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Come Tough It Out With Us

Tough It Out Tattoo delivers custom, high-quality ink in a clean, professional environment, where creativity, precision, and passion meet skin.

🇺🇸

Thank You For Your Service

Tough It Out Tattoo proudly supports our military

25% OFF

All tattoo services

Your sacrifice and dedication inspire us every day

Choose Your Location

Select the studio closest to you

Waukegan

Waukegan

3016 Belvidere Rd
Waukegan, IL 60085

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Carpentersville

Carpentersville

54 N Western Ave
Carpentersville, IL 60110

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Walk-Ins Welcome

No appointment? No problem! Both of our locations welcome walk-in clients ready to get inked.

Waukegan

3016 Belvidere Rd, Waukegan, IL 60085

Walk-ins: 7 Days a Week

Carpentersville

54 N Western Ave, Carpentersville, IL 60110

Walk-ins: Monday – Friday

Walk-in availability is first-come, first-served. For guaranteed service times or larger pieces, we recommend booking an appointment.

About Us

Tough It Out Tattoo was founded on 17 years of unwavering dedication, relentless hard work, and a deep-rooted passion for tattooing. Our journey began with a simple vision: to create a space where artistic expression meets technical excellence, where every client’s story is honored through ink. Over nearly two decades, we’ve built a reputation as one of Illinois’ premier custom tattoo studios, proudly serving the Carpentersville and Waukegan communities with exceptional artistry and professionalism.

Our talented team of skilled artists and eager in-house apprentices collaborate to transform unique ideas into stunning, custom tattoos. Each artist brings specialized expertise, from photorealistic portraits to traditional American designs, delicate fine-line work to bold tribal pieces. We believe every tattoo should be as individual as the person wearing it, which is why we invest time understanding your vision, refining designs, and ensuring the final result exceeds expectations. Whether you’re getting your first tattoo or adding to an extensive collection, our artists work closely with you to create meaningful, lasting artwork.

We pride ourselves on maintaining a clean and professional environment, following industry best practices for safety and hygiene. Our studio follows strict health and safety protocols, including the use of professional-grade sterilization equipment, single-use needles, and proper sanitization procedures. All staff members maintain current bloodborne pathogen training. We understand getting a tattoo is a significant decision, and we’re committed to making your experience not only artistically satisfying but also safe and comfortable.

Meet Our Artists

Talented artists ready to bring your vision to life

Angel professional tattoo artist at Tough It Out Tattoo

Angel

📍 Carpentersville 📍 Waukegan
Specializes In

Professional Tattoo Artist

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Elias Dicante professional tattoo artist at Tough It Out Tattoo

Elias Dicante

📍 Carpentersville 📍 Waukegan
Specializes In

Black & Grey • Realism • New School • New Traditional

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Julio Gomez professional tattoo artist at Tough It Out Tattoo

Julio Gomez

📍 Carpentersville 📍 Waukegan
Specializes In

18+ Years Experience • Chicago Born & Raised

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WEZER professional tattoo artist at Tough It Out Tattoo

WEZER

📍 Waukegan
Specializes In

Street Art & Mural Background • 3 Years Tattooing Experience

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What Our Clients Say

Real reviews from real clients who trusted us with their ink

5.0

140 reviews

Review us on Google
The gamergod

The gamergod

6 months ago

Came for a quote left with a tattoo, Danny was great down to earth guy and has amazing talent love the way my tattoo came out

anahi banegas

anahi banegas

6 months ago

Thanks to Julio, I could really put so much trust in him as a tattoo artist. He did a really beautiful job!

Bacari Kennedy

Bacari Kennedy

6 months ago

Great artist,worked with my schedule and made my plus 1 feel very comfortable. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Ricardo Dunham

Ricardo Dunham

6 months ago

Nice tattoo shop, nice service, Shoutout to Wezer, man does some great work!

yan krasnou

yan krasnou

6 months ago

The experience was great. Julio has real talent and the amount of detail and hard work he puts in is truly honorable. He treats everyone equally including military service members.

Isa Isabel

Isa Isabel

10 months ago

I got my first tattoo done by Wezer. He made me feel very comfortable ,he took his time and patience & gave me good ideas. Also, it’s a good atmosphere definitely would go back .

Brandy C.

Brandy C.

10 months ago

My best friend and I were in the area for the weekend, and wanted to get tattoos. After doing some research, we decided on Tough it Out. We were greeted immediately, and everyone was very friendly. We told Dekfo our ideas and gave him references. He drew them up for the next day, and absolutely killed it! He was very kind and professional, and walked us through the process. The shop was clean and well maintained. I highly recommend this location.

Jimmeh Wolf

Jimmeh Wolf

10 months ago

This place is really impressed me. Julio Gomez did an outstanding piece for me to memorialize my pet. They also helped me put together another piece. Very professional and humbling one another in experience, pointing me in the direction of who could do it best. Very clean shop. Artist's are very careful and have great attention to detail when it comes to tattooing. I felt listened to and reassured every step of the way. Thank you!

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