Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamara Symons.
Hi Tamara, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
If someone had told me years ago that I would one day own a luxury body piercing studio, I probably would have laughed. My path here has been anything but traditional.
I didn’t have an easy start in life. I never knew my father, and before I was a year old my mother abandoned me. My grandparents stepped in without hesitation. My grandmother flew to California to bring me home, and my grandfather even traded in the first brand-new truck he had ever bought because a single cab wouldn’t fit a car seat. They became my parents. They worked incredibly hard—my grandmother as a nurse and my grandfather in water treatment—and because childcare wasn’t always an option in the 1980s, I often went to work with them. Looking back, I think that’s where I first developed an appreciation for caring for people and a strong work ethic.
Responsibility came early. At eleven, I was helping raise my baby brother. At twelve, after my mother remarried, both of my great-grandmothers underwent open-heart surgery, and I became one of their caregivers. By fourteen, I was pregnant with my first child. I earned my GED at eighteen, became a licensed massage therapist at nineteen, and spent the next several years trying to build a better life while raising my family.
Massage therapy eventually led me into healthcare, where I discovered my passion for helping people through difficult moments. Over the years I worked as a home care provider, CNA, emergency department technician, and patient care technician while earning more than fifty college credit hours toward a nursing degree. Healthcare taught me precision, sanitation, critical thinking, and, most importantly, compassion.
Then everything changed.
The rural hospital where I worked unexpectedly closed. After COVID, I wasn’t willing to spend hours every day commuting to another hospital, but I also wasn’t sure what came next.
Just weeks earlier, I had gotten a new tattoo and piercing. On what felt like a leap of faith, I walked into a local tattoo studio and told the owner I wanted to become a body piercer. I had no artistic background, no experience, and every reason to be told no.
Instead, they gave me a chance.
I learned quickly and stayed humble. I wasn’t ready for. I became obsessed with learning—not just how to pierce, but why we do things the way we do. I studied anatomy, sterilization, wound healing, jewelry quality, and the science behind safe body piercing. I realized that piercing perfectly combined everything I loved about healthcare with the creativity and individuality of the tattoo industry.
Today, that philosophy is the foundation of Lunaris Body Piercing.
My goal has never been to simply perform piercings. I want every client to feel heard, respected, educated, and genuinely cared for. I want the studio to feel luxurious without being intimidating. I want people to leave knowing they received implant-grade jewelry, the highest sanitation standards, and an experience where they were treated like a person—not just another appointment.
In many ways, my entire life has prepared me for this career. I’ve spent my life taking care of people. The setting has changed—from hospitals to a body piercing studio—but the purpose hasn’t.
If someone leaves Lunaris feeling more confident than when they walked in, then I’ve done exactly what I set out to do.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. There have been challenges at every stage of my journey, but I genuinely believe each one has made me a better business owner.
Personally, I had to learn resilience from a very young age. I grew up with instability, became a caregiver long before I was an adult, raised children while trying to build a career, and had to start over more than once. Those experiences taught me how to adapt, work hard, and keep moving forward even when the path wasn’t clear.
Professionally, one of the biggest challenges was entering an industry where I had no artistic background and very little experience. I had spent years in healthcare, so walking into a tattoo studio was intimidating. I knew I had a lot to learn, and I made a commitment to never let my ego get in the way. If I wasn’t confident in performing a piercing, I said no until I had the education and experience to do it safely.
Another challenge was realizing that being good at piercing and running a successful business are two very different things. Learning marketing, branding, inventory management, vendor relationships, customer service, bookkeeping, and leadership has been an entirely separate education. I’m still learning every day.
One of the biggest obstacles has also been challenging misconceptions about body piercing. I want people to see that piercing can be performed with the same attention to sanitation, sterile technique, and professionalism that you would expect in a medical environment while still providing a warm, welcoming, and personalized experience.
Every challenge has reinforced why I do what I do. Instead of asking, “Why is this happening?” I’ve tried to ask, “What can I learn from this?” That mindset has shaped not only me, but the culture we’re building at Lunaris Body Piercing.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Creatively, my work is very intentional and detail-driven. I’m especially known for my approach to wound care and healing, because I believe that a beautiful piercing starts with how well it’s cared for from the very beginning. I take a lot of pride in educating clients and setting them up for long-term success, not just the initial result.
I specialize in precision—perfecting angles, placement, and ear stylings that feel balanced and cohesive. I love working with anatomy and creating curated ear designs that enhance each individual’s natural features. No two ears are the same, so I approach each project as something unique rather than following a template.
What I’m most proud of is the level of trust my clients place in me. Many come in unsure of what they want, and I’m able to guide them toward something that feels personal and intentional. Seeing someone leave feeling more confident and excited about their look is incredibly rewarding.
What sets me apart is the combination of my healthcare background with my creative work. I approach piercing with a strong foundation in safety, sterile technique, and anatomy, while still focusing on artistry and aesthetics. It allows me to create work that not only looks beautiful but is done with a level of care and professionalism that clients can feel confident in.
How do you think about happiness?
My family is, without question, what makes me happiest.
My husband has been my biggest supporter through every challenge, and after a long day, I definitely won’t complain about his nightly back rubs. He has been my steady place through all of the ups and downs of building a business.
My children are my greatest accomplishment. Watching them grow into kind, capable people and knowing that I’m building something that sets an example for them means more to me than any professional achievement ever could.
My grandparents have also had an incredible impact on my life. They stepped in and raised me when they didn’t have to, sacrificed so much to give me opportunities, and taught me the value of hard work, integrity, and compassion. One of my biggest motivations is making them proud. I hope they can look at what I’ve built and know that everything they poured into me wasn’t wasted.
Beyond my family, I genuinely love helping people. Whether it’s giving someone confidence through a new piercing, calming someone’s nerves before a procedure, or educating clients so they feel empowered to care for their piercings, those moments are what make this career so rewarding.
At the end of the day, success isn’t measured by awards or revenue. It’s knowing I’ve taken care of the people I love, made my grandparents proud, and built a business that reflects the values they taught me.
Pricing:
- piercings start at $60
- We carry jewelry from Anatometal, NeoMetal, BVLA, and more APP Verified manufacturers
- We only use implant quality jewelry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://loveitorloseit.art
- Instagram: @lunarisbodypiercing
- TikTok: @lunarisbodypiercing
Image Credits
Christina Rose photography
Velvet Ash Photography
Megan Marie Photography
Lavender Frame Photography
Dahlia Wright-Piercing Apprentice
