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    Big City Body Art

    4.5 (64 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 8:00 PM

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    Services - Big City Body Art

    Gauging or stretching

    Tattooing

    Big City Body Art Photos

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    Recommended Reviews - Big City Body Art

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    Mike that isn't true I never went to another shop and I didn't decline examination. I visited your shop twice once for examination when you were at your son's soccer game as Maddie stated and then I had to wait 2 hours until you could arrive and examine it . When we met you hadn't once ask to see it or the pictures. I even offered to show you . You declined and said we have video and audio . You then narrated the conversation to seem as if I'm the one in the wrong fit be dissatisfied and then got loud and stood up over me to intimidate me . Unfortunately that didn't work on me . You then waved and flouted the $100 at me as if that was the source of motivation for me . I express that I would have let yall fix the piercing if I would have received an apology for the huge mess up . What you say your business stands for doesn't reflect how you treat customers and the service provided . Mike shouldn't be a business owner let alone managing anyone .

    Navel piercing
    Robin C.

    Went here on a limb to get a piercing with my friend, I got my navel pierced and my friend got her nose pierced. The staff were nice but kept pushing their aftercare kit, but I guess it's their job. But all in all the shop was clean and they did what was asked for. The only grip I have is I got my belly pierced and the piercer put the piercing in upside down but that's an easy fix.

    Beautifully healed nose piercing by Dave. Will return for more piercings.
    Sydney W.

    Amazing piercing experience with Dave. I've had my nose pierced in the past and it hurt so bad .. with Dave, it was quick and painless. Dave also did my moms and she loves hers too.

    Lea H.

    I can not say enough about how happy I am with big City Tattoos . I am a much older (73) customer than they normally come in for a tattoo. I wanted something very simple but was nervous about getting a tattoo. Dave ashored me it would be fine. Eric who did my work was very professional an considerate of my nervousness. I am very very happy with my new ink! Thank you Big City Tattoos!

    This is what I wanted...
    Sylvia G.

    The service was terrible. I came in with my mind made up just to be criticized on my choice of tattoo. It was called lame, I was told I was broke, and to top it off, I was told it was basic. Yet that's exactly how I felt about his new idea of what I should have gotten to remember my mom! He is talented at pieces, but at writing words he suck, the cursive writing wasn't something I wanted him to tattoo on me. He wanted $300.00 for a tattoo I absolutely hated, no thank you. Told me I didn't know what I wanted and I should have waited or rescheduled.(WTF) Yes I do, you just don't want to do your terrible drawing and so I lost on my deposit because I refused to settle. I'm ok with that because at least it's not a piece of work that I'd hate the next day imprinted on me. Needless to say, I will never be back for a tattoo. He criticized my other artwork as if he were God or king of tattoos, my child opinion of his overpriced value (basically each word was 100.00) smh, and me. He can fu$% off respectfully!

    Just got pierced

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    4 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    Mike A.

    Thank you!

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    2 years ago

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    10 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    Mike A.

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    1 year ago

    I loved Maddie...such a great experience! Her guidance made all the difference on the decisions I made.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    Mike A.

    Thank You!

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    Mike A.

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    4 years ago

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    Mike A.

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    3 years ago

    I had three piercings done here. Great customer service and awesome piercings. I will be returning for my tattoos!!

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    Mike A.

    Thank you!

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    2 years ago

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    Mike A.

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Mike A.

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great quality people, I would recommend for anyone looking for a new piercing or tattoo

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    Mike A.

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    Mike A.

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    3 years ago

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    Mike A.

    Thank you! His name is Dave.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Big City Body Art

    Do you do walk ins? Also, would a double helix be double the price of a regular helix?

    All of our prices are fora single piercing so yes it would be double. Walk ins are welcome but appointments take priority. Appointments can be made through our website www.bigcitybodyart.com.

    Are you guys doing nose piercings right now? And if you are how much is it ? Thanks

    Yes we are. We are as of 1/15/21 not doing any oral piercings due to Covid. For those seeing this answer please call 240-482-6162 for updates on piercing statuses. Thank you.

