I got my septum pierced by Adam, and it was a great experience. He was kind, and understanding of my fears, and it was relatively painless because of the no use of clamps (i hear that the clamp is the worst part of a septum piercing). He also made sure that i knew everything was sterile by showing me the autoclave test thing, which was nice. Both adam and farrah were sweethearts :)
Review Source:Sammy Way repierced my nipples (originally done in the late 90's)  and did a beautiful job. I drove down from Alameda on my wedding anniversary to have this done and was amazed by her talent, professionalism, and eye for symmetry. Sammy's a master of what she does and it's obvious that she's serious about technique and cleanliness. She's also an active APP member. If you don't know about APP or their standards, I encourage you to look at this: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.safepiercing.org%2Fhome%2Fwhat-is-the-app%2F&s=b4bc1fdbbc8ace2a9e8c48f080497dcc6db3567aaa7ce9b1e537804486f54e07" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.safepiercing.…</a>
*Tip: WAY Body Arts  has an *amazing*  selection of body jewelry, even better than what I've seen lately in Bay Area. Moreover, everyone is pleasant to talk to and work with there. I can't recommend Sammy or this shop enough. Santa Cruz is lucky to have them.
Okay, so Way doesn't really need another 5 star review, but they've just been so consistently excellent in every way that I have to add another. The service, friendliness, and the aesthetics of the place are probably the best of any business of any kind that I've encountered (not just in Santa Cruz). These are people who love what they do and are not pretentious about it. I love piercings but have super high anxiety about pain anticipation (*note* I've never actually been in notable pain getting stuff done here. It's just that same fear people get going to the dentist or getting a shot), but  Mateo (he has done all of my piercings) is really patient and kind and helps the experience be positive in of itself, not just a great after result.
Review Source:The trendsetters/innovators on the West Coast.
Positive Interactions on a wide array of your inquiries as well as a tangible passion that exudes organically from tried and true practitioners.
Jewelry selection is beautiful and the shop is clean and cozy. I will always recommend this place!!!
This is more of my daughter's review, not mine, Â so this is her story.
"So, yesterday ( May 24, 2013) I came in with my dad to get my ears pierced ( mind you, I've been wanting to have it done for 'millions of years' ) and when we came in there was a lady at the counter who was really nice. She showed me a variety of earrings, and I chose this really pretty blue gem pair of earrings. Then, there was a guy who was really nice too, who gave us (us as in me and my dad), a sheet for not only my dad to sign, but me also! I felt really grown up. Then, I met my piercer,he was really nice also, and he took my dad and I into a piercing room-sort of thing. And the actual piercing part did not hurt as much as I thought, and when I was about to look into the mirror, my dad told me that my ears were really red because they just had gotten pierced. I guess he was joking or something because when I looked, my ears looked perfectly fine. And my piercer took me outside to take some photos. That was one of my fave parts! Then, they gave me some cleaning solution and an aftercare sheet, and on the way home, I looked into the bag, and I saw CANDY!!!! I really liked it because ALL the people there ( including the ones at the tattoo part of the building, I did not get a tattoo) were the sort of people  that are really nice, but also takes kids and basically people under 18 seriously, so that was fun. I really liked it there. And now, I have pretty blue earrings!!! And next time I want to get a piercing (when i am older, obviously) I am definitely going to Way. Thank you!"
This is definitely my favorite spot to get pierced! Â The service is always friendly and I always leave feeling really good about my piercing and the way it was handled. Â I've gotten my conch and my rook pierced here separate times, both by Mateo. Â On both occasions he made me super comfortable and walked me through the whole procedure before he did anything. Â He even coached me through the breathing as well as how to maintain my piercing. Â I definitely know that I will come back here for my next few piercings. Â This place has got me hooked!
Review Source:This place is great! The atmosphere was wonderful too. As soon as I walked in I was helped and all of my questions were answered nicely. (Most places I have gone to treat you like a hassle). I got my nose pierced by Adam and he made me feel so comfortable! Definitely will come back to this place in the future for more piercings/tattoos. Thanks guys!
Review Source:I had gone to Industrial in Berkeley to do a tongue web piercing and they had accidently placed a smaller size jewelry than they should of and the bead was actually getting sucked in. I first went to Staircase and they just told me that they don't even do those piercings and that they were usually rejected and an overall a bad idea, which really pissed me off because I didn't ask for that opinion and they just brushed off the inflammation and the fact that the piece was to small. I went to WAY to see if they could help me out and they really did. The man who replaced the jewelry was very kind and gentle. He answered all the questions I had. Â And i went a week later to have the progress looked at and they examined it and gave me more advice. I am definitely going to come here for all my body modification needs and jewelry. Amazing service and great jewelry.
