Everything people ask us before they book — age rules, prices, healing, payment. Straight answers, no runaround. Still stuck? Call or email the shop.
You need an appointment — every service at Wicked Inx is by appointment, including piercings. It means you get the artist's full attention instead of waiting behind a queue. Book through the form on our booking page, call (905) 544-1209, or email info@wickedinx.ca and we'll find you a time.
The shop is open Wednesday to Saturday, 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM. Our tattoo artist works Monday, Wednesday and Friday by appointment. If those hours don't fit your schedule, message us anyway — Wendy can often open up outside them for piercings.
Yes, often. Wendy will come in on a closed day for two or more piercings, with a $100 minimum for the visit. Send a booking request with the piercings you want and the day you'd like, and she'll confirm whether she can open the shop for you.
Wicked Inx is at 761 Barton Street East, Hamilton, Ontario L8L 3E5, in the city's east end. Phone (905) 544-1209 or email info@wickedinx.ca. Everything is by appointment, so please book before you come down rather than dropping in.
Fill in the booking form on our booking page — it asks for the service, the artist and the day that suits you, and it reaches the shop straight away. You can also call (905) 544-1209 or email info@wickedinx.ca. We'll come back to you to confirm a time.
You must be 18 or older to be tattooed. If you're under 18, a parent or legal guardian has to give consent and come to the appointment with you. Bring government-issued photo ID for yourself, and for your parent or guardian if you're a minor.
Kyle is our tattoo artist — custom pieces, cover-ups and fine-line work. He works Monday, Wednesday and Friday by appointment. Wendy and Lemei handle piercings, and Lemei also does beauty tattoos. Tell us what you're after on the booking form and we'll put you with the right artist.
Yes — cover-ups and fix-ups are one of our four core services. Bring in the piece, whether it's faded, unfinished or just not what you wanted, and Kyle will tell you honestly what can be reworked, refreshed or covered. Book a consultation first so he can see it in person.
No deposit for most appointments. The one exception is a long tattoo booking, where we're holding a large block of the artist's day — we'll ask for a deposit on those and tell you up front when we quote you. Piercings never require a deposit.
Yes — beauty tattoos are permanent makeup: microblading and similar work that enhances what you already have, done by Lemei. It is tattooing, so the same rules apply: 18 or older, or a parent or guardian's consent under 18. Book a consultation and she'll talk through what suits you.
You must be 18 or older to be pierced on your own. Under 18, a parent or legal guardian has to consent and be at the appointment with you. Bring government-issued photo ID — yours, and your parent or guardian's if you're a minor.
Ears, nose, brow, tongue, navel, dermals and more — face and body work of all kinds. Wendy handles all face and body piercings, and Lemei pierces as well. If you're not sure a piercing suits your anatomy, ask us before you book: we'd rather tell you honestly than sell you one that won't sit right.
Yes — jewellery is included in the price of your piercing at Wicked Inx. There's no separate charge for it and no minimum spend. We use medical-grade stainless steel. If you want something particular, mention it when you book and we'll tell you what we have in.
Medical-grade stainless steel, included in the price. It's the standard for fresh piercings because it's well tolerated while the piercing heals. Once you're fully healed you can change to whatever you like — bring it in and we'll help you swap it over safely.
Yes — Saturday is half-price piercing day at Wicked Inx, all day, across our normal Saturday hours of 1:30 to 5:00 PM. Appointments are still required and Saturdays fill up first, so book ahead rather than counting on a last-minute slot.
Less than most people expect. The piercing itself takes a second or two and the sting fades quickly — how much you feel depends on the spot and on you. Nervous clients are our specialty: tell Wendy it's your first and she'll talk you through every step before she starts.
We go through aftercare with you in person before you leave the shop, and both sets are written up on our site — look for the piercing aftercare guide and the tattoo aftercare guide on our newsletter page. If anything still looks wrong after three days, call the shop or see a physician.
There's no minimum price at Wicked Inx, and piercings include the jewellery. Tattoo pricing depends on size, detail and how long the piece takes, so the honest answer is that we quote you once we've seen the design. Send us your idea and we'll give you a real number.
