Our world-class tattoo artists specialize in all styles of tattoo artistry, including realism, traditional, cover-ups, Japanese, fine-line, full-color, blackwork, fluid, and so much more. Browse each artist’s portfolio and call today to book a consultation. Walk-ins always welcome.
Founded in 1986 by Lou Sciberras, Tattoos by Lou was the first professional tattoo shop in Miami-Dade County. Now with locations in South Beach, North Miami and Kendall, Tattoos by Lou is known for having talented, versatile tattoo and piercing artists and a vibe that’s friendly and welcoming to all.
Even with multiple locations, Tattoos by Lou is still family-owned and operated, with Lou’s daughter, Michelle Sciberras-Cameron, and her husband, tattoo artist Ken Cameron, continuing to manage the business with the same passion as Lou did.
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If you have chosen a professional tattoo studio and proper sterilization and infection control standards are practiced than tattooing is safe. This means anything that comes in contact with blood or other body fluids is medically disposed of (i.e. single use needles) or is sterilized using an autoclave.
An autoclave is a device that sterilizes equipment using heat, steam, and pressure. An autoclave maintains a temperature of 250 degrees Fahrenheit under 10 pounds of pressure for 30 minutes or 270 degrees Fahrenheit under 15 pounds of pressure for 15 minutes. This is the only accepted method of sterilization to kill every living microorganism.
Single needle use means one customer, one needle. The needles that are used on you are brand new, have been individually packaged, sealed, and autoclaved. After these needles are opened and used, they are disposed of in a safe medically appropriate manner.
All pigments, ink cups, ointments, gloves, razors, paper towels (used and unused), surface coverings, and any other materials used during your tattoo process is disposed of immediately. Nothing is reused. Upon the disposal of these items all work surfaces are disinfected with an EPA approved veridical that kills any surface bacteria or viruses. All of this eliminates the possibility of contamination of materials.
A professional tattoo studio must be licensed which includes health department inspections. In addition, all professional tattoo artists must be licensed which includes passing a bloodborne pathogens exam. The studio and artists’ licenses should be visible. If you don’t see them, ask for them. Professionals take pride in their skills and work environment.
If you have any questions or problems, call us immediately at 305-534-7984. If it is after hours and you have a medical concern, please contact your doctor. If you are having a medical emergency, call 911.
While some tattooing may simply give an irritating sensation, others can leave you wanting to run for the hills.
Everyone handles pain differently. Some people are more tolerant of pain, others are more sensitive. Your overall physical, mental, and emotional health also play into the level of pain you feel. For instance some people need to mentally focus themselves or even meditate through the process, while others enjoy the distraction of a conversation or reading a book. One thing is for sure, the use of alcohol or drugs prior to getting tattooed do not help suppress the pain, they just intensify it. Eating prior to getting a tattoo is also advisable.
The placement of your tattoo is also a factor. Some areas of the body are more sensitive than others. For instance, people who have been tattooed will tell you that the most painful areas are the armpits, groan, both sides of the elbows and knees, hands, feet, head, neck, ribs and chest. From there the amount of intense pain decreases.
Where to place a tattoo on your body is a personal decision. A professional tattoo artist will advice you if they think your chosen design would be better placed somewhere else on your body.
You should consider what kind of clothes you wear to work and for social engagements, whether or not you want your tattoo to show all the time, and the appropriateness of the design in public.
Most professional tattoo studios will not tattoo faces. If a person is already heavily covered in tattoos they may consider tattooing their neck and hands. Generally a professional tattoo studio will not tattoo a client’s neck, hands, or knuckles otherwise. Speaking of hands, fingers, toes, and feet, the skin in these areas is tougher making them more difficult to tattoo. In addition, tattoos in these areas are more likely to fade.
Not all scars can be tattooed over. Wait at least 6 months before getting a scar tattooed over. When considering having scars tattooed consult with a professional tattoo artist.
Yes, but not all artists are tattoo artists. A professional tattoo artist has spent years studying and developing their talent and skill level with a seasoned mentor to take their designs from paper to skin. Tattooing is not an art form you can learn in school, it is something a professional tattoo artist lives and breathes with practice and patience over years of study. Talent gets an artistic design on paper; skill takes that artistic design and ensures it is a quality tattoo on the body.
