Before reading: I've only gotten piercings from Nathan's. Never a tattoo but that doesn't mean they wouldn't be my first choice for a tattoo if I were to get one, I have just never look into it.
Okay! Nathan's Tattoo and Piercing and I have had a great 3-year relationship so far. I love it there. When I was 17 I first went to get my first new set of ear piercings for a graduation gift for myself. Since I had to have my mother's permission, I did not get sent home with a paper for her to sign, they actually asked me some questions, got my mother's cell number, then called and asked her those questions to see if they matched! They were completely random questions about myself that I'm sure no one would know but my mom. It was awesome. I got pierced and was out of there in a second. That was with Nathan and he was beyond amazing and professional. He talked to me to distract me from the piercing and I didn't know he was putting the needle in until it was already done.
The next few times I went there were all for more ear piercings. I have had a total of 7 done there and each time has been as good as the last. I believe it was over 3 visits that I got all 7 of them done. Nathan has done a majority but Donnie did one.
Donnie has been the only other person to touch my ears other than Nathan. At first she pierced them because Nathan was out and no one else was around. The shop was busy and she rushed around. She didn't really talk to me while I was there and another piercer rang me up. To be honest, I thought she was kinda rude compared to Nathan so that visit in particular was a 3/5 but she didn't do anything short of making sure everything was clean like Nathan would.
My latest visit is literally 2.5 hours before writing this post. It was a huge piercing for me since I was unsure about it and it was my first step into true body mods after swearing I would get no more piercings. It was my nipples. I called on Thursday (the 10th) and spoke to Sean about getting them done. He gave me a price and honestly I was excited and thought HE would be doing them but he wasn't there :( We had a cool conversation on the phone so I would have been happy to get them done by him but instead I got them done by Donnie. The person who did my ears 2 years before this one. She remembered me too!
The process was pleasant. The shop was kinda busy so it sucked waiting but once she got there she started in on them in a professional manner and really respected the fact that I wanted to wait a few seconds before getting the next nip done (they hurt! and she was honest with me when I asked if they hurt more than ears!). She talked to me and she was really nice. Totally makes me see the last experience with her in a different light and I would def. go to her again if I had any other piercing questions or this piercing has issues.
These bad reviews are honestly coming from an experience but I think the environment of Nathan's is miles better than I expected and it's only gotten better over the years. It does get busy there so it can be a wait but you're really getting a better-than-hospital clean environment and a friendly staff. I've honestly recommended Nathan's for anyone who has wanted a piercing or a tattoo. They always give me a few anti-bacterial wipes, some sea salt, a care sheet, and a few cards. They sell a lot of jewelry and other things there so I most likely will go back in the few future and check out their jewelry collection. This place has earned their 5 stars and I'd give them 6 if I could. They also always have a bowl of fresh fruit out if you haven't eaten if you haven't eaten anything to decrease your chance of fainting!
Easily 5 stars. David did a really great job of calming me down before my tattoo. I wouldn't stop asking questions. At one point, I wanted to change my mind about getting a tattoo. I was so anxious up until he started. It was a lot less painful than I thought. However, the last three letters hurt a lot. He went from right to left. The last three letters were on a part of my rib where there is relatively less muscle and fat.
Random note, the place was empty. I kind of went near opening time. David also told me it starts to slow down because less people get tattoos during the winter. I would recommend you get a tattoo now. It'll be all pretty and clean by the time spring or summer comes around. I think they also give a free touch up after the first six weeks or first six months of getting your tattoo. You should ask.
My tattoo is a quote in Latin letters, which made me want to use a more traditional looking font. David made the tattoo look consistent with the font I brought in.
Right now, my scabs have fallen off and my skin is a little flaky. I've been putting on little fragrance free lotion as directed.
I'm going to upload a picture of my tattoo in the photo set. It's so pretty, thank you David!
Went in yesterday with a picture of the quote "Peace of mind comes from within" & a lotus flower underneath it that I wanted done on my right forearm & talked to the artist Chris about it. He was really patient with me & sat down with me to pick out fonts that I liked & what colors I wanted to incorporate for the flower. He did a light sketch of it with me & then told me to come back the next day (today) so he could draw it all up.
Came in today & waited a while to get started, the original sketch accidentally got tossed out so he had to re-draw everything today. He told me it would look nice to throw in some more colors to the flower & I agreed. I told him I was a little bit nervous about getting this tattoo & he told me not to worry & that everything would be all good. The line work went by really quickly & didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would. He gave me a little break before he started coloring in the flower & asked me if I wanted a soda or anything. The artists & piercers do a great job of making you feel comfortable & at ease. The whole process went by a lot faster than I thought & he did such an amazing job. I'm really glad I listened to his ideas & went with them because it turned out perfect.
This is my 3rd place getting a tattoo, I've never stuck with one place because the jobs just weren't that great or the people didn't make me feel comfortable but after hearing a lot of great reviews on this place I'm glad I finally tried it out & would definitely come back here for more tattoos & piercings.
Todd did an amazing job on my neck ink. thank you for permanently adding my 2 passions music and hairstyling scissors. everyone was super friendly and fun to be around.
Todd was very clean and professional which I never really pay attention to even though it should be the most important!
he had such a good light hand I seriously was falling asleep while getting worked on. but most important the vibe and style of the place  is awesome, Todd will definitely be doing my next piece of work!
Todd next time, I'll bring the Werther's candies I love those old man candies! lol
I am constantly complimented on everything i have done at Nathan's! Even by 80 year old women! :) Never disappointed. I get tattoos here and piercing, always impressed with the knowledge of the artists when receiving any service. Chris does most of my tattoos, and I have seen all of the piercing artists. Excited to get some work from some of the other tattooers!
