Q: How Does Threadless/Push-Fit Jewellery Work?
A: Whilst designed to be super secure, our jewellery still needs to be removable too so there’s a chance it can become loose over time!
Threadless jewellery has a pin in lieu of a threaded screw attachment, which is slightly bent before being pushed into a hollow post. The bend creates a locking mechanism, keeping the attachment secure without having to check the tightness of the thread.
Be sure to visually check your jewellery first! If you can see the pin, it means your attachment has popped out slightly and needs securing.
Use your thumb to support the disk/back of your piercing and gently use your forefinger to push the attachment back into the post.
If the attachment doesn’t feel secure or falls out shortly after, your pin may need adjusting – if you book yourself in for a check up through the Booking In page, I can help with this!
See my Aftercare section for more jewellery examples and explanations on how they work!
Q: What is Downsizing?
A: Downsizing involves removing the original post or barbell stem that you were pierced with and replacing it with one that is shorter in length, or a circular barbell/ring that’s smaller in diameter, depending on the piercing.
You are able to keep your original attachments, or switch them out for different ones depending on what you’re original aesthetic aims were!
If pierced with a post, your initial jewellery will have been sized to your anatomy with added length to allow for expected swelling and drainage during the healing process.
Once the swelling has subsided, the extra length on the post makes it easier for the jewellery to move around or to snag, which can lead to exacerbated swelling, irritation or a lost attachment.
Piercings (especially cartilage) are also susceptible to migration (going wonky) if regularly caught or slept on, and if left to migrate enough can lead to unsightly scarring, your piercing potentially never healing/having to be removed, or rejection; but the majority of piercings will benefit from at least one downsize during it’s healing period.
I will have advised a rough recommended downsize date and booked a follow up at your appointment, but this can be pushed back or brought forward if needs be, or if you’re unsure just attend your check up as normal and I’ll be able to advise!
Some piercings may require multiple downsize or upsizes before they are fully healed, depending on how fast you naturally heal or if the piercing suffers from any trauma (i.e a good knock and requires a longer post.)
Piercings that have rings/circular barbells as starter jewellery (Daith & Septum) don’t necessarily require a downsize, but as the starter jewellery needs to be a certain gauge/diameter the majority of people choose to downsize – this can usually be done around two to three months.
I recommend waiting a minimum of nine months for Nostril and Cartilage piercings and three to four months for Earlobe/Septum, to ensure your piercing is fully healed and to avoid irritation.
If you think your piercing could benefit from a downsize or if your piercing is healed and you’d like better fitting jewellery, you can book in for a downsize through the Booking In page!
Q: Will You Pierce Me With a Gun?
A: I will NEVER use a “piercing gun” to pierce ANYONE!
Each and every piercing is performed using sterile, single use professional piercing blade or cannula needles, which are safely disposed of after each procedure, as well as completely disposable tools/set up!
Piercing gun/cartridge services have never and will never be offered an an alternative to needle piercings, for a multitude of reasons – if you or someone you know is considering getting pierced with one of these systems, please read over the information below first!
While a handful of retail establishments/salons still readily offer this outdated and unsafe method of piercing, it is advisable that you avoid these establishments for your next piercing experience.
It is completely understandable that a piecing can be a daunting experience and a piercing gun offers what may seem like the quickest, simplest option.
In reality being pierced with a gun can result in complications/damage that in some cases can be permanent and which can be avoided by visiting a professional body piercer.
Body piercers will train for a minimum of three years before being considered “qualified” to safely carry out piercing procedures safely, though it is important to note that there aren’t actually any officially recognised piercing qualifications – this includes piercers who have attended piercing courses unfortunately. Regardless of cost, there simply isn’t enough time allocated to properly learn the skills and knowledge required to pierce safely and usually the practices taught are outdated.
Most establishments that offer gun piercings usually provide staff with minimal training, usually a few days or even hours, meaning there will be limited knowledge of blood-borne pathogens/contamination/sterilisation procedures and it is widely believed that piercing guns are not accepted equipment of reputable piercing professionals.
Do not let someone inexperienced carry out your piercing! Not only can it lead to uneven piercings, excess swelling or scarring – lack of understanding of cross contamination could put your health, or even your life at risk!
