Ohhh yeah the kid that did my butterfly is gone I think went back to Cali Canada not sure but I think no yeah he did my old traditional outlined butterfly 220 a little high but his line work was unflawed I really want to go back but the reviews be making me feel like I can only step in if I have a stack or like half of the stack I miss tattoos being only 200.00 read more

Shawn is literally the best. I probably will never go anywhere else to get my ears pierced ever again. Will definitely be getting a tattoo here soon. The shop is cool. The people are super nice and talkative just like me. I would rate at six out of five if I could. read more

I'm biased because I'm friends with Shawn and Kristian, BUT, objectively speaking..I love this shop. I'm one of those horrible tattoo clients that will drunkenly text their artist at 2am with yet another tattoo idea I probably won't get, and Shawn was always the best about it. I got my first matching tattoo with my cousin here, who I also helped turned into a devout 9 lives client. I've recently started working with Kristian, and despite several annoying instances of having to move appointments on my behalf, we found a last minute appointment that worked (pictured) and I'm constantly daydreaming about my next appointment. Love these guys! Long live 9 lives ‍ read more

9 Lives Tattoo - Tattoos - Piercing Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

Had a tattoo booked here over a year ago with an artist. Artist up and left with my deposit two weeks before my appointment without telling me and then said they couldn't afford to give my deposit back. I know tattoo artists are independent but I contacted this shop about this situation and they still let this person guest tattoo there if they come back. They only have once in the last year and a half. I'm not the only one who didn't get a deposit back from said artist. I don't know if I can recommend this place as knowing they let an artist who has stolen money from people still guest tattoo there when they are in town. Just a heads up to anyone. The artist in question spent my deposit and said they couldn't afford to refund me. And apparently a year later still can't pay back my deposit even though I've contacted several times. Luckily I found a new place for my tattoo. But be wary of places who knowingly let artist not refund people a deposit when they up and disappear but still let them come tattoo at their place. read more

I have to commend Shawn for his patience and professionalism with my daughter's nose piercing. He was able to accommodate my daughter last minute on her birthday due to circumstances out of our control. The place was clean and staff friendly. read more

Amber was awesome! Really great to work with and to talk to! She did an amazing job and my sister and I are still loving out matching tats

Brandie is an amazing artist! She showed up hard and created a masterpiece! We had so much fun hanging out and watching her work! I will definitely be coming back and booking again! read more

9 Lives Tattoo - Fresh ink! - Piercing Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

See all

Shawn Finley is the best piercer there is! Hands down the best shop in the area! I recommend this place to everyone. read more

9 Lives Tattoo - Piercing Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

I came here to get a rose black work piece by Doug. My experience was wonderful...from setting up the appointment down to the finish of the tattoo. I did some research before selecting my artist, as most people should. I really liked Doug's unique style with flowers, and I decided to choose him as my artist. I called and booked an appointment, and it was super simple. The staff and artists were all extremely friendly and welcoming. I almost felt like I had known them my whole life! I was able to come in a bit early, and Doug was accommodating and came in a bit earlier to start! Once the tattoo was drawn up and placed, it was just getting through the pain. Only took two hours to complete the piece! He works extremely fast! Once my tattoo was done, it was covered with some tape that almost acts like a layer of skin, and I was on my way as a happy customer. I would definitely recommend Doug for any floral black work or geometric type tattoo. My experience here was wonderful, and I would definitely get tattooed here again! read more

9 Lives Tattoo - Interior - Piercing Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

See all

I got a colorful lotus tattoo by Brandie on my right shoulder and it us ky all time favorite one I have. The shop is very nice and clean and the artists are really cool. It made the experience awesome. Brandie is cool to talk to and she was able to squeeze me in before I moved, which I'm so grateful for. Hopefully I can come back to get another one done by her. read more

9 Lives Tattoo - Lotus tattoo - Piercing Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

Had a wonderful experience at 9 lives last week, The shop is super chill and very clean, everybody is super friendly. Erin rocked out some RGB pearls for me and she's just a delight and so talented! My favorite ink yet! Thanks guys, see ya soon. Wanted to update now tagt my bandage is off. Healing amazing! read more

