Ear Lobe Piercings
Single, double or stacked lobes done with a needle and implant-grade jewelry — never a piercing gun.
Body piercing
Needle only. Implant-grade only. No exceptions.
Most piercing problems that walk through our door are jewelry problems or technique problems, and both are entirely preventable. Sterile single-use needles, ASTM F-136 titanium, an honest anatomy check before you pay, and a free downsize once it settles.
Why we don't use guns
A piercing gun drives blunt jewelry through tissue using spring pressure. It doesn't cut a channel — it tears one, crushing the surrounding tissue on the way through. That means more swelling, slower healing, and a meaningfully higher chance of a crooked or migrating hole. Guns are also reusable plastic — they cannot be properly sterilized between people, which is the opposite of how everything in this building works.
A hollow needle removes a clean core of tissue and the jewelry follows it through. It heals faster, it hurts less, and — the part that matters years later — it's actually straight. It's what we use for every piercing in the building, lobes included, at no extra charge.
Anatomy checks come before payment
Not every ear can take a rook. Not every navel has the ridge a curved barbell needs to sit in without tension. Not every septum has a centered sweet spot. We check first, tell you honestly, and suggest something that will heal well instead. Turning people down is routine here and it isn't a sales tactic — it's the difference between a piercing you keep and one you fight for a year and then lose.
What's included, always
- Sterile single-use needle, opened in front of you
- Implant-grade ASTM F-136 titanium starter jewelry
- Jewelry pre-sterilized and sealed by the manufacturer, opened at your station
- Threadless or internally threaded posts only
- Marked and mirror-checked before anything happens
- Free downsize appointment once swelling settles
- Free jewelry changes, checks and fittings for life
- Written aftercare and sterile saline
- Free bump and irritation assessments, any time
Bring us jewelry you bought elsewhere
We'll check the material, the threading and the fit for free, whether or not we did the piercing. A lot of what's sold online as “titanium” isn't, and it's far better to find that out at the counter than in your ear.
Services
15 piercings, each with its own guide.
Every page below covers healing time, the right starter jewelry, and the anatomy that decides whether a placement will work for you.
Cartilage Piercings
Helix, forward helix, flat, rook and snug — placed to your anatomy, not to a diagram.
Daith Piercings
The innermost fold of the ear — striking, well-hidden, and slower to heal than it looks.
Tragus Piercings
The small flap in front of the ear canal — subtle, versatile and surprisingly quick to pierce.
Conch Piercings
The broad bowl of the ear — the placement that carries a big ring better than any other.
Industrial Piercings
Two connected cartilage piercings under one straight barbell — bold, and entirely anatomy-dependent.
Nostril Piercings
Placed to your nose's own crease and curve — studs, hoops and high nostrils.
Septum Piercings
Through the soft sweet spot — fast healing, easily hidden, and painless when it's placed right.
Eyebrow Piercings
Angled to sit flush and resist migration — vertical, horizontal and anti-eyebrow placements.
Lip & Labret Piercings
Labret, Monroe, Medusa, snake bites and vertical labret — fitted to protect your teeth and gums.
Tongue Piercings
Centered, clear of the vessels, and fitted long for the swelling that's definitely coming.
Navel Piercings
Placed through the upper rim where the anatomy supports it — and honestly assessed where it doesn't.
Nipple Piercings
Done privately and professionally, with straight barbells and a clear, unhurried aftercare plan.
Dermal & Surface Piercings
Single-point dermal anchors and surface bars — with realistic expectations about how long they last.
Body Jewelry
Implant-grade titanium, niobium and solid gold — sized properly and fitted for free.
Piercing FAQ
The questions worth asking any piercer.
Do you use a piercing gun for ears?
Never, for anything, including children's lobes. Guns force blunt jewelry through tissue by pressure — they crush rather than cut, they cause more swelling and slower healing, and they can't be fully sterilized. Every piercing at Inkslingers uses a sterile single-use needle at no extra charge.
How much do piercings cost?
Pricing is a service fee plus jewelry, since jewelry ranges from implant-grade titanium to solid 14k gold. You'll get the full price — service and jewelry together — before anything happens. Nothing gets added halfway through.
What jewelry do you use for new piercings?
ASTM F-136 implant-grade titanium as standard: biocompatible, nickel-free, and available in a full anodized color range. It's fitted long to allow for swelling, then downsized for free once things settle. We only stock threadless and internally threaded jewelry — never externally threaded.
What is a downsize appointment and is it really free?
Yes, free. Initial jewelry is deliberately longer than the final fit so it can accommodate swelling. Once the swelling passes — around two weeks for oral, six to ten for cartilage — a shorter post goes in. Skipping it causes snagging, angling and irritation bumps, and it's the most commonly missed step in the whole process.
Can you pierce a child's ears?
Yes, with a needle rather than a gun. A parent or legal guardian must be present with government-issued photo ID plus documentation showing the relationship. We talk to the child, not just the adult — if they don't genuinely want it or can't hold still, we'll ask you to come back another time.
What if I have a bump around my piercing?
Come in and we'll look at it for free, whether or not we did the piercing. The vast majority are irritation rather than infection — usually from jewelry that's the wrong length, sleeping on it, a hoop switched in too early, or over-cleaning. Fix the cause and most resolve within weeks.
Book a session
Most piercings are same-day.
Walk in seven days a week. Bring photo ID — and for anyone under 18, a parent or legal guardian with their own ID and proof of relationship.