The woman was very happy after having the areola restoration and Forrester realized there must be other women in this position. She started doing research, put out an ad and met Jinelle Roop, a certified medical assistant and an aesthetician. She hired her as their new certified permanent cosmetic and paramedical tattoo artist. 

Roop closed her shop Belle Skin Therapy in South Lyon to join Lucky Monkey.

“I did more of the aesthetic services there—facials, waxing and so on,” explains Roop. “I really wanted to focus more on the cosmetic and paramedical side, and joining an established place like Lucky Monkey makes it easier to get started.”

Roop adds that Ann Arbor is a better area to be located for these services with the nearby hospitals providing a potential clientele base.

Paramedical tattooing is also useful to cover scars and burns as well as the hair loss of eyebrows due to the condition of alopecia.

In addition, Roop performs permanent cosmetic services such as permanent eye and lip lining, although Forrester admits it poses a business challenge.

“Those who do the permanent makeup tend to be an older demographic and I am concerned those women might have some trepidation about coming into a tattoo parlor for that service,” she says.

To compensate, Forrester recently remodeled the shops interior to add two private rooms to make it “more like a spa service.”

Owner Dana Forrester.

Laura Blodgett | For AnnArbor.com

“She was a pioneering female tattoo artist who was known around the world and left quite a legacy here in Ann Arbor, especially for women in the business,” said Forrester, who did a film project on tattooing and had a friend who apprenticed with Fauzer.

Later, Forrester was working at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit when an opportunity was presented to her.

“An artist there wanted to open a tattoo parlor and he showed me the building here on Ashley,” she explains. “He needed an investor. I was so enamored of the idea--this guy had a vision and a dream.”

They originally opened with one other partner, who have both since moved on to other things, leaving Forrester as sole owner for the last five years.

Forrester’s shop has been very successful even during the downturn the last few years.

“We have a great reputation and very high caliber tattoo artists,” says Forrester, who employs four tattoo artists in addition to Roop and a “shop guy” who greet customers and maintains the store.

“I’m only as good as my artists. Michigan in general has a very high caliber of tattooing and here in Ann Arbor there are some real rock stars in town.”

Although fall is typically the slowest season for the tattoo business, Forrester says now is the best time to get a tattoo.

“People usually want to get a tattoo right before spring break or summer when they are showing off their bodies more. But typically you can’t swim or use a hot tub and need to avoid direct sunlight after getting one,” says Forrester, who has a huge dragon tattoo across her entire back, as well as four others on her legs.

She says they get a lot of first-timers, including a recent visit by their oldest tattoo client ever.

“A 75-year old woman came in wanting a traditional rose on her wrist,” says Forrester. “She had wanted to do it for years but her daughter didn’t want her to get one. She said, ‘You know what, I’m 75, I’m doing it.’ She loves it.”

Forrester explains that a client has to be at least 18 to get a tattoo in her shop, “although we still get parents who call and yell at us,” and no one gets a tattoo from them if they come in under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Although popular tattoos go in waves, there are a few favorites that never seem to go out of fashion.

“Nautical stars have been a biggie for the last few years and roses are still very popular,” says Forrester. “We do a ton of the block M {representing U of M} mostly on the shoulders and ankles for guys and on the hips for the girls.”

The Lucky Monkey on South Ashley.

Janet Miller | For AnnArbor.com

In Ann Arbor, people tend to get larger tattoos, according to Forrester. “People are aware of the level of tattoo art through shows like LA Ink and all the great tattoo magazines at Borders.” 

She explains that theirs is not a flash shop where you pick something off the wall, but instead everything is custom drawn.

“Part of the appeal of the tattoo business to me is seeing how people are transformed after getting their first tattoos,” says Forrester. “There is the fear building up to it, a bit of anxiety, but then I have seen it transform people. 

"It is empowering for people, it makes them more confident and if they are getting art that is meaningful to them it really boosts their self esteem.”