Review Source:I went in to get my belly button pierced and was absolutely terrified. Mateo was my piercer and is the nicest person ever ! He made me feel completely at ease and made sure that I understood their sterilization procedure as well as the piercing procedure. He talked me through the entire process and even asked to turn down the music of the place so I could hear him as he was piercing me. Overall a great experience and a job well done. My piercing looks great and is healing very nicely. I will definitely be coming back !
Plus, bonus points to Mateo for being extremely polite and always addressing me by my name.
AMAZING! I got my nose pierced by Samantha last night. I had to wait around for awhile, because she was SUPER busy (but that tells you something - they're super popular and she and Mateo do good work!) but I didn't mind. When it was my turn, she was so sweet and explained the whole process and how to take care of my piercing. I really liked that they didn't push buying a cleaning solution either. She told me they have a cleaning solution "recipe" that you can make at home which saves you tons of money! She told me I could always come back too with any questions or concerns or anything which was super nice. The actual piercing didn't even hurt that much - it was only a pinch that lasted a second if that. It looks GREAT and I am totally happy with it! The price was really good too for the quality of jewelry and work that they do. They do accept credit cards, but if you pay with cash they give you a discount on your jewelry. I also got a coupon for $5 off my next jewelry purchase. They even give you candy afterwards! Thanks Samantha, I will definitely be back and tell all my friends about this place! LOVE it here!
Review Source:Samantha was GREAT! I went in on Tuesday to get both of my lobes pierced to begin doing some small gauging on them. She was cool, casual, and easy going - which make the experience super enjoyable. I had my ears pierced back when I was in like junior high, but haven't had them in quite sometime, so I was admittedly a little nervous stepping in to do a 12 gauge piercing. Nonetheless, Samantha made it a painless, enjoyable process. She definitely knows how to pierce and avoid discomfort.
Would recommend Way Body Arts 100% over any piercing place in Santa Cruz. ESPECIALLY over those mall piercing places with the guns. Pay a little bit more and get world class service.
Thanks Samantha! I'll be sure to send anyone I know that's interested in piercings your way. :)
Fantastic experience! I brought in my 7 year old daughter to get her ears pierced. Â She was very nervous, but Mateo did a great job of putting her at ease. Â He was incredibly sweet and very professional. Â It is a piercing shop/tattoo parlor so there are a lot of people with extreme body manipulations and tattoos around which might put off some kids. Â Mateo suggested that we could make an appointment before opening hours if that was a factor for our daughter. In the end, his friendliness outweighed any intimidation factor. Â All in all, a great place to go through this rite of passage! My daughter is delighted...
Review Source:The staff members are very receptive and professional (and outgoing!) I really appreciated their commitment to cleanliness. Mateo was fantastic, and I felt really relaxed when he pierced me (rather than freaking out over the "countdown here it comes!" method.) He was very thorough in explaining aftercare and really stressed its importance while never trying to sell some expensive aftercare product--instead he recommends an easy saline solution you can make at home--and it really seems like he genuinely cares about his customers. Which, I think, really shows in how friendly and non-judgmental everyone is!
The process itself was quick, but I never felt like it was being rushed. The whole piercing experience I had at Way Body Arts was the best I've had (having gone to a few different places in the Bay Area and two in Monterey) and I will definitely be back for any future piercings.
I started my piercing adventures at Staircase, and the piercing was fine and all, but the service was always lacking. But it wasn't until I found Way Body arts that I realized how truly mistreated I had been! Mateo and Sam are very kind and friendly, very approachable, always patiently answer the hundreds of questions I usually have, and create a very warm environment. They both have a great bedside manner, make you feel really comfortable, they're quick and efficient! Not to mention they actually remember my face and name, unlike anyone at Staircase. These guys are great, awesome jewelry selection, I wouldn't go to anyone else!
Review Source:I feel so lucky to have gotten my Tragus pierced by Mateo! As just about every other review says, he's freaking wonderful (and gorgeous, might I add). The studio's really nice. My friend bought these gorgeousss gauges there that were golden and had such a wonderful beautiful design. I can't stop looking at my ear and the experience was just so memorable. thanks guys!
Review Source:Mateo was perfect!
I would highly recommend getting anything done here. My 6 year old decided she wanted her ears pierced and I wanted it to be done by a professional piercer. When I called to ask they did piercings on kids they were very clear about what I needed to expect and what to bring with me. The shop was very clean and everyone was welcoming.
Mateo was so sweet with my daughter and explained the whole process step by step, she loves her purple studs.
Thank you so much!!!
