and no issues with scarring, took them 3 hours for the design and tattoo, charged him $450. Much less expensive than the Tattooery, and the work was so much better. Learn from my mistakes, do not go to the Tattooery.

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