I have been dying to get my third tattoo, a chrysanthemum, for my grandmother, for like over a year. I scheduled with Jess and she got to generating a beautiful pink and purple masterpiece. I am head over boots with the finished product! The process of getting a tattoo, to me, is annoying, but once it's done it's so worth it! Jess banged out a pretty big top shoulder piece for me (even with breaks) in under 3 hours. She is a great conversationalist and made me feel comfortable and chill the whole time I was there. The whole team at Alter Ego is really nice and great to hang out with. It's been a month now; and my tattoo has healed beautifully! I made another appointment to get more work done in September! I can't wait to let Jess work more on my half sleeve in process! Wash your hands, and wear your mask and go get a freaking awesome tattoo from Jess, Adam or AJ at Alter Ego! read more

Alter Ego Body Art Studio - Jess is AHMAzIng!! - Tattoo Near Me - Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania

I came here for a new nose ring after mine fell out, and the piercer was so kind despite me not knowing my gauge. She put the new ring in for me which was amazing, considering I have long acrylics and would have trouble doing it myself. She also knew a lot about different jewelry, so if you're looking to get a piercing, come here! New ring and insertion was $20. read more

Alter Ego Body Art Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania

I had an amazing first tattoo experience! The owners are really nice people. Adam did my tattoos and he made the process really awesome. He explained everything to me, made sure I was comfortable and relaxed before, during and after the tattoos were done. I have horrible anxiety and the fact that I was so calm during the process speaks volumes about the atmosphere and employees. Highly recommend coming here, especially for your first time! read more

Alter Ego Body Art Studio - Pisces symbol! (Painful spot, Adam did it quickly which helped with the pain) - Tattoo Near Me - Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania

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My friend and I decided to stop in to look at some options for piercings and jewelry. When we walked in, we were not greeted and the gentleman acted annoyed that we were in there. We decided to leave and returned about two hours later. We were again not greeted or assisted despite several people standing around outside the shop. I would not recommend this business due to poor professionalism and customer service. read more

I found Alter Ego just by searching on Yelp. My friends and I wanted to get tattoos and so we called to make sure they could take us. We were able to email them our ideas and then they made an appointment for all of us, which was actually more thorough than any other studio that I called. The studio is clean and all of the tattooers and piercer are so friendly and chill. They made my friends and I feel extremely comfortable. Before we got their, our tattooers drew up multiple designs of what we wanted so that we could have choices. My tattooer was Jessica and my friends had Ronald and Aaron. They were all awesome. Jessica actually took a lot of time to make sure that our tattoos were exactly what we wanted. I swear she drew mine up at least 4 times after I chose the font I wanted. She was very patient and great to work with. My friends said Aaron was super chill and Ronald was a lot of fun. They also work with you on price to make sure you can get something within your budget. They take cash and credit card and they also draw the tattoos on their iPads which is dope! I'm definitely going back for another tattoo! read more

My first tattoo ever. My dad just passed away two weeks ago. I've been thinking about getting a tattoo with his handwriting for quite some time. And, with his passing, it seemed like no time was better. Jess, the artist, was absolutely amazing. So kind, warm, and informative. For my first tattoo, she taught me everything I needed to know about the process of tattooing: clean needles, patience, and kindness. Simple things, but absolutely necessary when you're nervous and getting your first tattoo. I would recommend Jess to anyone. read more

Bad experience just scheduling,its ridiculous. Heard good thing but you have to treat customers with more respect. Going somewhere else.

Not open to the public so I called 3 times. No answer so I went in person and a sign on the door saying must call (with a person inside at the desk.) called again watched them not answer the phone and then I just left smh read more

Let's start by saying I'm old. Not senior citizen old, but no spring chicken and my skin lacks that elasticity of the young. Be that as it may, my mother passed away and I wanted something to honor her. The hospital gave us the paper with her last heart beat. I found a letter with my mom's writing and with a simple and little tattoo in mind I went to Alter Ego. I am extremely happy that I did. One of my nephews had the heartbeat done by Ronald. Ronald was such a nice guy and funny, he recreated my mom's handwriting to a tee. Both my sister and I got matching Mom tattoos there. The experience was fast, affordable and amazing. My daughters and other nephew have already scheduled their appointments at AE. The people there are professional and friendly and super talented. It was a very clean and inviting place. I highly recommend going there for your ink needs. read more

Went in this evening to purchase a new earring for one of my piercings. I stood at the counter for 30 minutes waiting for some assistance. No one was there. There was a man tattooing someone and could see me standing there waiting. I understand he is busy. But, he could of at least acknowledged me or told me someone should be there soon, etc. I do not recommend if you value your time. read more

