About
DANA KRYSTOPHER
New York is a state filled with wonders: from the bustling island of Manhattan in New York City, arguably the most famous place in the world, to mountains and vast evergreen forests in the Adirondacks of the state's northern reaches, to the storied beaches of Long Island. In the village of Westbury, you'll find another wonder of New York at Lark Tattoo, where the talented Dana Krystopher has made her home.
With 23 years of experience under her belt, Dana is a true, dyed in the wool veteran of the piercing profession. Having worked at two shops prior to Lark, DaVinci Tattoo and Village Streetwear, over the course of her career, she's pierced all sorts of New Yorkers. "I started changing jewelry at a very young age. I felt comfortable handling the jewelry and talking to people. By the time I was 18 I had done my first cartilage piercing already, and the rest is history. I have learned my own technique over time and how I like to do things. Everybody has their own way, of course."
Rarely in life does anyone know exactly what it is they want to do, or what path they will go down that ultimately leads them to where they end up. Some people go through life unsure of what the future will hold, while others prescribe to themselves a destination, but end up taking too many turns along the way and even fully change course at some point.
Dana chose to successfully have multiple careers simultaneously. "I was doing personal training and coaching CrossFit alongside piercing. I had always put my fitness first and wanted that to be my career, not realizing that I had been building a career in piercing as well."
Ultimately, Dana's choice to stick with piercing was a great one, yielding a lengthy career she can be proud of. Outside the studio, she's also the mother of two children, Bowie and River. Her husband, Todd, is a longshoreman: "He's gone sometimes nights and sometimes days. There is no schedule whatsoever. Mine and the kid's lives are around his schedule. It's a shit show most of the time — but we love it."
When COVID hit, Dana felt the crunch, too. "Fortunately, my husband had to work the whole time, but I was doing personal training and coaching out of my garage, in my yard, wherever I could while the gyms were closed. Basically, doing sessions for free in exchange for an awesome attitude and maybe some lunch."
As businesses reopened, Dana was able to get back to doing what she's known best for over the last two decades: piercing and being a therapist for her clients. The piercing chair is a place where many people come to get pierced, of course, but also to unwind, vent, or enjoy some communication with another person.
"I'm basically a therapist for the people that come in. Sometimes they just need someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on, whatever. It can be difficult at times when I have my own stuff going on and I don't want to open up myself. There's this one kid, for example, who's come in before and who asks for my advice on things... I'm almost like a mom friend! But through it all, I love it; it's part of the experience."
Like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, Dana is also a true NY institution.