Review Source:This is basically everything a tattoo n' piercing place should be- friendly and cool, but also very clean and professional. Needles can make a cat nervous, but the folks at Nathan's put you at ease- they know what they're doing, they're nice, and everyone's having fun.
A couple highlights that stood out to me:
$100 minimum and $150 for every additional hour for tattoos. There are cheaper places, but you can't put a price on trust, and I trust these guys.
All the art is done out in the open. There are 4 or 5 beds in the same room, where different artists are tattooing/piercing different clients and it's easy to see what everyone is getting and chat other clients up. I thought this added a fun, community vibe, especially since this place has been really busy every time I've been here, BUT if you're getting a tattoo or piercing in a place you wouldn't want others to see, I'd call and check if they have a separate room for that.
Artists are talented. I've seen both complicated things done here and straight-forward old-school things done here. I might look for someone who specializes in portraits or linework if I ever wanted a tattoo that looked EXACTLY like someone or something, but for the most part, if you've got a concept they can pull it off, and it will be symmetrical, placed well, and designed by someone with chops.
They do walk-ins and they do them well, but if you're picky, make an appointment or come in with exactly what you want all ready to go. They have to fit walk-ins into a pretty busy schedule, so there's not really time to redraft a million versions of the tat design.
They have so much cool body jewelry! Really cool! And more gauges than I've ever seen! They have huge stuff, intricate stuff, an interesting variety of materials, and looks that range from beautiful and feminine to tribal and unusual to old school and punk.
And, in case you were wondering, the eponymous Nathan is a sweetheart.
Came back real soon (about a month later), checked their FAQs online and saw that it was better to come in to talk to the tattoo artists and they do walk-ins (A+++), I came in about 5:15 PM and Nathan was at the front and I told him what I wanted done and then Captain Todd came out and talked to me about the tattoo. Super simple tattoo and he was really nice and helpful. Finished the design and size I wanted by 5:30. Got cleaned up and then started right away, finished quickly because it was a small tattoo behind my ear. Loved how quick everything was. Got free touch-ups up to 6 months after the tattoo.
Review Source:I took my daughter there to get her nose pierced on the recommendation of an acquaintance. Â We had gone to their website and was happy with what we saw. Â When we got there, Kari showed us all the studs and prices. Â She could have easily sold my daughter a bigger stud (more money), but told her the littler one was more subtle. Â We then went back to her area and watched as the stud and instruments were being sterilized. Â As this was being done, she explained to my daughter the process and how she should care for it. Â My daughter was very happy with her piercing and I was very impressed with the whole procedure. Kari was great!! Â I'm sure we will be back again!
Review Source:I absolutely LOVE this place. Such a positive and friendly environment. Donnie and Sean rock!! I have been coming here for a few years and I always have a nice time. The piercers and tattoo artists are very knowledgeable about their subject. The place is so clean and very decent. Nathan is one of the nicest guys in the world. He is so awesome! Can't wait to get more body art done here. ^.^
Review Source:For awhile now I've been debating on wether to get a triple forward helix piercing. Â I did the research and wanted to make sure it was done well and looked good (obviously) but I was hesitant. Â I wanted to go to a good place and so I asked people and I looked at yelp. Â I was also concerned because I Â knew it can take a long time to heal and there are risks as with any piercing, but I worked up the courage.
 When I called for an appointment the girl who answered the phone was a bit scattered.  I heard a rustling of the phone and all the sudden I was speaking to the piercer Donnie. She said I didn't need an appointment I could just walk in.  She started telling me about how she's seen a lot of triple forward helix go bad and a lot done poorly, and they take forever to heal.  She said wasn't trying to discourage me but I kinda felt like she was, she just seemed annoyed...so maybe I got her at a busy/bad time?  She ended up making me more nervous than anything... But I think she meant well in trying to inform me.
 Yesterday, the day of my piercing, I walked in and I had to wait about 15-20 min because the piercer Sean had to step out but when he arrived he was really nice, and laid back.  He took one look at my ear and said it was a great ear for that piercing.  He did recommend however to only do 2 for now then wait a month and come back for the last one since it is a lot of Trauma to the ear at once.  I was so relieved.  Not only could it be done but he knew what he was doing.  Some of my fears were gone and I was excited again.  He really put me at ease.
 The actual piercing itself didn't hurt as much as I thought it would, the second hole hurt a little bit more than the first and once he got to the second hole I started getting light headed but he just had me lay down for a bit and brought me some water and a piece of candy.  It looks so pretty.  I cant wait to go back and get my 3rd.
5 stars for Sean! Â Thank you!
Update: Got my last one done, healing great, looks awesome!
That 2 star review below really bugged me, so I feel like it's time for a review update... !!
So I've been coming to Nathan's tattoos and Piercings for quite a while now.. Donnie was the one to do the first piercing there and she was lovely!
I've since been pierced by Sean, who is really great.. The piercing experience is always nice and quick and I feel really comfortable with him. Thank you Sean to help me with my little "freak out" the other day (1st inner ear piercing)..
I still think that the shop is ace... Easy to get to, easy parking.. Most importantly, super clean!!!
Mmmmm what else.. Their jewelry selection is great too...
Anyways, if you're in teh valley and wanna get pierced than I definitely highly recommend to pop in... :))
I went here for my first tattoo. I was greeted pleasantly and met my artist Joey Travers. He was very polite and comforting. He explained every step thoroughly to me and really made me understand exactly what was happening. It was a very simple design, but I am thrilled with how it turned out. He gave me great instructions on how to care for it.
