1. Fill out the intake form and waiver upon booking your appointment.

2. All jewelry for piercing will be available to view on the day of piercing, and our stylist and piercer team will help you select and purchase your studs in our store.

3. Design appointments with jewelry exchanges and new piercings typically take 2-3 hours. Our done-for-you stacks and single piercings will take about 30 minutes. Our piercer will walk you through the process and any aftercare tips.

4. Piercings are done using single-use, sterilized piercing needles. Kindly note that piercings are available for ear lobes, cartilage, and nostrils only.

*We have a 10-minute grace period. If you arrive more than 10 minutes after your appointment start time, we may be unable to accommodate your piercing appointment. Please note that any product and service purchased during an appointment will be final sale.

Check Up Appointment

A check-up appointment can be used to downsize your post, change jewelry if you need help, or check in on your healing process. These will take about 15 minutes.

• Ensure you have had a snack and are fully hydrated.

• Bring your government-issued ID.

• Look for inspiration or designs of piercings you love and bring them in!

• AVOID: Please do not consume alcohol or banned substances prior to getting pierced.

Thank you for making a purchase at PLU.

For your safety and the safety of others, all jewelry used for a new PLU piercing is final sale - we do not offer refunds, returns, or exchanges. Piercing services and install charges are non-refundable.

As our customers and our staff are always our first priority, we aim to ensure the health and safety of those around us.

• We sanitize all surfaces within our studio between each client.

• We use sterilized and single-use equipment for piercing.

• Our piercers are provided with additional PPE to ensure our piercings are safe and sanitary.

All of the items used during your piercing are sterilized right before you, in our immediate-use autoclave (sterilizer).

In order for items to be successfully sterilized, an autoclave uses a combination of time, temperature, and pressure to kill all microorganisms.

Any instruments that are reused on clients are put into an enzymatic tool immersion soak. From there they are transported to the biohazard/sterilization room. The equipment is then scrubbed manually underwater with an enzymatic solution. They are then rinsed and dried, then put into an ultra-sonic cleaner with an enzymatic solution, for at least 30 minutes. From there they are rinsed and dried again. The tools are then sterilized, and put into clean holding containers until they are needed for your piercing. Then they are placed in the autoclave with your brand new needle and new jewelry.

Rather than using traditional butterfly backings, we opted to use threadless flatback studs which are more comfortable throughout the healing process. Butterfly backings can move throughout wear which is not ideal during the healing process as it can cause infections, abrasions etc. Threadless Flat back studs are preferred by piercers due to this - even outside of PLU!

The gauge refers to the overall thickness of an earring's post or a ring. The higher the gauge number the thinner the jewelry is. Our traditional stud earrings and nostril studs are 20 gauge. We have some 16ga and 18ga posts available upon request. Our rotating and plain clickers are 18ga and 12 ga.

20g = 0.8mm

18g = 1.0mm

16g = 1.2mm

All of our piercings are performed with single use sterile needles rather than piercing guns. We do not use piercing guns as they are not very accurate and cannot be properly sterilized.

Due to sterilization concerns, we do not pierce with jewelry that is brought in.

We recommend up to four piercings per session, but this depends on the placements and your anatomy and can be subject to change based on your piercer's recommendation.

The number and location of piercings can affect your quality of sleep. Your piercer will make a recommendation based on the anatomy of your ear, sleeping habits, lifestyle considerations, and the healing status of any of your other piercings.

The piercing is completed in less than half a second. Pain is, of course, relative. Some people report feeling no pain at all. Others say it hurts less than waxing, stubbing a toe or a shot at the doctor. Rest assured, we do everything we can to ensure a brief, pleasurable piercing experience.

A small amount of bleeding the first day or two is normal especially when you are cleaning your piercing. If you are experiencing more excessive bleeding, please contact your piercer.

All sorts of bumps, lumps, and skin irritations can crop up around a piercing, coming and going as healing progresses and occasionally remaining permanently. Some of these are caused by mechanical stress against the piercing; others are caused by a cleaning product or jewelry material. Skin disorders can be difficult to diagnose, even for dermatologists, so experimentation is needed at times to identify and correct a problem. Conditions can also have a combination of causes, which further complicates diagnosis and treatment.

Metal sensitivities or allergies can also cause complications and difficulties with healing. Nickel is the most common metal allergy, and is a common component of low quality jewelry. Allergies to other metals are pretty rare. If you suspect you have a problem wearing jewelry, it may be worth having allergy testing performed by a dermatologist or allergist so that you know exactly what materials you need to avoid.

It varies from one person to another!

Within the first few weeks: Lobe and cartilage piercings will experience some bleeding, localized swelling, tenderness, or bruising.

Generally, within the first 2-4 months: Some discoloration, itching, and secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that may form some crust on the jewelry can occur. The tissue may tighten around the jewelry as it heals.

Around 2-3 months: Lobes are typically healed. If your jewelry feels loose, book a check-up appointment to come in for a downsize. Be patient, and keep cleaning throughout the healing period!