Blood-borne Disease Transmission
Piercing guns generally made from sliding plastic compartments, meaning they are unable autoclaved/sterilised appropriately. Aside from day-to-day infection risk there is a high chance of contracting a blood-borne disease.
For example;
A piercing gun was used on a client with Hepatitis B.
When the piercing gun ‘fires’ it aerosolises the blood.
This blood lands on the gun.
The gun is insufficiently cleaned, then used on the next client.
It has been proven that Hepatitis B can survive for up to a week in dry blood outside the host. While the equipment is able to be wiped down/soaked between uses, this only disinfects and removes visible debris. The only way to appropriately sterilise equipment is with the use of a professional autoclave, after the item has been appropriately cleaned.
Blunt Force Trauma
A piercing gun/cartridge forces a blunt stud through the tissue like a bullet wound, meaning that scarring and swelling can be excessive. This can be detrimental enough to an earlobe or nostril, but in upper ear (cartilage) piercings they can separate the skin cartilage and perichondrium (layers in the upper ear) causing fluid to fill the tissue. This can cause cartilage collapse (cauliflower ear) which is permanent and irreversible.
Pain
A blunt stud forcing it’s way through tissue is excruciatingly painful in comparison to a swift, sharp piercing from a professional piercing needle which causes minimal trauma in comparison.
Jewellery
Most gun/cartridge piercing studs only cost a few pence to buy at wholesale. This is only made possible by sourcing substandard materials, composed of cheap metal alloys.
As mentioned further down in the metal types section, the majority of these studs will be plated and are not safe for human implant.
While implant grade titanium/niobium and solid gold jewellery is more expensive when compared to surgical steel or plated jewellery, it is worth investing in items you know that won’t be harmful to your body, are designed to be worn every day and won’t fall apart or cause an allergic reaction.
Jewellery that is not certified implant grade, or made from safe materials such as solid 14/18k gold will begin to break down as soon as it comes into contact with your body.
This process could take anywhere from a few days to a few years, but eventually more often than not the jewellery will cause the piercing to flare up, migrate/reject or allergic reactions usually linked to the nickel in the compound.
Post Piercing Infection/Reaction Risks
Butterfly backed studs or cone shaped nose studs collect lymph, blood and other natural body fluids that would normally secrete from a fresh piercing.
The shape of these backs make it difficult to clean them appropriately and this build up of body fluid becomes a breeding ground for bacteria which presents a huge infection risk.
These backs are generally also made from materials likely to evoke a reaction.
The design of these studs means that the jewellery have to be spun/twisted regularly to prevent the skin from growing over the back of the stud.
The act of spinning or twisting a stud in a fresh piercing can tear the fistula which can delay healing, also leading to excess swelling and scarring.
Dangerous Aftercare Advice
Re seal-able aftercare lotions/solutions like those provided by Studex or Claire’s Accessories present a huge infection risk. Once these solutions are opened, they are exposed to bacteria in the air and are then kept for weeks on end. This means this bacteria is left to breed, which you then apply to your new piercing.
See Aftercare for my cleaning recommendations!
Jewellery Size
Piercing gun/cartridge studs usually come in a universal standard size and most people’s anatomies are too thick to support these for a fresh piercing.
While these size are suitable for wear in healed piercings, there is no space left on these studs to allow for natural swelling, which generally tends to be worse when compared to that from needle piercings, due to the blunt force trauma from their execution.
As these studs don’t allow for swelling room, they can cause the skin to rupture resulting in a host of problems such as delayed healing & increased infection risk as it is impossible to clean around the piercing effectively.
Uneven Piercings
It is difficult to aim a piercing gun/cartridge – it has been proven that the inaccuracy can be anywhere up to 6mm depending on the gun design.
These systems also have the tenancy to lock/fail which can be traumatic.
Whilst an experienced piercer is capable of making a mistake, an instance like this is much less likely to leave permanent scarring or make the swelling much worse than expected.
Also because most gun piercings are performed on clients of a younger age, these piercings can migrate as they grow and they are much more susceptible to healing problems, especially infection.
Q: Isn’t Sterile Saline Just Salt Water?
