With an M.F.A. and a needle in hand, Ink Lab owner David Dettloff began making skin art about six years ago in Madison, Wisconsin. He opened his shop in Uptown after moving to Minneapolis during the "modern primitive" trend's peak in the mid-'90s, and the Ink Lab has since become renowned throughout the Cities for both tattoos and piercings. Drop by, and you'll see why Uptown shoppers feel comfortable here: True to its title, the Lab is as sterile as a neutered dog, and its technicians know how to put customers at ease as best they can, given the circumstances. Staff artists usually charge around $175 an hour for custom designs, depending on whether the tattoo can be finished in a single sitting. They also specialize in traditional Americana and tribal images. (Estimates on a forehead-sized City Pages logo vary among artists.)