On Friday, June 3, Emerald Empire Tattoo will open its doors to the Lubbock community, welcoming those who would like to add some fresh ink, and remove it as well.
Emerald Empire was founded by Lubbock native Byron Wishmeyer who has been a tattoo artist for ten years in Dallas. He recently moved back to Lubbock to be closer to family, and realized he would like to not only bring his business back to the Hub City, but add something a little different to it.
“We are the first and only studio in Texas that has incorporated tattoo laser removal into our tattoo studio,” said Wishmeyer. “We want to let people know that right here, this is somewhere that you can trust and get a great experience with either getting your tattoos, or getting them removed, or both.”
Wishemeyer says that through incorporating tattoos and laser removal under the same roof, that they may also be able to give those individuals who have felt regretful about their tattoos a second chance by either completely removing them or even adding more ink over an older tattoo.
“There’s a lot of kids that make mistakes while they’re young and they can’t get into the military with certain tattoos, so we give discounts to the military and to the police force. We also are starting a program for whenever prisoners get out of prison and want to get back into the work force.”
“Sometimes, when you were younger, you got something that was great for you then but doesn’t make sense on your skin any longer. A lot of people like to get tattoos removed so they can add a blank canvas to add a new tattoo,” said Jessica Bell, a laser technician with Emerald Empire. “Being able to help people in Lubbock just give them a whole new start with their skin that’s fun too.”
The new business is located in the heart of downtown Lubbock at the 1100 block of Main Street between Avenues J and K.
Wishemeyer prides his new business on being homegrown and local, and hopes its location will help the city’s mission in revitalizing downtown Lubbock by bringing in new business and art to the area.
“We’re big on the community. We want to help Lubbock grow and prosper.”
Wishmeyer’s team says depending on both the size of the tattoo and the individual’s recovery process, it typically takes anywhere between three to 12 sessions before a tattoo is completely removed. There is a minimum of $50 per session. The average tattoo removal session will cost $100 to $200 per session.
For full details about all services provided and prices, call Emerald Empire at 806-701-4198.