Great environment - and the staff is super helpful and you can tell that they want the best for you. Everyone I know that has gone here (for a tattoo or piercings) has come back happy as a clam...Aside from my boyfriend, he came in as a walk-in and got his tattoo done by one of the guys. At first the tattoo looked fine, but upon closer inspection there's ink running out of one of the lines and a couple of the lines are pretty wobbly. It's a small & not very detailed tattoo so a couple mistakes is really obvious. He could probably go back in and get it fixed for free, but doesn't really want to take the risk of it getting more messed up.
So make sure you give their portfolio a reaaaallyyy good look before you get tatted.
Purely because of the rest of the awesome staff and the good vibes and helpfulness I'll give it 4 stars. But maybe just stick to piercings from here and not tattoos.
I love Way Body Arts...I had both of my nostril piercings done here here by Mateo. Â He is calm, patient, and informative. Â He certainly has a way about him that keeps you relaxed while having a needle perforate your body tissues. Â
When my daughter insisted on having her ears pierced for her 12th birthday, I wouldn't consider going anywhere else.  All her friends talked about having their ears pierced with "the gun' at "the mall."  To me, my daughter's first piercings are a  significant rite of passage, and I want her attended to by an artisan.  I couldn't have asked for a better experience for her.  Mateo talked her through the entire procedure, explaining every step and keeping her as ease the whole time (mind you, she got two piercings..one in each ear!). Â
I would highly recommend Way Body Arts for anyone looking for an exceptional piercing experience for themselves or their little ones. Â It may be a little more expensive that the mall spots for ear piercings, but the experience, quality and expertise is well worth the price. Â I hope Mateo is still here in 5 years when my 7-year-old starts begging to get her ears done, too.
Walking into a tattoo/piercing shop can be intimidating for a gal like myself, I have zero tattoos and no more than three piercings on my body, all of which were done over 10 years ago. I had no clue what to expect.
I was greeted and set up for my piercing within moments of walking in. Mateo explained EVERYTHING to me, from after care, what kind of salt to soak in, to how the piercing will be executed, very thorough. It really helped me wrap my head around this whole piercing thing. He even noticed I was wearing rose gold jewelery and offered to polish/oxidize (not sure what the actual process was) to match my style, which was exactly what I wanted, I just didn't know to ask! The pain was minimal, piercing was quick, and the shop was clean. Having had a much better experience than I expected, I owe it all to Mateo for making me feel at ease.
Also, there was a tray of home made vegan cupcakes sitting on the front counter to eat, very thoughtful.
The real hi light of my piercing appointment wasn't actually at the shop but when I was driving later that day. I reached into my aftercare goodie bag to find a mini size cherry airhead candy, my friggen favorite! I was so in the mood for a treat too.
The only thing I recommend for the store to change is to maybe take appointments so anal people like myself can plan their day easier. The pre-anxiety I had about having to wait for an appointment (even though I didn't have to ) made me nervous, maybe that's just my problem...
I just went here today to get a nose ring into my beloved nose piercing. I've had it for like 9 years but never had an actual ring, just a stud! It was time for a change. Seeing that I never had a ring, I needed them to put it in because I had no idea what the heck I was doing. The woman who was working the front gladly accepted. That within itself was a nice change from my other shop experiences, where if they were asked to put in jewelry it was like I was asking them to pull out their teeth. WAY Body Arts obviously loves what they do & really make you feel at ease. I chatted with them a bit, and they even helped my friend out with her cartilage piercing hoop in her ear when she didn't even make a purchase. Sweet!
I recommend them highly and am going back to get a dermal done some time soon since they are so awesome & their prices are low for the quality and experience you get.
*Just a note though, come with cash or go to New Leaf right across the street and use their ATM. :)
Oooooh I love this place!!! I got my tongue pierced by Mateo & he made me feel so comfortable & I was totally calm after he explained how he would pierce me & in detail told me everything I needed to know! My piercing did not hurt one bit! It was so simple & fast! I love it!!!! Â The guys there are super friendly too!!! WAY to go WAY!!!!! :)
Review Source:I went on a saturday during the day not too busy in a very tucked away area of Santa Cruz which is nice because I'd rather not walk through a park full of homeless people with a fresh piercing to get to a bus stop.
Anyways I balled up and decided to get my nipples pierced. I went in as professional as possible and was completely awestruck by the beauty of the shop. The various assemblage art pieces on the wall as well as tattoo artists in open lighted spaces made me feel comfortable and a bit excited to be honest. I approached a piercer his name was Mateo with the question "I want to get my nipples pierced" and he replied with "We can help you with that."