A: Mixing your own saline solution at home was widely recommended through the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s by piercers everywhere. It was cost effective and a seemingly straightforward way to care for fresh piercings.
Studios used to (and still do) give out small bags of salt to clients to take home, but I highly recommend avoiding the use of any table or rock/sea salt to clean your new piercing.
A few years ago sterile wound wash saline wasn’t very accessible to the common public & to piercers, so we had no choice but to make our own.
However this has now changed as saline has become easier to produce and manufacture, so it is now widely available and affordable.
It can be found at most pharmacies and even on sites such as Amazon so there is no reason to attempt to make the solution at home, which could potentially harm or irritate your new delicate new piercing – it is much safer and easier just to buy sterile saline wound wash!
Q: What is Sterile Saline Solution?
A: This saline differs from other types of saline & homemade salt solutions.
It is made from a pharmaceutical (USP grade) water and 0.9% w/v NaCi (USP Grade salt.)
Saline wound wash is sometimes referred to as Isotonic Saline Solution as the salt concentration and pH is similar to that found in human tears, blood and other bodily fluids.
The mixture is gentle enough so that is doesn’t burn, sting or cause damage when applied to a puncture wound.
Sterile saline solution is packaged in a sterile aerosol can for easy use and storage. The extra packaging is important as it enables the solution to remain sterile (free from bacteria) for the entire time that you have it.
It should be noted that eye/contact lens & nasal saline should not be used as they usually are sold in resealable packaging that can collect dust and bacteria once the seal is broken. They also contain additives and preservatives that can be harmful to a fresh or healing piercing.
Sterile wound wash saline will only ever contain two ingredients – it is drug and preservative free & the best choice for your aftercare routine. My sterile saline of choice is NeilMed, which I stock in the studio!
Q: Why Not Use Home-made Salt Solutions?
A: Thousands of online references state how easy and cheap it is to mix your own saline at home – this usually includes the use of simple table/rock salt and distilled water.
Basically salt is for food, not for piercings.
This salt is made by allowing portions of salt mounds in salt flats to dry, meaning that this salt is exposed to the elements including bugs, bacteria and wildlife.
Animals are able to walk over, eat and even poop on this salt as it dries.
Of course this salt is processed and cleaned before it is deemed fit for human consumption, but as for all food products there is a certain level of acceptable bacteria/contaminates allowed to remain after the cleaning process.
The Food Safety Act 1990 outlines Food Defect Action Levels and states the breakdowns of each contaminate and how much of each is allowed to be left in substances we consume, including rat hairs/droppings and insects. This includes the salt that you use for your saline solution.
Mixing your own saline at home leaves room for many other types of contamination too.
If the bowl you are using hasn’t been cleaned properly or still has traces of soap present, these contaminates are now part of the mixture you plan to clean your piercing with.
Smoke, pet hair, perfume and anything else in the environment’s atmosphere is able to contaminate your mixture, making it far from sterile.
If you pre-mix your solution in bulk there is a greater risk of contamination over time during storage as resealable containers do not protect the saline or keep it sterile.
This is also why I do not recommend cleaning with any premixed solutions provided by Claire’s or Studex etc.
There will never be any guarantee that you are mixing your saline to the right pH levels so that it can be effective in cleaning your piercing, as opposed to harmful.
Plus, there is also no guarantee that the pH levels will remain the same over time as water evaporates when stored.
More often than not, home made saline solutions are to harsh and drying which can cause a number of complications during the healing process including irritation lumps and migration/rejection.
Stick to sterile saline aftercare like Neilmed! I have stock at the studio available to purchase, get in touch if you need some!
Q: What is Anodising?
A: Anodising is a simple, but awesome to watch process that creates a thin oxide layer on the outside of your jewellery by passing an electronic current across the metal– this changes the colour of the jewellery (different voltages applied gives different colours).
Most people, even those who are sensitive to metals, can therefore wear Titanium without risk of a reaction or infection.
As there are no dyes or plating involved, the surface itself it altered, it cannot chip off in the body like a plated product could.
Anodising is available with all titanium and niobium jewellery and is done in house whilst you watch!
There is no extra charge for this service and there there is a RAINBOW of colours available, including gold, pink and teal!
