Piercing FAQ

A. Short answer is yes. Long answer is that it can take different amounts of time based on the placement. Certain piercings may close up within the hour others can take longer to close up. However there is no standard measure of time, even for fully healed piercings.

A. It’s different from person to person depending on your pain tolerance as well as the placement. There is no real rule on which places are more painful than others. One thing to keep in mind is that piercings that go through the cartilage tend to hurt more but it depends on the person. In order to minimise the pain and discomfort we only carry out piercings with a needle. Due to the fact that it’s more hygienic and causes less pain and trauma to the tissue.

A. Piercing is safe provided it’s done by a professional in a safe and clean environment. Despite that there is always a possibility, no matter how small, that it will get infected or rejected by your body. Using a needle opposed to a piercing gun lowers that possibility significantly.

A. We recommend that you use titanium jewellery during the healing process. It tends to have the best results as it does not react to your body. It is also generally safe to use and the best choice if you have an allergy to steel and other alloys. Once fully healed, feel free to swap it out for gold or other metals. Be sure to choose jewellery that is non reactive. The best advice is also to not buy jewellery from unknown sources due to lack of product verification. It’s possible that you will receive fake jewellery marketed as gold or titanium. When in reality it’s a gold plated stainless steel that may contain a high amount of nickel which is very reactive to your body.

A. Use 2 teaspoons of sea salt diluted in a cup of lukewarm or cold water and a couple of cotton buds. Don’t use alcohol or surgical spirit as it can irritate the area and is quite painful. Also we advise against using any solutions that are advertised towards piercing cleaning. Many of those solutions contain harmful chemicals and can lead to infection and swelling.

A. Aftercare is a crucial part of the piercing. Poor aftercare can lead to complications such as keloids. Keloid is a skin growth that forms around the pierced area. One of the causes is using a piercing gun instead of a needle, but the main cause of them is poor aftercare. Once it’s formed the only way to get rid of a keloid is to have it surgically removed. Proper aftercare guidelines need to be followed each and every time you get a piercing in order to avoid keloids, infections or other complications.

A. Yes, however they need to be over the age of 10.

A. Due to the health and safety policy of our studio, we can only allow you to bring children in as long as they are supervised by another person.

A. Your first point of contact should be the person who has originally pierced you. However if it’s not possible to get in touch with them or you don’t feel comfortable, feel free to contact us. We will try to help you with regards to any problems you might have.

A. During the healing process you will need to keep the original jewellery in. From our experience it’s best to use titanium jewellery and that’s exactly what we use. The reason for it is that titanium is non reactive. It won’t rust or react to your body. If you bring your own jewellery in, we can’t confirm exactly where you obtained it from so for best result and your safety we use our jewellery. As we use trusted suppliers and can confirm that it is indeed titanium.

A. It’s a popular belief that daith piercings cure migraines. However there is no scientific evidence for it. We can’t assure you that your migraine days will be over. Though we’re confident that you will walk out satisfied with your piercing.

A. A common question is whether or not you need to take it out during pregnancy. You will need to switch to a PTFE barbell. It’s a plastic insert that will retain your piercing. It will bend as your stomach expands. If you do keep the metal jewellery in, it will likely be pushed out.

A. Eat a proper meal beforehand and drink plenty of water —
most faintness we see is simply an empty stomach. Skip alcohol for
twenty-four hours, avoid blood-thinning painkillers such as aspirin, get a normal
night’s sleep, and wear something comfortable that gives easy access to the area
being pierced.

A. Put it off if you are unwell or fighting a cold, if you
have a medical procedure or scan booked that would need the jewellery out, or if
you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Many people find they are more sensitive
during their period. And do not get pierced just before a holiday that involves
swimming — the first month needs to stay out of the water.

A. Three to five is a sensible maximum. More than that is
harder on your body and gives you several sites to look after at once, which
makes aftercare more likely to slip.

A. Implant-grade titanium as standard, which is well
tolerated by most people including those who react to cheaper metals. For some
lip placements we use PTFE, a soft flexible material that is kinder to the teeth
and gums. Everything that is not single-use is sterilised in a medical-grade
autoclave, and we never use piercing guns — a gun cannot be sterilised properly
and blunt-forces the tissue instead of cutting it cleanly.

A. Nipple piercings are strictly over-18 and we will ask for
photographic ID — a passport, driving licence or PASS-accredited age card. Other
placements have their own age rules; ask us before you book if you are unsure.

A. Unfortunately not at the moment — there is no step-free
access to the piercing room. Please contact us before travelling if this affects
you and we will do what we can to help.