Getting a new piercing takes some energy! It doesn’t need to be a huge feast, but eating a good meal within 2-4 hours of getting a new piercing will help your body deal with the endorphin dump that comes along with any new work we do for you. Get in some proteins, fats, carbs, and veggies. It helps to give your body the resources it needs to help prevent feelings of dizziness and nausea, helping you feel stable and confident as you are leaving the studio.

Being hydrated is always an excellent choice, and helps you maintain your blood pressure so that it doesn’t drop during moments of stress and anxiety.

Being well rested before your piercing can help ensure that your body will be prepared and ready.

Recreational drug consumption can lead to some negative side effects during your session. These can include, but aren’t limited to, excessive bleeding, impaired judgement, increased or decreased heart rate, and overall just lead to a bad time. Do not come in for a piercing under the influence of recreational drugs.

Alcohol consumption can thin your blood, impair your judgement, and cause negative health effects. Do not come in to get a piercing while intoxicated.

Ethically (and legally!) we cannot and will not perform any piercing service on you if we believe you are under the influence of any recreational drugs, non-prescribed drugs, or alcohol. You cannot give consent while you are under the influence!

Caffeine can cause mild tremors, or exaggerate nervousness/anxiety disorders during your session. It is recommended to avoid, or at least limit, caffeine on the day you plan to get a piercing.

We will need one of the following: state issued ID, drivers license, learners permit, or US passport, even if you are obviously over 18.

We require that the ID be physically present, pictures, copies, emailed documents, etc are not permitted.

In all cases, ID’s must be valid, or if they are expired, not expired for more than 1 year with all pertinent information still visible.

We will need your ID every time you come in for a new piercing, we do not keep that information on file.

In regards to military ID, Title 18, US Code Part I, Chapter 33, Section 701 makes it illegal to create a photocopy of your military ID, so please bring something we can make a copy of!

If your ID is from another country, please email the shop for details regarding what we are looking for.

First, it is important to know that the youngest age we can work with for any piercing services, consultations, jewelry changes, etc, is 15.

For a new piercing we will need:

• Some kind of state or federally issued ID fromboth the minor and a birth parent. Please see above for approved ID types.

• An original birth certificate for the minor being pierced.

For a jewelry change/consultation:

• The only time we will request to see an ID for anything short of a new piercing is to prove that the minor is at least 15.

The information we are looking for is age (15+) and proven parentage.

While it is not preferred, in some cases we can take a physical copy of a school ID issued within the last two years. Again, please no copies, pictures on your phone, emailed documents, parent portal logins, etc. We need the original.

We generally offer in-house notarization for the paperwork required, making it a more convenient experience.

In the case of legal name changes and/or preferred names (most frequently found on school IDs), the appropriate documentation will need to be provided. Please email the shop for more information regarding what we are looking for in these cases, but do rest assured we will always address you by your chosen name.

In the case of adoption and fostering, please email the shop for more information. We are unable to allow step-parents to sign consent forms for their step-children, regardless of how long the step parent has been around in the life of the child. We are also unable to provide services to minors who are simply in the custody of an adult. We are looking for true and finalized permanent adoption paperwork, signed and sealed by the courts, to begin a new piercing.

For any other questions, please email us at contact@tempestpiercing.com

• Make some ice packs according to the instructions in the Swelling Management section.

• Get some pointy Q-tips, generally sold as “precision cotton swabs”.

• Either get a can of wound wash, or remember to pick one up from the shop!

• If you are getting a cartilage piercing, consider getting a piercing pillow to alleviate pressure while you are sleeping.

• Get a new toothbrush.

• Get a bottle of mouthwash, something alcohol free like Crest Pro Health or Biotene.

• Get some ice to suck on after your procedure! Small crushed ice tends to work the best.

• If you are getting an oral piercing that also has an external piercing component (like a labret), don’t forget your external wound care supplies as well!

Your piercing will be an open wound for the first 2 months for first and second sets of lobes, and 3+ months or so for everything else.

To reduce the risk for infection please do not expose your piercing to any open body of water including the pool/lake/river/ocean/hot tub/etc (chlorinated or not) for at least the full first three months.

Of all the things that genuinely concern us as far as true infection is concerned open bodies of water are #1. If you want a piercing to show off for the summer starting it in February or March is a great idea!

If you missed that mark but still want to enjoy the water through the summer we highly recommend waiting until pools close for the summer to start your new piercing.

Well, nothing we do here is totally devoid of sensation. Most people get the pre-piercing jitters, and can get pretty creative with the idea of what it will feel like and begin imagining the worst. I promise, what you are imagining is FAR more uncomfortable than the piercing itself! The anticipation is worse than the event.

Piercings are quick, taking only seconds until the jewelry is in and we are all done, and we are well known for having gentle hands.

Our goal is to walk you through everything that is happening with your body so you aren’t surprised by anything. We will talk you through breathing exercises that help to calm the body and center the mind. Your only job while getting pierced is to keep up on smooth, slow, even breathing. Before you know it, you’re done!