Q: Do You Pierce Children?
A: All bookings are 16+/18+ and age restrictions can be found here. Whilst Children’s Piercing services was something I was hoping to bring back from the end of the summer, it’s just not something I’m comfortable offering at the moment unfortunately.
Q: What is Aseptic/No-Touch Technique?
Aseptic technique means using practices and procedures to prevent contamination from pathogens. It involves applying the strictest rules to minimise the risk of infection. Healthcare workers use aseptic technique in surgery rooms, clinics, outpatient care centres, and other health care settings.
I have adopted this technique into my methods to ensure the absolute highest standards of cleanliness and care. Sterile one use gloves and equipment are used for all piercing procedures and jewellery fittings.
For more information visit Brian Skellie’s blog post!
Q: How Can I Pay?
A: All booking fees are taken via my scheduling app.
Payments on the day can be by card/Apple/GooglePay or exact cash.
Q: Can I Get Pierced Whilst I’m Pregnant?
A: I will not pierce any client who is pregnant, no matter how nicely you ask.
While a person is pregnant, it is advisable to refrain from any and all body art procedures – this includes stretching, piercing and being tattooed.
The body is focusing everything toward growing and nurturing the fetus, which is complex and extremely demanding – adding the strain of healing a new piercing/stretch/tattoo into this may result in complications and issues for either the new body art or for the pregnancy.
Q: What Does Implant Grade Mean?
A: Verified ASTM-F136/129 Implant Grade Titanium is the one of the best choices for initial piercing. Though it can be expensive in comparison to other materials available, it is the safest, along with solid 14k/18k gold.
It is a chemical element (Ti) just as strong as steel and around half as dense.
Titanium has excellent properties that are useful in relation to manufacturing body piercing jewellery; it is has the highest strength:density ratio of any metal element and is highly corrosion resistant, meaning it does not react readily with oxygen or body fluids.
Titanium is non-magnetic, will not set off airport scanners and can also be fully autoclaved (sterilised) and anodised (electro-polished/the surface colour can be changed.)
Verified implant grade jewellery has been designed to be placed in the body and left for long periods of time, without breaking down and causing a reaction.
Wearing well fitted, verified implant grade materials with a smooth, mirror-like surface finish is the best way to minimise irritation and to keep your piercings happy and healthy – you only get one body, look after it!
Q: I have a lump on my piercing, do I have a Keloid?
A: With any body piercing there is a chance of developing scar tissue around or over the fistula (piercing hole) and irritation is also a common issue encountered whilst healing piercings.
There are four main types of scarring relating to piercing, all which have different appearances.
If you are experiencing any problems with your piercing, whether it was pierced at Ethereal Aesthetics or not, email etherealaesthetics@outlook.com, or book in for a troubleshooting session via Booking In.
Whilst some of these issues are out of the realm of a body piercer and I am unable to officially diagnose anything, I am more than happy to advise and point you in the right direction.
Keloid Scarring
Many piercing lumps are often wrongly identified and treated as Keloid Scarring, but in reality, the majority are easily treated irritation lumps if caught soon enough; this type of scarring is actually very rare and is usually hereditary.
Where as hypergranulation, atrophic and hypertrophic scarring are contained to the area immediately surrounding or over a fistula, keloid scarring doesn’t just cover a wound but also spreads far beyond it.
Keloid scarring tends to form over a long period of time, whereas other types of scarring typically appear in the first 4-8 weeks of piercing’s healing period. They can increase in size over a period of years, spreading far from the initial trauma site.
It can take on bizarre shapes and sizes unlike regular scarring and can resemble melted plastic that has solidified. Keloids can also vary in colour from pale pink to much dark purplish brown.
Keloid scarring can also occur from the result of other trauma to the skin, as well as piercings including ; acne, chicken pox, surgical incisions, burns, puncture from vaccination and in some extremely rare cases can even develop when there has been no trauma to an area.
When the skin is healing the fibroblast cells increase the production of the protein collagen which strengthens skin by replacing dead skin cells.
It is also quite common for these scars to return after they have been treated as they are linked to your genetics.
