MEL TOADVINE Mike Neal is the owner of Social Outcast Tattoos, at 1000 Lee Blvd.

A new tattoo studio is holding its grand opening this week and owner Mike Neal, 42, now of Lehigh Acres, is offering some inexpensive tattoos to mark the occasion.

Social Outcast Tattoos is in the Park Place Plaza at 1000 Lee Blvd., Unit 205 and it officially opened earlier this week.

The tattoo studio or parlor is two strip centers from the Hodges-Farley Funeral Home.

Neal has just moved to Lehigh and is living with an uncle until after school closes when his wife and children will move to Lehigh.

Why the name “Social Outcast,” Neal was asked.

MEL TOADVINE This is the exterior of the new Social Outcast Tattoo studio or parlor at 1000 Lee Blvd. Owner Mike Neal stands in front of his new business.

“Well, way back when I was a lot younger, I saw the phrase and thought it was cool and when I considered the name of the new tattoo parlor, I thought it would be a catchy name,” Neal said.

“We decided up in Ohio to make a change in our lives and get away from the cold and having visited Lehigh to see family, we thought this would be a great place to do business and a good place to raise our family of two children.

Neal moved from Lancaster, Ohio, in February and has been planning the opening of a tattoo business.

He works alone but said he may consider hiring an additional person if business grows.

“Right now I realize that due to the hard economic times, tattoo parlors, especially up north, have not done so well. But with a slight improvement in the economy, I think the trend to get a tattoo will return.

“Not only has it been trendy for young people, I have seen many middle age and older people come into my business up north to get a tattoo,” he said.

With his experience in the tattoo business up north, Neal said his tattoo studios have been written about in different magazines, such as Tattoo, Savage, and Easy Riders magazines.

Neal said he was always interested in having a tattoo and got one when he was 15 years old.

“I think I was really interested because my dad has some tattoos, so I wanted the same,” he said.

Inside his tattoo parlor are framed prized tattoos and a heavy use of black “flame” prints on the walls.

“I just like flat black; it’s one of my favorite colors,” he said.

He said that he has thousands of tattoo illustrations to show those who are considering getting a tattoo. Many of them were designed by him.

“If someone comes in here and tells me what they are interested in, I sort of feel them out and can come up with some suggestions. If they draw something, I can work with that, making improvements for a nice tattoo, too,” he said.

Neal is up to date with the latest tattoo tools and is certified, he said, by health officials, to do tattoo work in Florida.

He said inking tattoos on the body has come a long way in the past 50 years.

“One it was sort of taboo, but today it is widely acceptable. And today, the so-called needles we use are sterile and come in a sealed plastic package. When I am done with the needle, it is discarded. We don’t boil them like some did many years ago to sterilize them.”

One thing that bothers Neal are what he calls “scratchers” in the community and in other parts of Lee County.

“Those are the people who do tattoos in their homes. They are not registered and have not been certified. It’s really not safe for clients to let people who are not real tattoo artists work on them.

“I plan to do what I can to shut them down, too,” he said.

“You’re talking about getting infections like Hepatitis from these unqualified people.”

He said tattoos can cost from $100 to several thousand dollars, depending on the tattoo and the time it takes to do it for someone. But this week, he says he will do some tattoos for $20.

Neal admitted that he is into bartering with some people if they find the prices too high.

“We can usually work something out and I can charge them a little less,” he said.

The open house is planned for this Friday from noon to 10 p.m. and Neal said he will have piazzas and drinks for those who attend.

To make an appointment to get a tattoo, you can call 239-303-0849. He also takes walk-ins.

Hours at the tattoo parlor will be from 1 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. It will be open on Friday from 1 to 10 p.m. and on Saturday from l to late night.

The tattoo parlor is closed on Sundays and Wednesdays.