9 Lives Tattoo - Piercing Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

See all

After meticulously researching local shops, artists, and their respective portfolios, I decided to go with Raquel Ruthless at 9 Lives for a silhouette portrayal of Jim Morrison. Raquel's diverse portfolio spoke for itself and she did not disappoint, as I could not be happier with the final attached result. Throughout the process, to include initial consultation, Raquel was extremely responsive and collaborative. Raquel's attention to detail was greatly appreciated when she took extra time with the stencil to ensure it captured as much detail as possible, and she even offered three different sizes for me to ultimately choose from. A very light-handed artist and good conversationalist, the entire 2-hour session was enjoyable and therapeutic. As a person who has been getting tattoos my entire life, I highly recommend Raquel Ruthless and 9 Lives. An artist of immense skills and high integrity, who is also extremely humble and down to earth, Raquel will not disappoint. I am already planning to have her add the dates of Jim's life below the silhouette, as Raquel's fine lines and lettering is second to none! Thanks Raquel! read more

9 Lives Tattoo - Jim Morrison by Raquel Ruthless. Notes the fine detail throughout. - Piercing Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

My friend and I were able to make an appointment the day before, we both got piercings from Shawn! He was great very professional kept us comfortable and, the other people in the shop were also super nice. All the stations and rooms were extremely clean and it was a really fun experience. The jewelry selection is really nice there as well! Deff will be back in the future read more

9 Lives Tattoo - Piercing Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

Love the fact that Brandie turned my beautiful wife's ghetto moth into a gorgeous butterfly. She made her feel very comfortable as in she knew it's been a while since my wife last tattoo. And the second she was done ( which didn't take long at all) my wife was already thinking about getting another one. I can't honestly speak for the others over at 9 lives but I can definitely co-sign Brandi work, making my wife's tattoo a one of a kind read more

9 Lives Tattoo - Piercing Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

See all

I love this shop! Particularly because there are no pretentious vibes in here. My first visit, I came in to talk to Doug about some shoulder flowers. He was out grabbing some lunch so I waited for him to return and I got to enjoy a nice conversation with Kristian. He could have easily snubbed me and went to the back or ignored me on his phone, which is what I've experienced in most tattoo shops. Doug returned with his lunch and we all watched a little Stranger Things on Netflix while he ate and prepared. I was so pleased and surprised to hear that He had time to tattoo me right then and there. So we chatted about what kind of style and placement I wanted and he got right to work and drew up the most beautiful roses. Better than I could have imagined. I had such a great experience. I'd never met Doug before but he made me feel like we were already friends. I cannot wait to go back. I hope to eventually get tattooed by everyone there. read more

I took my daughter to this place to get a small tattoo as a gift to herself for her birthday. We made an appointment with Brandi for 6pm the following Saturday. Brandi was all smiles as she assured my daughter that she would have it sketched out and she'd see her on Saturday. Well... THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN!!! NOT ONLY WAS BRANDI NOT THERE, THE SHOP WAS CLOSED, YES DARK AND LOCKED UP TIGHT!!! There was a sign on the door that read "Sorry, we're all booked". How? How are you so "booked" and the joint isn't even opened? My daughter made several attempts to call and wouldn't you know it, the mailbox is full. Probably with all of the customers attempting to find out why their appointments were null. I called the following Monday to inquire as to why the shop was closed and what Brandi's deal was and I got BS, no call from Brandi...Nothing. BUYER BEWARE. THIS PLACE IS NOT PROFESSIONAL. read more

I highly enjoyed getting my first Tattoo here! Brandie did a great job inking on my armband. So I had no trouble in choosing to come back for my second tattoo, lol. My only bit of advice is when you email with an idea of what you're interested in getting, follow up in a day or two with a phone call. You'll get your appointment faster that way. Enjoy! read more

9 Lives Tattoo - The front desk @ 9 Lives - Piercing Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

Great experience getting a piercing. Highly recommend this place.

Called to make sure they accepted walk ins and they said yes come right in. We drove a half hour to get there and they told us they couldn't because the equipment wasn't clean. read more

Awesome shop. Great setup and extremely clean. All the artists are very personable and nice which is sometimes hard to find at a tattoo parlor. Their prices are very reasonable and I really liked how the artists had their own semi-private room instead of just everyone being out in the open. After seeing pictures of all the artist's work, I don't think you could go wrong here but I highly suggest Doug Berger - he did an amazing job with my tattoo and he was great to work with. He books out sometimes over a week or so in advance so be prepared for that! Can't wait to come back and get my next one done. read more

I walked in to 9 Lives after being turned away at Signature for inquiring about a tiny wrist tattoo without an appointment. I cannot praise 9 Lives enough for being incredibly courteous, professional, and willing to squeeze me in. Not only that, they did a phenomenal job replicating a design I brought in. I highly recommend! read more

Best Tattoo shop in Ferndale! Everyone is super nice, and the shop's super clean! Went to book an appointment with Andrew and he did an amazing job with my Tiger Tatt! read more

