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I got my first cartilage piercing when I was 15. I remember a friend of mine had two cartilage piercings – a snake bite filled with a hoop and a stud – and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. So I dragged my mom to a sketchy shop in the mall one day and got my very own cartilage piercing done. It was just a single stud, but it sure did make me feel like a cool girl.
And there lies the beginning of my piercing journey. Since then, I’ve built up a stack on both ears, as well as having my nose and belly pierced. I’ve been pierced with both needles and piercing guns (sorry, piercing purists!), so I know a thing or two about the differences in healing and pain. So when I got the chance to visit Rowan, I was intrigued.
What makes piercings at Rowan unique is their approach to safety. Since piercings are, really, a medical procedure, they exclusively hire licensed nurses to do all piercings. Along with that, they never use piercing guns. Needle piercings are the optimal method to ensure a comfortable and smooth healing process, and their jewelry is a great addition to that! All of their earrings are hypoallergenic and perfect for sensitive ears, which can really make the piercing aftercare easier for those who are new to piercings or aren’t sure if their skin is sensitive to different metals.
There’s a lot more detailed information on their website, but I was certainly excited about Rowan’s approach to aftercare, safety and attitudes about piercings. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or intimidated in piercing shops, and I was excited to hear about a women-founded company that wanted to improve the piercing experience. I booked an appointment to get another helix piercing at the Gainesville location, nestled in Butler Town Center, and got ready for the next addition to my ear decorations.
Upon my arrival at the studio, I immediately noticed how cute it was. Unlike other shops I’ve been in, I wasn’t overwhelmed by displays or tight quarters. It was very pink, very cute and very calm. Jannice, one of the studio employees, welcomed me right away and checked me in for my appointment. While we waited for my piercer to set up her station, Jannice helped me pick the right jewelry for my helix and explained the different jewelry collections to me.
There were tons of options to choose from, making it a bit difficult to pick, but that’s a good problem! They also had a little tool you could use to hold up the earrings to your ear and see how they look. I had never seen one of these before, but they reminded me of nail color wheels in salons. Using that tool and the help of Jannice, I chose a flatback trinity stone and got sent back to my nurse.
Nurse Priscilla greeted me at the chair. Right away, I felt super comfortable in her hands, and she made me feel very involved in the process. We talked about placement while she prepped the skin and settled on the perfect spot for my new earring. I really appreciated that she took her time with this, making sure it would set well on my earring stack and heal as comfortably as possible. She had me do a final check in the mirror, then got to piercing.
The actual piercing itself was insanely easy. To be fair, I know the drill with this stuff by now, but Nurse Priscilla was incredible at making sure I was OK and knew what was going on. She talked me through each step, pausing to check on me throughout. This kind of care is so important for those new to piercings, those who get nervous with needles or even young kids. Having a communicative, compassionate piercer makes all the difference, and Nurse Priscilla is a prime example of the best kinds of piercers.
Once the jewelry was in, she gave me the handheld mirror again, and I got to check out my new helix piercing. It turned out beautifully (and was honestly painless). While I admired the shiny new object in my ear, Nurse Priscilla gave me a detailed rundown of the aftercare. She explained cleaning, when to return for post downsizing, who to contact if I had any issues and some general best practices. I also really appreciated that they gave me a little flyer with all of this information. With all the adrenaline in your system from a new piercing, it can sometimes be hard to actually listen to piercers when they explain aftercare (usually in a rush, too). Nurse Priscilla took her time with explaining all of this, though, and let me ask questions before she gave me a Rowan Certificate of Bravery! (I was literally so brave.)
Jannice met me up front again to get me checked out. They sent me off with aftercare solution and some cute goodies, and I was done!
I left feeling quite giddy with my new jewelry and extremely pleased with the care I received at Rowan. Both Jannice and Nurse Priscilla were absolutely amazing. Having excellent, well-trained staff truly makes the piercing process so much easier, and Rowan’s staff went above and beyond. They made me feel like a princess, and I got to leave knowing I was in good hands, even after the piercing.
It’s been two weeks now since I was pierced, and I’m happy to report it’s been healing wonderfully! Their solution comes in a spray form which makes it super easy to clean, and the care of the piercing has allowed it to settle nicely into my skin. Helix piercings can take up to eight weeks to heal (but if you have one, you know they can be finicky), so I do have some time to go until it’s fully healed. That being said, my piercing with Rowan has seriously been the easiest, most comfortable piercing I’ve gotten.
I would absolutely recommend getting pierced with Rowan, whether it’s your first piercing or your tenth. They do an incredible job taking care of their customers, and they have an awesome support team there to help you along your piercing journey. I’m happy to get my next one done with Jannice and Nurse Priscilla any day.