I've been a client for 20 years.... Amazing place to go. Not only is the staff, especially Omar, so talented but worth every penny. You get unique art made just for you, it's not that "off the wall" typical tattoo place. Read Less

Ty did an absolutely fantastic job with my first tattoo, as well as being an absolutely chill guy to talk to throughout the entire process. I completely love my tattoo and Ty did a fantastic job of explaining what to do for care afterwords, as well as providing multiple ways to stay in touch if I had any questions about my treatment or my tattoo. Read Less

Ty is amazing! Totally fun dude, clean and relaxed atmosphere, well priced and responsive. He is super talented and does great work. He spent 20 minutes trying to get the stencils centered on my collar bones. Read Less

Ty is amazing! Totally fun dude, clean and relaxed atmosphere, well priced and responsive. He is super talented and does great work. He spent 20 minutes trying to get the stencils centered on my collar bones. Read Less

Phil is an amazing artist who is passionate about what he does. I have 3 pieces done by him and love all of them. What he creates for me is so much better than what I imagine. I can't wait to get more work done by him. Read Less

The artists are amazing, high quality, and really know their stuff! Ty worked with me to create my vision and he made suggestions based on his experience that I️ hadn’t thought of. I️ am very pleased and would highly recommend Skin Abrasions to someone looking for their first tattoo or adding to their existing work. Read Less

Got my first tattoo by my good friend Tai. He did an amazing job and I'm blessed to have waited for such a dope artist to pop the Tattoo cherry. 10/10 would recommend and go again. Skin Abrasions has some real down to earth, amazing artists. Great place! Read Less

Such an amazing experience.  Phil did my tattoo and he did an awesome job.  Always very friendly.  There were several times I found myself laughing.  It's very easy to tell that he is a perfectionist by looking at his artwork and now by getting tattooed by him.  This was a great experience.  Thanks Phil. Read Less

Tai did an awesome job on my cover up on my stomach which I had done over 20 years ago.  I love the way he does his lines and color work.  He's very friendly and made sure I was comfortable.   The place is very clean! Read Less

I wish I could give it 0 stars. I can tell you for a fact that this tattoo shop is clean. Everyone there is friendly and makes you feel at home. BUT..I worked with a tattoo artist on a half sleeve, his name is Omar Bates. He's a very very nice guy but very very unprofessional. Canceling appointments and having me wait for hours at a times.....Always had visitors come in to take away from ink time. I spent way  over $1000 with tip to get 25% of a half sleeve done from him over a 2 month period. His work was good but he robbed me blind. I was fed up and had to finish my tattoo with another artist. I spent $600 (with tip) to get the rest (75%) done and it looks great. You can't tell that two different tattoo artist worked on my piece. I'm not telling you not to go to there, just don't work with Omar Bates. Go to Kev Kris at Stained in Pained!!! Read Less

Ty Matsumoto @ Skin Abrasions is simply outstanding. I cam in with a complex and detailed design with a ton of line work. Ty worked magic with it, and my ink looks better than the original design. Totally chill and collaborative and a guy who genuinely enjoys his work. Highest recommendation!Great place and great price. Another place in town quoted me 3x the cost and gave me a ton of attitude. Skin Abrasions spent an hour consulting with me and 4 hours working and was a pleasure to work with at all times. Read Less

This place is friendly and in a great location.  The artists are talented and professional. Ty gives great feedback and collaborated on the design on my tattoo. He's very clean and precise on how everything is applied. I loved my experience and recommend everyone to come here for their ink. Read Less

Ty is the absolute best artist I've ever seen in my life. I have other tattoos all from professionals but the one I got from him puts all my others to shame. The line work is flawless and the multiple tones of shading are top notch. Did I mention it was one the top of my foot , one of the hardest areas to tattoo? He spend time sitting and contorting his body in the weird positions , to make it the most comfortable for me. Read Less

No amount of words can explain how amazing this studio is, the artists have the best personalities, as well as the best work! It's a tattoo studio different than I have ever been in, as soon as you walk through the door you feel at home, if you're looking for the best, look no more! This is where you want to be! Read Less

I did not expect my first tattoo experience to be so that I would leave in tears. Not out of pain, and certainly not out of joy. Tai Matsumoto, you are an artist with notable talent, but your table side manner is, well, abrasive. Titular and ironic, but not appreciated. Location was clean and prices seemed logical, also the variety of artists here is quite nice. Just wear ear plugs so you don't have to listen to any biting words if you choose to come here... Read Less

I did not expect my first tattoo experience to be so that I would leave in tears. Not out of pain, and certainly not out of joy. Tai Matsumoto, you are an artist with notable talent, but your table side manner is, well, abrasive. Titular and ironic, but not appreciated. Location was clean and prices seemed logical, also the variety of artists here is quite nice. Just wear ear plugs so you don't have to listen to any biting words if you choose to come here... Read Less