Please DO NOT trust Google! Tea Tree Oil, Asprin Paste, Salt Paste/Solution, No Pull/Silicone Disks are all gimmicks and are not appropriate for cleaning piercings or treating irritation. At best these are incredibly short term fixes that can end up causing more harm than good in the long run.
As with any piercing issue, please get in touch – though it must be noted that I’m unable to diagnose anything and if you suspect you might be developing a true Keloid Scar, please consult a dermatologist.
Irritation
Irritation lumps are the most common issue found in piercings.
Cartilage (including that in nostrils) is most susceptible to this, but can happen anywhere on the body and can be caused by a range of difference sources.
You can differentiate from keloid scarring based on the lump’s size – irritation lumps are usually localised to the fistula or relatively closely, while Keloid scarring grows beyond the piercing site and becomes out of control.
An irritation lump will present as either as a red bump that appears fluid filled alongside a piercing or as a ring of angry red, puffy tissue encompassing the opening to a fistula.
Irritation lumps are usually caused by a combination of pressure and excess moisture. The angle in which the jewellery sits in the piercing channel can also be significant factor – if a piercing is not sat perpendicular to the anatomy these lumps will develop to try and support the extra pressure caused by the jewellery.
Your jewellery may be too tight through excess swelling, or may be in an area where you sweat a lot which causes irritation.
This is why it is recommended to downsize your jewellery at the appropriate times – jewellery that is ill fitting can also cause irritation over time – and to thoroughly dry your piercing after cleans/bathing etc.
Jewellery quality and surface finish can also play a large part – you find that jewellery made from substandard materials will cause irritation to the wearer, more often than not. See the section about implant grade jewellery for more information.
Irritation lumps are usually taught around both ends to the point where they may appear to be filled with fluid and are a dark reddish/brown colour which is why many mistake them for Keloid Scarring.
Ensuring that your jewellery is made from appropriately fitted, mirror polish implant grade titanium or solid gold jewellery is the best way to ensure your piercing stays healthy and happy – make sure it doesn’t come into contact with outside irritants such as cosmetics and to ensure it’s been thoroughly dried after cleans or showers!
Irritation lumps usually come and go of their own accord – if your jewellery isn’t properly fitted and the swelling has subsided (usually after 4-8 weeks of being pierced) it might benefit from the post being downsized or the ring diameter being made smaller.
DO NOT use natural oils such as tea tree/jojoba or antiseptics such as Dettol or TCP to attempt to treat ANY type of piercing scarring, or in relation to your fresh/healed piercing IN ANY WAY. These are extremely irritant and WILL cause a reaction, leading to excessive scarring, delayed healing or having to retire the piercing entirely.
Ensure to always dry your piercing thoroughly with a hairdryer on cool or a hand held fan after any time it’s been wet and to avoid sleeping on/wearing tight fitted clothing over your piercing, even when fully healed if it can be helped, to keep irritation, migration and random flare ups to a minimum!
Atrophic Scarring
Atrophic Scarring is the fancy name for the small divot left behind when a piece of piercing jewellery is removed. The longer you wear a piercing, the more likely you are to develop an atrophic scar if you remove the jewellery in the future.
Atrophic scars are the result of collagen failing to fully fill in the gap where your piercing was, leaving you with a little dent marking the spot where you once had your piercing.
The best way to treat Atrophic Scarring is to apply a silicone scar therapy oil such as those available from Dermatix or Palmer’s, once the area has fully healed (Roughly 3-6 months after jewellery removal.)
Massage into your scar twice daily, applying slight pressure and being sure to massage the whole area thoroughly to encourage the scar tissue to break down.
Hypertrophic Scarring
Hypertrophic scarring occurs when an irritation lump is left untreated, or the body produces too much collagen in response to trauma – this can be seen in ear and facial piercings and also in stretched piercings when performed incorrectly or too quickly.
In fresh piercings it appears as a skin tone ring around the fistula or as a circle of raised tissue with a slight textured surface over the area a retired piercing used to be.
Hypertrophic scarring occurs in earlobe, nostril and navel piercings mostly, but can occur anywhere on the body & will grow according to the wound shape – for example, a torn earlobe.
Hypertrophic scarring can also be caused by trauma to the fistula site, for example catching a nose stud or navel curve, or after suffering a blowout while stretching a piercing.
