New piercing
Every new piercing gives you an exciting and nerve-wracking sensation. Especially if it is your first piercing. You have no idea what to expect and how to prepare yourself. Probably googled a bit, but figure out that nobody can give you the answer that you have been looking for. I know right, this is also not the answer that you have been googling for? The reason is, there are so many different piercings, different pain thresholds and each piercing location is different for everyone's pain level.If you're not sure yet which piercing you would like to get, take a look at our piercing guide for inspiration
For now, to release a bit of the nerves and give you a clearer indication of what to expect we created a list of questions that come to mind, when getting a piercing; - what piercing do I want? How much does it cost? What piercer to go to? What stud would I like and what material do I prefer? And can I reduce the risk of the piercing getting infected?
We always like to follow this step-by-step plan
- Which piercing do I want?
- What piercer to go to?
- How do I prepare for my appointment?
- Time to pierce!
- Does it hurt?
- How expensive is piercing?
- Piercing with a piercing gun or needle?
- What can I expect after I've been pierced?
Which piercing do I want?
Before you make any rash decisions, it is wise to have a good orientation and find out what kind of piercing you would like. The best inspiration can be found online. Social media is full of pictures of the most beautiful creations. We like to look at Pinterest, Instagram and Google to see which piercing makes our heart beat faster. Also, don't forget to check out our piercing guide, to have a look at the possibilities. It is important that you choose a piercing you like and that fits you, so you will enjoy it for years to come. Always take into account the ear you usually sleep on and the height of the spot where you would like to get pierced. If you wear glasses for example, it is wise to tell your piercer, so he can take this into account when placing the piercing. Especially when you are thinking of getting a conch piercing this is important.
What piercer to go to?
This is the most important step. Never just go to a piercer without reading the reviews first. Nowadays, most piercers have a portfolio that they share on their website or on their social media. It is helpful to check these out before making a decision. This process involves hygiene standards, you don't want to rush this process because this can increase healing time.
After you have found the right piercer, it is time to make an appointment. It is often the case that you cannot just walk in but have to make an appointment. Sometimes you can make an appointment in the same week, but for the popular piercers it can longer to get an appointment.
How do I prepare for my appointment?
There is not much you can do to prepare for your appointment. However, it is advisable that you have eaten beforehand. It is smart to eat something with some extra sugar, like a banana. In addition to having something in your stomach. Also, it is advisable to arrive a little earlier, this gives you the time to find out which piece of jewelry you would like to get pierced with. Always bring your ID just to be sure because some piercers may ask for it.
Time to pierce!
After your payment and choosing your stud it is time to get pierced. You follow your piercer into the piercing room, sorry friend, most piercers don't want extra people in the room due to hygiene reasons. The chosen piece of jewelry and your ear are sterilized and your ear is marked to make sure you are happy with the spot. If both are satisfied, you will be pierced.
Remember, it's perfectly normal to be a little nervous. Feel free to ask your piercer all your questions about the whole process to calm your nerves. It's a piercer's job to make your piercing experience as comfortable as possible.
Does it hurt?
The most frequently asked question is always; does it hurt? This is a very difficult question, because pain is different for everyone, it varies per piercing and pain level. Also, your piercer can also have an important role in this. In general, it does not hurt that much. By taking a good deep breath in and out, the piercing is usually already placed. It is mainly the aftercare that can cause some discomfort. Fortunately, these inconveniences usually disappear after a few days to a few weeks, provided you take good care of your piercing.
How expensive is piercing?
It all depends on which piece of jewelry you choose to be pierced with. If you choose 14-carat gold, the jewelry usually costs between € 80 - € 100 excluding the service to get pierced. The costs of getting pierced often costs between € 30 - € 50, which means that a new piercing can quickly run up to € 110 - € 150. I know right, it's not cheap making your ears look amazing? Luckily there is also the option to get pierced with titanium or silver, which keeps the costs down. For a silver piece of jewelry the price would be between between € 20 - € 40. The best thing to do is to look at your piercers website and send him/her an email or call. This way you will find out the exact costs the quickest and you will not be surprised during your appointment.
Piercing gun or needle?
Our advice is always to get pierced with a needle. A piercing gun is faster, but can never be fully sterilized. Also a gun is never as accurate as a needle is. A piercing gun is a bulky device making it difficult to get the perfect placement for your piercing. Each piercing needle is only used 1 time, this ensures that the placement of the piercing is done completely sterile. Besides being the most sterile way of piercing, a piercing needle is hollow. This ensures that all the extra tissue is not pushed aside, but is removed. By removing this tissue it stimulates healing and there will be no lumps next to your piercing.
What can you expect after a piercing?
It is perfectly normal to experience symptoms of slight bleeding, swelling, tenderness, bruising, pain, itching, crusting and/or discoloration of your ear. Keep in mind that this is just a reaction from bruising the skin and it's all temporary. The healing time for an earlobe piercing is usually around 2 months, while cartilage piercings take between 3 - 12 months to heal completely. The healing time depends entirely on which part of the ear is pierced, on your own body reaction and on how you deal with the piercing during the healing process. Read our tips for the healing process here.