I also loved how clean the place is. Everything was professional. Most tattoo parlors are described using the word "sketchy." Nathans is NOT one of these places. These guys are awesome but be warned there is a 100 minimum payment for a tattoo.
I used to love Nathan's but the service has gotten worse over the past two years I've been going there. The last few times I've gone in to get a piercing have not been pleasant. I've gotten pierced by all the piercers, I believe. Nathan and Karrie are both good piercers, gentle and attentive. Donnie and the other guy piercer can't remember his name) are the opposite. They are both extremely rough and Donnie seems to forget she's piercing you and starts conversations with the tattoo artists. One time I went in and she was piercing some girls nose and walked away to start a conversation with someone! The last straw for me was that I went in to go change my hoop in my cartilage to a stud and as the guy(the one I can't remember his name) was changing it he told me I had a bump on the back of my ear. I knew that I had one but since I can't see the back of my ear I figured it was not that bad. I had to come back in two days later because the piercing was killing me. I definitely needed a longer post, which he did not recommend when he noticed the bump. Donnie took out the piercing for me, ignoring my questions as she was pulling it out and talking to the tattoo artists...again. I have since found a new place to get pierced and can't say that I will ever go back to Nathan's. I will say though that they are extremely clean and have a nice selection of jewelry. If you are going to get pierced there make sure it's a day that Nathan or Karrie can do it for you.
Review Source:Everyone there is really nice and the place is super clean. I went to get a piercing changed out because it had been irritating me for a long time. Donnie told me how to clean it properly (Velvet Grip in West Hollywood told me to clean it with antibacterial soap which is a HUGE no-no), and when she was taking out my old ring, she found it just "hanging" on my piercing. WTF? She fixed me up and I'm going back to see her in a couple weeks to have it adjusted.
Even though it's a little far for me, I'm DEFINITELY going there for any other piercings or tattoos in my future.
What I Love:
*The mural outside of the building.
*Walked in. No wait.
*The decor. Funky and fun.
*The ambience. Totally chill on a Wednesday afternoon.
*Donnie. Professional, sweet, kind, knowledgeable.
*Roomy. I was comfortable and so were the three children I'd brought with me.
*CLEAN. Donnie opened the package with the needle and toothpick in front of me and explained how they were all clean and sanitized.
*Painless. I'd made the mistake of piercing the other ear's cartilage at Claire's about 18 months ago, and couldn't hang with it. Awful experience all around. This was easy-peasy (yeah, I said "easy-peasy"!).
*Candy. My niece was all excited about the retro-Skittles that still has the lime-flavoured skittle.
*Parting Gifts. An adorable little bag with my after-care instructions, piercing care lotion, q-tips, etc. Oh, and two of my favorite flavours of Jolly Ranchers. Coincidence? I think not!
*Donnie. Did I mention Donnie? She totally discounted my service! Just because she's nice!
*Fake accents. My nephew had dared me to rock an accent until we left. So I did. And that was silly and fun.
What I Did Not Love:
*Parking in an alley. While I felt totally safe in the middle of the afternoon, and it's a pleasant walk to the front door, it's still an alley. ::shrug::
*That's all. :)
Went with my friend here to get her lip pierced on the whim.
As far as getting my friend's lip pierced, the piercer was nice in recommending where to get it and what type of jewelry to use because of how full my friend's lips are.
Upon completion, the piercer reached for a goodie bag with items on how to care for her piercing. Â She went over all the do's/don'ts and what is normal versus what is not.
Place is very clean.
Layout is organized -from waiting area, piercing area, and tattoo area
People were attentive and helpful.
I would come back here if I wanted to get another body piercing.
I came in yesterday because I took out my belly button piercing off thinking I should clean it (I shouldn't have, you need to wait until the piercing is completely healed before taking it off). I am very paranoid about anything done to my body, so I wanted to go to a clean and professional place to put the jewelry back in (the wound was closing up). I am not from the Valley but I was around the area for the day, Â this was the most highly rated place in the area--although it looked a bit shady from the outside, but it was great! It was suuuuuuuuppppppeeeerrrrr clean, and the people there are so helpful, down to earth, and just very professional. Honestly, I wish I would have done my piercing originally here. Â
The only thing that was frustrating was the long wait, almost 1.5 hours, not sure if they take appointments.
I felt like they were kinda pricey, but I have no idea what the piercing industry is like so maybe they're ok. Starting service was a little slow, and I waited a while before finally getting pierced ...but Sean R did my dermal anchor perfectly and I haven't had any trouble with it. I would go there again (If I can save up another 80-85 bucks, haha)
All in all, the worst partvwas the wait.
Ok for starter I am not a tattoo kind of guy at all. Â I never am going to get one or any other kind of piercing. Â But my daughter has gotten two piercings from here and I think they do AWESOME work. Â The staff is super friendly and happy to go over everything with you. Â They really want to make sure you are comfortable and leave with just what you wanted. Â The free hand work I saw was pretty impressive and these folks are not just tattooers but artists as well. Â The whole joint is clean and they go the extra mile to show that to you. Â The have great hours and the prices are good.
Review Source:I didn't actually get a piercing or tattoo here but I did come to get my cartilage ear piercing removed so I could put a different one in. I had just gotten it done a few weeks before getting it removed and I guess my ears can't handle earrings like the ones that your first supposed to put in so my ear was infected. The lady that helped us out was kind enough to explain to me how to take care of it from here on out and took the earring out with pliers as gently as possible. I would have preferred if she did this free of charge from the bottom of her heart, but five dollars was fine with me too. I feel like they really know a lot about their craft along with providing good service
Review Source:I am so impressed. Â First Nathan really understands the mind of a customer. Â Way to go man. Â By the way, your home-made fudge rocked. Â Second, Todd is an amazing artist, and quite a special person. Â I was very comfortable, but more importantly I felt like my health and safety were a priority to him. Â It certainly helped that he is an amazing artist. Â I'd also like to note to any potential customers, that the place is CLEAN. Â I mean CLEAN! Â Bathroom, floors, counter tops etc. Â Way to go Nathan. Â I hope you stay in business many more profitable years so I can continue to get my tats in your shop.
