Disclaimer

This website exists to give general advice to people considering getting a body piercing or similar body modifications. Body piercing is a form of elective cosmetic procedure and there are risks involved.

You should always use a reputable, qualified piercer and never perform piercings on yourself or others. Your piercer is responsible for your safety and wellbeing for the procedure and administering the correct aftercare and advice based on you and your anatomy.

Important: Body Piercing Hub and its contributors are not liable for any injury or issue that arises as a result of advice or opinions shared on this website and external channels (including, but not limited to social media and our community which allows any user to post and share their own thoughts and experiences). Always consult and question your piercer or a medical professional about the risks and whether piercings are suitable for you before committing. 

Here are some tips on how to have a great piercing experience…

Do your research to find a reputable piercer

Some good ways look for this include:

• Check their website – do they give information about their safety practices? (Look for things about their sterilization methods, their policies and aftercare information). If their prices are too good to be true, it probably is!
• Do they have a large amount of positive reviews online? (e.g. Google reviews, Facebook reviews)
• Do they have many negative comments on their social media posts? (e.g. Are lots of people commenting red-flags on their Instagram posts about dodgy practices or issues with their piercings and not getting a good response from the piercer?)
• Asking them questions before you have the procedure done (e.g. Questions like these are a great start: What are the risks? What things should I look for if my piercing gets infected and what should I do? Do you use new needles for every piercing? (the answer should never be no!)

What to do if you think your piercing is infected

Step 1: Contact your piercer

Call them or go back into their shop to let them know what’s happening straight away. Don’t rely on DM’ing them unless you know they respond within the same day. A reputable piercer should ask you questions about when the issue started, what it looks like, and what symptoms you are having to help give you next steps. 

Step 2: If in doubt, contact a medical professional

Never take a risk with any infection. If untreated, infections can lead to sepsis and other life-threatening conditions. You know your body better than anyone else, so if you’re not happy with the advice your piercer has given you or your infection is getting worse, contact your GP or visit urgent/emergency treatment facility available in your area ASAP.

What to do if you think your piercer is doing something dodgy or unsafe

Lots of places around the world handle this differently in regards to piercer licensing and safety so it’s hard to give an answer. The best place to start is by searching online for something like “[your city or state] body piercing laws” and seeing what comes up. If not, contact your local council or health department and they should be able to point you in the right direction.