Beauty Piercing

[jodipodi]

Hi this ones to all geeks but wasnt too sure where'd be best to post so here goes....hope this is an 'ok' subject for The Geek.:hug:
There seems to be a growing trend for 'beauty piercings' carried out in salons and as this is something that interests me I would love to hear peoples views on body piercing in beauty salons. Do you think this is a more approachable or maybe less intimidating environment for those of us who choose to modify our bodies?
Would you be more comfortable going into a beauticians (obviously a fully qualified professional one) rather than a 'piercing only' studio or say a tattooists? Would it put you off or do you think the familiar environment of your local salon would make you feel less frightened of the whole process?
Would you see beauticians as being less competent to do the job or would it make a difference as long as each were fully qualified?
Be great to hear some views on this. Thanks in advance peeps xx

 

[Martin Duffy]

I have range of piercings from head to toe that I had done years & years ago, although I remove all my facial ones for work, and had them all done at a piercing studio in Brighton. I would never have gone to a beauty salon for piercing because I would personally want this kind of thing done by someone who only specialises in piercing.

 

[jodipodi]

Thanks for replying Martin, good to hear your views xx
Is there any other reasons you might add that would sway you one way or the other? Do they have 'better' training maybe or what about how long either had been piercing would this make a difference to peoples feelings? Would gender make a difference ?

 

[High Hopes]

i have a few piercings and personally i feel more comfortable getting them done by someone who looks like they might have some themself, and most salons woundnt find it appropriate to do a facial displaying his/her nose/lip/eyebrow ring. I dont think gender matters (depending on where your getting one )

x

 

[Martin Duffy]

For me gender made no difference. It was the fact that the man who did my piercings was well known in the industry & was often on TV as an ambassador for piercing in the days when it was still the subject of debate on programmes like Kilroy! He was professional & as that's all he did I trusted him implicitly. I wouldn't trust a beauty therapist to pierce my ears let alone any other part of my body! I personally think it's a specialist body modification & thus not something that should be done as a sideline.

 

[jodipodi]

Thanks Martin I can see why you would choose this person.
Thanks High Hopes, I see what you mean about gender, could be very different for one person to another with regards to intimate piercings. For me it would it not depend on the gender of the person who is piercing but their attitude, professionalism, hygiene standards etc however I can see why some would choose a man/woman for obvious reasons. So what about the initial visit, would it make a difference to your choice what your first impressions where-friendly, welcoming, intimidating,cleanliness how professional they are?.... or would you still specifically go to where they looked like they had them done? Why would this factor make you more comfortable? XX

 

[High Hopes]

In my biased opinion i think of beauty salons that offer piercings as a place i would take my daughter to have her ears peirced, maybe this is because in most respectable piercing environments children arent permitted so thats where they tend to go.

I think when it comes to other piercings i would feel and have felt more comfortable about going somewhere where they do specialise in it. It also depends on reputation, for example in my town there is a guy who has a peircing studio, to look at i suppose yes he is quite intimidating (tatoo's, facial piercings) but i think it put me at ease because he had them himself and i could see they were clean etc so they had obviously been done professionally. I suppose the same applies with things like botox or tatoo's even if a salon offered these services i would always seek out someone who specialised in that area.

x

 

[Ruth Mills]

I've had my navel pierced twice; firstly at the local tattoo/piercing parlour, and secondly at a local salon. To be honest, I preferred the atmosphere of the salon; to me the salon felt a lot more up-market, and the lady who did my piercing there came across as very competent and professional, whereas the guy who did my original piercing at the tattoo place seemed a bit hyper! And whereas the original piercing done at the tattoo place (in August 2005) went a bit manky and I ended up taking it out in January 2006 (where it closed up), the piercing I had done at the salon in November 2006 healed up a lot better and is still in place with no problems.

 

[jodipodi]

So the general feeling is professionalism, reputation and overall first impressions are paramount to where we would choose to have our piercing carried out. For me it would be based on a general overall 'tick the right boxes' sort of thing not just wether it was a 'piercer' or 'beautician'.
Thank you for all your input, if anyone wishes to add please do its interesting to hear difference in opinions on this subject xx

 

[Lucy-s]

I've had a few piercings and personally I'd rather go to a body mod specialist. I obviously have nothing against therapists as thats what I am but I just think someone who lives and breathes piercings, whose passion is what they do, I'd rather go to them than someone who's added piercings to their treatment list for a bit of extra cash. Would you go to a piercing studio and ask for a wax? It just doesnt make sense to me to mix the two.