Review Source:Excellent shop! I got my first cartilage piercing done by Nathan. He explained everything to me and was not at all in a rush. He explained the care process and the details about the difference earrings. This is definitely a clean shop; they assure you with every step that they are following all safety precautions. As a bonus, they also have free and spacious parking in the back to avoid a headache.
Review Source:I wanted my nose pierced and was referred to Nathan's by many of my friends. Called for info and spoke with Nathan himself. He is a very friendly man and was extremely helpful. Made me feel comfortable instantly. Went the same night to get it done. Wait was about 5-10 mins. Nathan pierced my nose as well. He talked me through the whole procedure and sat with me afterwards to explain cleaning care. I HIGHLY recommend him for a piercing. I gave 4 stars because of the front desk guy. He wasn't very welcoming and had a bit of an attitude. Not something I want to experience when I'm about to get a needle through my nose! Otherwise, amazing place. Thanks Nathan!
Review Source:Wasn't able to get the tattoo the same day we scheduled but they provided such excellent customer service. Yes, it was unfortunate that they forgot about our tattoo after a week of waiting for it, but they were willing to give us our deposit back and tried to look for a better resolution and that customer service right there is something I definitely could recommend to people. They will make sure you can't give them a 5 star rating even after a bad performance on their behalf.
I recommend this place not only for their customer service, but my wife has gotten numerous piercing here and they are very clean and professional. I regret getting my tattoo somewhere else but they are an awesome crowd!
I recently has a nostril piercing at Nathan's with Kari. She was impressive; friendly, very knowledgeable, explained each step as she went and generally took great care. I also spoke with Todd about a future tattoo and found him to be friendly and informative also. Great place, I highly recommend it. Especially for nervous first-timers!
Review Source:I had my septum pierced years ago and my first experience was a nightmare. The piercer had to re-pierce it three times on one side because he had pierced it crooked EACH TIME, UGH, I ended up taking it out a few months later.
A few weeks ago I started to miss it and decided i'd give it another shot but this time i'd try a new place. I searched yelp and asked friends for recommendations...
Reviews and recommendations brought me here
I made an appointment with Kari, based on all her awesome reviews and this is my addition.
Kari is fantastic, she's friendly, professional and very accommodating, she was quick but very precise.
I will most definitely return and request her each time.
This review is for Kari, piercer extraordinaire. Â I was apprehensive about getting my piercing, and had lots of questions about aftercare, healing time, etc. Â Kari took the time to explain everything to me, even with me being a walk-in client. Â She was extremely professional and friendly. Â My experience was so great that I took my best friend back to Kari to get pierced as well. Â My friend was being a big baby, but Kari took it in stride, teased her a little bit about it, and put her totally at ease. Â She even crammed 2 extra of us into the tiny room to provide moral support. Â I have had no problems with my piercing, and I will recommend Kari to everyone! Â Thanks for a great experience!
Review Source:Love Nathan's!
I came in here to get my bellybutton piercing re-done. I got it when I was 16 and it was a distaster, the other place left it crooked and way too low, it looked horrible. So two years later I come in here and Kari ends up re-doing it for me. She went through all of the steps, ensured that everything was sterilized, etc! She wanted to try and make the original hole/scar not extremely visible so she placed my second piercing in a location where it kind of almost covered my first one. It came out PERFECT! Yes you can still see the scar, but no one notices that I got it done twice unless I really point it out! She's the BEST!
I am getting my next  dream catcher tattoo done here. The staff is really friendly and gives great honest estimates for what you want done!
A+
Awesome place. Â My girlfriend had a bad belly-button piercing that was having problems, so we came here based on the reviews.
Initially it didn't seem as clean as I would've wanted it, but upon closer inspection it was spotless. Â Just older decor.
The woman that helped us was very friendly, and very knowledgeable. Â Easily conveyed all the necessary information, and even hooked us up with a bit of a discount on the jewelry!
I wanted to get a new ring in my eyebrow... because the old one fell out and this guy laying on the couch announced that he could hook me up. The ring that he recommended that was then jammed through the hole that was previously there before. He then told me that he couldnt figure out how to push the ball in, so he said, "go into the bathroom and see if you could push it in yourself." After about 30 min of him doing this, Â another guy with dreads finally put it in(this guy was awesome). With a bleeding brow i then paid them 20 bucks and left, not realizing that he put the wrong size ring in( a 14 instead of a 16). Great man, now I apparently gauged my eyebrow. I came back in two days later for a refund. After it took 10 min to grab someones attention, the same guy said... "I usually dont do piercings."
Review Source:I love my Wrist dermal piercing!! Â ($85)
The staff treats you with TLC, informed you with pros and cons, and sent you home with a package of aftercare. Â
Kari prep me up; cleansed my skin and sterilized the surgical needle and the jewellery And Nathan-- the man himself performed the perforation to put in the dermal anchor, and then the gem is snapped onto it. Â Very quick procedure. Â Not as painful as I had anticipated. Â My dermal actually heals in two days.
parking in the back. Â highly recommend
This shop has been raved about a lot when I was in highschool (5 yrs ago) and I remember I got my belly pierced here around that time. My piercer I really didn't like his attitude, I forgot his name and I don't know if he's working there anymore but his work was great. I've got my tragus and helix pierced here and took several of my friends throughout the years. The owner Nathan who had done a couple of my piercings and helped me out when I had problems with my piercings is EXTREMELY friendly and very approachable.