While other types of scar tissue usually tend to appear around 4-8 weeks into the life of a fistula, hypertrophic scarring takes a lot longer to develop.
Hypertrophic scarring differs from keloid scarring as it remains immediately around the fistula site, where as keloids will grow far beyond the initial trauma location.
A dermatologist can help with the treatment of hypertrophic scarring but can also be treated at home. The most popular type of home treatment is self drying silicone scar therapy gel, such as those available from Dermatix or Kelocote.
If your scarring has appeared in the early stages of healing you must wait until the piercing is fully healed before treating the scar – applying any ointments while the fistula is still open encourages bacteria and dirt to become trapped inside, which could lead to infection.
Most silicone scar treatments simply require massaging a small amount of silicone gel into a scar twice a day until you’re satisfied with your progress, which may take anywhere from a few weeks to several months or more.
These treatments work by slowly reopening cell communication that the scar tissue previously blocked so that the skin below a scar regenerates in the same way as the skin around the scar, replacing the scar tissue layer by layer over time.
Q: My Piercing is Sore/Pussy/Swollen, Do I have an Infection?
A: Infection in piercing is extremely rare. In my entire career, I can honestly say that I’ve seen an actual infection maybe twice.
Usually a natural build up of fluid (lymph) and localised redness is mistaken for infection, but this is part of a healthy healing process.
Infection is usually caused by fiddling with dirty fingers, improper aftercare routine and sometimes through a piercer not sterilising or cleaning their equipment/studio properly; this is why it is always so important to research before choosing to book in anywhere and to follow your piercer’s aftercare guidance perfectly!
As a piercing is technically a wound and the jewellery keeps it open for a long time an infection is always possible. Symptoms of an actual infection are:
1. Bright red, swollen skin – extremely tender and sore to touch.
2. Swollen lymph nodes.
3. Presence of putrid smelling green pus.
4. Feeling generally unwell
If you suspect a true infection, please consult a medical professional immediately and follow their advice as infections can become extremely serious super quickly!
Commonly a course of antibiotics will be prescribed, and at this point the situation is out of the scope of a Body Piercer – we are not medical professionals.
Q: What is Migration/Rejection?
Migration:
Migration is defined as a piercing moving from its original position. This can happen naturally during the healing process or can be caused by external influences such as jewellery that is too heavy or a piercing that has been ‘played with’.
Rejection:
This is where the body completely expels a piece of jewellery, causing it to grow out of the skin entirely.
This may be because the piercing wasn’t placed deeply enough, it may have been badly cared for, too harsh an aftercare product could have been used.
The piercing may have suffered physical trauma – from clothes rubbing on the area, knocks or bumps, it was changed before it was healed and even emotional stress, bad diet and/or lifestyle can encourage rejection.
If a piercing is visibly migrating it is advisable to retire the piercing before it rejects entirely as it can leave excessive scarring.
Migration is a slow process which may only be noticed when the piercing angle changes, has moved closer to the surface of the skin or the tissue between the entry and exit points appears thinner.
A piercing may only move a little from it’s original placement and then heal without growing out entirely which is why it is highly recommended to downsize jewellery when the piercing is healed.
Even a piercing that has been performed and cared for correctly can migrate/reject for seemingly no reason.
This is simply a risk we take when placing a piece of jewellery through our skin and isn’t necessarily anyone’s fault.
Piercings that only break through a small amount of surface skin (surface piercings, navel piercings etc.), those that are working against the shape of the body, or have clothes constantly moving against them are most likely to be rejected.This can also happen to well established piercings.
Some people are more prone to rejection than others, it just depends on the body’s reaction to having jewellery placed in your body.
It is advisable to avoid re-piercing a rejected piercing, especially if there is scar tissue present. It all depends on how much scar tissue there is and how the new piercing will be positioned. The chances of this new piercing migrating or rejecting is pretty high. It is recommended to wait a minimum of 12 months to re-pierce a migrated/rejected piercing.
Scar tissue is less pliable than non scarred tissue, but this can be reduced with gentle massage of the area.
You should always make your piercer aware of what happened to your last piercing and try to think of reasons that could have caused your previous piercing to migrate.