There is a lot to say about a tattoo place that will take two walk in's first thing in the early afternoon on a Saturday from some over the top adults who rolled in hung over wanting "split decision" tattoos. (My boyfriend, best friend, and I are notorious for this.) I was tattooed by Trevor, who it turns out has mutual friends with me. We clicked immediately. We have the same style and like the same things so it was a perfect match. I wanted something silly and spooky/Halloween focused. He drew up what I can only call the most perfect Summertime Frankenstein tattoo. I love this tattoo. The colors are great. He took his time and I got a great price. My boyfriend and another friend who came with us saw Red. While his work is exceptional, I get the distinct feeling they weren't stoked with their interactions with him. I should preface this by saying, we're silly. We're ridiculous and find ourselves hilarious and we get tattoos of things we think are funny. (I know we're not alone in this and I realize how frustrating that can be with walk ins.) We got the feeling that he thought the ideas we had were ridiculous. (And they were, he wasn't wrong.) Even when we tried to explain the humor behind them. My boyfriend say with Red and got a Kool-Aid man. Which turned out amazing. In all the people who work here are knowledgable and excellent artists. The customer service is better than most large businesses have from check in/planning to after care and payment. They offer a touch up within the first few months and the space is clean and interesting to look at when you're sitting for multiple hours. While they take walk ins, I always suggest planning in advance and making an appointment. You're going to get the attention a permanent piece of body art deserves from artists who know what they're doing and at a fair price for one of a kind art. read more

Alter Ego Body Art Studio - Summertime Frankenstein "Summer-stein" day of. - Tattoo Near Me - Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania

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Ronald is the best! Everyone there is super friendly and very welcoming when you walk in the door. Whether it is your first tattoo or you've had many, they will be very accommodating. I highly recommend this place and their work is awesome with very clean crisp lines. Very neat and clean inside the whole place!! Will definitely be back!! read more

Alter Ego Body Art Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania

Super clean studio, super professional staff, great banter too! Covid update (hopefully won't be relevant for long!): they're working on an appointment-only basis for the time being. Doors are locked, so you'll need to call or message them to schedule an appointment to go in. Again, hopefully won't be relevant for long, but it wouldn't hurt to message or call them just to see if that's still how they're operating. read more

Great shop!!! Super friendly employees.. Kate did a double helix piercing on me. She talked me through the whole experience and was very comforting as she knew I was a little nervous! Best piercing experience I've had. Highly recommend! read more

This place is awesome! It's so quaint, cozy, & so so friendly! I was a walk-in & Kate was the coolest, she did amazing on my tragis & cartilage piercings. I found this place based on good yelp reviews & so glad I gave it a shot! I will definitely come back to this shop for more the next time I'm in the area & recommend this place to anyone! read more

Alter Ego Body Art Studio - Tragis & cartilage piercing done by Kats - Tattoo Near Me - Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania

My daughter went in for her tattoo yesterday. Adam did an amazing job! And he was so nice too! He explained everything as he was doing it, and kept making sure she was doing ok. I highly recommend Adam, and alter ego! read more

Probably the most laid back cool educated but professional piercing place ive been to. Customer service was top notch and so was the jewelry. I will be returning read more

Red is my artist and I will go to no other. This is the best discovery I had a few years ago when I won a gift certificate at a silent auction. I am working on my second piece with Red and his work is beyond anything I have ever seen. Everything they do here is art. Dave, Jamie, Red, Stanley, and all the rest of the staff are wonderful people. I travel from well across town to come here. There are others our there cheaper or open later, but these great artists are worth every penny spent. If you are an tatophile, this is THE place to go! read more

Alter Ego Body Art Studio - This is their wall of art. I will not call it flash because what they do here is true art, whether it is in metal or in ink. - Tattoo Near Me - Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania

I felt safe and in capable hands when my granddaughter and I had nose piercing done by Kate yesterday. The facility was clean, the procedure completed with appropriate precautions and good follow up care instructions. read more

Go here. I bought a groupon recently for this place and finally went in to get my first tattoo in 6 years. It was a big deal for me, I'm a nervous nelly and nowhere near as brave as my fierce teenage self. Cool with needles, terrified of aids and such. anywho. This place was clean and professional. Trevor was so nice, he made it a comfortable experience and we came up with something awesome. The time flew by because he was fun and easy to talk with, and the work itself turned out beautiful. He explained what he was doing as he went along, which was nice, and was very thorough about aftercare. You can't beat that experience- can't wait 'til my next visit. Definitely coming back to these guys. read more

What a great place to do business with. Ronald is awesome. He helped us design a tattoo. He took time to with us and then did the tattoo. The whole staff was really friendly and open. We would give Ronald 10 stars if we could! Pricing was great! See Ronald if you need a tattoo! read more

Alter Ego Body Art Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania

Sitting here getting tattooed by Red... amazing work as always. Super clean and ultra professional. Highly highly recommend coming here for piercings and tattoos!! read more

Professional service. Clean shop. Great work by Ronald Caldwell. Will definitely be back. Highly recommend this shop.

