Winter is for layers, hot drinks, and spontaneous flash tattoos and piercings.
With less sun and fewer swimming days, it’s the perfect season to get inked or pierced and let your body heal in time to show off your new pieces when warmer weather arrives.
You might hear expert tattoo and piercing artists give this advice, and no, they’re not exaggerating. Winter is the best time, and it’s backed up by science. According to the National Library of Medicine, sunbathing or exposing your tattoos to the sun can cause premature fading and scabbing due to ultraviolet radiation. You’re more prone to damage, especially in its healing stages.
So while winter’s still ahead of us, check out these six GTA parlours that’ll help you look, heal and feel good, while keeping things budget-friendly.
Colibri Tattoo and Piercing
Where: 519 Queen St W. | 1197 Bloor St W. | 837 Danforth Ave | 4852A Yonge St
Promos:
- Tuesday: $25 piercing (industrial counts as two piercings)
- Wednesday: 25 per cent off on arm and leg tattoos
- Thursday: $50-$100 flash up to 1.5 inches
Colibri Tattoo and Piercing, open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, offers three weekly promotions to satisfy your every tattoo or piercing desire.
With a team of about 60 experienced professionals, the parlours’ artists will guide you through every step of your design, up to the aftercare.
They offer fine art to traditional tattooing, as well as a range of piercing options, including earlobes and navels.
Bini Tattoo and Piercing Parlour
Where: 5 Elm St
Promos:
- Wednesday: $50 simple design up to one inch, $80 scripts and triple numbers, up to 25 per cent discount on bigger pieces (fingers, hands and feet excluded)
- Tuesday: $25 per poke, surgical steel jewellery included
Bini Tattoo and Piercing Parlour, open Monday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., is a Canadian family-owned business that values sanitation, friendliness and long-lasting memories with customers.
They offer tattoos, body piercings, jewellery and permanent makeup. Artists will help you choose the ideal sketch or personalize a drawing.
Chronic Ink
Where: 380 Bathurst St | 434 College St, 2nd Floor | 7381 Kennedy Rd, Unit #105 | 100 City Centre Dr, Unit 2-311
Promos:
- $120 flash forever tattoo, exclusively at the Square One location
- 26 per cent hand-poked tattoo discount with @noho_tattoo
- Piercing combos $80+
Chronic Ink is an authentic Asian tattoo shop in Toronto that believes “tattoos [are] therapy for the soul.”
They are dedicated to designing meaningful artwork for anyone who allows them to tattoo their canvas, the human body.
Their website features piercing combos, tattoo flashes, and new flash additions available on Instagram.
Icon Tattoo & Piercing
Where: 309 King St W., Unit 200
Promos:
- Tuesday: $100 from flash book or simple 1-1.5 inch design on arms and legs, ink one, get one free, extra $10 per colour shade
- Friday: $30 piercing
Icon Tattoo & Piercing, open Tuesday to Sunday from 12p.m. to 8p.m., is an artistic studio that values creativity and comfort, and designs that make every detail part of your story.
They believe in inking your vibe and style – to give you an experience. They also offer piercings that equally fit your aesthetic.
Steel N Ink
Where: 486 Front St W. | 41 Clock Tower Rd | 300 Borough Dr, Unit 257A | 1 Bass Pro Mills Dr Unit 116
Promos:
- Wednesday: $30 piercing (excluding jewellery)
- Sunday: free piercing with any gold purchase of $100+
- Flash tattoos: $100 for one or $150 for two, under 3 inches
Steel N Ink is a studio that believes in the evolution of body art into an extension of the beauty industry.
The parlour values self-expression and showcases a wide selection of high-quality body jewelry in gold and titanium for clients to choose from.
In collaboration with their own artists, Steel N Ink also has tattoo-inspired merchandise and tattoo and piercing aftercare lines.
HyperInk Tattoo and Piercing
Where: 5459 Yonge St, Second Floor
Promos:
- Monday: $24 piercings, industrial counts as two piercings, basic surgical steel jewellery included
- Tuesday: Up to 30 per cent off any tattoo, excluding face, fingers, hand, feet, knees, palms
- Thursday: $50 tattoo, simple line, up to 1.5 inches, starts at $70 for spine, ankle, back of the ear, neck, and ribs placement
HyperInk Tattoo and Piercing, open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., offers walk-ins and appointments for custom tattoos and body piercings, with promotions included.
Each artist specialises in different styles, including fine line, floral, scriptwork, illustrative, brushstroke, blackwork and shading, cover-ups, and realism.
