Exotix Studios

Oops! Long overdue review for this place
I got my ears pierced here by Alex about 2 years ago. 1) one done on the helix 2) one for each side of my ears lobes, this is the second piercing on my lobe. Alex was really nice about the process and took a long time to thoroughly make sure they were even and proportioned to my previous piercing. He was also accommodating about allowing me to use my own earrings. I get a slight reaction when I wear anything silver or steel in my ears.
I haven’t pierced my ears since I was a kid. Vaguely remember having it done by a family member with a needle and ice cube. Old school style! Lol. Anyways, I was wary of having the helix done cause I heard it hurts a lot. For anyone thinking of getting a helix piercing, it actually wasn’t too bad. The recovery period I found actually hurts more. They say it takes 6 months to heal… But I would say for me, it took almost 9 months to a year. On and off, I would experience intense swelling and irritation. Sometimes it hurt a lot. However, Alex was very understanding and answered any concerns I had. I religiously applied the sea salt and water solution he recommended, which really helped with the swelling.
Totally recommend this place. Just know it is pricy $$$, don’t come expecting to pay what you would for a piercing at Claire’s. Lol. But as they say, you get what you pay for. They are very professional.

I arrived early at the shop for my appointment. I was greeted and helped with many of my questions by a guy.
I got pierced by Jessie (I think that was her name) and she was fantastic. I was very nervous and Jessie was patient and very gentle. Everyone at the shop was very helpful and the place was very clean.

Hands down the best piercing place I’ve been to in Toronto — they’re extremely helpful and really friendly. I got my nose pierced by Jessie almost 3 months ago and she was everything you could want in a piercer. She explained everything and made me feel super comfortable — and was very accommodating when I asked her to change the placement about a hundred times.
I had some follow up questions and used the form on their website — not only did I get a response in 24 hours, Six has been super helpful in answering all my questions and responding to all my follow-​ups.
Awesome, awesome shop and while it’s on the more expensive side, it’s 100% worth every penny to get pierced properly. I would absolutely return and recommend to friends!

Oh my gosh! It was one of the most amazing experience ever…
So I have been waiting to get my belly button pierced, but have always pushed it away because I would get nervous.
I met Jessie when walked in and I loved her already she was welcoming and sweet! I got mine done for $ 101.07 in total and if you’re gonna get it pierced… might as well get it done well right? Anyway Jessie had patience, and she answered all the questions I asked extremely well. She made sure I was ready and didn’t suprise me with the needle.
My best friend got hers done by six and she said he was amazing as well.
It has been 2 weeks after I got it done and following the introductions they gave me on cleaning it, the piercing looks like it’s healing really quickly and amazing! I’m definitely coming back for more in the future!

This shoppe is comfortsble and professional, and they made me feel at ease from beginning to end. A high end place that an upper middle-​class man can be comfortable in, not some sleezy tattoo joint! Well done guys!

Six is the most amazing piercer I have ever known and I’ve gone to quite a few.
First of all, he is super on top of being clean with your piercing, he uses a new sharpie just for marking for every piercing. I’ve had quite a few microdermals done by him and he is extremely precise in marking them and making sure you are happy with the placement along with it being the best spot of healing. He uses calipers and a protractor! (As a jeweller, this makes me extremely happy)
In terms for normal piercings, he makes sure to go through all your options and placements with you. He really understands the body and overall visual flow on piercings. (Negative space, placement, alignment in terms of other piercings) These aspects are really important if you’re undertaking a multiple piercing project as it helps it look like a cohesive whole artwork rather than disparate piercings. He also values your input and will try to integrate what he thinks will be best for healing/​placement with your input.
Lastly, he is great at making piercings as painless and quick as possible. Every piercing I’ve had done is finished within 20 minutes. (other than microdermals) I’ve never heard my cartilage pop or worse, crunch with Six. All my piercings from here have never gotten infected or gotten keloids. Honestly, most of them have healed without much of a fuss at all using standard piercing aftercare.
Six will also warn you away from «trend» piercings that will not heal well or at all such as staples or vertical industrials.
I’ve never gotten pierced by Jessie yet but she is always happy to see new or returning customers and always offers refreshments. She is extremely knowledgeable about piercings as well and knows of different ways to calm piercings that are having a little too much fun swelling up/​getting irritated. She is really good at suggesting products/​piercings for new hesitant people getting pierced and placements.
All in all, I would never recommend a place more and wish I could get more friends with me to get pierced here.

A perfect example of fantastic service.
Came here with friend to get our noses pierced. We were nervous but Jessie’s professional and accomodating attitude put us at ease right away.
She was very thorough, explaining the procedure and helping us decide the location of the piercing. She told us were she felt the best spot for it was and then asked us what we thought.
When it came to the piercing itself, she talked us through step by step and I think that definitely helped the most !
My friend said her septum piercing was surprisingly painless while I had no issues with my nostril piercing at all.
The prices are a bit on the steeper side but overall everything felt very professional and the place was spotless.
I would absolutely recommend this place again and again ESPECIALLY if you’re on the more cautious side and want to be taken care of someone who knows what their stuff.

Exotix is the only place I go for any piercing and jewelry needs. The piercers and staff are always so friendly and willing to offer advice. I appreciate the level of professionalism I know I can always get here. The renovation looks beautiful and really reflects the atmosphere of high quality they create. I never mind paying more for jewelry or a service because I know I’m going to have a great experience and the piercers always care about how your progress.
Alex helped me stretch my ears over 6 months, and I knew I could buy mediocre quality jewelry and do it myself for cheaper but the amount of dedication and professionalism kept me coming back to have the service done.
I was helped by a female piercer today whose name I wish I had gotten. She was absolutely lovely. She seemed incredibly knowledgable, thorough, and professional. I would absolutely feel confident coming back and having any of the piercers at Exotix pierce me. I’ve brought lots of friends to get pierced or jewelry and I’ll continue to do so.

I got some cheap piercings and Six helped me bring them back to life.
Don’t waste your time elsewhere. This dude knows what he is doing– and if you do end up going elsewhere– he’ll do his best to fix you up.
I will go no where else from now on.

Don’t look elsewhere to get a quality piercing with quality jewelry. Six has the experience you need when getting pierced. He takes the time to speak with you about placement, type of jewelry, plans for changing gauges and aftercare. Don’t go shopping for the cheapest price, if you have a piece of jewelry going through your body, wouldn’t you want it to be of quality?

Even though I did not get anything done by Six. I found he was honest to tell me that belly piercing is not a good option for me since my body and navel structure will probably reject the piercing and it might migrate or shift so I ended up not doing it! I took his advise. He gave me option but I chose not too.
I recommend him. He is honest!

i had a great piercing experience. The shop is very clean, Six and his staff are very professional, knowledgeable, polite and, above all, friendly.
While preparing my jewellery Six answered all of my increasingly inane questions and really put my mind at ease, then guided me through the novel experience of piercing my septum. So far I am very happy with the results and look forward to healing it up.
The jewellery selection is beautiful and the location at Queen & Spadina is very handy and the hours are convenient for either the weekend, or an after-​work appointment. Communication is great and it was easy to book an appointment.
The level of service is top notch and the atmosphere is relaxed & confident. All told, if you’re going to acquire holes in your body, I think hands down this is the place to do it.

If you’re going to voluntarily inflict yourself with what is effectively a stab wound, at least DO IT RIGHT. Don’t be afraid to pay a little more for proper sh*t.
I’d gotten pierced a few times, always with problems, before coming here. Six was friendly, professional, and confident, which really put me at ease. He’s clearly really good at what he does, and on top of that, uses top-​of-​the-​line tools. The piercing went really smoothly. I emailed him about a month after I got pierced, because a keloid was popping up (always happens for me with piercings). He responded right away with great advice, and the keloid disappeared within a couple weeks.
So. F’ing. Impressed.

Great experience getting pierced by Six. Professional, knowledgable, and a great guy. I felt really comfortable and the shop looks great!

I often feel nervous walking into a tattoo and piercing place with minimal tattoos and piercings, but the staff at Exotix was unbelievably nice i wasn’t getting a piercing of tattoo so u kno i wasnt spending that hella cash but the man who helped me treated me like i was the most imporant customer in the world i’ll definitely come back to exotix again

I went into Exotix today to get a tragus piercing done. Alex greeted me warmly, and made me feel very welcome in the shop. There were a couple people getting tattoos at the same time, as well as another person working with the artists on placement of a new tattoo. This shop has an air of professionalism that you would expect, but none of the pretentious attitude that you might experience at other shops in the area.
Alex is not only a great piercer, but he’s super friendly and made me feel confident that he would do a great job on the piercing. I’m very happy with how it turned out, and if I ever decide to get another piercing I’ll definitely go back to Exotix.
I’d definitely recommend Exotix over other shops in the area, even if their prices are a little higher. You definitely get what you pay for, and this place is worth it!

So, I mentioned in my previous review that I was getting a tattoo by Lemur. I love all the guys here — quality is their game. I got the tattoo back in April so I won’t get into specific details I can give highlights:
–His creativity. I went to him with one idea, and then decided to give him more artistic freedom to create a design. I’m so glad I did. It was a breathtaking design, beautifully composed, and completely unique to me. I only saw it a week before I got it tattooed on me (after waiting 4 months for the appointment) and it was beyond anything I could’ve imagined.
–His professionalism. Lemur’s a pretty chill guy, but he made sure to explain exactly what he was doing at each step, and was happy to answer any questions I had.
–Comfort. My session was 5 hours long, and let me tell you, lying on your side and trying not to move hurts (this is apart from the tattoo pain, more like nerve pain from lying on a body part for so long). He made sure to give me a lot breaks to shake it off. He also didn’t care what I did to get through the needle pain, whether it was putting my headphones, squeezing a stress ball, or having a snack. He encouraged me to bring whatever I needed.
I think the work speaks for itself. Every time I look at it, I fall in love with it all over again. Everyone I show it to is amazed at the intricacies of the design.
If you’re looking for a custom tattoo artist, I highly recommend Lemur. His waiting list is quite long and he’s selective with what he tattoos, but it’s worth the wait.
Here’s a link to my tattoo on the studio’s facebook page:

I got a helix ear piercing a few weeks ago from Alex and Six. They are both really nice and cool guys. I felt comfortable the entire time. Even though I was totally a wimp about it, they never made me feel dumb or like the scared-​little-​girl that I truly am. Also, truly, the piercing wasn’t painful at all. Nothing like I imagined. They recommended that I start out with a stud titanium earring because my piercings tend to become infected easily. I am happy to report that I am healing really well and there has hardly been any pain!
About a week ago, I got a tattoo that runs from the top of my thigh to the knee (will post pics soon) from Case-​k. We designed the tattoo together and he made several great suggestions. I felt at ease the entire time he was working on my leg. It did take a bit longer than expected (I was in at 4:30 and left at 7) but we also had a dinner break, smoke break and chatted for a bit. About three quarters of the way through, I started freaking out and wanted to come back at a later time. Case remained calm, told me he respected my decision. Seeing him so calm and supportive really helped me and we ended up finishing that day:)
All in all, this studio is great. Everyone is welcoming and the space is clean. I wouldn’t hesitate to come back here for a piercing or tattoo.

**Update: For those who don’t know, anodized titanium loses it’ color. I had a piercing from here in teal and half of it turned purple. They offered to re-​color it at a cost. I’m not very happy about that… I think they should warn people that this is a risk before you pay $ 83 for a premium piercing. Better off to go with Gold at that price, as it is the safest material for piercings and it can be cleaned to restore its lustre at home…
The guys here are very nice (if not 100% honest and open about their products). The shop is clean and they do make you feel very welcome.
The main reason for my complaint is: There isn’t any benefit to the titanium (in terms of infection risk and healing time) — unless you are allergic to Stainless steel — and it’s much more expensive. And I feel like I should have been told I wasn’t a good candidate and that the healing was likely to take a lot longer for me.
I went in about 2 months ago to get my navel re-​pierced. It closed up after months of infection about 10 years ago. The piercing itself was very painful and took a long time — probably because of the old scar tissue. When I went to cash out, I was surprised to find the already steep price of $ 75 was not including tax — so I shelled out $ 83. That’s almost double what other, reputable piercing places cost.
I figured it was worth it because Six said the piercing would heal better this time around — with the fancy Titanium barbell. Two months later and it is infected and oozing nasty, smelly yellow pus. Not his fault — granted. I am only upset because I was told it would heal in 4 – 6 weeks — but I’ve read online it is more common for it to take 5 months to a year to heal the navel (one of the most easily infected areas).
Also, i read that some people shouldn’t get piercings if their upper and lower navel skin touches when they sit down — which is the case with me.
I think it’s still a good shop — very clean and pleasant — and he has offered to look at the piercing and advise me on further care, but there is NO BENEFIT to Titanium over the much cheaper stainless steel jewelry (in terms of risk of infection and healing time). Plus, anodized Titanium loses its color, so if you don’t like constantly getting your piercings fixed/​changed, go with the plain silver-​coloured piercing…

I had a piercing that closed up on a recent vacation. I originally had it done at New Tribe but since my last experience there wasn’t the greatest, I was looking for someone new to stab my body part with a needle. Using my trusty Unilocal app (shameless plug!), I saw that Exotix had stellar reviews; also, Six (owner and piercer) was a Now Magazine «Best Of» winner several times. So with those in mind, I emailed to find out about booking an appointment.
Six responded right away. We discussed my options and he let me know the potential price and when we could meet for him to take a look. He let me know that sometimes piercings could be reopened, even if it appeared closed to me. I didn’t know that so learning something new made me feel more comfortable choosing Exotix.
I went in the next day and didn’t have to wait long for Six to appear. He was very professional and after studying the piercing, realized it would have to be re-​pierced. He was meticulous at getting my piercing straight, and explained each step while he was doing it. It hurt like hell for me but he made sure to make it as smooth and quick as possible.
The piercing itself was more than other places I had checked out but Exotix uses internally threaded titanium jewelry. I constantly lose the beads on my piercings so I was happy to pay more, knowing I’m getting top quality products with my piercing.
When Six was done, he explained the aftercare and let me know that I could call anytime if I had any questions or thought anything was wrong with the piercing. I left there happy, confident – which is a lot when you’re also in a bit of pain! Exotix will be my no 1 choice from now on for any other piercings I decide to inflict on myself.

With the most experienced/​skilled piercer currently working in Toronto. Exotix provides impeccable service quality and service to the city of Toronto for both Body Piercing and Tattooing.
In a city plagued by sub-​standard jewelry quality and the $ 20 piercings. Exotix stands clear above all shops by providing acceptable body jewelry for long term wearing in the body (ie: Internally Threaded Implant Grade Titanium).
I choose «Quality» over «How Cheap I Can Get it». I only have one body and it deserves the absolute best. I choose Exotix.