9 Lives Tattoo - Neo Traditional tiger - Piercing Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

I came into 9 Lives twice to get an artists idea of how to cover up a small tattoo. The first time I was told it wasn't possible. The second time I was looking for and artist's help to make my vision reality. It is a very simple concept, two dimensional, nothing complicated. Every point and concept i introduced was shot down by the artist. He did not help creat my vision. He was more interested in his opinion then what I wanted. I have one tattoo with deep significants that covering up has even greater significants, and I was completely shut down. Highly frustrated and will not return. read more

I got a tattoo here a few months ago and I was generally unsatisfied with the quality of work. The lines were crooked and the shading was light and not done properly. I went back to have someone look at the tattoo and possibly fix it, I wanted to give the shop a chance to redeem themselves. There I was told I would be charged again to fix it because I was requesting a different artist. The guy who I spoke to was rude and seemed to irritated with me for not liking what had been done. I left and went to a different shop where they were appalled by the quality of work and fixed the tattoo which is now lovely. In short if you want rude people and subpar artistry go to 9 lives. read more

0 stars if I could! I called asking if this location accepted walk inside for a small tattoo about the size of a quarter she said sure I can do it, I'm eating food but I'm free after, but please call me if you decide not to to come. So we agreed on a 430-5 arrival, was running late so I called back to be courteous to let her know the traffic was terrible as I was coming from 3 cities away, so it would be closer to 5-530. Arrived at 550 & she was SO rude behind the counter immediately when I walked in saying she was leaving. So I said, I called you to let you know I was running late, why would you not give me the same courtesy and call me let me know you had changed your mind and are going home instead of waiting? You let me drive all the way here just just to raise your voice & scream at me talking disrespectful because traffic made me late? I'm so glad someone who is so awful to people did not end up getting to tattoo me. Terrible customer service. Would not recommend. read more

I went there for a cover up. The cover up was decent. Though, the artist (by the name of Kimes) was supposed to follow up with the touch up to make sure it was completely covered up. I went there in person multiple time to get a hold of the artist, left a call back receipt, and even texted him; no response to finish the tattoo was ever received. I'm now going today to Signature tattoo to get the touch up I was supposed to receive from 9 lives. I'm most definitely not likely to ever come back. It was pretty unprofessional. The shop should have picked up the slack for the artist if anything. read more

Amazing! Walked in on a Saturday afternoon with a picture of something i kind of liked, and the girl at the desk said Doug was the best for the job. Doug met with me soon after and we talked about what I wanted and made an appointment for later that day. He drew up a few ideas on the spot and it was so much better than I could've ever thought up on my own. Work was fantastic too, you know exactly what you're gonna get and my tattoo healed up perfectly in a few days. 100% recommend. read more

I went in to 9 lives yesterday at 5pm to get my nipples pierced after texting with Shawn over Instagram and making my appointment. He was incredibly nice and funny and made me feel very comfortable. The process was very professional. He marked me up while completely relaxed without a top on and the piercings were painful but quick. He gave me all my aftercare instructions on the spot and answered all my questions and more. I would HIGHLY recommend Shawn to anyone in the area who wants to get their nipples pierced he was amazing!!! read more

Just popped in to see if someone could help me with my septum piercing (I wanted it taken out) and their piercer (totally forgot his name, I'm the worst) was super friendly and informative, used sterile equipment and gave me lots of options for what I wanted. Definitely recommend! read more

Picked this place because of the reviews, so happy I did. Shawn did a small tattoo on my wrist and pierced my tragus. He was awesome as well as all the other guys at the shop too. Place is very clean, professional, and makes everyone feel welcome. I would recommend this place to anyone and will be back for more. read more

I recently took a friend to 9 Lives to have her ears pierced. She didn't want anything other than a typical, straightforward ear piercing, but we didn't want to go to the mall for the Claire's gun treatment. So we came here! Everyone at the shop was very welcoming. Shawn pierced her ears and he was great. He was super professional, friendly, and patient with my friend's many questions. Shop was clean and organized. A great experience. Thanks, Shawn! read more

Both my friend and I were very happy with both the work and service we received from, I think, Mark. He made sure we got exactly what we wanted and spent a lot of time drawing out our ideas. My friend got exactly what she wanted even thought the tattoo parlor down the road said that her idea would not be possible due to the fading, or something. It turned out beautifully. For my tattoo, I wanted a quote and my printer at home broke so I went in there with a vague idea of the font. The artist was able to make a full tattoo based off of just a few words I saw in flash book. Also, the place was very clean. Which is important. The bathrooms, all the other tattoo rooms, the lobby, the front desk area, all very clean. read more

Awesome service. I got my nose pierced here and they were very professional and helpful. They shop is really relaxed and clean. I will definitely be going back to get an industrial piercing. read more

I just saw Jessica & she was amazing. She was super informative & she was extremely nice!