There are a multitude of factors in deciding on a tattoo artist:
Ensure the tattoo artist you are considering is licensed and practices proper sterilization and infection control standards. (see above, Is tattooing safe? for further explanation)
Seeing a particular artist’s work on another client is the best way to judge if your collaboration will be a good fit. The second best way is to look through a tattoo artist’s portfolio. Most will have a book of photographs they keep with them at all times, however in this day and age you can also find these photos online through a studio or tattoo artist’s website or social media accounts.
Taking the time to meet with a tattoo artist and discuss what you are interested in is also important. Asking questions like what style of tattooing the tattoo artist specializes in is key to getting what you want. Listening to your tattoo artist is even more important. For example, a true professional will let you know if a colleague is better suited to do a particular tattoo design, if your placement choice may not give you the affect you wanted, or if the size you have chosen isn’t the best choice or it is beyond their ability.
Never decide on a tattoo artist based on price. The old adage, “You get what you pay for.” rings even truer when it comes to tattoos. This is something you will have on your body for the rest of your life; unless of course you’re unhappy with it and spend even more money, time, and pain to have the tattoo removed. Serious tattoo collectors will save their money to get the tattoo they want from a professional tattoo artist with the qualifications required to ensure their clients are happy with their new tattoo. Remember, “Good work ain’t cheap. Cheap work ain’t good.”
Let’s get scientific. Tattooing is really all about physics. The needles used in tattooing aren’t “injecting” ink into your skin; they are however carrying ink and puncturing your skin. Pigment particles get trapped in the dermis layer of your skin leaving behind your new tattoo.
If you have chosen a professional body piercing studio and proper sterilization and infection control standards are practiced than body piercing is safe. This means anything that comes in contact with blood or other body fluids is medically disposed of (i.e. single use needles) or is sterilized using an autoclave.
An autoclave is a device that sterilizes equipment using heat, steam, and pressure. An autoclave maintains a temperature of 250 degrees Fahrenheit under 10 pounds of pressure for 30 minutes or 270 degrees Fahrenheit under 15 pounds of pressure for 15 minutes. This is the only accepted method of sterilization to kill every living microorganism.
Single needle use means one customer, one needle. The needles that are used on you are brand new, have been individually packaged, sealed, and autoclaved. After these needles are opened and used, they are disposed of in a safe medically appropriate manner.
All ointments, gloves, razors, paper towels (used and unused), surface coverings, and any other materials used during your piercing process is disposed of immediately. Nothing is reused. Upon the disposal of these items all work surfaces are disinfected with an EPA approved veridical that kills any surface bacteria or viruses. All of this eliminates the possibility of contamination of materials.
A note from the Association of Professional Piercers; “most ear piercing guns cannot be sterilized and anyone being pierced by them is a at risk.” For this reason most states have made it illegal to use these instruments to pierce any part of the body other than the ear lobe. Most importantly, “A reputable professional body piercer will not use a gun for any piercing – even for ear lobes.”
A professional body piercing studio must be licensed which includes health department inspections. In addition, all professional body piercers must be licensed which includes passing a bloodborne pathogens exam. The studio and piercers’ licenses should be visible. If you don’t see them, ask for them. Professionals take pride in their skills and work environment.
Here are a few factors to consider when choosing a body piercer.
Ensure the body piercer you are considering is licensed and practices proper sterilization and infection control standards. (see above, Is body piercing safe? for further explanation)
Seeing a body piercer’s work on a client is one of the best ways to get a good idea of their work. The second best way is by looking at their portfolio. The Association of Professional Piercers suggests you review whether or not the piercings are placed to accent the anatomy or if they look awkward.
Get a referral from someone you know that has a piercing you admire or inquire at your local health department. Most important, always trust your instincts.
