Getting a new piercing can be scary. Finding a new piercer can be even scarier! How do you know that a new piercing studio is truly top-notch? What do you look for? How do you know that you’re in the right place for a clean and properly performed piercing! Today we’re going to take a few minutes to discuss what to look for when you go to a new piercing studio.
Aesthetics
The first time you walk into a studio, take a really good look at the waiting area. First and foremost, it should be clean. If there’s litter lying around, if things look dirty and neglected, that’s not a good sign. The studio should have a minimum of fabric and mainly use hard or wipeable surfaces. That includes the floors. Fabric sofas and carpets are difficult to keep at proper levels of sanitation, as opposed to leather/pleather sofas and hard floors. The studio should be well-lit. You want to be able to see your environment and the piercers and employees should want to be able to see if something needs to be cleaned. The piercers’ licenses and the studio’s license and Board of Health certification should be openly displayed. There should be private areas where the piercings are performed to both prevent contamination and also offer you privacy.
Hygiene
Take note of the people working when you walk in. Do they appear to have proper personal hygiene? Are their hands clean, including their nails? Do you see a handwashing station in each piercing room? (It is entirely ok to ask to see the piercing area before you commit in any way to a piercing. It’s your body getting stuck with a needle and you have every right to see where that’s going to happen. Don’t be afraid to ask.) Here’s the really big one: are the piercing tools and piercing jewelry in those paper/plastic sleeves that are used to put an item in an autoclave? And if they are, are they sealed? Is the needle sealed and opened in front of you? Is the piercer wearing clean gloves that they put on before touching the stuff they will be piercing you with? If the answer to any of those questions is no, don’t get pierced there. Bloodborne contamination is a real thing and not a good one. If it’s not clean, it’s not safe.
Training
You can ask your piercer about their piercing history. You will not hurt their feelings; they shouldn’t get mad about it. You can ask how long they trained for and where. You can ask if they are a member of the Association of Professional Piercers (also known as the APP), which is not a guarantee of quality but a very good sign. You can even ask what they have done to continue their education since completing their apprenticeship. Another important thing you can do, and you can frequently do this from home, is to look at their portfolio. This is a vital step in choosing a studio. You’ll be able to see what the results of their piercings look like. Are they crooked? Is the placement correct? Are they doing notoriously unsafe piercings such as horizontal tongue piercings? Do they offer gun piercings? If their portfolio has pictures of navel piercings that are not in the navel or snake eyes piercings, don’t make an appointment. Your piercer should care about your safety as much as you do. If they are putting people’s health on the line with unsafe piercings or gun piercing, then they don’t really care. You should care, though.
Finding a new piercing studio can be a challenge and feel a bit overwhelming. So many things to consider, so many questions, it’s enough to make you wonder how anyone finds the really good piercers out there. But if you’re armed with some basic information and some questions to ask, you should be able to pick out the best piercers around for your new piercing. Knowledge is power so use that power for good. Happy piercing!