I got my first tattoo here & I had the best experience I could have asked for. Everyone is so nice & greets you from the moment you step inside. Aaron did my tattoo & chatted with me while he did it. Wasn't much pain but he took my mind off of the pain I did feel. Price was really good too. read more

This Body Art studio is the best place to possibly go to make you feel comfortable and at ease. I went in for a walk in appointment to get my tongue pierced today 12/26/17 and three of the artists were waiting at the front counter, including Dave who did my piercing today. As soon as I walked in, they greeted me and told me the piercing will be quick and easy. I got to pick out 2 gems for the top ball of my piercing and then I was ready to go. Dave introduced himself and got to know a little bit about me. He explained the procedure, what to expect, and what he needs me to do to cooperate. Everything he explained, is exactly what I needed in order to have a great experience. I would recommend this place a 1,001 times over any other piercing place. I am so lucky to have the experience I did. read more

I will start by saying that I am a biomedical scientist, so I have an extremely high standard of cleanliness and sterility. When I got there, Dave showed me the autoclave and I observed all of his techniques and they are beyond reproach. I've had three piercings here and they are all perfect. He only gets the highest quality MRI-safe materials as well. So I was not worried when I had to get into a giant magnet with my jewelry in place. Each member of the staff is friendly and helpful. read more

This place is the best ever! I've been going here for years and have never been disappointed. Dave and his staff always thoroughly walk me through all my piercings and how to care for them. They are very clean and super nice. The tattoo I got is amazing as well. I completely recommend going here. I will probably always come back even if I move away. read more

They had amazing service and incredibly nice staff. I got 6 ear piercings done in one day, and they were kind and patient with me as I decided what I wanted. The price is very reasonable compared to other shops and the stainless steel jewelry is included. It's been 10 weeks, and everything healed really well! I'd definitely recommend them for piercings! read more

I LOVE THESE FOLKS!!! I've known them for over 12 years, & they have done just about all of my tats & piercings. I mainly see Dave & Red, but they're all great, & make you feel welcome & at home. Their move to Stoner Center in Castle Shannon is wonderful (I'm just up the street!), because they now have a FREE parking lot & the T is right behind them. If you're looking for a new artist, check them out! read more

The people working there were very nice. However, I'm not very pleased with my small tattoo that I got from their new employee. The outline is not very good and he messed up a small part of it but luckily no one will notice it if they didnt know what to look for. Even though he was nice, overall, I'm not pleased with the work. read more

I was lucky enough to have Aaron design a tattoo for me. I showed him an example of something I liked and he had a similar design drawn up within 30 minutes with the changes that I wanted. He is such a talent and so kind, friendly, and gentle. I'm already looking forward to working with him again. read more

Thank you Alter Ego. You have a wonderful clean shop.

I had a rook piercing done yesterday by Jaime. Jaime did a great job, explained everything clearly, and was very personable. She took great care cleaning the room where the piercing took place. Everyone here was super nice, prices reasonable, and very clean. I will definitely be back for more. Thanks Jaime! read more

I've been going to Alter Ego since it was the Z-Spot. I go for all of my piercings. Dave is awesome! I definitely recommend :)

My teenage daughters have a couple of piercings. Dave is awesome. He is fantastic with them, offers his honest opinion and shares his experience all the way down to, "the black stud will look like a blackhead..." The aftercare instructions are clear and concise. Given that they are teenagers and didn't follow instructions correctly, they had a couple issues but I was able to go straight back to Dave and he got everything right back on track. I can't comment on tattoos but for piercings, I would recommend Alter Ego over and again!!! read more

I went to get my nose pierced for my birthday & I got pierced by Dave Spik. He's really nice, very professional, & very knowledgeable. My piercing looks awesome. I've had it done before at another piercing place & they didn't do it right so I came here to get the other side pierced. It's super clean inside, especially inside the piercing room I went into. Highly recommend. (I'm quite picky on who I do good yelp reviews for) Thanks for the piercing guys! read more

I've always had excellent experiences at Alter Ego, including the shop's previous identity Z-Spot. I have always been happy with the work I've gotten done until fairly recently a while ago I had a mock up of an Elvgren pin-up girl and an artist there, Chris, took it and ran. He added all the details I wanted in there and more and I had confidence that he was going to kill it after seeing his drawing and past work. Well, after the first session, it looked like it was going to be amazing, after the second session it looked less than stellar. The face is all messed up and other parts just don't look so hot. When I called back to try to get it fixed I found out that Chris was no longer there. Now if I want it fixed I will have to pay someone else to do so, even though I never got what I paid for in the first place. It is what it is and everyone else there is awesome, but the fact that I kinda hide what should have been an amazing job sucks and now I am stuck with it because the guy dipped. read more

I went here on a friend's recommendation about getting my tongue pierced. I literally will never go anywhere else. It is so professional and clean. Everyone there is so helpful. If you have any problems, they are more than willing to help you fix the issue. I have had five piercings and two tattoos so far. Trevor is my tattoo artist and I've been pierced by Dave and Jaime. I love all of it every time. I wouldn't recommend another place. For anyone thinking about getting a tattoo or piercing especially their first one, they should come here. There are a lot of tattoo shops in Pittsburgh that might be cheaper but in this case you get what you pay for. It is a more expensive shop but it's so worth it. I can't even express to you in words how much more worth it it is. You will never be disappointed. If you're unsure of how something will look, they will give you their opinion and help you figure it out. I love this place and the people there. They're fantastic. read more