Do not base your decision on price. Remember, “You get what you pay for.” Ask questions o your body piercer; how long have they been piercing, what was the length of their apprenticeship, how they continue their education in the field. The APP reminds us that before taking your money a qualified professional body piercer will sit down with you, inspect your anatomy, discuss the procedure, potential risks, healing process, jewelry options, and aftercare guidelines. Again, trust your instincts, if at any point you feel something is wrong, leave.
If you have any questions or problems, call us immediately a 305-534.7984. If it is after hours and you have a medical concern, please contact your doctor. If you are having a medical emergency, call 911.
When it comes to changing the jewelry, especially before it has fully healed, it is best to come into the studio so that one of our piercers can check and make sure that it is safe to do so. If the swelling of the piercing has gone down enough to where downsizing is an option, we can also help you find jewelry that is comfortable and safe to get you through the rest of the healing process. Please contact your piercer or studio before making any jewelry changes during the healing process. This can be anywhere between 4 months to a year.
The bump may be a keloid [or a healing/irritation bump] and picking at it may make it bigger [or more irritated]. A healing bump is a smooth, usually soft growth that can occur due to trauma (such as sleeping on it), jewelry that is too tight, or from a build up of oils and debris. To reduce these you can apply a warm, clean compress to the area over the course of a few days. Ibruprofen can also help reduce the swelling and any pain that you may experience from the irritation.
Come into the studio and discuss with a piercer to determine whether the bump or irritation you’re experiencing is a keloid, healing bump, or infection. They will advise you on the best course of action depending on the situation.
Always be certain to follow our piercing aftercare instructions, found here.
If you concerned that your piercing may be infected come into the studio and have a piercer check on it before applying any type of ointment on your own.
Just as with any infection, a sure sign is pus. If there is pus coming out of your piercing assess the situation immediately by following these recommendations. First and foremost do not use ointments such as Neosporin on the area. These block air from circulating. Second, do not remove the jewelry. The holes of your piercing may close around the infection potentially creating an abscess. If the pus is white your infection is minor and the use of a strong antiseptic for a few days should clear it right up. If the pus is yellow, your infection is more serious and a strong antiseptic does not clear it up in a few days please return to our studio so that we can take a look at it and help you. If the pus is green this indicates a very serious infection, you should come into our studio as soon as possible. If you are unable to come back to the studio please see a doctor.
Ear Piercings: lobe, tragus, conch, anti tragus, helix, industrial, orbital, snug, rook, daith
Lip Piercings: labret, vertical labret, angel bites, Monroe, Medusa, snake bites, spider bites, cyber bites, dolphin bites, shark bites, canine bites, Dahlia bites
Oral Piercings: web, gum, venom, horizontal, smiley, frown
Nose Piercings: nostril, septum, bridge, high nostril
Eyebrow Piercings: vertical, horizontal, spiral, tear drop, crows feet, butterfly kiss
Navel Piercings: upper vertical, lower vertical, vertical inverse, true navel, horizontal, multi navel
Body Piercings: nape, nipples, genitals
Dermal Piercings: we do not offer snake eyes, frog eyes, uvula, nose tip, and nasllang piercings.
straight barbell, curved barbell, d-ring, circular barbell, ball closure ring, segment ring, surface bar, nipple shield, labret stud, flesh tunnel, plug, taper/claw gauge, nose ring, nostril screw, l-shaped nose pin, nose bone/stud, captive ring, horseshoe, flat surface bar
FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS CAN EXTEND YOUR HEALING TIME OR PREVENT THE TATTOO FROM LOOKING ITS BEST.
FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS CAN EXTEND YOUR HEALING TIME.
Had an ear piercing done with Luna and she was amazing! Piercing came out perfect and Luna was great with placement, pain, etc
Gabriella R.
April 2024
Got an eyebrow pierced by Ray and she went above and beyond my expectations. SHe was so detailed in explaining everything about the process ; it really helped put me at ease. Thank you Ray, you’re awesome
Melissa Pena Koch
I got my first two tattoos by Ray. I love them!! They both healed well and came out better than the reference!! Ray truly is an amazing artist! Coming back again
Destiny Curry
April 2024
Had an ear piercing done with Luna and she was amazing! Piercing came out perfect and Luna was great with placement, pain, etc
Gabriella R.
April 2024
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