helpful tips

GENERAL INFORMATION TO KEEP IN MIND

BE REALISTIC

Yes, it hurts. Expect some level of discomfort. Remind yourself to breathe. All piercings hurt to some degree. The less you fight it, the easier it will be.
If you're very anxious, bring a friend (although please be respectful of capacity limitations)
What you pick out you will be wearing anywhere between 3 to 12 months. It is VERY important to follow the aftercare directions of your piercer! This INCLUDES leaving in your jewelry for the duration of your healing (except if it needs a downsize, although this should also be done by a professional only)

Failing to follow these instructions may lead to infection, failure to heal, or worse.

GAUGE AND DIAMETER

This is really important to know when buying jewelry.

GAUGE refers to how thick a piece of jewelry is.
LENGTH (or DIAMETER for a ring) refers to how long the jewelry is. For rings, it is measured the same as a stud, from end to end.

I will hand you a card with this information on it. Don't lose it!

JEWELRY QUALITY MATERIALS & "FAKE JEWELRY"

Our shop uses implant grade titanium for the basic jewelry. We also offer 14k gold and niobium. While we understand the cost may be high, please understand these are very quality materials.

Be sure to avoid anything plated to start (anodized is okay as it is not plated) as it can rub off and cause complications during the procedure.

Materials that are NOT viable to be pierced with are Sterling Silver, Pure Silver, or non industry grade stainless steel (mystery steel). These are called LOW QUALITY materials, often times mistakenly called "fake jewelry". Most low quality materials have a high content of nickel, which a large amount of people are allergic to, at least to some degree. It is important to keep quality materials in during healing to promote a better heal. Some people can wear lower quality once healed, however, this is up to the client and I personally will not install low quality or externally threaded items in any piercing. I always recommend to keep quality in to be safe, as you can still have a reaction even after being healed that can potentially mess with your ability to keep the piercing.

ANATOMICAL (ANATOMY) BARRIERS

For some people, there are limitations as to what we are able to pierce based on your body shape. For example, someone with a shallow navel with no defining ridge may not be suited for a traditional navel (although sometimes can be suited for a floating navel) or someone who has a very flat ear with no curling most likely cannot do an industrial, and most likely a forward helix as well.

It is possible for other piercings to possibly have limitations, however, these are the most common ones that end up turned away. The ones in bold are the ones I have most often turned away.

Navel & Inverse Navel, Industrial, Forward Helix, Tragus (uncommon), Rook. Bridge, Nipples, Daith (rare, but can happen), Septum (very rare, but can happen)

Be sure to keep this in mind when going into the procedure. If we tell you no, we mean it with our best intentions to protect your body from unnecessary damage/scarring.

KELOIDS & IRRITATION BUMPS

If a bump appears on your piercing, it likely an irritation/piercing bump that can go away with treatment. Consult your piercer for help.

Keloids are a genetic, often hereditary condition that MUST BE DIAGNOSED BY A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. These terms are absolutely not interchangeable and should not be used as such.

Keloids have to be surgically removed. If you are prone to them, it is not advised to have any body modifications done as they can appear with any new tattoo or piercing.

Do keep in mind healing is not a linear process. It is possible for it to look worse before it gets better!

DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS

We understand there is a lot that goes into piercings. If at any point you are unsure what is going on you can always message us directly, and will get back to you when we can. (Typically during work hours only)

If at any point you are feeling uncomfortable (especially with your artist), please be sure to verbalize your discomfort and discharge yourself from the piercing room even if they have already set up for you.

If you have ANY questions, concerns, problems with the jewelry, unhappy with the piercing - ANYTHING! PLEASE, absolutely feel free to contact me so we can come to a solution.

AFTERCARE

It is VERY important to be sure you know how to care for your piercings. Not only do you need to clean them daily, but you also will need to alter your lifestyle (some more than others) to ensure the health of your piercing, as well as your body.

If you have any known vacations coming up within 3 months of your new piercing, it may be ideal to wait until after - especially if you're planning on going into any foreign bodies of water.

ONCE YOU LEAVE THE STUDIO, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THE HEALTH OF YOUR PIERCING, AS WELL AS THE SECURITY OF YOUR JEWELRY. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSS DUE TO NEGLIGENCE ON THE CLIENTS' END. NO JEWELRY IS COMPLETELY INFALLABLE.

IF YOU SUSPECT AN INFECTION

Contact your piercer as soon as possible. You will be asked a series of questions pertaining to your symptoms. If the piercer reasonably suspects there may be an infection, they will request you visit with a medical professional.

PIERCERS ARE NOT DOCTORS AND ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO DIAGNOSE AN INFECTION.

More often than not, piercings can get irritated for a number of reasons. It is best to contact your piercer if something seems wrong, as even if it's not infected, piercers can help you get back on track to heal your piercings properly.

In the rare event you are having an allergic reaction, please reach out as soon as possible to your original piercer so we can correct the issue.

HEAL TIME, DOWNSIZING & SWAPPING JEWELRY OUT

Most piercings are between 3 to 12 months to heal fully, but can vary. Some piercings require a DOWNSIZE. All this means is to have the post (bar) shortened. Helixes, and Forward Helixes are generally recommended to have this done. It does incur a cost. for the new post, which is just $20. The same top can be used.

Oral piercings should be downsized after a month (sometimes 2 for lip piercings - tongue sometimes is as early as 2 weeks). This is VERY important for tongue piercings to ensure minimum dental damage.

Cartilage (helix, forward helix), Nipples, Conch, or any piercing that can suffer damage from an angle change (you will be instructed at your appointment) should be downsized at 3 - 8 weeks, with 4 to 6 being the golden time frame for most. It is ready when the majority of the swelling has gone away. You may have to do this multiple times. If you are not sure you can book a free consultation to be evaluated.

Snug fitting hoops should NOT be placed in until the piercing is completely healed, which generally will be 9 to 12 months for most piercings to be safe. It is important to be well healed before swapping to a ring to reduce the chance of an irritation bump from the shape change of the jewelry.