    How much would a small tattoo be? Do I have to br 18?

    Tattoos are not menu board items so price varies for each and every tattoo. We only price in person. We also do not tattoo anyone under the age of 18.

    How much do they charge for nipple and navel piercings?

    Nipple piercings start at $80 for the pair and includes basic jewelry. Navel starts at $50 and includes basic jewelry. Upgrades are available. Piercings are walk in first come first served.

    How much do they charge for ear piercings (tragus, helix, rook, etc)?

    My helix was $40 for the piercing, then the prices for any jewelry upgrades vary!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Big City Body Art

    Dave is truly an expert piercer, has outstanding chairside manner and explains what he's doing.

    Mentioned in 24 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Bad Decisions Tattoos and Piercings

    Bad Decisions Tattoos and Piercings

    3.0
    (8 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    Had a great experience getting my ears pierced. Looks really cool, super clean shop. Highly…read morerecommend for getting pierced. Was quick and painless​

    extremely poor, negligent and UNSAFE piercing experience. ended up on 2 anti-biotics for infection…read more UPDATE 2 (1/24/26): I did receive a text after my review was posted (photo attached) but it didnt acknowledge the procedural mistakes or even ask how i was doing at a bare minimum. It just stated i was "removed from the system"- which clearly isnt true as I received a BOGO promo text from them a couple of hours ago. I blocked the other number after that initial text because it was distasteful and lacked accountability... i have no interest in a private "discussion" with a business that deflects blame for a medical infection onto the customer. regarding the infection, the blistering and pain requiring antibiotics started within 48 hours which is a timeline that points to procedural negligence NOT aftercare. I have 13 other piercings and know the protocol very well. blaming "ear trauma" and aftercare is just a way to avoid taking responsibility for poor technique and a complete lack of professional standards. I dont need a private phone call to explain that the negligence happened in the chair, not at home. the responsibility for what went wrong lies entirely with John's actions, not my aftercare. Leaving both my review and the owner's response visible so others can see the full exchange and decide for themselves. my intention is not retaliation, it's transparency. UPDATE 1: after my review i received a text from the other owner, Toy. She said they removed me from their system so i wouldnt get unwanted texts and that they "appreciate the feedback".... no apology or basic check-in. im disgusted. it's so insulting to treat a serious infection and a mangled ear like a minor customer service annoyance. they show zero accountability and are clearly trying to wash their hands of the situation. based on my experience this shop is DANGEROUS and they dont care who they hurt as long as they can delete your contact info. ORIGINAL REVIEW (1/22/26): i had an awful experience at this shop and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. i came in as a walk-in and the owner John, who did my piercings, talked about being overwhelmed and frustrated by how busy it had gotten. it made me feel like he was rushing and i wish i had just went elsewhere as it was clearly rushed. it was all downhill from there i came in for 3 new piercings and John made repeated, SERIOUS mistakes. one piercing had to be done TWICE because he admitted he pierced it at the WRONG ANGLE!! and another, he stopped right before and questioned whether the area had been cleaned (I told him it hadn't). for my daith, he immediately said he used the WRONG SIZE NEEDLE for the jewelry and whatever he did to force the jewelry in was EXTREMELY painful!!! WTF I literally can't make this up! NONE of it was properly done or handled with care at ALL. the entire process was chaotic, careless and unsafe. Additionally, when i asked him to swap out an existing jewelry piece (arguably the easiest part of this appt), he didn't notice my baby /sideburn hair was getting caught in the thread of the jewelry... which was uncomfortable and easily avoidable. I only found out when i tried to tuck my hair back and couldn't because it was so tangled... an easily avoidable mistake if he was actually paying attention. With my daith there was excessive bleeding and a lot of unnecessary handling of my ear. the pain is far beyond anything ive EVER experienced, not even exaggerating. i already have multiple cartilage piercings (tragus, conch, rook) and have gotten 3 ear piercings, at once, on two other occasions and have absolutely never had anything like this happen. my ear is severely swollen and i had to seek medical treatment- taking a prescription antibiotic 4 times a day and round-the-clock ibuprofen. i am including several photos because the swelling speaks for itself. i feel obligated to be honest because this wasn't just a bad experience, it felt negligent. the owner also offered a confusing discount that didn't even match his own pricing policy but no amount of money excuses the throbbing pain and infection i am now treating.