After years of procrastinating, I decided I was finally ready to commit to a tattoo. Skin Abrasions is only a block away from me, and I'd often passed by and been impressed with the clean, art gallery style atmosphere. One night I stopped in, and met with Phil.  I showed him some idea photos I had saved, and he said he'd draw up a design and get me an appointment two days later. I was nervous, but once I saw Phil's design, it turned into excitement. He had created exactly what I wanted!  Once the tattoo process started, I was surprised how easy it was, and relatively painless. Marco and Ty were also there doing work, and listening to the 3 guys talking and joking around with each other really put me at ease and helped me relax. Ty was super nice, and even grabbed me a smoothie when he went on his lunch break.In the end, my tattoo turned out amazing! I couldn't be happier with the end result. It's exactly what I wanted. Phil is an awesome artist and great to work with. My tattoo is gorgeous!My takeaway - these guys are legit, hard working artists who take their work seriously. Don't roll in here drunk and expecting some cut-rate tattoo parlor, or they probably won't respect you. But if you know what you're looking for and are serious about getting a tattoo, this place is where you want to go. 100% recommended! Read Less

I had my tattoo done by TY. Who is absolutely awesome. I explained the meaning and reasoning behind the tatt and explain as much as I could what I wanted. He was such a nice guy and listened to every word, asking questions so we could get it just right. I was even able to get same day service. I put down a deposit and few hours later he had my stencil ready to go. It was like he pulled the image from my mind, it was beautiful. I have to say he is a perfectionist, even when I was ready to tap , he was like hang in there lets get this the best it can be. You can do it. I was shocked in the end. It was better than the stencil, it was the best tattoo I ever had !! And trust me I have quite a few . I will never go anywhere else as long as this guy is still working here this is my man !! Read Less

A few months ago, I walked in knowing I wanted a new tattoo.  Phil met me and was kind as ever.  I showed him a few pictures on my phone and he used them to create exactly what I wanted.  He was kind and professional.  I'll definitely be back. Read Less

I'm giving 2 stars because I think I like some of their tattoos but unfortunately I cannot rate my own tattoo since I left without getting one. The man that met us was very...off? He asked me what I wanted then walks away...only to appear 10 mins later asking again what I  wanted and this time let's me finish. Then he asks for a reference and disappears again! He comes back saying "yea I can totally do this no worries , there will just be less detail that's all, no worries" well...how much detail? I ask him to draw it out before any thing , he says yes and he leaves once more. At this point he's making me anxious. His entire aura was just totally high energy and a bit distracted. I tell my fiance I want to leave because I dont want a tattoo by someone that makes me tense. We left just as he was getting back again. I felt that maybe if I had had another artist maybe I would've liked my expirence. Read Less

Great guys. Ty is awesome. My tattoos have both turned out great and I want to go back and get more. I went to another place in oak park but skin abrasions is way better. They guys are cool and willing to work with their clients. Read Less

I fly from Connecticut to get work done from Marco. Ive had ink work else where and Skin abrasions by far is one of the friendliest places I've visited. Marco has always been accomidating with my flight schedule. All his work is custom and he delivers the design to you in a timely matter. Marco (especially) books way in advance(4-6months). I'm sure the other artist's do as well. I never sense an ego when coming to the shop. I'm sure some of them can have one. I know a lot of them don't like to do postage stamps or sticker like tattoos. I dont blame them. This is the place that will give you one of kind amazing artwork. The studio has a art gallery setting. They don't have tattoos hanging on the wall for you to choose from. Always very clean and very professional. Read Less

Alright- people complain that they've received some rude dude treatment here. Although I hate to admit I got it at first as well- but DO NOT- I repeat- DO NOT- let it detour you. Ince you're in you'll realize that Skin Abrasions is all about great people, great vibes, great artists, and great tattoos. It's also also oh so clean and pristine. I love this place and will most certainly be back for more. Mike- you are the man! don't worry be happy Read Less

I don't know what y'all are talking about; the guys here are super nice. I got my first and second tattoos here (working towards the 3rd) by Mike, who was recommended to me by my creative director--someone with an eye for aesthetic. First off, Mike is an absolute sweet peach; laid back, friendly, easy to talk to, and knowledgeable in his craft. Plus, I enjoy the benefit of contacting him personally at a whim whenever I'mConsidering new ink. He's always excited about any of my ideas and thrilled to work with me. And he hasn't even told me that the cat memes I send him are getting annoying. Just kidding. Second, when I got my first tattoo, at least two or three other artists came into the room to chat. All were a really nice, welcome distraction from the needles. I'm a chatty gal, so I talked with most of the dudes. They're all rad.In conclusion, love the place, the guys are coo' & the work? Let's just say I'm a walking work of art. Read Less

