Selecting a safe and reputable piercing studio is crucial for both a positive experience and your health. To help you make the best choice, we’ve highlighted some key green and red flags to look out for. Being aware of these can empower you to choose a studio that ensures a safe and satisfying piercing experience.
GREEN FLAGS
● Displays up to date industry related certifications.
● Attend conferences.
● Open communication i.e. honesty of what suits anatomy.
● Easy communication i.e. open to questions and support.
● Open to show around the studio.
● Can provide Mill certificates for all jewellery.
● Open display of ranges of jewellery online and in studio
to suit a range of anatomy and tastes.
● Stock a range of different sizes and gauges to suit anatomy
and allow for a change down.
● Evidence of sterilisation.
● Excellent hygiene i.e. non porous surfaces, designated zones/clearly labelled
contaminated areas, handwashing in the piercing room.
● Jewellery curation and suggestions for anatomy.
● Good bedside manner i.e. spending time with you, respecting your body and making you
feel safe and calm.
● PASSIONATE! Piercing is a career, not a side hustle or a stepping stone to being a tattooist.
RED FLAGS
● Using spring loaded machines (i.e. guns)
● Pierce with externally threaded jewellery.
● Pierce at incredibly low prices.
● Don’t wear sterile gloves.
● Don’t set up the piercing field in front of the client.
● No online piercing profile for the piercer.
● No separate piercing room.
● Pierce babies.
● Pierce under 18s without parental consent.
● Give little or no aftercare advice and don’t offer follow up support.
● Calling themselves a ‘qualified’ piercer (there’s no such thing, people are trained, not
qualified)
● Will do as many piercings as requested without considerations for health and safety.
● No separate yellow and black contaminated bins.
