Pillar guide
Choosing Where to Get Pierced
The piercing itself takes seconds; choosing who does it decides the next year. These guides give you the criteria — needle over gun, always; the green and red flags of a good studio; the refusals that mark a professional; what to know about children's ears; and where you stand if something goes wrong.
Deliberately, none of these pages names or ranks studios — ours included. They give you the questions; any studio worth your ear will enjoy answering them.
Should you get pierced with a needle or a gun?
Needle, always — for every placement, including lobes.
How do you choose a good piercing studio?
Look for single-use needles opened in front of you, sterilisation the studio will happily explain, jewellery with stated material grades, and a piercer who examines your anatomy and is willing to say no.
What will a good piercer refuse to do?
A good piercer will refuse anatomy that can't support a placement, too many piercings in one session, unverifiable client-supplied jewellery, piercing over irritated or infected tissue, gun piercing, and minors without proper consent.
When can children get their ears pierced?
There is no national minimum age for ear piercing in England; it rests on parental consent, local authority licensing rules and studio policy.
What are your rights if a piercing goes wrong?
Under UK consumer law, a piercing service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill.