We know your style
Outsanding service
ADEPT is an AWARD WINNING tattoo and body piercing studio with two locations located in the heart of Halifax and Bedford, NS. Most recently ADEPT was named BEST TATTOO SHOP in The Coast’s Best Of Halifax readers choice awards for every year from 2012 to 2019. In previous years, The Coast readers poll has awarded us Gold and Silver placements for the Best Tattoo Shop and Best Artist categories each year. Amber Thorpe is an 8 time Coast Best of award winner, voted Halifax’s Favorite Tattoo Artist Faces Magazine 2012 and has won numerous other trophies .
We specialize in custom artwork, drawn by our talented artists to fit your unique design needs. Call our shop to book a consultation with the artist of your choice. A consultation appointment is a free service offered by us to the client so they can brainstorm with their artist. This is a chance for the client to give the artist their idea and bring any reference images, and for the artist to figure out what will look good and work with the placement of the piece on the body.
Discover Our Creations
Discover Our Creations
Don't just take our word for it
Hear what our clients have to say about our services.
Our Owner & Featured Artist
Amber pairs a Fine Arts background with 25 years of tattoo experience to deliver natural‑looking cosmetic results. Working from Hart & Huntington in Niagara Falls, she offers microblading and nano‑brows, lip blush, lash‑line enhancement, faux freckles, scar camouflage, and 3‑D areola restoration. Every treatment is custom‑designed to suit your skin tone and facial structure, and her blood‑borne‑pathogen certification ensures top‑tier safety. Amber keeps her skills sharp through advanced pigment workshops and international conventions, earning multiple industry awards along the way.
Ready to wake up with effortlessly polished features? Book a consultation and let Amber’s cosmetic tattoo artistry simplify your routine.
Meet the Team
At ADEPT we offer only the best talent with state of the art equipment and ink, tattooing for the future. All of our work will last and still look great for years to come. We achieve this through thorough training and experience.
Andrew “Bo” Bagnall
Meet Andrew Bagnall. With a natural knack for precision and a love for all things technical, they’ve embraced the art of piercing with skill and enthusiasm. Known for their upbeat personality and calming presence, they’re great at helping nervous clients feel at ease.
Greg Brown
Greg is a master piercer known for his precision, expertise, and passion for body modification. From classic piercings to microdermals and custom pr
ojects, Greg brings a deep understanding of anatomy and technique to every appointment.
Amber Thorpe
Amber, a Niagara Falls native, began her artistic journey studying Fine Arts before starting her tattoo career in 1998. Trained under respected mentors and influenced by prominent artists, she opened Adept Tattoos in Halifax in 2006 and founded the Maritime Tattoo Festival. An award-winning artist dedicated to continuous growth, Amber now tattoos at Hart & Huntington in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and also runs her art-inspired clothing line, IntrinsicArt.
Roy Sushmita
Sushmita Roy (Krishna Roy), also known as Frozen Ink and Art or Blaze, is a versatile tattoo artist with over 13 years of experience specializing in photorealism, surrealism, fine line, Japanese, and watercolor styles. Passionate about meaningful, large-scale projects, Sushmita made history in 2022 as India’s first tattoo artist to complete a full-body suit in three months, recognized by Harvard World Records. Currently tattooing at Adept Tattoos (Bedford, NS), they also bring extensive expertise in graphic design, UI/UX, branding, and digital product development through their creative agency, Zero AM.
Billie Luo
Born and raised in Shanghai, influenced deeply by a mother who professionally illustrated iconic 90s anime like Dragon Ball and Saint Seiya, my artistic journey began early with a pencil and endless sketches. To me, tattooing—whether realism or abstract, large or small—is ultimately about taste, vision, and flowing naturally with the human canvas. My specialty is black-and-grey realism infused with abstract elements and subtle oriental flair. I particularly love freehanding designs directly onto the body, enhancing each tattoo’s organic harmony with its wearer.
Dakota Cyr
Whether you’re after a delicate bit of script or an eye‑catching full sleeve, I’m all about turning ideas into ink—no matter the style. Bold traditional, soft black‑and‑grey realism, or vibrant colour work, I approach every piece with the same care and enthusiasm. Shoot me a message and let’s start planning your next tattoo today!
Lucy Dudko
Lucy, originally from Europe, is a tattoo artist who got her start at Karmma Tattoo in Vancouver. With two years of experience and a solid background from five years of art school, Lucy specializes in fine line, graphic art, minimalism, mini realism, surrealism, and shading. She crafts personalized sketches, thoughtfully guides clients in selecting ideal placements, and brings an aesthetic vision that ensures each tattoo is harmonious and artistically refined.
Nithik Velusamy Kavitha
Nithik, an engineering student at Dalhousie University, moved from India to Halifax in December 2022. His artistic journey began in 2019 with a passion for black and gray realism, eventually leading him into tattooing. After apprenticing at 902 Tattoo Collective for a year, he now tattoos at Adept Tattoos, specializing in black and gray realism, fine line, microrealism, and watercolor styles, continually expanding his artistic exploration.
Dylan Kaiser
A versatile artist specializing in black-and-grey tattoos featuring intricate floral and fauna designs, I often explore esoteric and botanical themes in both tattooing and traditional artwork. My obsession with tattoo culture began shortly after attending Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, where I developed a strong eye for detail and composition through illustration, graphic design, painting, and photography. With over seven years of experience, my distinctive style continues to evolve and flourish.
Things to know.
Questions? We got answers. Here’s some common questions we get asked a lot.
No, Piercings are done by appointment only.
Yes, we do! Age requirements vary depending on the piercing type. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know:
Ears, Facial, Navel, Nose – 16 years old
Genitals, Nipples, Tongue, Surface, Microdermal – 18 years old
Navel, Nose, Septum – 14 years old with parental consent
Helix (cartilage) – 12 years old with parental consent
Lobes – 4+ years old with parental consent. We’ll pierce children as long as they can ask for the piercing themselves.
*Parental consent is not accepted for piercings that you must be 18+ for.
*A health card or birth certificate is not acceptable as the only form of ID for a minor to sign for themselves.
*Parental consent requires a health card or birth certificate for the minor & government-issued photo ID from the Parent.
Remove bandage in 12-18 hours. If given transparent bandage: remove bandage in 3-5 days (unless otherwise specified by your artist).
Wash tattoo with warm water and soap. You will have a sticky or slimy layer on top of the tattoo; the object of washing it is to get this layer off. Wash it well, don’t be afraid. Some people will soak the tattoo for a few minutes in hot water. This will bring the sticky layer to the top and it will be easier to wash. This is the only time you are able to soak the tattoo. Rinse, pat dry, let air dry for one day, then apply a THIN layer of non-scented/natural lotion (H&H Tattoo Butter, Aveeno, Vaseline Intensive Care) anything that is natural will work. When applying lotion massage it right into the tattoo; if there is any left on the top of the tattoo either massage it again or take some off. Apply 2-4 times a day. When it feels dry or tight just apply more, but not TOO MUCH.
Do not soak your tattoo; this means no hot tubs, saunas, swimming or soaking of any kind until you are done flaking, and your skin feels back to normal again. Wash your tattoo twice daily with a mild unscented soap, rinse and pat dry. This can be done in the shower, wash last then dry first. Please take a shower every day and if you don’t shower, don’t come here.
You will flake like a mild sunburn. There should be no scabbing but if there is, then DON’T pick it. This is an itchy stage so don’t scratch it either. Use lotion for about two weeks. Then you can slow down the amount you apply once you end your flaking stage.
How to remove transparent bandage: Lift a corner of the film and stretch it horizontally along the skin surface to avoid breaking the adhesive bond. Continue stretching the edge of the shield towards the center. When both sides of the shield are partially removed, grab both sides at the same time and stretch them horizontally and parallel to the skin until the entire shield lifts up. In case the film is particularly resistant, you can use some warm water to aid removing the adhesive from the skin.