Review Source:This review is particularly for Todd -- I've gotten multiple tattoos done by him now and he's just great. He's fast, laid back, funny, kind, and he does a great job. He is REALLY good at small, detailed line work, which is good for my OCD =P. He also modified a design I brought it so it would look better and age better as a tattoo and it was a gorgeous redesign (a damask-style top/bottom border with words in between). He gets excited about your tattoo designs and doesn't try to convince you to do anything you don't want to do. Can't wait for my next one!
Review Source:Ok I have to update because I went back a few months later because my nose was giving me so much trouble and my piercer was impossible to get a hold of. Â Kari looked at my nose and pretty much said my bump was common and I probably hit it in my sleep but it was no biggie and I just needed to wait it out and baby it more. Â She went through all of her cleaning tips and gave me a sample of hydrocordisone which in all of my research I never saw that tip but it worked for me that time and another time I got a bump. Â Kari is seriously so nice. Â She spent so much time with me even though she knew I wasn't spending money there and I would recommend her to anyone in the valley.
Review Source:Came in to get a new piece of septum jewelry and was helped by Donnie. She was awesome even they were super busy for a Sunday. I decided to come back the next day to get my second holes on my lobes pierced higher up to allow for stretching. Kari helped me find the perfect spot for my new holes, and really took her time to make sure they were perfectly even. I got a great deal and I would definitely come back!
Review Source:Great place! I have several friends who have had excellent experiences at Nathans and so I came here to get my very first tattoo. Everyone was really friendly and accommodating.
Really friendly, down to earth place with some amazingly talented piercers and tattoo artists! Have had several friends get piercings as well who are really happy.
Todd is an AWESOME tattoo artist and my friends and I keep coming back to fullfill our tattoo addictions!
A little overpriced if you ask me, but they provide an excellent experience in both piercings and tattoos. I got both my first piercing and my first tattoo there with Kari and John. They were both extremely patient with me, as I was a nervous wreck both times. And even though I spent more money than I'd like to, it's worth it because I'm being treated with respect, I can trust that everything follows federal regulations, and the quality is superb. I forgot to mention that every time that I've been there it has been a walk-in, and the wait wasn't loo long both times.
Review Source:they upgraded the place and i must say, it looks great! (even though personally i like checkered floors, hood rat valley, classic tattoo shops)
Nathan's is famous in the san fernando valley. especially for their master piercers Donnie and Kerry. They both are so educated and careful, im lucky they are the only people who have pierced me.
i miss going in there and just hanging out. friendly people who actually care about how your ugly face looks. five stars yo
Can I just say that Kari is the shit?
Last Friday I got my tragus pierced and I've been told countless times that the aftercare is a bitch.. but I ignored them and got it done anyway.
You can read my previous review to see how it went.
but anyway, this is about the customer service and how frigging amazing Kari is at making my life easier.
I'm at work and I notice that the right side of my face was not sparkling as I looked in the mirror. Â I put hair behind my ear AND ITS GONE. "WTF!!! OMG! WHAT THE HELL DO I DO!?" is exactly what went through my head about 45 minutes ago.
I immediately touch the inside of my ear and I feel that the back of the jewelry is still in place. Hmm.. I guess the front fell out cause it got too swollen..? Can that even happen?
Because I've only had the piercing for a week, I REALLY REALLY didn't want to take it out because
1. i don't want to spent another $60
2. it looked really ugly and I didn't want to see it with the hole exposed
I called Nathan's and i explained my situation and she said to push the jewelry through and to stop by later. well, i tried.. but I'm terrible at inflicting pain on myself because I'm the biggest chicken alive.. so I just went to Nathan's and hoped that she could fix the problem.
I walk in and inhale that familiar waft of cleanliness that rivals a hospital minus the scent of death and disease. Â I meet Kari and told her that I was the girl on the phone. She takes one look at it and says that the entire jewelry is still in there... my ear just swelled over it.
O_O"
omfg. i think all the blood drained from my face as my brain registered what she said to me. Â
That was pretty frigging painful, but it was quick. It felt like a million years, but it literally took 5 minutes and she talked me through the entire thing and made sure that I was OK. She replaced it with something 2 sizes bigger and my ear feels beyond relieved.
After the longest 5 minutes of my life, she went through the cleaning process again and the best part was that it was FREEEEEEE.
I LOVE KARI!!
They pride themselves on being superrr clean, and they live up to their reputation!
Came here to get my tragus re-pierced for my 17th birthday, and Nathan's impressed even my super-squeamish mother. The piercer (I really wish I could remember her name) was super helpful with explaining the proper care for my piercing and how I went wrong the first time. 4 stars for the price, as it was $50 for just one ear! You get what you pay for though, as I paid 1/2 of that for the first time, and it got severely infected to the point that I was forced to take it out.
I also came back a few months later with my friend for her rib piece, and the tattoo artist (also forgot his name) was helpful with choosing a font (although he was a little stubborn about allowing her to change up what he wanted) and won bonus points with me for his story about refusing to tattoo a quote with incorrect grammar on some woman.
I recommend this shop to everyone that asks about my piercings. Just be prepared to spend a little more than you would normally.
