Renee Rosenow

With Artisan Tattoo and Body Piercing, at 407 Water St., Midwest Tattoo, 434 Water St., and Feed My Addiction LLC, 2614 London Rd., located in Eau Claire, students have access to the body modification scene.

For some people, like sophomore Sara Aragon, it’s all about the rush. Aragon has had more tattoos and body piercings than she can count on both hands.

“I’ve pierced my septum, conches, tongue, cartilage, tragus, lip, anti-eyebrow, hood, nose and I have three tattoos,” Aragon said. “I really like the adrenaline rush before you get something done.”

Aragon began piercing once she came to school her freshman year and hasn’t stopped since. Most of her piercings, as well as two of her tattoos, have been done at Artisan Tattoo and Body Piercing. She said she highly recommends it for anyone.

For junior Duncan Berg tattoos have taken up a large part of his life, and his body, with eight tattoos and four body piercings.

“I like the artwork and there’s symbolic meaning behind them,” Berg said. He also mentioned that after getting his first tattoo the process has become a little addictive.

Both his piercings and his tattoos have been done right here in Eau Claire. He had half of his tattoos done at Midwest and the others at Feed My Addiction. He mentioned Feed My Addiction is the place to go for a portrait, where as Midwest he finds is best for old school or new school style tattoos.

“Different artists have different styles,” Berg said.

Midwest Tattoo will be celebrating its third year in business on Jan. 3. The owner, Justin Webb, said that it has been a very successful business.

Webb also said Midwest is the place to go especially if you are looking for a more traditional style tattoo.

“We like to do traditional style and a lot of times we’ll cross the traditional with a more realistic look,” he said. “There’s not any specific style that we like to do but we try to keep it simple so in the long run the tattoo will hold up.”

Midwest has been offering custom tattoos since their opening, but Webb said they’ve only been piercing for six to seven months.

Midwest’s body piercer, who goes by the name “Willow,” has been piercing others for five years and even did all four of Berg’s piercings. He’s been interested in many facets of body piercing.

“I do a lot of noses, belly buttons, eyebrows, monroes, lip piercings and tongues,” he said. “A lot of people come to me for micro-dermal implants because I’m pretty much the only person in the area who does them.”

Willow described micro-dermal implants as piercings that simply go into the skin but don’t have an exit point. He has two on his face below his eyes.

Willow said he does about five to 10 piercings a day at Midwest and most of the time they’re on students, but older people are also common customers.

“I want to be the guy they come to to get the classy stuff,” he said. “It’s the reason I have my prices up there and the nice jewelry.”

Willow said he really enjoys his job and that’s the reason he’s been doing it for so long.

“I like to see people’s faces and the work that I’ve done,” he said, “and I do it for the rush.”

Where Midwest Tattoo may prefer traditional styles, Michael “Tattoo Mikey” Roth, owner and artist of Feed My Addiction, said his shop often focuses on photorealistic tattoos as the style is growing to be more popular these days.

Roth admitted the store is a little more expensive than some.

“Cheap tattoos aren’t good and good tattoos aren’t cheap,” said Roth as he tattooed a man’s bicep in the store. “If you want to pay $50 for a tattoo you’re going to get a $50 tattoo.”

Roth said his philosophy in the business is that a good tattoo will bring even more customers.

“The best advertisement is word of mouth.”

Though Feed My Addiction is a little out of the way in comparison to Midwest and Artisan, Roth said it is definitely a place to go when looking around at your options.

Kristopher Kelly, a body piercer at Artisan said the store used to be called Penetrations but has been open for about three years total.

Kelly said they cater to a wide range of people, but being on Water Street allows them to have a large college clientele.

“As students come in, as freshmen come in, that’s our busiest season,” he said.

“A good 85 percent of my clientele is anywhere from 16 to 30 year olds,” Kelly said, “and girls tend to be more outgoing in that respect.” According to Kelly, about three-fourths of their piercings are done on females.

Artisan also offers a wide range of different jewelry, especially a large selection of gauges in many sizes and materials, including organic materials.

“Customers are paying for knowledge when they come here,” he said, stressing the importance of good jewelry and taking good care of piercings. “You get what you pay for.”

People get their tattoos for many different reasons. Like Aragon and Berg, tattooing and body piercing can become a way of life, even a sort of addiction. Or like many others it can be a small form of self expression. Whatever the reason may be, there are many locations a student can choose to get their work done. Artisan, Feed My Addiction and Midwest are all available in the area, but like Kelly said, anyone should do the research before they think of getting anything done.