Purple Scorpion Body Piercing & Tattoo

I went in here a few months ago on one of their buy-​one-​get-​one free piercing nights and LOVED it. I ended up sitting for an industrial (which for the purpose of the BOGO night counted as 2 piercings so it was half off), traigus, and conch piercing all in one go, and I was well taken care of. The piercer let me know that she was going to do the piercings from most painful to least painful, and took the time to let me know what she was doing before she did it even though she knew I had been pierced before. The shop was small but very clean. Overall, it was the attention to detail and friendly & knowledgeable staff that made Purple Scorpion deserve 5 stars.

I was recommended here by several people so I knew it was going to be a great choice and even after living in Salem for 2 years I actually had never been to this place.
It’s such a cute shop, but certainly dated — it’s in a historic house and you can’t update that shit! You lose the history!
I got my piercing with Judy, she is hands down just amazing. We exchanged text/​phone calls prior. She is very hands on and said to please keep her number saved so if I had any questions/​concerns afterwards during healing that she was just a phone call or text away. That was so nice to hear that instead of, yeah OK bye! She was so genuine about it and I definitely texted her about a week and a half later to ask a question!
Clean, professional. I witnessed her clean, open new equipment, etc. No issues there.
Parking, tough I suppose if it was peak season for Salem. I parked in the historic house lot across the way, maybe the 7 Gables, I’m not sure. There was also street parking and side streets but I’m not sure what those street signs read if anything.
Cash only, like most places.
I would definitely go back if I plan to get another piercing.

I stopped into this shop to just check it out. They had a good selection of jewelry and some other odds and ends. The girl working was very helpful and kind. Prices were decent and everything was clean.

A little bit of an intimidating set up/​décor and the piercers were very to the point (haHA!) — needless to say there was less hand holding (which was fine for me since I am an experienced piercing-​receiver).
Ian is incredibly smart and experienced — he showed me every step of the sterilization process before and after the piercing.
I was craving a cartilage piercing, was away from my piercer in upstate NY, and didn’t want to pay oodles of cash for a piercing in Boston. This worked out great!

After years of wanting a nose piercing, I finally decided to just go for it. I went with my sister when she had hers pierced at The Purple Scorpion about 6 years ago, and had been so impressed by the experience that I refused to go anywhere else for mine.
Leo is the consummate professional: he explained all the paperwork, the pricing and what was included, and when it came time for the actual piercing he verbally and visually walked me through each step, from sanitizing his hands and the surgical tray, to the tools that would be involved, to letting me know when he would be in my personal space and placing his hands on me. The piercing itself was quick and relatively painless; I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
He was also kind enough to look at my roommate’s unhealed piercing (which had been done elsewhere… :coughmallcough:) and give her tips on what she needed to do in order for everything to heal properly.
If you’re in the market for a piercing, look no further. I can’t say enough about Leo and the Purple Scorpion.

I got my nose pierced here a few years ago and it was absolutely horrible! I only have them 2 stars because the guy was so apologetic and friendly. He said noses never bleed but mine wouldn’t stop gushing! After a few weeks of healing, a keloid developed and wouldn’t go away. Their advice was to use a soap that I’ve since found out is horrible for tattoos! There are much better piercers out there. Be ware!

Leo IV is the best piercer I’ve ever been to. He’s very calm, and talks you through the whole thing. It was the least stressful piercing I’ve ever had done, and healed better, and faster than any other. I definitely recommend him if you’re looking to get a piercing, he know’s his trade, and is well experienced with the squeamish and not.

I’ve been to the Purple Scorpion twice to get pierced and both of my visits definitely did not disappoint. The shop is small, but very clean. The staff are also pretty friendly and welcoming. Compared to other places, I think the prices for piercings are a little higher than average, and even though it’s included they don’t carry a lot of options for starter jewelry.
That aside, the piercer at the Salem Shop Judy is awesome– extremely professional she has done my four ear cartilage piercings quick and with little pain (well, for me anyway).
I wish parking was better, but I don’t mind if I have to park and walk from the parking garage to go here because it is worth it. At the moment, they don’t have an official website yet, but there is a Purple Scorpion Facebook page for people to ask questions regarding pricing and such and find out when they are having promotions. I highly recommend checking out their «buy one get one free» piercing offers that they do every so often if you want to knock out two piercings in one day for the price of one.

I got a Groupon coupon and went to get my nose pierced. Everyone at the Purple Scorpion was really friendly! The woman who pierced my nose was also really nice. I would recommend this place to anyone looking to get pierced.
I wish it was closer and I wish they had better parking options. Other than that, my experience at The Purple Scorpion was great!

The guy who pierced my nose was wicked nice and did an amazing job! Both of the employees there were very helpful and kind! Thanks so much!!!