Around 6-12 months: Cartilage and nasal are typically healed. If your jewelry feels loose, book a check-up appointment to come in for a downsize. Be patient and keep cleaning throughout the healing period!

• Be patient and keep following the aftercare guide every day until it is healed. If your piercing starts feeling loose, book a check-up appointment to downsize your jewelry backing. Having a proper fit once healed will avoid irritation from snagging while sleeping.

• Treat fresh piercings as gently as possible; this will help you heal more quickly and easily. Always remember to wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap before touching your healing piercing.

• See our Aftercare Guide for more information.

Being cautious is the best way to avoid infection—this is an open wound that is healing.

• Try to minimize any activities that involve excessive sweating (eg. exercise), but if you do, shower or clean your wound directly afterwards.

• Avoid taking your jewelry out to avoid the hole closing.

• Avoid swimming.

• Avoid cleaning with alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, antibacterial soaps, iodine, or any harsh products, as these can damage cells. Also avoid ointments as they prevent necessary air circulation.

• Avoid Bactine®, pierced ear care solutions, and other products containing Benzalkonium Chloride (BZK). These can be irritating and are not intended for long-term wound care.

• Avoid over-cleaning. This can delay your healing and irritate your piercing.

• Avoid undue trauma such as friction and pressure from clothing, excessive motion of the area, playing with the jewelry, and vigorous cleaning. These activities can cause the formation of unsightly and uncomfortable scar tissue, migration, prolonged healing, and other complications.

• Avoid all oral contact, rough play, and contact with others’ bodily fluids on or near your piercing during healing.

• Avoiding things like excessive stress, drug use, excessive caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are suggested as they can prolong the healing process.

• Avoid submerging the piercing in bodies of water such as lakes, pools, oceans, hot tubs, etc. Or, protect your piercing using a waterproof transparent film dressing. These are available at most pharmacies and are ideal for nipple, navel, and surface piercing placements.

• Avoid all beauty and personal care products on or around the piercing including cosmetics, lotions, and sprays, etc.

• Don’t hang charms or any object from your jewelry until the piercing is fully healed.

• See our Aftercare Guide for more information.

Accidents happen, and there is a risk of catching jewelry and tearing a piercing. An act as simple as taking off your shirt can be dangerous for a piercing on the torso, face, or ear. Strenuous workouts, airbags, pets, children – even sexual activities – can cause ripping or splitting. Obviously, healing piercings are more delicate and vulnerable to injury, but older piercings are still susceptible.

You must be aware of your jewelry and your movements, take steps to protect your piercing, and avoid activities that could lead to such accidents. If you engage in sports or other behaviors that pose a risk to your piercings, wear protective gear.

Jewelry that is too thin can carve through the flesh like a wire slicing a wedge of cheddar: hence, I coined the term cheese-cutter effect to describe this unpleasant (and largely preventable) occurrence. Wearing charms or heavy weights on thin-gauge wires makes trouble likely.

Infection is one of the most frightening and potentially serious dangers associated with body piercing. Two distinct phases are of concern: If you get pierced in unsanitary conditions, or with unsterile implements or jewelry, an infection can be transmitted during the piercing. Or, if you fail to care for the wound properly throughout its healing period, you can get an infection after the piercing is done. Studies show that the risk of infection increases when either the piercers technique or the aftercare is poor.

The incidence of infection is difficult to calculate because there is no reliable information about how many piercings are actually being performed. Some smaller studies done on college campuses usually reveal more about the quality of nearby piercers than they do about the rate of infection for body piercing in general.

Our world is full of microorganisms (germs, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses). Many of these are harmless – or even beneficial – to us, but some are pathogenic (capable of causing infection or disease). We are all routinely exposed to countless germs, but many complex factors impact how they affect us, including the potency and amount of an organism entering the body, and how it gets in, as well as the strength of the immune system.

The viruses hepatitis B and C and HIV are examples of bloodborne pathogens (microorganisms that can cause disease when present in the blood). They are of particular concern because if the needles or jewelry are not sterile, there is potential for these serious bloodborne diseases to be transmitted during piercing.

HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is quite fragile and dies quickly when exposed to air; there have been no documented cases of HIV transmission through piercing. The hepatitis virus, however, is easier to transmit because it is quite hardy. Studies show that hepatitis B can live on a dry surface for at least seven days! Even though the virus is robust, improperly performed body art accounts for a very small proportion of hepatitis transmissions.

Bacterial infections can range from minor skin eruptions to deadly infections of the brain or lining of the heart. Never ignore a suspected infection: left untreated, certain kinds that start out as trivial can become lethal. Local bacterial infection (at the site of the piercing) is the most common sort, and deeper, larger, or systemic infections in healthy piercees are fairly rare.

The medical field has developed specific infection-control practices, called Standard Precautions (formerly Universal Precautions), for dealing with blood or other potentially infectious body fluids and any equipment that could be contaminated with them. Safe piercers are educated about these procedures and adhere to them meticulously.

Exercise and sweating during healing is fine. It is ok to go to the gym after getting pierced, just remember to follow the aftercare advice outlined by your piercer.

