Rt38 Tattoo Company — Local services in Tewksbury

Me and my bestie scheduled to be tattooed by Wallace Herrera a month or two in advance. It was both our first tattoo as well.

Two days ago, our tattoo appointment finally arrived. They called to confirm our appointment the day prior and also called an hour before to let us know that Wallace finished his previous appointment early and that we could come in sooner.

Once we got there, we went to Wallace's studio. He was super friendly and nice. We showed him a few design that we liked, he stepped out to draw for not more than ten minutes, then shocked us with 3 awesome designs. My friend immediately picked out one and he got to work on finding the right placement for the tattoo on her back right side near her rib cage. Once she liked the placement, he got to tattooing. Throughout the process, he checked in on her and asked how she was doing. It didn't take him very long to finish hers, about less than an hour; it was a floral piece, not more than 5 inches tall.

For my tattoo, I again showed him some inspiration pictures and he came back with three designs of his own. I asked him to make some changes to some just so I could see and compare, but ended up picking one of his original three as he had drawn it in the beginning. We adjusted the placement for the tattoo just above my right ankle and he got to work. He finished mine in less than 20 minutes.

After he finished our tattoos, he asked to photograph them and then gave us instructions for aftercare. He answered any questions we had and then we went upstairs to pay and head out.

Between each client - when he switched from my friend to me - he sanitized everything, used new needles and ink. I watched him open brand new packaging and safely dispose of the used needle. His workspace is very clean and sanitary. He worse gloves as well. His table was covered in plastic wrap and he completely switched that out and trashed it to replace it with fresh plastic wrap between clients.

Both my bestie and I are completely satisfied with our tattoos! We adore his neo-Asian art style and love the single needle art that Wallace did for us. He does clean line work and is very professional and chill. I loved that we got to talk about some of our favorite anime and talk about dogs.

I've already shared his work to some friends who are interested and also learned about Wallace through word of mouth at my local dog park. I would definitely go back to get another...

As a new client receiving his first tattoo, I must applaud, tattoo artist, Maliea, for providing my first tattoo. As soon as I walked into the establishment, I was welcomed with a warm greeting that consisted of a formal introduction and professionalism. Her work station and equipment was thoroughly sanitized and organized. She was open minded and collaborative with sketching the art work, patient with creating the tattoo, and very considerate of my comfort level and pain threshold. For example, she had a knack for keeping me socially engaged to take my mind off any discomfort I was feeling, but at the time same, also attentive to make sure any potential discomfort was not too overwhelming and unbearable. She also had music playing in the background, which was soothing and relaxing, (especially if you’re nervous about getting your first tattoo). Once she was completed, Maleia made sure I was informed on the proper tattoo aftercare to prevent infection and/or irritation. Maleia’s attention to detail, plentiful patience, personable attitude and impressive professionalism made my first experience not only a comfortable one, but a memorable one as well. Thank you Maleia and RT38...

Maybe it's just me but my experiance lacked a connection. It seemed the artist just wanted to get paid and go home. No small talk was involved, even when I tried. Again, maybe it's just me but i would have loved it to be a more personal experiance rather than what I got. All in all, it wasnt the worst time. I got what i wanted and was sent on my way. Line work is okay for how small it is. The heart ended up bleeding a little and people tend to point it out often but other than that, it's alright. I'll go again for a quick little walk in but for anything that requires me to sit in the chair for an hour+, I'll pass. Overall it's a clean shop, not really coordinated very well, well decorated, and seems like a fun environment with the right artist. I heard Todd's a blast, maybe I'll try to get in with him at some point. Who knows. Sorry for the terrible picture, I didnt have one so I took one quickly. This is almost 8...