This story was published in Volume 1, Issue 2
By: Mattie Nunez
In between the crevices of The University Hill’s jam-packed buildings lies one of its newest and booming tattoo parlors, The Study Tattoo Lounge.
Body art has always been around, but over the last 10 years, tattoos have seen exceptional growth. According to a Pew Research Center study, at least 32% of Americans have at least one piece of art on their body.
Frank Campos, owner of The Study Tattoo Lounge, capitalized on the trending incline and claimed his stake on The Hill in 2023. He knew it would be a great place for “high turnover and heavier traffic.”
Although the parlor is a newer addition to The Hill, its presence is not passed over. The gothic alternative interior plays host to many Friday the 13th flash tattoo sales where Boulder residents get new ink or forever memories. The parlor’s specialty isn’t necessarily focused on large custom pieces, but rather the sentimental, typical young adult artwork.
“[We] get a lot more gimmick tattoos here than you would see in other parts of the country,” Campos said. “We get a lot of students, either their freshman or senior year, that’ll come and get their dorm room on them or smaller things that people typically want already.”
John Barthlow, a freshman at CU, is no stranger to the piercing of a tattoo gun. Barthlow is a common visitor to The Study Tattoo Lounge, not just for its consistent artwork, but for its convenient location and pricing.
“I feel like a lot of [tattoos] make for good conversation as well. A lot of the time, they have wacky stories behind them, ” Barthlow said.
CU is infamous for its notorious party culture, inclining many to expect drunk tattoos to be given out regularly. However, The Study Tattoo Lounge holds itself to a higher standard.
“People assume we make a lot of our money tattooing drunk kids. We don’t really tattoo anybody that’s been drinking, it’s just too much of a liability,” Campos said.
A liability and illegal, as a matter of fact. In the state of Colorado, tattooing someone who is intoxicated and is “noticeably impaired by drugs or alcohol” is a violation of Colorado’s health and safety regulations. However, for Campos and The Study Tattoo Lounge, “a little bit of liquid courage is understandable.”
While controversies about the significance of tattoos remain, for Campos it’s an opportunity to reminisce about the past.
“I got a bunch of tattoos that don’t mean shit, but I think that [the design] doesn’t have to have a meaning,” Campos said. “If you look at [a tattoo] like a timeline, it’s a stamp, it’s a memory. A point in your life that you can think back … and [see what] your life was like when that was going on.”
