Body Piercing
Piercings
All piercings are carried out by Woolly who has over 10 years experience in the body piercing industry.
A full list of body piercing prices and healing times can be seen adjacent to this text.
All of our piercing procedures (including ear lobes) are carried out using individually sterilized needles and medical grade titanium (used for surgical implants, plates, screws etc.) barbells or labret studs.
We do NOT pierce with guns or rings.
Why we use Titanium Jewellery
Titanium is a strong and robust metal that can withstand daily wear & tear easily.
It is hypoallergenic (will not cause an allergic reaction in any individual) and is fully sterile.
It is half the weight of surgical steel – this means less stress & strain on the new piercing site which enables quicker healing.
Can help reduce the likelihood of the skin sagging / stretching over time.
Why we use Barbells (or Labrets) instead of Rings
Rings apply extra pressure to the piercing site due to their curvature. A piercing needle creates a perfectly straight channel through the body – putting a ring in forces the straight channel to arch, compressing the tissue.
Rings, being round, move a lot more; swinging back & forth and rolling through the piercing. A barbell moves far less, causing less friction which is always better for healing.
Piercings with rings are often too thin in gauge and too small in diameter – while most clients request the smallest jewellery size, the best request is really for the most appropriate size of jewellery for healing, which is not usually the smallest. In fact, quite often, the smaller the jewellery size the larger the chances of rejection.
When the piercing is healed well enough there are always other jewellery options, but the healing period really requires jewellery with a specific fit.
Needles vs. Guns
Needles
Needles
Needles
Becoming a professional body piercer requires extensive training; including proper piercing techniques, infection control & healing practices – how the body reacts to a new piercing, how to avoid hitting nerves (reducing pain) & proper sterilization.
Piercing with needles is much safer, less painful, more accurate and generally cleaner.
Piercing needles are hollow and have an incredibly sharp point in order to create a clean hole by removing a small amount of skin / tissue thereby creating a space for the jewellery to rest and allowing room for the wound to drain & heal.
The titanium barbells / labrets used with needle piercings allow the jewellery to move so that bacteria does not sit on the new piercing.
Piercing needles are individually sterilized and disposed of after use.
Guns
Needles
Needles
Guns require little to no training and therefore piercings are often cheaper, and they are quick; HOWEVER;
Guns should ONLY be used for ear lobes and no other area of the body.
Guns can cause major tissue trauma – the gun holds blunt studs & when these are forced through the tissue it literally rips the tissue to make room for the jewellery – on cartilage it can shatter with blunt force.
Guns use studs with butterfly backs which can harbour bacteria & gunk and can infect a new piercing;
These studs are sometimes of low-grade material which can cause allergic reactions, scarring and infection.
When used frequently, piercing guns cannot be properly sterilized in between clients, and a simple wipe with alcohol does not completely sterilize the equipment from the previous bodily fluid.
Gun piercings often advise turning your piercing a few times a day – this is not advisable as it reopens the wound and slows healing greatly, also irritating the new piercing and allowing bacteria to enter potentially causing infection.