Cash, debit, credit and e-transfer — all four, and there's no surcharge on any of them. If you're paying by e-transfer, ask us at the counter for the address rather than using one you found somewhere else online.
Yes — bring government-issued photo ID to every tattoo and piercing appointment. We check age for every service: you must be 18 or older to go ahead on your own. If you're under 18, your parent or legal guardian needs to come with you and bring their ID too.
Yes. Every tattoo and piercing studio in Ontario operates under Ontario Regulation 136/18 (Personal Service Settings) and is inspected by its local public health unit — for us that's City of Hamilton Public Health Services. The rules cover sterilisation, single-use needles and infection control.
Eat a proper meal beforehand and turn up hydrated and sober — being lightheaded is the main reason an appointment goes badly. Wear something that gives easy access to the spot being worked on, and bring your photo ID. If you're feeling unwell that day, reschedule instead.
These come from our full aftercare articles. Each one links back to the guide it was pulled from.
Piercing Aftercare: Do's and Don'ts
For dry piercings (nose, navel, nipples, ears), plain unscented soap like Ivory or Dove Pure, in the shower only. For oral piercings, diluted mouthwash after meals. That is it, no special sprays or kits needed.
For dry piercings, let it dry out. Clean it in the shower and then leave it alone. Products and constant moisture slow healing.
Not for at least 7 days, and ideally until it is fully healed. Pools, hot tubs, and lakes are a fast track to infection.
Usually irritation from snagging, sleeping on it, or the wrong jewelry, not always an infection. Stop touching it and come in so we can look.
If redness, swelling, or discharge lasts more than 3 days, call the shop or your physician. Keep the jewelry in until it is checked.
Tattoo Aftercare: What to Do After You Leave the Chair
A plain unscented soap like Ivory or Dove Pure, with clean hands and lukewarm water. Nothing scented or abrasive.
Once it has started to scab, a few days in. Then use a thin layer of vitamin E or unscented moisturizer. Not before.
After the first overnight wrap, your tattoo heals best with air. Re-covering it traps moisture and bacteria.
Not until it is fully healed. Showers are fine, soaking is not.
Yes. Do not scratch or pick. A little moisturizer and a gentle tap will get you through it.
Which Piercing Should You Get: A Guide to Body Piercing in Hamilton
We do not publish a price list, so we will not guess at a number here. What we can tell you is that the jewellery is included in the piercing price, that the spot and the jewellery you choose are what move the total, and that Saturdays are half price and pre-booked only. Book or email with the spot you want and you get a straight number back.
It depends on what you already have and how your ear is built. Existing holes sit where somebody else put them, sometimes years ago, so the next one has to work with that spacing rather than against it. Bring a photo of the look you want, and we will tell you whether your ear will actually hold it there or whether a placement slightly over will sit better.
Lobes are where most people start. The tissue is soft, the placement is forgiving, and you can add to them over time without committing to a whole plan on day one. Nostrils are the other common first choice. Easy is personal, though, so tell us at the appointment if this is your first and we will go at your pace.
Book. We are a small shop, open Wednesday to Saturday from 1:30 to 5, and appointments are how we make sure someone has time to look at your anatomy properly instead of rushing you. Half-price Saturdays are pre-booked only and they fill up, so give yourself a few days of lead time on those.
Our shop policy is 18 or older on your own, and under 18 with a parent present at the appointment. Bring government photo ID for yourself, and the parent brings theirs too. If you are not sure whether what you have counts, email us before you book rather than making the trip twice.
Photo ID, the photo of the look you are after if you have one, and your questions. Wear something that gives us easy access to the spot, especially for a navel. You do not need to bring jewellery, because it is included and we fit it to you. Come a few minutes early so you are not rushing in.
Cosmetic Tattoos in Hamilton: The Questions People Are Too Polite to Ask
You will feel it. We are not going to promise you otherwise, because that would be the first thing we got wrong. What we can promise is that we go at your pace, we tell you before we start anything, and you can say stop at any point without explaining yourself. Most people tell us afterwards that the waiting beforehand was the worse part.
