What's it like to get a piercing?
Before heading to the piercing shop
Make sure you get a good night’s sleep the night before, so you are well-rested and ready to go. Also, make sure you eat a light meal beforehand. This will prevent your blood sugar from crashing and keep you feeling steady while you’re there. If you’re feeling anxious about it, consider taking a friend for moral support!
Know what you’re going for
Have a piercing or two in mind when you make the appointment. If the piercing you want is anatomy-dependent and you’re not sure it will work on you, keep a backup option in mind. If you’re looking for a piercing that may be a bit more uncommon, take some pictures with you to show the piercer. Also, make sure the piercer is aware of the style of jewelry you want to be able to wear once your piercing has healed.
Anatomy
Your piercing will help you evaluate this. Not all ears can hold an industrial piercing, some septums are deviated and not as workable for a piercing. The piercer will check you out and make sure you’re built for the piercing you want. If they do not check your anatomy before piercing you, this should be a red flag. You will also have an opportunity to decide on what jewelry you want to be pierced with. While you may not have a huge variety of options, you will have some choices to make.
Marking the piercing location
Your piercer may measure you for some piercings to make sure the jewelry size is correct. They will mark the entrance and exit of your piercing, often with a tiny amount of a purple substance called gentian violet. You will then be asked to check the marks and make sure they are where you want your piercing to be. Do NOT be afraid to ask the piercer to move the marks if you don’t like where they are. It is YOUR body and YOUR piercing. Make sure those marks are straight and symmetrical and that you love them. If you are not asked to check the placement, that should be a major red flag.
Cleaning
Your piercer should clean the area with a topical antibacterial to help prevent infection. They should also lay out a tray in front of you with all of their tools, including forceps, a hollow receiving tube for the needle to go into, and the needle itself. The needle should be in sealed, sterile packaging and be opened in front of you. If the piercer brings in an already-opened needle, that should be a huge red flag and you should ask them to use another one and open it in front of you. (Or leave.) They should also change their gloves immediately prior to performing the piercing. ALL piercings should ALWAYS be done with a sterile needle. If there is a piercing gun on that tray, or being used in the shop, you should definitely not be getting pierced there. Piercing guns use blunt force to shove the jewelry through your flesh and can cause serious damage. If your piercer offers gun piercings, they are not reputable, and you should not let them pierce you - you can read more on this here: Piercing Needles vs. Piercing Guns
The poke
Your piercer will use the forceps to hold your piercing location still and make sure they have a good grip. The ends of the forceps are big, open triangles and your piercing marks will be visible in the center. The needle goes through the first marking, comes out the second marking, and the pointy tip goes into a receiving tube to avoid poking you elsewhere inadvertently. The piercer will slide the jewelry in as they slide the needle the rest of the way out and then attach the end onto the jewelry securely.
That’s it!
That is the process of getting a piercing and it’s pretty much the same for most piercings. Now that you’re armed with a basic idea of what you’re in for, you can confidently go into the piercing shop knowing what to expect. Happy piercing!