Shawn just did my piercings and was great! Very professional and dealt well with my first time jitters!

Best tattoo shop in Oakland County! Staff is professional and personable. The space is also amazing! Kristian did an amazing job on my tattoo! read more

I drove 40 minutes out of my way to get my nose pierced at a place my mom recommended in royal oak on Wednesday. I called ahead the day before to make sure that the piercing guy was in and they said that he will be there that Wednesday around 2, so it kinda made me mad when I got there and they said he was at a doctors appointment and wouldn't be back until 3 but I needed to be at work at 3:30. So in a panic because I had set myself out to get my nose pierced that day and I didn't want to chicken out, I did a quick search of tattoo parlors nearby and I was shocked to see one with 4.9 star reviews, which was 9 lives. It was a short 7 minute drive and the only bad experience that o had was it took a few minutes to be helped but I called and they said the piercer was on his break so I'm not torn apart by that. He quickly took me in and was super friendly throughout the whole process and I believe his name was Sean. I don't normally write reviews but Sean did one small thing that made me want to do this in case anyone was on the fence about coming here; he made me open my eyes after the piercing was done and before he put the jewelry in to show himself throwing away the old needle. Now I have my lobes, doubles, and my helix pierced and I have two tattoos and I've never seen anyone do just a small thing like that to ensure the place has clean and proper procedures to throw things away. I love my piercing and I'll definitely be coming back for further tattoos and my triples pierced read more

Just stopped into this shop and couldn't believe the lack of professionalism. I have been frequenting tattoo shops since I was 16 and I am very familiar with procedure. I have many myself and my sister worked in a shop for years. A friend of mine wanted a simple design and the artist blurted out rudely " I don't wanna do eyes man, they'll look uneven." Uh okay. They continued to address us rudely and belittled his tattoo idea without working with my friend to compromise on something that would work better for artist and customer. Quoted us 100$, we decided to check out signature instead and the difference was drastic! Kyle greeted us with a smile and was extremely professional and helpful and quoted us less for the tattoo! A world of difference. Do yourself a favor and go to a shop with a good reputation for customer care and professionalism. Tribute, signature, and ironclad are all good choices. Fuck this place! read more

this place is so clean and a great professional looking building on the inside. I came here with a friend to get her shoulder piece done, and it turned out great. I didn't get tattooed here yet so my 5 stars is for the beautiful space and environment at this shop! I will be back when I'm ready for my next piece. read more

I went to 9 lives to get my Monroe pierced. The man who pierced me was very nice and explained everything to me. He told me that when getting a Monroe done you are not supposed to pierce it in the crease of your smile and then he pierced it in the crease of my smile. The following are the reasons as to why I am not satisfied and will not be returning, 1. He pierced it in the crease of my smile which causes pressure every time I smile. It will prevent it from healing completely so it will never be fully healed. Piercing it in the crease causes it to be constantly aggravated which then causes your skin to build up scar tissue because it's not able to heal properly. In the two week period of having it pierced my skin already started to build up scar tissue. 2. It was pierced on an angle which causes it to be longer on one side and short on the other which also doesn't help when healing. 3. Externally threaded jewelry was used. It's a cheaper form of jewelry which they usually get from China for on average about .12 cents. It also means that you don't know what type of metal is actually being used since you can't trace it back. 4. When I went back in to show them how swollen it was the piercer wasn't there but the tattoo artist told me "yea, that's normal." My skin had completely engulfed the jewelry to the point where I thought that the longer post they gave me wasn't long enough. You wouldn't expect a doctor to tell you information about how your car works, would you? Same concept. 5. When I called I was told it would be 30 dollars. When I went in the piercer told me it would be 40 and then when I cashed out the female rang me up for 30. When getting a piercing (especially one on your face) you trust the person who is piercing you to know what they are doing because if you knew what you were doing then you would do it yourself. I don't appreciate the mentality of piercing someone just to take their money and let them go on their way. A good example of this would be the $30, $40, $30. The piercing was taken care of accordingly but cleaning it will never make up for the fact that it was pierced where it wasn't supposed to be pierced. This also explains why it was swollen one day, not as swollen the next and then super swollen again the day after that. It wasn't able to heal properly due to the fact that it was pierced in a spot that prevents that. read more