I've been to Nathans a numerous amount of times. The people here are GREAT! Theres never been a time I came and everyone wasn't having a good time. Very clean shop, and their bathroom is decorated with baby pics of the employees! Lol. They play pretty rad music in here, except for once when I came and Nathan, the owner, was playing cheesy Christmas music. I mean I love Christmas music, but while I'm getting tattooed?? C'mon. Haha! Unfortunately, Manny, is no longer working here to do my tattoos. :( (He is now at Dolorosa in Studio City) But I have been wanting to come back to get a piercing. & I hear Donnie is the girl to go to! :) & they also sell some gnarley jewelry and awesome sailor jerry sweaters!
Review Source:Nathan's has a reputation as one of the best tattoo shops in the valley. This is a highly correct statement. You can either walk in through the back or front. When you walk in, it's an average tattoo shop with artwork and imagery everywhere - the music is great. The guy behind the counter is so nice and so friendly - he'll offer everyone a glass of water, some fruit, candy...etc. He's awesome. My mom and I walked in and I was able to score a 6:00 pm appt with Javier. Okay, there is where the bad part of the review comes in.... I had to wait like an hour or so for my actual tattoo which kind of sucked but my mom says it's pretty standard to sometimes wait because people will need to take breaks in between tattoos.
Anyway, my tattoo is beautiful. Javier only did the outline but it's perfectly outlined and he went over it to make sure that the lines were solid. He also added in shading already to the outline so it's not plain looking in between the time it heals.
I highly recommend this shop and just make sure to call your artist about 30 minutes before your appt to make sure that you don't end up having to wait so long.
nathan's is awesome!
its a super clean shop and everyone that works here is knowledgeable and personable.
i have had ear cartilage piercings and my monroe done by nathan... as well as sean for multiple dermal piercings. i have also been helped by donnie and kari with jewelry and i have always left satisfied. they are all very good at what they do and i would go to any of them for a piercing.
i have also had work done by javier who fixed up an old tattoo and made it look like brand new. and i have had awesome work done by christina and eric.
all of the artists in this shop are talented and its a major plus that the shop always looks clean.
Sean, the piercer, made very interesting conversation and did the job (putting in my new nose hoop) flawlessly. If you'd like a knowledgable and existentially-profound piercer, ask for Sean at Nathan's shop.
PS this is THE only piercing/tattoo place I go to in the valley. Very trustworthy business and they always deliver the highest quality
i love Nathan he's so knowledgeable and so it Kari. They are the only two reasons i go there to get my piercings. Nathan just pierced my navel and helped me out with my nipple piercings. Kari did my nose. still need to get more done, so for anything, im going to them. they are <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbomb.com&s=bb4f996415a9c2f21137e27cfb68f439a48cec2652b53e9b50dd7e766dbe177e" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://bomb.com</a> and people you can trust
Review Source:Went back again last week to get a lip piercing and my every expectation was met. Nathan was the one who did the actual piercing. He made sure it was in a place that I like it with a little dot before hand and walked me through the piercing step by step, explaining to me what size the needle was and how it worked. I actually went back last night to have it switched out for a smaller bar as the swelling had gone down and I was biting the back of it when I ate.
I love this place. Plain and simple.
For my first tattoo I knew exactly what i wanted and where i wanted it. This place was recommended to my by my friend whom got her two tattoos here. She said to ask for her artist, but he wasn't there so instead Todd asked if he could help me out.
I explained to him what i wanted and he said that he'd be more than happy to help me out. We booked the appointment for the next day and said that he'd draw something up and get it done.
I've waited to write this review to be sure I liked it since I got the tattoo in april. It's not crooked, it's BEAUTIFULLY shaded in, It doesn't need touch ups (it's in color so that was a concern of mine) and frankly looks great.
Although the price was a little high, I'd rather pay more because cheap work ain't good and good work ain't cheap. (my tattoo is about 3 inches across, 2.5 inches tall, in color and it cost me 160)
I can't wait to go back for tattoos numbers two and three that are already planned out!
as a customer of nathans wonderful shop, i can honestly say that their customer service exceeds any shop in the valley, and even Los Angeles.
Donnie, Kari, Larry and Christina are amazing piercers and artists.
its funny that other shops create yelp accounts just to slander this shops name.
do yourself a favor and visit nathans!
I've only been to nathans a few times and every experience wasn't a good one. The first time I went I was getting my lip pierced and the guy doing it seemed like he was on something. The whole time he was piercing me he kept talking to the other girl working there.....uh hello I'm the paying customer, talk to me! They then made me purchase their sea salt when I told them I already had some...whatever. The price was already outragious for a horrible experience.
I personally refuse to get any other work done there but a friend of mine wanted to go check it out. We get there and we never get greeted, the girl sitting at the counter doesn't even acknowledge us. She then goes to the back and leaves us in the front waitin to talk to someone...anyone? She finally comes back up to the front and STILL doesn't say anything to us..wtf! Another girl walks in an guess what...she gets greeted and is asked what she needs!! The girl looks at us and then tells her that we were there first. I'm sorry but that bitch shouldn't be judging anyone and choosing who does or doesn't get help. Nathan himself sounds awesome but he definitely needs a new staff who appreciates his customers as much as he does.
Walked in for a consultation. Walked out with a rad tattoo. You see, that's just the kind of girl I am. Once my mind is made up, I don't procrastinate. I want what I want.
Not to say that I make rash decisions on a whim. Especially something so permanent, like a tattoo. I'd been thinking about it for a while and after hours of research found two phrases that have a lot of significance in my life. They describe me in 6 beautiful words.
Lucky for me, Todd was able to accommodate my same-day request. The man is good. Super knowledgeable, professional, laid-back & cool from start to finish. He explained what I should expect and had the best chair side manner. I wanted to get the tattoo on my shoulder. It's a challenging area but due to his mad skills he positioned the tattoo perfectly to avoid distortion that curves and bones could have potentially made. We played with the size and layout a little and it turned out amazing. I couldn't be happier with it. It was a bit more expensive than the shop I usually go to, but I don't mind paying for quality.