    Photos
    Bad decisions, tattoos, and piercing shop
    Bad decisions, tattoos, and piercing shop
    Bad Decisions Tattoos and Piercings
    Flowers

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    Flowers
    Brilliance Piercing

    Brilliance Piercing

    4.8
    (160 reviews)
    25.8 mi
    $$$

    I initially came here to get my ears repierced after they closed up during my postpartum period. I…read moreswallowed the high price tag expecting premium service, but their customer service is completely rigid and lacking any basic empathy. Be prepared to spend hundreds of dollars once you factor in the premium jewelry they require you to purchase. Their piercing appointments are scheduled for an hour, yet the actual piercing only takes about 5-10 minutes. A significant portion of the appointment is spent discussing and selling jewelry. The real problem came with the follow-up downsizing appointment. After they emailed me to schedule it, the earliest availability was about a month out. As a new mom coordinating childcare for a baby and making a 40-minute drive through NoVA traffic is not easy. The downsizing appointment itself is only scheduled for 20 minutes, which made what happened next even more frustrating. Unfortunately, there was a lot of traffic on a Saturday and I arrived 12 minutes late. When I got there, a front desk lady met me at the door and refused to let me in. My appointment was canceled on the spot because I hadn't called or texted to say I was running late. I was driving and not checking my phone, which apparently didn't matter. There was no flexibility, no understanding, and no sympathy whatsoever for any circumstances. I was told another client was waiting in their car. So after waiting a month for an appointment, arranging my schedule around a baby, and driving 40 minutes, I left without receiving any service at all. Their policies may be their policies, but customer service matters too. The experience felt cold, inflexible, and completely dismissive. Given how much time is built into their appointments and how heavily they emphasize jewelry sales, I was surprised there was absolutely no flexibility for a customer who was a little late due to traffic. There are plenty of piercing studios out there, and after this experience, I would absolutely not waste time here. The prices are already high, and the lack of consideration for customers and new moms made me feel like a lesser person.

    I got a helix piercing on both ears as redo from a previously botched job. I'm really happy to have…read morefound them because they actually educated me on piercing care, proper piercing process, etc. it was taking my piercings so long to heal, and I found out that they were pierced at an angle and weren't really going to heal. So I had to let them heal before I could get it done right. I had mostly had Jen do the piercings and the downsizing when it came time. She always gave feedback and was very patient with my questions as well. Tobias was the last person I saw for what was supposed to be a last downsize before I'm set until they heal, but they recommended I stick with the current post. So I actually didn't have to have anything else done. Now, I'm just waiting for my helixes to heal! Here are some more information that may help you determine if Brilliance Piercing is the studio for your piercing needs: they require appointments for any type of service (no drop-ins/walk-ins); they only work with jewelry they have for sale (I believe this is to ensure that the quality of the jewelry is top-notch and they know exactly the metal content - optimal healing conditions); when you have an appointment, you can't bring anyone with you; their jewelry are quite pricey, but not much more than other studios around. Their team is always upbeat, friendly, patient and knowledgeable: they will answer any question you may have and also always ensure you are aware of anything important regarding your piercing after care, etc. They have a wide selection of jewelry appropriate for whatever piercing you're getting! I'm happy with my experience and will come back for more piercings when I'm ready! I trust their professional opinions and also feel comfortable with the quality of their services. Definitely recommend.

    Photos
    Brilliance Piercing
    Brilliance Piercing
    Brilliance Piercing

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    Big City Body Art - piercing - Updated August 2026

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