Piercing FAQs

Wherever you choose to get pierced, we want you to do it safely. Here are the questions we are asked most, and the things worth knowing before you sit down.

There is no single piercing qualification in the UK. Your local authority grants a licence when it is satisfied that the premises and the piercer are safe and competent. Experience is everything, so it is always fair to ask how long someone has been piercing.

Choosing a piercer

• Check that both the premises and the piercer are licensed with the local authority.
• Surfaces, couches and sinks should be easy to wipe clean, and treatment rooms free of carpets and curtains.
• The couch or chair should be wiped down with biocide between every client.
• There should be a sink with hot and cold running water that is not hand operated, with hands dried on paper towels rather than a dryer.
• Fresh gloves should go on after the area is cleaned and marked, just before piercing.
• Sterilising should happen in a separate area, away from the clean treatment rooms, with a sharps bin to hand.
• Ask to see the initial jewellery options. Implant grade titanium or niobium, ideally internally threaded or threadless, is the standard to look for.
• Air filtration such as HEPA or Medivent reduces airborne risk, and the autoclave should be serviced and spore tested.
• Membership of an accredited body such as UKAPP gives extra peace of mind.

One thing to avoid entirely is piercing guns. They cannot be sterilised and cause needless trauma, so a good studio will never use one.

Hygiene and the cleaning process

A good piercer will happily show you their sterilisation room when they are not too busy. The gold standard is a three stage process.

• Cold soak: reusable tools are soaked in a solution that kills bacteria and viruses, then rinsed thoroughly.
• Ultrasonic: a detergent bath uses vibration to lift debris at a microscopic level, then everything is rinsed again.
• Autoclave: extreme heat and pressure fully sterilise the bagged equipment, which stays sealed until it is opened in front of you.

Before your appointment

• No alcohol or drugs beforehand. They thin the blood, so you will bleed more and heal more slowly.
• For non oral piercings you can have a drink afterwards, but avoid alcohol for a few days after any oral piercing, and a few weeks after cheeks.
• Think about your lifestyle and work, and how a new piercing might affect your sleep for a while.
• Choose your initial jewellery carefully, as you may not be able to change it until the piercing is fully healed.

Our ethics

We have a strict code about whether we will do a piercing. If something has a high chance of rejecting because of your anatomy or lifestyle, we will tell you honestly. We would always rather turn a piercing away than take your money for something that will not work.

Age requirements

• Earlobes only from age 8, with a parent or legal guardian present and photo ID for both. The ears need to be grown enough to support the piercing, and the child ready to ask for it and follow the aftercare themselves.
• Ear cartilage, navels and most other piercings from 16, with valid photo ID. Parental consent is not required.
• Nipples, genitals, surface piercings, microdermals, cheeks, translobes and large gauge are strictly 18+, with valid photo ID.
• Tattoos are strictly 18+ by law, with valid photo ID. Parental consent is never accepted.

Still have a question, or worried about a piercing from anywhere at all? Come in or give us a call. We will always help if we can.