Nestled on the top floor of our beautiful boutique is The Piercing Studio. Whether it's your first piercing or a new addition, our experienced piercers will take you through the whole process, from choosing jewellery, to piercing placement and aftercare advice.

HOW DO YOU PIERCE?

All cartilage & nose piercings are performed using a single-use sterile cannula needle. For lobe piercings, we can pierce using either a cannula needle or the Studex piercing instrument, depending on your preference. Our Studex earrings come in pre-sterilised cartridges marked with sterilisation LOT numbers. All other jewellery and equipment is cleaned and sterilised in-house using our Enbio class B autoclave.

DO YOU PIERCE CHILDREN?

We do! We offer lobe piercings for children from age 6. Our studio is a calm and relaxing space, away from the hustle & bustle of the shop floor, making their first piercing a fun and memorable experience. Please note that all clients under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal guardian present to fill in the paperwork and consent forms. In the event the parent/legal guardian has a different surname to the child, a birth/adoption certificate must be shown matching the parent/guardian's name along with valid photo ID.

DO I NEED TO BRING ID WITH ME?

We operate challenge 25, so we recommend bringing your ID with you. Please note we will only accept original forms of valid ID, i.e. passport, UK PASS card scheme or driving licence. Photographs/photocopies are not accepted. This is for insurance purposes and is a legal requirement.

DO I NEED AN APPOINTMENT?

The piercing studio can get very busy, especially during school holidays, so we do recommend making an appointment, which you can do here. Sometimes we can fit in a walk-in appointment, so if you're feeling spontaneous it's worth asking!

HOW MANY PIERCINGS CAN I HAVE DONE IN ONE APPOINTMENT?

Each appointment is for 30 minutes, and we recommend no more than 3 piercings at once, but this depends on the placements and your ear anatomy.

ME & MY FIREND BOTH WANT TO GET PIERCED. DO WE NEED TWO APPOINTMENTS?

Yes, please book two appointments back-to-back. If you're struggling, please contact us and we'll find a time and date suitable for a double-booking.

CAN I BRING SOMEONE TO THE APPOINTMENT WITH ME?

Yes, you can. For safety reasons, we can accomodate a maximum of 3 people in the piercing studio at any one time.

DOES IT HURT?

Pain is relative, but our piercers are experienced and will do everything they can to ensure the experience is as quick and comfortable as possible.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The actual piercing is FREE of charge, you just pay for the jewellery you choose to be pierced with. You can view our selection of piercing jewellery here. Please note that Studex earrings come as a pair and are for use with the Studex piercing instrument. All other piercing jewellery is sold as singles.

CAN I BE PIERCED WITH MY OWN JEWELLERY?

No, we can only pierce using our own jewellery. This is to ensure that the jewellery is fully clean and sterile before piercing.

HOW DO I LOOK AFTER MY NEW PIERCING?

The aftercare of your piercing is as important as the piercing itself, it will need lots of TLC in order to heal properly. Your piercer will go through aftercare during your appointment, advise on aftercare solution and give you an aftercare guide to follow. It's important to note that the care of your new piercing is your responsibilty, and following the advice given will ensure safe and proper healing.

- Always wash your hands thoroughly before touching your new piercing to help avoid infection. Try to avoid touching the piercing unnecessarily.

- Without removing your jewellery, cleanse the front & back of your piercing twice per day using the solution advised by your piercer until fully healed & whenever your piercing feels irritated.
3 - 4 weeks for ear lobes
8 weeks for cartilage

- Avoid alcohol & keep your new piercing dry for the first 24 hours. Try to avoid sleeping on your new piercing as this can cause irritation & prolong the healing process. Keep hairspray, shampoo, perfumes etc away from the skin. Rinse the area with clean water to remove any residue & clean with your advised piercing solution.

- Signs of infection: undue pain, redness & swelling, heat sensation, unusual discharge (green, yellow or grey pus).

In case of an infection, or if you have any concerns, check in with us and consult your GP. Do not remove the piercing unless medically advised to do so to avoid trapping infection in the piercing channel.

MY PIERCING HAS HEALED. CAN I BE RE-PIERCED IN THE SAME PLACE?

It depends on how the piercing has healed and if there's any scar tissue. Please call in to store so we can assess and advise.

WHEN CAN I CHANGE MY PIERCING JEWELLERY?

This depends entirely on how your piercing is healing and where the piercing is placed. We always book you in for a follow-up appointment after your initial piercing so we can check how you're healing, and downsize the post if neccessary. Our guide to approximate healing times are listed above. Other than downsizing your post, we recommend waiting until your piercing has fully healed before changing the jewellery. We're always happy to do jewellery changeovers, just book a piercing check appointment on the booking page.

ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS FOR PIERCING?

We want to ensure your piercing appointment is as smooth as possible. To help with this, please ensure you adhere to the following:

- Please ensure that you have eaten within the last 4 hours before your appointment. This can help if you're prone to feeling faint!

- Do not consume any alcohol or drugs in the 24 hours before your appointment. Alcohol can thin the blood and may lead to excess bruising or swelling.

- Avoid any blood thinning medication (such as aspirin) 24 hours before your appointment.

- If you have any medical conditions, such as epilepsy, or are taking any blood thinning medication, we will need to see a doctors note to confirm you're ok to be pierced.

Please note, we cannot pierce you if you are:

- pregnant or breastfeeding

- you have a rash, burn, sunburn or broken skin in the piercing area

- intoxicated or under the infuence of drugs

Please note that our piercing studio is on the top floor of our building and is only accessible via two flights of stairs.

If you have any other other questions, please contact us.