Start with your own doctor or midwife rather than with us, because that is a question for the person who knows your history. If you are pregnant or nursing, tell us before you book instead of on the day. Nothing is lost by waiting, and we would far rather move an appointment than have you sitting in the chair unsure.
Very often, yes, and it is one of the most common reasons people come to us. We map a brow from your bone structure, your features and whatever hair is still there, so having very little to start with changes the approach rather than ruling it out. Come in and we will look properly and give you a straight answer.
No. Microblading is one technique under the wider heading of beauty tattoos, which is permanent makeup: work that enhances what you already have. Which technique suits you depends on your skin and the look you are after, so it is worth asking rather than booking the one word you happen to have heard of. We will talk you through the options.
You cannot book the work itself without one, but the conversation can be booked on its own, with nothing else attached to it. Ask for a consultation when you contact us and say roughly what you have in mind. You walk out with a plan you have seen on your own face, and a date only if you want one.
Photo ID, a couple of pictures of the look you keep coming back to, and the questions you feel silly asking. If you take medication or have something going on with your skin or your health, bring that up too. Come with your face as it normally is rather than done up, because we need to see what we are working with.
Tattoo Prices in Hamilton: What Changes the Cost, and How Walk-Ins Work
There is no single answer, because a tattoo is priced by the work in it rather than by the item. Size, placement, how much detail it carries, whether it is colour or line work, and how long it takes all move the number. A small simple piece and a detailed one the same size are not the same job. Send us the idea and we will quote it properly.
Walk-in work is usually small and simple, so it tends to sit at the lower end of what a shop charges, and it often lands on the shop minimum rather than being priced by the hour. What you save is mostly design time rather than tattooing time. If a walk-in piece is bigger than it looked, it gets quoted like any other appointment.
It varies by shop and by day. Some studios keep an artist free for small flash pieces, some are appointment only, and plenty change week to week depending on how the book has filled. There is no reliable list, so the only thing that actually works is contacting the shop before you travel. For us, message through our booking page or call (905) 544-1209.
Yes. Our piercing price includes the implant-grade jewellery that goes in on the day, so the number you are quoted is the number you pay rather than a starting point with the metal added afterwards. That matters, because the piece you heal with is not somewhere to economise. If you later want something different, changing it is its own visit.
Reference images, even rough ones. A rough size in inches or centimetres, or just point at the spot on your arm. The placement, because the same design costs differently on a forearm than on ribs. Whether you want colour. Photo ID. And any deadline you have in mind, since that changes what is realistic more than people expect.
Every Saturday, yes, and they are pre-booked only. There is no drop-in version of the Saturday offer, because the spots fill and we would rather not turn people away at the door. Book it through the website or call ahead during our posted hours, Wednesday to Saturday, 1:30 to 5 PM, and we will get you a time.
Our shop rule is 18 or older, and anyone under 18 needs a parent present. That applies to tattoos, piercings and beauty tattoos alike, since all three are tattooing or a body modification. Bring photo ID to your appointment even if you are comfortably over the line, because we would rather ask than assume.
Piercing Gun vs Needle: How a Studio Piercing Is Done, and Why It Matters
We cannot promise what you will feel, and neither Public Health Ontario nor the Association of Professional Piercers ranks the two by pain. The APP does describe a gun's effect on the body as more like a crush injury than a piercing. What we tell clients is simpler: a needle piercing is over quickly, we go at your pace, and we talk you through one slow breath as it happens.
The Association of Professional Piercers says a gun's effect is more like a crush injury than a piercing, and that cartilage complications from guns are common. Public Health Ontario is more cautious, noting one small cadaver study that found similar upper ear cartilage damage across methods. PHO does say older fixed-head guns cannot be properly sterilized, and that guns belong on the fleshy earlobe only.
Public Health Ontario does not give healing times by method. What it does say is that healing times range from a few weeks for earlobe piercings to months for cartilage or navel piercings, so where you get pierced matters a great deal. We do not quote a healing time as our own. We send you home with our aftercare card, and you can always come back and ask us.