This bandage is a transparent adhesive shield made of waterproof polyurethane, permeable to skin perspiration, and hypoallergenic acrylic glue. The particular waterproof structure of the film allows the perspiration of the tattooed skin.
In rare cases some allergic reactions may occur. Please contact your artist right away if any reactions do occur.
If you have any problems or questions, please call or email your artist for further advice.
902-405-4009 Ext 1 for Halifax, Ext 2 for Bedford
No swimming: You cannot submerge your new piercing in any kind of water for at least 3 weeks! This means no pools/lakes/oceans/baths/hot tubs or saunas
DO NOT touch your new piercing with dirty hands! The only time you should touch it is when you are cleaning it!
Navel, Nipple, Eyebrow, Ears, Nose:
Leave your piercing alone for today! Tomorrow morning when you wake up take the piercing aftercare spray and spray onto piercing, let it soak, then take a Q-tip and roll it around the hole of the piercing. If you did not purchase the piercing spray aftercare, then take a cup with some warm to hot water and a pinch of Epsom or Sea Salt. Take a Q-tip or place the cup on the piercing itself and soak for five minutes. You will have a buildup of crusties on the holes and the jewelry- what you are doing is soaking these crusties so they will become soft. Once soft you can take them off.
Do this twice daily for the next two weeks. If you aren’t getting crusties anymore slow down the cleaning process to once a day, then to once every other day. NO alcohol or peroxides! No swimming for three weeks – this will only infect your piercing.
Tongue, Labret/Lip:
Rinse with our H2Ocean mouthwash after everything you eat, drink, smoke, or put into your mouth except water. You can alternate between mouthwash and salt water. There are diseases related to the over-use of mouthwash and since you will be rinsing a lot, salt water works great!
Don’t play with it, move it around, or bite it. Try to eat softer foods. Remember, it is an open wound so there is a chance of rupturing veins. No alcohol for two weeks- this will only make it swell more. No kissing or oral sex for at least three weeks. Do NOT suck hard from any straws this can also cause a rupture.
Swelling usually lasts 4-10 days depending on your body- in the meantime ice water or ice cubes, slushies’, popsicles-anything cold- will make it feel better. If the swelling is severe, you can take Advil or Ibuprofen and this will take the swelling down a bit.
For the outside of your lip, you can soak with salt water. See navel instructions.
Genitals:
At the end of your shower lather up soap and warm water (more water than soap) and place on jewelry. Rotate jewelry through, then rinse, rotating the jewelry through again. Do this every day. Urination after cleaning is best as you are sterile to your own body fluids. This can help heal your piercing (But please no golden showers from your mate until after it’s fully healed.) Do NOT use the piercing until after is it healed, you will know! Any other person’s body fluids are bad for your new piercing and will only infect. This includes semen, saliva and vaginal fluids.
Surface:
Soak with Q-tip and saline solution or piercing aftercare spray twice daily for two weeks to clean the crusties off. Soak and then take crusties off. Do not shift or move jewelry.
If you have any problems or questions please call us @ 902-405-4009 Ext 1 for Halifax, Ext 2 for Bedford
We use barrier control- this means everything we may come in contact with during the tattoo and piercing process is covered. We have a separate sterilization area specifically designed for the least amount of cross contamination possible. We will gladly guide you through our process because we feel that our clients should know – so don’t be afraid to ask.
Our goal is to make this process as safe and comfortable as possible, for both us and our clients.
Our sterilizer is biologically tested by an outside lab every 2 weeks. An indicator strip is dated and put into each cycle, this ensures that the autoclave is working properly and safely. Results are posted at the front of the shop. ALL NEEDLES ARE BRAND NEW.
What are you waiting for? Book now.
We promise, it’ll be the best choice you will ever make.