Okay, so this was my second tattoo.  The first being just a tiny thing on my ankle.  I originally went into the shop with a sketch that my daughter had drawn with a quote.  I wanted to have this done somewhere on my body that would be visible to me.  Omar talked me through his ideas of where it might be best placed.  I appreciated his feedback.  Mike was awesome at the tattoo and actually warned me that the orange might not show up well with my complexion.  About a month after the original tattoo I returned, he did the "touch up" and added a couple of flowers to the tattoo. I really like the finished product.  What I wish for....I do wish that Mike and Omar had spent a little more time with me and the original design talking about the ideas and any modifications that might make the tattoo look better.  I am a newbie and a little on the spontaneous side.  I could have used their advice...maybe them taking the idea into their own hands a bit more than they did.  Not saying I am not pleased, but I believe I would have benefited from their artistic input more than a simple, "let's put it here" and "that's up to you".  They are the experts....I'm just a mom! Read Less

This was above excellent. My first tattoo experience and I was definitely not disappointed- I was kinda hooked. Mike was professional and comfortable. Made us laugh and feel informed about every step. He took my tattoo idea and gave his expert opinion of how to make sure I got what I wanted-but that it would look great for the rest of my life.Nailed it. Read Less

If you're looking for cookie cutter flash ink, this isn't the place for you. If you want an awesome original tattoo then you will definitely want to stop in here. I love how the shop has a gallery feel with art from the shop artists hanging all over. I accompanied a friend to watch him get a large shoulder tattoo and was really impressed with how Gifford worked. Great guy and great work! I've been wanting to get my first ever tattoo and I finally found the person I wanted to do it. I brought in my drawing, Gifford sketched, fine tuned it and I now I have a tattoo that I love! Thank you Skin Abrasions and Gifford. Read Less

My story starts back in 2008 .  I had 2 tattoos that I wanted to cover up.  One on my wrist and one on my arm (beautiful black band that I thought was a good idea at the time) side note:  don't drink whiskey and let ur friend tattoo u! I didn't know where to go and did not want to go to a chop shop studio where u pick an imagine off the wall.  I just so happened to walk by here one day and decided to stop in. It was love at first sight.  First thing I noticed was it looks like an art gallery - (no clip art hanging or crazy line up of people where u take a ticket and wait ur turn) Marco was amazing, I showed him the horror of the ink gone wrong and told him some ideas I had about covering it up.  He was straight forward and explained my options.  We could wait till I had some Lazor treatments or we could work around the area.  I decided I wanted to start my new piecd right away!  I brought some pictures of  the flowers I wanted (half sleeve - each flower was significant to a family member) Marco took the imagines and created an amazing sketch.  The half sleeve turned into a full sleeve.  I had the black band lazored about  8 times .  Until one day Marco said - ok  no more Lazor.  For any of you that have been lazored u know the joy that those words brought to me!!  I can't say enough about how amazing Marco and his crew are.  I now have a full sleeve and a breath taking back piece.  (And appointments set up for my other sleeve. If you are looking for custom work by an artist that takes pride in everything he does than skin abrasions is the perfect place for you!  It's such an important relationship  and huge commitment.  The thing tht impressed me the most about this studio is the fact that they are honest.  They are not just looking to move people in and out and get paid.  They create custom pieces of amazing art that will forever change you! Love you guys!! Jamie Read Less

AWESOME! Gotten several tattoos there and all the artists are super nice and super talented. They work hard to please the clients and mark sure their designs are exactly how we want. I'll definitely be going back for more and would recommend them to anyone Read Less

I had a great experience with Kathleen Tomayo. She knows how to draw, which gave me a lot of confidence right from the start. She was also really nice and worked with me by email on what I wanted to do before I went in for the tattoo. When my blood sugar got low, she gave me gummy worms. And never, ever did they give me any cooler-than-thou attitude. Read Less

I fly all the way from San Francisco, just to see Omar. He's one of the best! I've been going to him for 10 years now. Skin Abrasions has a lot of great talent. They give you want you want, but they are also really straight forward with you if they think they can improve on your idea. I highly recommend coming here for your first tattoo or just to add to work that you already have. Read Less

I will never get touched by another shop again..I've been getting tattooed here for over a year now and the amount of care that's put into the work here is unmatched by any shop I have been to.  Every tattoo I have gotten so far has been from Gifford Kasen and damn can he draw.  I have come to him with many ideas for tattoo's and he puts them on paper (and skin eventually) more detailed than I could ever imagine.This is a full custom shop so you won't see flash all over the wall's like you would in most other tattoo shops. The owner Marco is very personable and you can tell he really has a passion for what he does. Read Less

I got the first tattoo of my life here from Kim. She did a GREAT job. I was so happy when I saw her sketch (which she sent via email after our correspondence and idea sharing), because it just looked a lot more detailed and well-drawn than the vast majority of tattoos I see. And it turned out really well. Lots of shading and a sort of "fuzzy" look that she was going for and that I really wanted.Since it was my first, I didn't know the tipping conventions, and didn't have enough cash (I do wish the shop took plastic). But she never got dismissive with me about it. She didn't have any cooler-than-thou attitude at all. I took in the rest of her tip later, and will definitely go back if I get another tattoo.It was more expensive than I expected, but I don't know that it was out of the ordinary for Chicago. Probably not. Anyhow, it's a permanent addition to my skin. It shouldn't be cheap! Read Less