My boyfriend and I got our piercings done here after buying the Groupon deal. The staff was very friendly and the environment seemed clean and well taken care of for piercing. I got two ear piercings done at this place by Judy and they seem to be doing well.
My boyfriend on the other hand got an industrial done also by Judy. The next day I noticed the swelling was pretty bad and the back ball especially was digging fairly deep into his ear. After days of nagging him as he complained about the pain and then him bleeding, he finally went to get it looked at. As I suspected, the bar was way to short for the healing process and he had to have a local piercer change it.
The place is fine for simple piercings but anything more complex I’d go elsewhere. A piercer should know better and account for swelling especially on an industrial.
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I don’t know why this was filtered. Stupid Unilocal.Anyways, my bf emailed them the receipt for the new bar he had to get. They never responded.

I got a Groupon to Purple Scorpion and just went in to get two piercings in my left earlobe. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I got $ 10 off for getting two piercings at once, and was able to put the extra money towards back-​up jewelry and a tip for the piercer. Better yet, though there were quite a number of people in the small lobby area, I was seen almost immediately.
Leo clearly knows and loves his trade. Beyond all the good-​piercer guidelines (clean the station in front of the client; change gloves once to clean the station, once to mark, and a final time to pierce; throw out the used needles while the client watches to prove that they’re one-​use only, and so forth), Leo was friendly, professional to the utmost, and incredibly precise. He very carefully marked the second piercing, and when I approved its location, carefully measured the distance between my first lobe-​piercing and the mark so that the space between the two new piercings would be the same distance.
Fast but not rushed, friendly yet notably professional, the staff at Purple Scorpion really impressed me. I’m thrilled with my two new piercings. Five stars and thumbs up for these guys: it’s worth it to me to make the trip to Salem from Boston next time I get a piercing.

Purple Scorpion was fantastic! A friend and I got their Groupon and took the pleasant trip to Salem for a new tattoo. Everyone was very friendly and the place was clean and welcoming! Our tattoo artist was super nice and lots of fun. She showed us each step of preparing everything so we knew everything was sanitary and safe. Kudos to Purple Scorpion!

Had a great experience here tonight! Even though the waiting room was pretty much full — I was filling out my paperwork and choosing my nose ring screw in a matter of minutes. The man at the counter (I didn’t catch his name) was very sweet and professional, and answered about a billion questions from a plethora of teenagers at the front of the store. «Does a tongue piercing hurt?» «What hurts more, a tattoo or a piercing?» «Can I eat a steak right after I get my tongue pierced?»
Once my ID was checked and my jewelry was selected, I waited about another 15 minutes and it was my time! Now I haven’t had anything pierced since I was about 23, so I was pretty nervous.
Turns out I didn’t even have time to be nervous. Once I was in the piercing room, Judy asked me which side of my nostril I wanted pierced. She marked the right side, I decided to switch to the left. She stuck a cork in my nose, the needle went in, my eyes watered, the ring went in, she told me how to clean it, handed me a q-​tip, I tipped her — THE END.

So far I’ve only had my tragus pierced here. Actually it was a re-​piercing since I took the original out about 1.5yrs ago. The staff is very friendly and the place is super clean. My piercing was done quickly and the healing time was minimal. Despite it being a re-​pierce through a significant amount of scar tissue it didn’t hurt at all. I will definitely be returning there for my future piercing needs.

I’ve known Leo IV for a few years through a mutual friend. I know a lot of body piercers, and he’s quite possibly one of the best in the business.
In addition to the skills of the staff, Purple Scorpion has something that’s important, and that’s it’s immaculately clean. The City of Salem didn’t want this shop in town, so they set cleanliness standards really high. Purple Scorpion has not only met those standards, they exceed them. This is one of the few places I’ve ever seen use sterile gloves. Most places pull latex gloves from a box. Purple Scorpion pulls individual gloves from sterile packages. You don’t see that level of sterile quality in many places.

What would you like to do today? Well, if you’ve run over your options and there, on the top of your list, is «get decorative piece of metal stabbed through flesh», pack up your valid ID and head over to the Purple Scorpion.
The first time I visited the Scorpion, it was to get my tongue pierced. I removed the piercing about a month later though, due to the fact that having a barbell in my tongue aggravated my very slight lisp to comic proportions. The original sitting, however, went flawlessly. Judy was professional and confident, while still displaying a good sense of humor. Over the years I returned three times — once to get my nose pierced, once to get it re-​pierced (I had taken it out for a job) and once more to get a custom nose piercing made.
All visits were beyond satisfactory. Each time, I felt assured that I was being pierced in a shop that was as clean, safe and professional as possible. My highest praise goes to Leo IV for the excellent little nose stud that I have in my nostril this very moment. I had been having problems with the original piercing because it was too long and jutted out of my nose like one of those little pop-​up turkey timers. Leo IV measured my nose and custom made a piercing that was perfect for me (and for a lower price than I expected).