The referral to this shop came to my attention not once, but twice. Read the signs, people. It was the ink gods telling me it was that time again! First, the girl working the register at Urban Outfitters with some killer tattoos on her arms. Second, Vong N. who is now a trusted confidante. Show Todd this review, let him know I'm elite (which is..uh..kinda a big deal in the yelp world, lol), and say that I suggested you get a discount of some sort. You're welcome. :)
Other reasons why Nathan's isn't your typical tattoo shop:
-Clean & professional environment.
-Rear parking lot.
-They take credit cards!
-They guarantee their work. So if I want something touched up in the next few months, Todd will do it free of charge. Crazy cool.
I had heard great things about this tattoo shop, however, when my sister's and I went in for a very simple tattoo, I left knowing I had made a mistake by going here. Â First of all, when the "artist" made copies of the tattoo for all three of us, he made them different sizes, because he made the copies at three different times. Â So, now we have matching tattoos in three different sizes. LAME!!! Â Second of all, when he was working on my tattoo, I had noticed he continued to move over the same spot over and over again. Â I few weeks later, when it had totally healed, I noticed that the spot he went over a million times, wasn't holding the color. Â I went to a different shop, and the artist there said that he has scarred me. Â He tore up the skin by going over it too many times, so the color wont hold as well. Â
I've had to have it touched up since then, but it's still isn't how I would have liked it. Â Also, this artist must not know how to draw a straight line, because on all three tattoos, most of the lines are distorted and blotchy..... Maybe he was new to the business. Â Needless to say, I do not recommend going here!!!
I had a great experience getting my nose pierced here. Â Nathan himself pierced me. Â He was kind and calm and made me feel at ease (I hadn't had a piercing since I was in kindergarten!). Â It was a great experience.
When I had some weird healing issues, they were really helpful and I was able to treat myself at home with tea tree oil! Â Hooray!
I've been going to Nathan since he worked on the Venice Beach boardwalk (~1999). Â The guy is awesome. Â Very low key, but very nice. Â He's done a fair amount of tongue stretching for me, as well as my.... well you get the idea. Â Excellent technique. Â Sean (another piercer) has also done some excellent work. Â I haven't been pierced by Donnie, but she's been nothing but helpful when I've come in for jewelry. Â As for Tattoos, I've only had two tattoos done at this shop. Â The most recent one was by Julian. Â It's a small piece, but I'm quite satisfied. Â The other was about 8 years ago, but the artist hasn't worked there for years. Â I hear a lot of complaints on here about poor service, but I've never had that problem. Â Perhaps those people just weren't noticed (hiding behind the corner or something). Â
The most important thing for me is the hygiene of the shop. Â If you're buying jewelry that isn't in a sterilized sealed container/bag, they aren't going to let you leave until it's been autoclaved. Â THAT IS A GOOD THING! Â Most shops don't do this. Â The other thing I love is that tattoos are covered with surgical bandages. Â Most tattoo shops use saran wrap (like for covering a bowl of food you put in the fridge). Â That's bad for tattoos. Â I guess most shops do this so you can show it off to your friends, but I'd rather be able to have it heal properly then show it off. Â
I highly recommend this shop. Â It's certainly the cheapest shop in town, but it's worth the extra $, unless of course you don't mind a dirty shop. Â If you're unsure about where to go, what to get done, what it entails, and anything else that comes to mind, call ahead and see if Nathan is available. Â He's super knowledgeable and will ease your mind.
Nathan's has essentially every tattoo and or piercing related product ever invented in the history of the world, except six gauge captive bead rings, which I assume they do not have only because I was looking for them.
That kind of sucks, but it's not the kind of thing that's going to ruin my night. If anything, I'm glad I got a chance to look around and talk to the lady at the counter--she's pretty cool, and helpful to boot.
Three/three and a half stars.
I have been coming here for about 8 years for random body alterations. My favorite thing about Nathan's is that nobody is too cool to help you. The staff is very professional and will take their time to explain everything. I now come back here just for jewelry if necessary. I did have some work done on 1 of my tattoos by Christina and I cannot believe it turned out looking so beautiful, especially if you had seen what it started as. YAY Nathans!
Review Source:I got both of my tattoos here, I went to see a girl named Christina.
I recommend this place if you know exactly what you want, the prices are good too. Getting your first tattoo is always scary but they did a good job for my first time.
Like I said getting tattoos are always a huge decision and always be sure to ask for exactly what you want, they are patient there and will work with you.
I am so happy right now!!! :D
First off let me say that the experience I had here was quite pleasant. Today, I walked into Nathan's, and got my tongue pierced!!! YAY!! But first, a little back story...
Ever since I was 15, I wanted to get my tongue pierced. My mom said "No Way!" Two years ago, (I was 16) I got my navel pierced at another place, and my mom was there, she approved. But then that year I started acting up, and she attributed all my "bad behavior" to my piercing (ridiculous!) So she would NOT allow me to have any more piercings.
2months ago, I wanted to get my tongue pierced (finally) and I asked my friend who has a lot of piercings where to go. She specifically told me NOT to come here. She did not give a good reason, but I trusted her, since she has so many piercings!! Â I stayed away (ooooooooh!!!!)
But every couple days I would pass by the store and frown :'( Â because I wanted to get my piercing already!!!!
Enough of the sad story. So I am graduating in 3 days!! Class of 2009 woop woop! Â So today I wanted to get myself a graduation /late 18th b-day present. My piercing!!!