Ever since that day I have decided to always trust WAY with my piercings because not only are they cheaper than another certain Santa Cruz shop they are also easier to be around and feel comfortable with. Mateo is extremely professional with piercing and also friendly.
I would recommend this place over any of the other shops in the area. Oh and their $30 thursdays are awesome sauce.
Update! I recently had the other half of Way Body Arts, Sammy, punch my labret up to half an inch. The experience was just as amazing as last time, if not better for a different vibe with different people. I had just had a great vegan meal from New Leaf and Massive Attack was played again. Although I did bleed more this time.
I can safely say I feel very comfortable letting Sammy and Mateo putting large holes in me.
Mateo is wonderful! I got 3 helix and my navel all done at once, and he talked me through the whole process and showed me what to do for aftercare. After I got all four, he even gave me a hug ^_^ I got them done on Saturday and today (Thursday) and I can't even feel them now ^_^
I was very impressed by how clean and sterol everything was. I am definitely going to come back! I highly recommend this place, especially after having piercings done at other locations. Â I can confidently say that at Way Body Arts I had the ideal piercing experience.
All of my experiences with Way Body Arts have been nothing short of fantastic!
They are the ONLY place to go in Santa Cruz for professional piercings and selection of body jewelry--some of which they make themselves.
I got my nostril done by Mateo today and I love it!!
I thought for the longest time that I didn't have the nose for it, but he truly has a talent for helping you pick the perfect spot, not to mention making you feel at ease. He explained every step along the way, which was really great (even though I'm pretty familiar with the process of sterilizing and aftercare). He even anodized the metal to match the white gold on my lip!
I highly recommend this shop and I will be back.
You should friend them on FaceBook: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FWAY-Body-Arts%2F107438509279354&s=35e78d88c736571fe0c3ab7f6b67f7d16d79b7c8a0fa380ac2f0d61332b06cdb" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.facebook.com/…</a>
I love this piercing studio so much. I have 19 piercings total and this is the one place that I keep coming back to. Sam and Mateo are great piercers and are extremely knowable. I love the cleanliness of this place and the music. They have a GREAT selection of jewelry and offer great piercing deals (join their facebook for extra deals). I recommend this shop to EVERYONE who wants a great piercing experience.
PS - The shop is in the building with 1010 painted on it across the street from the New New Leaf on Fair st (the street with Farrell's Donuts)
I took my girlfriend to get her nose re-pierced here for her birthday and we were both really happy with our experience.
The couple in charge of doing the piercings were very professional, knowledgeable and friendly. It was also quite a bit cheaper than the other tattoo shops quoted for a nose piercing. It healed up beautifully and a few months later we were back to buy a ring to replace the stud, which they happily put in for her.
Highly recommended!
I went and got my surface anchors changed last monday. Sam changed them for me. She explained how uncomfortable it would be , and it was. She talked me through it though and made me feel as comfortable as i could be. It was only $5 to get them changed! I also talked to her about getting my tongue pierced because ive always wanted to do it but have been too scared. She told me how its one of the least painful piercings but afterward is where the pain comes in. I looked it up online and knew i was ready.
I went back on thursday to get my tongue pierced. i was still really nervous and this time mateo was doing the piercings (because he had just pierced Sam's tongue!). That made me nervous but he was so nice and gave me all the stuff i needed. I even got to custo,mize my jewelry a lot and was able to get exactly what i wanted! He explained everything to me very well and i felt really comfortable. He sterilized all the equipment he used and showed it to me to prove that it passed the test. I have never seen any other piercer do that and i thought that was amazing one of their really unique qualities. He even let both my little sisters watch me getting pierced. They were really excited. The piercing itself didnt really hurt, its more like a shock and is kind of an awkward thing to get done. But i absolutely love it and its healing very nicely!
Overall, Sam and Mateo are AMAZING. They are some of theeee nicest people i have ever met and are very very knowledgeable about piercings and really know what they are talking about. Their sterilization process is really professional and i really did not find them to be too pricey at all. I would and I am recommending them to ALL my friends. This is the best place i have discovered and will continue to go back for more piercings and highly recommend that you do the same.
so i literally stepped out of their shop about an hour ago. the purchase? a beautiful eyebrow piercing i've wanted for years snuggled perfectly on my face.
i've always admired the beauty and artistic value of piercings, but i was always hesitant to make the big leap into actually getting one.
there are a few factors that played into that reason:
1) i have asian parents who believe anything besides earlobe piercings is a HELL NO.