Ahhhhh… Good old Purple Scorpion! A place of nostalgia bringing back memories of my early college years. It began as I was spending a summer semester at Salem State, right out of high school. All the kids I was friends with had some type of piercing, whether it was nose, belly rings, or lip rings. I wanted in on the fun so I asked around and everyone kept directing me to Purple Scorpion. I felt a twang of fear, as I was only 17 at the time and wished vehemently that I was 18 and could just hop on a bus and get a hole punched in my face all by my fearless self… But alas, I needed parental advisory, and I was lucky enough to have such a hip mom, that she actually took me to get a lip ring and payed for it!
So in walks my mom, my two supportive friends and myself and after a great explanation of the care that would be entailed in having a lip ring, I was placed behind the curtain in one of the piercing chairs and a lovely gal ever so gently pierced my lip. It was a rush! The way it was done was practically painless, and extremely clean and sanitized. They were very accommodating and thorough in taking the time to grant a 17 year old (going through a punk stage) girl’s wish! I definitely recommend it! Plus, the location can’t be beat!

So I’ve been coming here since 1996 – 97 and have to say that Judy and Leo are the best piercers around. There’s not one hole in my body that hasn’t been pierced by either of them.
Not only is this location the cleanest, put together, bustling spot, but their employees have extensive training in multiple areas of body modification, surface/​external, tattooing, and copious amounts of medical certification to boot. Extremely professional people, educated and well rounded in all areas specified. I’ve purchased and ordered jewelry from them for years. Best selection to DATE. They always have everything I need, and to top it off Leo IV custom produces a shitload of fantastic jewelry.
Even though I’m an old customer, I’m always treated like I’m getting something for the first time. They are very thorough with explaining instructions, what to do and not do, and the proper things to use, i. e Listerine, Bactine, etc. Everytime I have something pierced they make sure to send me with instructions, just in case my dumb ass forgets that lake water is terrible and swimming in the ocean is always a smarter choice. It’s so laid back that whenever I come, I end shooting the shit for hours until I realize that I came to get some more metal in my face. And that’s why I love it, and love them.
Highly recommended!

I went here on recommendation from my friend Diana who had her nose pierced here last summer. Located in one of the oldest areas of Salem, Purple Scorpion was nestled just beyond «In A Pigs Eye» on Derby Street. Parking was a little difficult, but as it was evening I was able to secure a spot in one the parking lots assigned for one of the historic homes of which I don’t remember the name. I only lived there for 10 months, ok?
They have locations in Salem, NH and in Gloucester, MA, and are opening a location on Rantoul St. in Beverly in the upcoming weeks.
In any case, I had called ahead of time to find out the hours of operation to find out that they schedule the last piercing at 9:30 pm, which was WAY convenient for people who can’t get there until after work. I didn’t need to schedule an appointment, walk-​ins were welcome here. My roommates came with me, one of which to get a labret piercing. We ended up having to wait awhile before the piercing specialist could see us and ended up chatting with the guy who manages the counter. He was very nice and showed us a lot of choices in jewelry including titanium, gold, and pyrex which I had never seen before and is great for people who need to be discreet.
Brooke didn’t have much of an option and chose the smallest barbell she could which was stil fairly large because it needed to allow for swelling, and I chose a tiny gold diamond stud, barely noticable for work. I watched the piercer unwrap and sterilize all the tools for both of our piercings, and wash her hands frequently, which was comforting.
Altho I didn’t watch Brooke’s piercing, it was quick and fairly painless. I think the slogan of Purple Scorpion was «One sting and you’re done». Mine however, the piercing was super quick, but getting the actual ring in my nose was quite possibly the most painful thing I had ever experienced, far surpassing when I’d get my teeth drilled sans novocaine. Entirely different sort of feeling, but intensely painful. I squirmed in the chair, and finally tensed my body enough in the chair by clutching the armrests to stay still.
When it was finally all over, I still had some bleeding and was apparently quite pale, I needed to lay down and drink some water for a bit until some color came back and I didn’t feel quite so dizzy. Something to do with having low blood iron, I guess. The piercer then asked us if we had myspace. I reluctantly said yes, most of the time I’m kind of embarassed that I have an account, and she gave me her url so I could contact her if we had any kind of questions. Also, with the care instructions, we recieved a coupon for 50% off our next jewelry purchase.
Kind of tempted to get a monroe done now, but the jewelry choices are pretty slim due to the size they have to pierce you with, perhaps I would go the pyrex route should I ever get daring enough.