Also, a respectable piercing studio will not pierce children under the age of 16 and until 18 they'd need an adult present. Also, salons and certain accessory shops still pierce using guns. I wont go into how awful these are.

The piercing studio for me needs a very good rep, to not carry out piercing on under 18's without an adult, be clean and have friendly staff.

Plus you cant just train to become a piercer. You have to do an apprenticeship and these are very hard to come by. Its the same sort of process as a tattooist. Therefore, when you go to a professional studeo, you arent gonna have a 22 year old whose just started a year ago putting a hole through your tongue, you'll have someone with many years of experience.

I will be quiet now lol

 

[bombini]

For me gender made no difference. It was the fact that the man who did my piercings was well known in the industry & was often on TV as an ambassador for piercing in the days when it was still the subject of debate on programmes like Kilroy! He was professional & as that's all he did I trusted him implicitly. I wouldn't trust a beauty therapist to pierce my ears let alone any other part of my body! I personally think it's a specialist body modification & thus not something that should be done as a sideline.

Got to agree with this. I did 'train' in ear piercing although this was a couple of practices on a sponge then the real thing and I hated it I used to wince as I was holding the gun !!

I think people would possibly have the piercing if it was a professional, experienced piercer working within the salon but not a beauty therapist that did the odd nose/ear piercing.

To me it comes across as that old gem jack of all trades master of none.

It reminds me of the whole teeth whitening debate, in my eyes only a dentist should be performing this treatment not a beauty therapist. Like body piercing its a specialist subject.

Mind you just because they have trained for years doesn't mean they are any good, Ive had my belly button pierced twice and neither of them are straight and that was at two different professional piercing places.

 

[PlumberRaccoon]

Sorry for bringing life to a dead thread, but I couldn't help myself.

I got pierced at a salon when I was 6. If I'd do it now I'd never ever go to a salon.

Why? Because the guns they are are so bad for your ears! They crush the tissue in the ear rather than gentle pierce it. They should be illegal. Also, the old fashioned gun were impossible to autoklav. They use another type of guns with disposable "piercing parts" so that risk isn't really there now, but still.

 

[Roxie]

I have had my ears pierced at a salon and a body piercers.

I dnot think it matters where you get pierced as long as they do a professional job.

The only problem for me is i had to take out my facial piercings because they didnt look professional so how could you advertise this in a salon.

To me i dont see a problem with piercings, its how good you do the job not wot u look like.

 

[weezie]

I had my ears pierced in a salon as it looked a cleaner environment than the tattoo parlours in the area and my mum was totally paranoid about me catching something but the therapist ended up putting the wrong stud in one of my ears as she picked the wrong one up off the tray. I just hope it hadn't been used!!! So that backfired on me. I was 16 at the tme and found the salon less intimidating than a tattoo parlor.

I would just want someone professional and a clean environment but I wouldn't have anything else pierced so my opinion is not that helpful! I have friends who had their stomachs pierced in the grottiest of places so not sure of the psychology of it- I think they thought they would get away with being underage and they did.

I think experience is the most important thing to look for and if you are not specialising I'm not sure you'd have the same level of experience as someone dong it all day, everyday.

 

[satinbaby]

Hi all .... Im a qualified body piercer.... And do i practise as one now in the salon No.... Reason being there is no passing trade for me with my location ... I loved the piercing course i did a few years ago i was taught from the waist up//.... I still get ppl call me now and ask for piercing but i think u need to do it as a day in day out thing to specialise in it... So i am a therapist on my CV and body piercer but dont even do ears now.... I think if i ever got a shop with a front i would do a refresher course and offer the piercing as i think some ppl prefer to go to a salon other than a tattooist..... My advice would b to go 4 it if your in a shop with an open front in the town you would do very very well... If you need anymore info regarding it just contact me hope this helps xx