Skin Deep Tattoo

What Skin Deep Tattoo does

Skin City Tattoo & Body Piercing is a privately held tattoo and body piercing studio operating from a single retail location at 11945 SW Pacific Highway, Suite 102, in Tigard, Oregon, founded by Joseph Newsom in 2000 — making it the first tattoo studio in Tigard. The studio serves walk-in and appointment-based clients from across the Greater Portland area, operating seven days a week from 11am to 7pm. Its core offerings include custom tattoos across multiple styles (black and grey realism, fine-line, American Traditional, Neo-Traditional, Japanese-inspired, illustrative), professional body piercings, comprehensive aftercare support, and premium jewelry retail. The studio also operates the Northwest Institute of Body Art, an Oregon Health Licensing Agency-licensed 695-hour tattoo training program (545 hours theory plus 150 hours practical) as an adjacent operating subsidiary.

The business is built on industry-standard body art technology and protocols: single-use disposable needles, hospital-grade autoclave sterilization, ultrasonic cleaning, and jewelry meeting Association of Professional Piercers (APP) standards — including implant-grade titanium (ASTM F-136), solid 14k/18k gold, and biocompatible glass sourced from suppliers BVLA, Anatometal, NeoMetal, Industrial Strength, and Junipurr. Owner Joseph Newsom specializes in freehand tattoo design; the team of nine includes six tattoo artists, a dedicated body piercer (Jay), and a shop manager/artist (Kate Lindsey). Several artists — including Kate, Matt Becker, and Danyel — were developed through an internal apprenticeship pipeline.

Skin City generates revenue through four streams: per-service tattoo fees (custom, flash, cover-ups, touch-ups), per-piercing service fees plus jewelry sales, premium jewelry retail, and tuition from the tattoo school. Pricing is consultation-based for tattoos and unit-based for piercings (minimum $100 per single piercing with basic titanium jewelry), with non-refundable deposits to secure appointment time. Distribution is direct-to-consumer with no intermediaries, supported by organic per-artist Instagram portfolios, an email newsletter, themed flash-day events (e.g., Star Wars walk-in days), and word-of-mouth referrals from a 25-year community base. The company is founder-owned, has no external investors or parent company, and operates without a digital platform layer.

Name

Skin Deep Tattoo

Legal name

Skin City Tattoo & Body Piercing

Website

https://skincitytattoos.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Skin City Tattoo & Body Piercing is a privately held tattoo and body piercing studio founded in 2000 in Tigard, Oregon. It serves Greater Portland consumers with custom tattoos, professional piercings, premium jewelry retail, and an affiliated licensed tattoo training school.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tattoo & Body Piercing Services

NAICS

Hair, Nail, and Skin Care Services (81211)

SIC

Jewelry, Silverware & Plated Ware (3910)

akta.pro primary industry

Permanent Makeup & Cosmetic Tattoo Training (HSALANAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Custom Body Jewelry & Piercing Jewelry (Made-to-Measure) (CRAKAHAL), Body Jewelry (Piercing Jewelry; Non-precious) (CRAKABAG)

Keywords

• Custom tattoo services
• Body piercing services
• Tattoo artist training
• Premium body jewelry
• Tattoo studio

Headquarters

HQ city

Tigard

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tattoo Services: One-time service revenue from custom tattoos, flash designs, cover-ups, and touch-ups. Pricing varies by artist, size, complexity, and placement. Consultations are offered to plan large projects. Deposits required to secure appointment time.
2. Body Piercing Services: One-time piercing services with additional revenue from jewelry sales. Piercing fee plus cost of selected jewelry (minimum investment of $100 for single piercing with basic titanium jewelry). Additional revenue from jewelry upgrades, downsizing, and retainer purchases.
3. Tattoo School (Northwest Institute of Body Art): Educational program revenue from 695-hour Basic Tattoo Artist Program. Program combines 545 hours theory with 150 hours practical training. Flexible scheduling allows completion in 4-18 months.
4. Jewelry Sales: Premium body jewelry sales including implant-grade titanium, solid gold, and genuine stones from brands like BVLA, Anatometal, NeoMetal, Industrial Strength, and Junipurr.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Skin City Tattoo & Body Piercing operates a physical studio in Tigard, Oregon delivering custom tattoo services across multiple styles (black and grey realism, fine-line, American Traditional, Neo-Traditional, Japanese-inspired, illustrative) and professional body piercing using APP-standard implant-grade jewelry. The business also generates revenue from retail sales of premium body jewelry and from tuition in its affiliated Northwest Institute of Body Art tattoo school.

