Growing up, I’ve always wanted to get my ears pierced. I remember seeing all my friends with stylish earrings in every color, and I wanted to be just like them. Every time someone would gift me a necklace and earring set, I had to tell them awkwardly that I didn’t have my ears pierced. Why did they assume? I have no idea. But those awkward explanations are over. I’m saying so long to clip-ons and hello to statement earrings! Here are my tips and tricks for getting a piercing.
Know What You’re Getting Pierced
This might seem like a silly tip, but it’s an important one. Yeah, you may want a piercing, but where? Making sure the location you’re getting the piercing is the one you want is vital. This will determine how much money you pay for the piercing, how long the healing process will take and where you should go to get the piercing.
Research, Research, Research
I can’t stress this enough: do your research! Once you know what you want to get pierced, you now must figure out where to go. When I decided I wanted to get my ears pierced, I started searching for places around my area. I didn’t want to just go to the closest tattoo spot because I was excited. I made sure to ask my friends, look on Google and I even posted a question on Reddit.
Call Ahead
Once you’ve narrowed down your choices in terms of proximity and reviews, call ahead! You don’t want to walk into the location you selected only to find out the piercer isn’t there, they don’t do walk-ins or there’s an hour or two waiting period. Learn from my mistake, because you don’t want to wait excessively long if you don’t have to. Calling ahead assures you that you aren’t wasting your time, you’re aware of the cost and or fees and you know what form of payment the location takes.
Have a Backup Plan
People are unreliable and unforeseen circumstances are just that. You should never underestimate the day you planned to go as planned. As I was approaching the tattoo shop, I didn’t realize how quickly my day would turn around. Let’s just say that I won’t ever be going to the first tattoo place I went to that day. No one should have to wait more than two hours after being told the piercer would be back in 30 minutes. Luckily, I had another tattoo and piercing place in mind––they took me in, the piercer was present and it was cheaper than the first place. Thank u, next. *sips tea*
Bring Your ID and Payment Method
Once again, learn from my mistakes! Because I was so excited about finally getting my ears pierced after 19 years, I forgot to bring my ID. It wasn’t until my best friends and I were at the tattoo and piercing place and the piercer asked me if I had my ID when I realized that I didn’t. Not only was I embarrassed, but I was mad at myself for forgetting something so simple.
Know Your Form of Transportation
If you have a car or a friend with a car, this might not be an issue. For those of us car-less people, this one is for you especially. While finding the best place to get your piercing is great, make sure you have some sort of transportation to get you to and from the location. Because my friends and I don’t have cars, we had to rely on Lyft. Although this is a luxury we’re grateful to have, those prices can be a little steep at times. This was especially the case when I forgot my ID and had to Lyft back to my dorm to end up Lyfting back to the shop.
Bring Friends
No one could’ve prepared me for the day I was about to endure, but I was lucky enough to have my two best friends by my side through it all. It’s great to have friends go with you when you get your piercing. They’re there for encouragement and hyping up, and for making sure you actually go through with it. My girls knew how much I wanted to get my ears pierced, but when the series of unfortunate events came my way and all I wanted to do was go home, they reminded me that I’ve been waiting for this moment forever and came too far to give up.
Eat Before
Since we’re not Raven from “That’s So Raven” and we can’t predict how long the day of the piercing will be, it’s important to eat before. We decided to eat at Spoleto before heading over to the tattoo shop, and that held me over for the rest of the day. My pasta-loving heart had an amazing time.
Ask Questions
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You’re about to stick a needle inside of your skin or cartilage, etc., depending on the piercing, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. There are no dumb questions here.
Follow Directions
This is a simple one. If you don’t want an infection, read and follow the directions your piercer gives you. In this house, we rebuke infections.
Tip the Piercer
I was having a rough day, and the fact that the second place I went to was on top of everything and made sure that I was comfortable, meant a lot to me. I’m no piercer, but I can appreciate and respect the hard work and concentration that it takes to create a flawless piercing. Tipping isn’t mandatory, but here’s a tip: your piercer would appreciate it.
Breathe
It’s done!! You’ve been waiting and planning for this day and now it’s over with. Take some time to enjoy your new piercing. Take a couple of photos, share it with those you want, and just take a moment to pat yourself on the back. A few tears were shed when I got my piercing, but it was worth it. On to bigger and better hoops!