The lobe is the one place Ontario guidance allows an ear piercing gun; Public Health Ontario says ear piercing guns may be used on the fleshy part of the earlobe only. The Association of Professional Piercers does not let its members use reusable guns for any piercing at all. At our shop, a lobe piercing uses a brand-new needle opened in front of you, with the jewellery included in the price.
Not with an ear piercing gun. Public Health Ontario's guidance says ear piercing guns and devices are not to be used anywhere except the fleshy part of the earlobe. Some devices are made specifically for nostrils, and PHO says current Ontario guidance neither prohibits nor endorses them. Professional piercers almost always use a needle, PHO notes, and a needle is how we pierce a nose.
Yes, and you are exactly who this article is for. A new piercing is done fresh, with a new needle, wherever it goes. We look at where your existing holes sit, check the placement on your own anatomy, and tell you straight if a spot is not right for you. Questions are part of the appointment, so bring every one of them with you.
Body Piercing in Hamilton: How to Choose a Piercing Studio
Our shop policy is 18 or older. If you are under 18, you can still be pierced with a parent present. Everyone shows photo ID and fills in a signed consent and health-history form before we start. Plenty of parents bring their kids in for their first lobes, so if that is your plan, book a time and come in together.
At our shop, every service is by appointment, piercings included. That way the room is yours, the tools are opened in front of you, and nobody is rushing you. We are open Wednesday to Saturday, 1:30 to 5 PM, at 761 Barton Street East. Book online through our booking page, or call (905) 544-1209 to line up a time.
Every Saturday, piercings are half price at our shop. The deal is pre-booked only, so you need an appointment rather than walking in on the day, and the jewellery is still included in the piercing price. If you want a Saturday spot, book it online or call (905) 544-1209 and we will find you a time.
The City of Hamilton says that if you have a concern about infection control or sanitary conditions at a beauty and body art business, you can contact a public health inspector at 905-546-2063. That number is on the City's health inspection results page, which also publishes inspection results for personal service settings, the category that includes tattoo studios and piercing shops.
Bring photo ID, and if you are under 18, bring a parent, because that is our shop policy. Before we start, you fill in a signed consent and health-history form. Tell us about any nickel or metal allergy so we can match your jewellery, and bring every question you have. We would rather answer ten questions than have you sit there wondering.
That is completely normal, and nervous first-timers are most of who walks through our door. We talk you through the placement, the jewellery, the pinch and the healing before anything touches your skin, and we go at your pace. Wendy tells every first-timer the same thing, close your eyes, take a deep breath, you're doing great. Nobody here will rush you.
Ear Piercing in Hamilton: Plan Your Lobes, Helix and Jewellery
Tell Wendy which earrings matter to you and show a photo of them. That gives the planning conversation a clear starting point, especially if you want to keep wearing them in existing holes. Ask how their size might affect the arrangement. Bringing a favourite piece does not establish that it is suitable for a fresh piercing.
Point out what bothers you before choosing another hole. Explain whether you want both ears to look more alike or simply want a new piece to sit comfortably within the existing arrangement. Ask Wendy to assess the spacing in person. A photograph cannot promise a correction, and another piercing is not automatically the answer.
Yes. A photo and a plain description are enough to start the conversation. Point to the area you mean and explain what you like about the look. We can talk through the placement with you. There is no vocabulary test, and you do not need to choose a technical name before requesting an appointment.
Ask about fit and available choices before buying a set for new piercings. Jewellery is included in our piercing price, but that does not mean a particular design from an online photo is available or suitable. Tell us the look and budget you have in mind, then ask which pieces could work for your plan.
Describe the uniform and any rules about jewellery when you request your appointment. Include equipment that touches your ears and whether your employer requires earrings to be removed. Bring those requirements into the discussion before choosing a placement. Ask Wendy what they mean for your options instead of assuming you can change jewellery around each shift.
No. The website form sends an appointment request, and the shop still needs to confirm it. Choose piercings and describe the ear arrangement you are considering, including existing holes and any questions about placement. Wait for the shop's confirmation before treating your preferred day as booked. You can mention that you are nervous, too.
Ask us directly — we'd rather answer it than have you guess. Call (905) 544-1209, email info@wickedinx.ca, or send a booking request with your question in the notes.