Product overview

Skin City Tattoo & Body Piercing operates as a full-service body art studio offering custom tattoos and professional body piercing as its core services. The studio provides complementary retail products through premium body jewelry sales and educational programs via the Northwest Institute of Body Art tattoo school. Support services include comprehensive aftercare guidance for both tattoos and piercings. The studio's portfolio spans multiple tattoo styles including black & grey realism, fine-line, American Traditional, Neo-Traditional, and Japanese-inspired designs, with artists specializing in distinct disciplines to serve diverse client preferences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Northwest Institute of Body Art: Licensed tattoo school offering a 695-hour Basic Tattoo Artist Program combining theory and practical training inside a working studio.

Products and services

• Custom Tattoos Custom tattoo artistry performed by skilled artists covering black and grey realism, fine-line designs, American Traditional, Neo-Traditional, Japanese-inspired, and illustrative styles, for individual consumers seeking personalized body art.
• Body Piercing Professional body piercing services including ear curation, facial piercings, cartilage, and specialized placements using single-use needles and implant-grade jewelry, for individual consumers including minors with parental consent.
• Northwest Institute of Body Art (Tattoo School)

Quantifiable outcome

• 25+ years of continuous operation in Tigard, Oregon
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BVLAminorOthersPremium jewelry brand specializing in fine 14k/18k gold ends with diamonds and gemstones for curated ear stacks. Featured brand in Skin City's piercing jewelry offerings.
• AnatometalminorOthersIndustry-leading surgical-grade titanium and gold jewelry known for precision polish. Featured brand in studio's premium jewelry selection.
• NeoMetalminorOthersThreadless titanium jewelry with genuine stones, known for durability and versatility. Featured brand in studio's jewelry offerings including flesh-colored options.
• Industrial StrengthminorOthersTitanium and gold jewelry with brilliant settings, great for initial piercings. Featured brand in studio's jewelry selection.
• JunipurrminorOthersSolid gold classics and trendy silhouettes for healed piercings. Featured brand in studio's jewelry offerings.
• Oregon Health AuthoritycoreOthersRegulatory body that licenses and regulates body art practitioners in Oregon. Skin City follows all OHA health and safety standards, and the tattoo school (Northwest Institute of Body Art) is fully licensed by OHA.
• Association of Professional Piercers (APP)coreOthersIndustry standards organization for safe piercing practices. Skin City adheres to APP standards for jewelry materials and piercing procedures, including single-use needles and implant-grade materials.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Body Candy: Online-first retailer specializing in body jewelry, piercing supplies, and related accessories. Competes with Skin City on the jewelry side of the piercing transaction, particularly for repeat/replacement pieces, but does not offer in-person piercing services.

Direct peers

• Iman Tattoo School: Licensed tattoo apprenticeship/training program operating in the Pacific Northwest. Comparable to Northwest Institute of Body Art as a state-licensed tattoo vocational school producing credentialed artists.
• Mama's Royal Tattoo: Long-standing Portland-area custom tattoo studio. Comparable in operating model (custom tattoos, multiple resident artists, community reputation) and geographic market to Skin City.
• Sea Tragic Tattoo: Portland-based custom tattoo and piercing studio with resident artists and walk-in availability. Comparable to Skin City on service mix, artist-driven IG marketing, and local-market positioning.

Regional players

• Affordable Tattoos & Piercings: Pacific Northwest tattoo and piercing chain with walk-in service model. Competes with Skin City on basic piercing and lower-priced tattoo work in the broader Portland metro.
• Tigard Tattoo Company: Local custom tattoo studio serving the Tigard/Greater Portland area. Direct geographic competitor offering custom tattoo services in the same primary market as Skin City.

Broad incumbents

• Hot Topic: Specialty retailer carrying alternative fashion, body jewelry, and pop-culture merchandise. Comparable on the body jewelry retail side and in serving a similar subculture consumer, though not a tattoo or piercing service provider.
• Piercing Pagoda: Mall-kiosk piercing and jewelry retailer with national footprint. Overlaps with Skin City's piercing-plus-jewelry transaction model, but at much lower price points and without custom tattoo services or premium APP-standard jewelry.
• Atomic Tattoos: Multi-location U.S. tattoo and piercing chain with walk-in availability and a broad artist roster. Comparable to Skin City on multi-artist custom tattoo service model, though at larger scale and lower price points than a premium studio.
• Claire's: Large mall-based retailer of body piercing and costume jewelry. Comparable to Skin City on the body piercing service plus jewelry upsell motion, but operates as a mass-market incumbent across thousands of mall locations rather than as a custom studio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SkinCityTattoosandPiercing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skin-city-tattoo-and-body-piercing-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Skin Deep Tattoo