Your piercer may be able to advise on what you could do differently to try and prevent your new piercing migrating/rejecting. They will also be able to help with alternative placement if your desired area isn’t suitable to support another piercing and may suggest a new piercing on a different site.
A retired piercing that has migrated will sometimes not close entirely and may remain open but will always be too shallow to safely support the placement of jewellery.
Q: Does it Matter What My Body Jewellery is Made From?
A: Short Answer: YES!
Your body deserves the best and the type of material you wear in your fresh/healed piercing can play a major part in that piercing’s health and longevity – even first lobe piercings!
Nickel allergies are usually triggered by inferior quality jewellery and can develop at any time in a piercing’s lifespan.
While some people discover from a young age that they are allergic to nickel, some allergies can form later in life, usually through the extended wear of cheap costume jewellery.
Unfortunately there are some people out there who’s only priority is to make as much money as possible, preferring to pass cheap jewellery off as something it’s not, or to openly use inferior materials to cut their costs.
I will only source and install jewellery that conforms to industry/UKAPP/APP standards to ensure the highest quality and integrity of materials.
Each piece has been verified safe for implantation in the human body, are designed for purpose and built to last.
Please research your piercer, their methods and the equipment/supplies they use before booking in for any kind of procedure!
Always look for verified implant grade titanium/steel niobium or solid 14/18k gold and ask for brand names or mill certificates if you’re unsure!
Avoid materials such as “Surgical”/Stainless Steel, Sterling Silver, externally threaded titanium, PVD, plated jewellery (often used for butterfly back style studs) and any form of costume jewellery, or those sold at popular high street piercing chains, clothes shops or online that’s not via a professional piercer’s website!
These materials are intended for “costume” wear which is usually a few hours at best and this is all it can take for materials to begin to oxidise and cause a reaction.
Furthermore, constant removal and insertion of jewellery can irritate even the most established of piercings, which is why I always recommend sticking with verified materials for your wearable parts (i.e rings and posts) and building a collection of attachments or rings that you can switch out as your feel!
If you’re unsure on what to go for, I’m always happy to source and install verified jewellery to ensure you’re purchasing something that’s going to be well fitting, comfortable and safe to wear for years to come – pop me an email for more information about custom orders! etherealaesthetics@outlook.com
Symptoms of Material Allergies:
Usually within 24 hours an allergy will become apparent. Contact dermatitis is the main symptom – the skin around the piercing will become red, swollen and itchy. In more severe cases, the skin can blister, crack and break leaving you open to infection. If the material causing the allergy is removed, the reaction should cease and the skin should heal in time.
Q: Where Are You Based?
A: Up until very recently I was based at Two Rivers Tattoo in Penarth, but I opened a new studio on July 1st 2022 and can’t wait to show you Cardiff’s only dedicated piercing studio! See Location and Accessibility for instructions on how to find me!
Q: Can I Get Pierced With a Ring?
A: Unless your planned placement is a Lobe, Daith, Septum or Orbital (two piercings joined with a ring) the answer to this questions is unfortunately a no!
It is easier to heal the majority of placements with labret posts and then fit a ring once healed. It’s not to say that placements like Helix and Nostril can’t be done with a ring, it just makes for an easier healing process as a ring can double healing times and make you more prone to issues like irritation lumps and infection, as the jewellery is able to freely move.
Rings for fresh piercings also have to be a certain gauge and diameter, which are fitted to your anatomy but also allow room for swelling – these aren’t as visually appealing as the rings able to be worn in fully healed piercings.
I usually recommend waiting a minimum of nine months before fitting snug fitting/smaller diameter rings to ensure your piercing is fully healed, but if you mention that this is your jewellery goal at your appointment I can guide you through your healing process and help plan for when your piercing is ready for that ring!
I have all niobium and gold seams custom made by my pal Stephen @ Apex Piercing, to ensure that perfect fit and to also offer customisation like texturing and blackened niobium!
Through experience, patience is key if you want that cute, snug fitting nose ring!
Please let me know if you have a goal piece in mind at your appointment, so I can advise appropriately!
Ethereal Aesthetics Piercing Boutique 