So I went to one shop... the piercer was 3 hours late! tsk tsk tsk... how unprofessional!
Another shop, sterilizing clamps... come back in 3 hours!!!?!?!?!
So, I was convinced God did not want me to get a piercing... then I went to Nathan's and HAAAAAllelujah!!! :D
I went in, and I was pierced by Nathan himself. He was very friendly and he made me laugh. He told me everything I need to know about aftercare, gave me a sheet to take with me, and answered all my questions. It hurt, but only for a second.
I have no idea why my friend would say not to come here! (wtf??) The shop is very clean and you can see all of the certifications on the wall, and they always use new sterile needles & equipment. You can see everything for yourself, etc.
My tongue piercing is awesome! I love it! Thank you so much!!! I will definitely be coming back here this summer for more!!!
As you can see, I highly recommend it...
Furthermore, I will tell my friend that she was WRONG! :P
Now, a few hours later, I'm getting used to it... having lots of ice water and raspberry iced tea! :) And my mom hasn't even noticed (YESSSS!)
 Just one problem: I am having trouble eating a fluffy donut my mom got for me, and tonight we are eating Dirty Rice for dinner (no spicy food!!!)
:'(
Since my lip ring was bent out of shape, so much that putting the ball back into place was an impossibility, a new one was definitely in order.
It took a while until someone came to help me, and ended up standing for a few minutes until the gent with the cell phone finally asked me if I needed any help. This time helped by a suspiciously super nice guy, named .. Bill(?), I gotta say I'm on the fence here. The reason why I say suspiciously is because of his forever friendly and seemingly pseudo caring tone of voice, while his body language openly displayed frustration. I'm not sure if the frustration was born elsewhere or from me or maybe a mix of both, but while his conversation was caring, his demeanor left me a wee bit intimidated. In his defence, the phone did ring three or so times, and an old couple spoke to him for a second time after he specifically told them who would be able to help them the FIRST time around. After hearing him speak with his coworkers, I think his friendliness really was sincere, since he carried the same tone with them. I'd be a little peeved with all those interruptions, too. All this occured while trying to put steel through my lip.
In the end, my poor brain tried to register two polar opposites in verbal and physical language and ended up being supremely confused so, I just sat there leaving idle chatter to a bare minimum.
He was, however, knowledgeable and definitely helpful with how I would be able to further maintain my piercing. Revamping my daily cleaning, he supplemented my knowledge on what I should use, how frequently, and how to apply them. Either way, I'll still keep on coming here. I probably just caught him on a bad day.
I recently moved to LA after living in Pittsburgh and Portland(a tattoo lovers paradise).  I had high hopes for Los Angeles, so far it has been a let down. I stopped by Nathan's after a job interview one sunny afternoon.  Sure I dressed in  slacks and a button up shirt but after 25 minutes inside Nathan's looking through the portfolios on the counter and occasionally looking up to see if there would be someone to make eye contact with I decided to leave. The place wasn't busy. I didn't hear more then one machine running. I did however see multiple people standing around having conversations in the work area. it is possible that they could have all been clients but two of them took the time to walk near me to use the computer behind the counter.
They even have a couple of decent artists, but i won't be getting tattooed there.
I've had 4 piercings done here (cartilage, navel, industrial and surface). They should really offer some sort of frequent buyer card or something.
One of them was a nape surface piercing by Donnie. She's awesome. Really professional, really cares about what she's doing. We must have spent 30+ minutes just griding and finding the right spot to pierce on my neck so that it was in the least likely to stress spot. It's been nearly 2 years since and my surface piercing is still in. I love it so much, she did a great job. I'm sure had I gone somewhere else, it would've rejected by now.
I brought my friend in to inquire about getting a tattoo. She had a couple ideas of what she wanted and someone nice behind the counter drew a suggestion that she ultimately chose to get tattooed. They're all real nice here. Great customer service.
The place is clean and open. They do well teaching you on the aftercare instructions. They don't have the best selection of jewelry but I usually end up buying my jewelry online after everything has healed anyway.
Nathan's is a great shop - clean and well run. I've had a piercing and a tattoo done here. Tattoo was not the best -- I can't seem to get a really great tattoo to save my life. I guess I just don't pick the best artists. Kinda dumb when you consider that it's on me for life! DOH!
But this review is more about the owner than the shop. In a word.....he's hot. I love that he doesn't have any tattoos (that we can see), but from what I understand he has quite a few that are for private viewing only - Â wink, wink. He's super professional and conducts his business like he's running a law firm -- with a somewhat serious dispostion. He's a good listener and quite honestly I'd like to bang him. There, I said it - I'd like to bang him.
Of course, my husband might have something to say about that!
I like them!
It's not the most diverse selection for jewelry, but they get some really top notch organics in that I dig. A pair of plugs from here inspired me to stretch my ears to a 00 (double zero), and with their help and a bit of time, I succeeded! They were really nice about helping me stretch in a healthy way so as not to tear my lobes. Nathan's a nice guy, and his gang of misfits are pretty cool themselves. I have not had or seen tattoos from these folks, so I'll leave that review to someone else, but they support local artisans by selling their work in shop (like paintings), and they will special order jewelry for your size, or ones they don't currently have if you ask real nice.
Need another hole in your face or some ink under your skin. Nathan's is the place. Everyone here is super friendly. They dont make you feel like an asshole for asking a question. I brought my neice here with a piercing from somewhere else gone bad. They took care of her, taught her how to clean it, and offered her a discount when she decided to get it re done the right way. They are so sweet, and have an amazing selection of Jewelery, Hats and all kinds of fun stuff!
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