Avoid activities that could jostle or aggravate the piercing. Keep the piercing protected from bacteria present on gym equipment or exercise mats.

Sleeping on piercings can be painful, cause healing complications, and can shift the alignment of your piercing. If possible, use a travel pillow and suspend your ear in the center opening while you sleep.

We advise waiting six to eight weeks to go swimming after an initial piercing. Avoid swimming in lakes or ponds while your piercing heals, as these bodies of water may contain bacteria that can interfere with the healing process.

Every client heals at a different rate and healing times change based on piercing location.

Your ear piercings are typically ready to be downsized at about 6-8 weeks. Doing this will help the piercing heal.

Lobes typically heal within 2-3 months, while cartilage and nostril piercings typically heal within 6-12 months.

A piercing may seem healed before the healing process is actually complete. This is because this type of wound will heal from the outside to the inside. Although it may feel fine on the outside, the interior could still be fragile. Be patient, and keep the piercing clean throughout the entire healing period.

Once healed: the jewelry may not move freely in the piercing; do not force it. Cleaning your piercings as part of your normal hygiene routine can help them stay clean and avoid having normal, possibly smelly, secretions accumulate.

Downsizing refers to switching jewelry in a piercing to a shorter post, once initial swelling has subsided.

Because of the way piercings heal, most require initial jewelry with a noticeable amount of extra room to allow the tissue to swell in the early phases of healing. This is crucial to avoid jewelry embedding in the skin.

However, once the initial stages have passed, this initial swelling will have gone away. This will reveal the initial extra room and results in the initial jewelry now being too long. Jewelry that is too long can snag easily and move around excessively, leading to irritation and renewed swelling. At this stage, it’s important to return to your piercer to have shorter jewelry installed to reduce these issues. The piercing is not healed enough to safely change your jewelry by yourself at this point in healing.

If this window for downsizing is missed for piercings such as the helix, the excessive length may lead to migration or a change of angle of piercing, especially if the piercing gets slept on. This damage is irreversible and can get bad enough to result in the piercing failing.

For most individuals, Earlobe piercings tend to stay open without jewelry in place after a year or more, while cartilage piercings can take considerably longer. There are no definitive rules for how long it takes for a piercing to stay open, so be cautious and reach out to one of our piercers or stylists if you have questions.

A piercing has the potential to be a temporary adornment (especially when compared to a tattoo), because the jewelry can easily be removed. There is a risk, however, of irreversible changes to the body, including discoloration, a mark such as a scar, bump, or dimple, or a permanent hole.

Many piercings shrink or close quickly, but some piercings will remain open indefinitely without jewelry in them. The placement of the hole, the length of time you have worn the piercing, the thickness of the jewelry that was in it, and your individual tissue all impact whether or not your piercing stays viable after removing the jewelry.

Piercings that are stretched to large dimensions commonly leave significant voids that may be considered disfiguring; to correct them, plastic surgery is required. Stretching a piercing too quickly or attempting to expand unsuitably thin tissue leads to problems. One potential consequence of overzealous stretching is a blowout (part of the interior channel is pushed out, leaving an unsightly lip of flesh on one side of the piercing). This distortion will usually be a lasting reminder of your hasty actions unless it is surgically removed. Piercings that are stretched improperly can also suffer from thinning tissue that does not regrow. A worst-case scenario is tissue necrosis (death) and the loss of the piercing and some of the skin in the area. Jewelry that exerts excessive pressure against underlying bone can cause bone necrosis.

There are piercings that have a tendency to effect changes such as the hardening or thickening of the tissue surrounding the openings, and this can be irreversible. For example, nipple piercings are known for causing permanent enlargement, especially in underdeveloped (small) anatomy.

Scarring and tissue discoloration at the piercing site are relatively normal occurrences, especially if you have a history of darkened scars. This can happen even when a piercing is performed properly and heals uneventfully. Migration often leaves a small track of scarring or discoloration from where the piercing was initially placed. Rejection usually results in a split scar. Piercings of the ear cartilage are prone to disfigurement if a serious infection develops. The cartilage can collapse, causing a cauliflower ear appearance.

Excessive scarring sometimes occurs in reaction to piercing, and it can be very difficult to resolve. If you have a history of problems with scarring or keloids (large growths of fibrous tissue), piercing is generally inadvisable.

Two rather distinctive piercing complications are migration (the piercing moves from its initial placement, then settles and heals in a new location) and rejection (the jewelry is expelled completely from the body). The piercing is likely to migrate when unsuitable or insufficient tissue is pierced, or if your jewelry is too small in diameter, thin in gauge, or of poor quality. Inexperienced and untrained piercers often make these errors.

Migration and rejection can also result from using a harsh aftercare product, following poor health habits, or experiencing excessive physical trauma or emotional stress during the healing period. And, unfortunately, sometimes even when everything is done properly, a piercing will migrate or reject for no known reason. This is simply a risk of placing a foreign object through your skin: it may not stay in the desired position.