2) i'm a broke college student. i think $20 is expensive for a shirt. $50 for a piercing? uh no thanks
3) and most importantly, when i was in 2nd grade, i went to get my earlobes pierced at Claires where they used their oh-so-sterile piercing gun and cheap earrings. the result? my ears became so infected that it bled everyday and it hurt to even touch. worst part? the infection lasted over a YEAR.
it traumatized me so much that as much as i adored piercings on other people, i couldn't get myself to do it again because of the horrible experience i had as a kid.
BUT. i'm no longer 7 years old. i love my mama, but she needs to understand that getting a piercing won't turn me into a college-drop out. and a piercing done in a professional sterile shop is probably worth the money.
Seeing as a few of my friends have gone here for tattoos/piercings and they all turned out great, i decided to give a shot.
immediately, i was greeted by friendly smiles and a welcoming feeling. i wish i got his name but, but the guy who helped me pick out jewelry was awesome and helpful and picked out something i liked.
Samantha was my piercer for the day and she made me feel completely comfortable and she was very thorough on explaining to me on how to care for my piercing.
I was led into the back area. she has very gentle hands, and the entire process was basically painless--minus the small pinch that is me getting pierced.
as for my fears of infection and rejection, so far so good! even if it's only been an hour.
thank you WAY body arts for making the entire process so smooth. methinks i look smexy with my new piercing ;]
Sammy and Mateo are AMAZING. Both are wonderfully cheery, funny and intelligent people. I miss them so much. You know a place is good when it makes you reconsider moving away.
I first ventured over to Way Body Arts after a friend (Julian. Awesome dude.) recommended them. I had two snugs done roughly a year and a half ago and the piercer had put in too-small and ill-fitting jewelry. It's what I get for being impatient and getting them done in middle-of-nowhere Oregon. A combination of foolish pride and and unwillingness repeat such a negative experience kept me from even going into a piercing shop for over a year. After only a handful of moments with Sammy, it became very clear that she was careful and gentle enough to be trusted with a jewelry change. My new (and slightly larger gauge) titanium curved barbell was autoclaved in front of me and Sammy was so gentle that I only felt a bit of pressure when she slid the new barbell in. Magic hands, I swear.
Because things went so well with the jewelry change, I decided to take advantage of a special the shop was having on 'intimate' piercings and red and pink jewelry. The small discount gave me an artificial deadline (day before Valentine's Day) to get my nipple piercings done by. After thinking it over for a few days, I scheduled an appointment to be pierced by both Sammy and Mateo on a Sunday in January. On the day of the appointment, Mateo went the extra mile and colored the balls on my barbells pink and turquoise for me. I'm so glad that he did. They make me happy every time I see them. Everyone in the shop (they share the space with Chimera, a tattoo studio) was very friendly and they even let me take over the sound system to listen to the Dresden Dolls. As with before, everything was autoclaved in front of me, which I appreciated. We filled the time talking about all sorts of things, and I definitely did not mind the wait.
The piercing itself hurt, but it could have been a LOT more painful. I hired them to shove razor-sharp needles through my flesh and stick in pretty titanium jewelry. Pain was expected, but their swift and sure hands made things much easier. I was sent home with a bag of sweets and a very helpful pamphlet on aftercare.
For what I paid for, Way Body Arts is more than reasonable. It's easily the best piercing shop I've been in and I can't wait until I get the courage (and cash) to get another piercing. The only downside about this shop is that they are cash-only, but it still deserves five stars since there's an ATM nearby.
tl;dr: Wonderful little shop run by two amazing individuals who charge incredibly reasonable prices for their stellar service.
Mateo and Sammy are really nice and they make you feel super comfortable! They are very professional and will talk to you about your future piercing, which I think is super important and shows genuine care for the customer rather than just punching holes and collecting money.
I got cheek piercings and Sammy did it for me on Sunday (I made an appointment ahead of time), when they aren't even open! It was very private and she really took care of me.
They have really high quality jewelry and they are always willing to change the posts/studs for me.
I LOVEEEEEE Way. Â :3
I was searching Santa Cruz for a reputable piercing shop that would pierce my daughter's ears. Â She was turning 10 and I didn't want some random mall kid who's barely been trained on a *piercing gun* to pierce my daughter's ears. Â It was really hard to find a place that would pierce a minor, even with parental consent. Â
I found out about Way Body Arts and went in without an appointment. Â They had a choice of nice jewelry to choose from for her studs. Â
I have to tell you, although this was pricier than the mall, you can't put a price on this experience. Â Mateo put my daughter at ease and explained the whole procedure. Â She got to lie down in a private and sterile area. Â (Not sitting in a chair for the whole mall to see like I had experienced.) Â I feel that this was a less painful/traumatic way to go with the needle than the piercing gun.
Mateo was great with my 10 year old, so I really recommend you go here for a piercing, young or old!
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