It is extremely common for people to sit up after a piercing and say “Really? That was it?! I was so worried it was going to be terrible!”. We call piercings shiny pinches :)

Currently, the waitlist will remain closed until we can open our own studio. For general information though, read on!

1) You cannot join the waitlist if the list is closed. It could be closed for a number of reasons, including it being a day the piercer is not in studio, the studio is not open yet, or the estimated wait has exceeded the hours of operation for the studio.

In the case of the list being closed because the estimated wait has exceeded our hours of operation, but you are having a piercing emergency, we would encourage you to come into the studio anyway. We cannot guarantee that we will always be able to squeeze you in, but we will do our very best. Emergencies can include over swelling your jewelry, a fresh piercing fell out, and intense trauma to the area.

2) Please look at where you are on the list and be ready to be at the shop when you are second in line.

This helps us keep the list moving and helps minimize wait times for everyone. We understand that it’s not always feasible to plan things so perfectly though, so in the case that you received a notification that it’s your turn but are still more than 10 minutes away, we reserve the right to serve the next person in line if they are available.

If you are going to be more than 30 minutes, we also reserve the right to remove you from the list, or to move you down the list. We will not move clients down the list more than once if they are unable to make it in when it is their turn. We appreciate your understanding as we do our best to get everyone served.

3) While it’s uncommon, it can happen that a service takes longer than predicted, which can skew the estimated wait time for everyone after them.

If this happens towards the end of the day, and folks have gotten on the list after them, it is possible that we will not be able to serve everyone that has joined the list. We always do our best to get everyone through, but if we are unable to achieve that goal, we will call everyone that we are unable to serve and let them know. We will be back in studio soon, though, and will be happy to help you then!

4) Getting on the waitlist is only valid for the day you joined. We do not roll over the client list to the next day. If we are unable to serve you the day you joined the list, or if you cancelled, you’ll have to rejoin the list when it’s open next.

The first feelings after a piercing are generally feeling like an absolute baddie! Congratulations, and welcome to the other side. You did it!

The first couple of hours are different for everyone. It’s extremely common for the adrenaline dump and endorphin rush after a piercing to make it feel like it doesn’t even hurt at all! This usually passes within the fist 2-4 hours, and then it can sneak up on you a bit. For some people, it starts fairly tender and eases up after 2-4 hours. Either way, this is a great time to ice your piercing, and take an Advil/Ibuprofen if you are medically able to do so.

Especially if you were anxious before your piercing, you can expect to feel a bit drained after your adrenaline wears off. A healthy snack, a sweet treat, and a nap will serve you extremely well. Remember to hydrate after your piercing too! Your body is going to need those resources!

Expect the first couple of weeks to be fairly tender. Remember, just because it’s not sore any more does not mean it’s healed!

The first few days after getting a new piercing it is not uncommon to have a bit of residual bleeding, especially if it gets knocked, snagged, or slept on. Do not pick off any of the scabs! Do your 1x/day gentle cleaning routine and try to flush off any residual bleeding or scabbing with warm running water or sterile saline. If it wants to stay, let it! Try again the next day. Forcing it to come off can also remove healing tissues underneath. Residual bleeding is mores common between days 1-3, but occasionally can last up to 4-5 days. Anything longer than that should prompt a follow-up with your piercer. Icing your piercing helps reduce residual bleeding, as it constricts the blood vessels in the area.

The first couple of days is also when you could experience bruising around the piercing site, especially if you experienced any residual bleeding. This is normal, and shouldn’t last more than about a week. In cases where multiple piercings have been done in one area in one sitting, your bruising could last up to two weeks.

Around day 7-14, you will begin to develop “crusties”. This is a buildup of drainage that dries around your piercing site, and is absolutely expected during the normal course of healing an external piercing. You will notice that you get more crusties during some portions of healing than others, and they tend to peak around the 1-3 month mark of healing and trend downward after that. Your aftercare routine should remove these crusties gently, mostly with warm water rinses and sterile saline, with the occasional and gentle use of precision/pointy q-tips.

Swelling is the most common and expected side effect of getting a piercing. It starts as soon as the piercing is done, and tends to peak within the first 24-74 hours. Swelling will rise and fall during your healing, and is extremely reactive to damage. If your piercing is still healing and it gets caught, snagged, bumped, slept on, or otherwise damaged, it’s probably going to swell. We compensate for this by starting our piercings with jewelry that is slightly longer so your body has room to swell without the jewelry becoming too snug. Sometimes, a person experiences swelling that is greater than average. When this happens, your jewelry might feel tight or pinch, and your piercing site might be extra tender or throb. If you are experiencing this, please come back through so we can get you a longer piece of jewelry.

You can do a lot to help manage your swelling though!

There are things you can intentionally do to help, and things to avoid that are usually accidents anyway.

Things to avoid that are usually accidents include: don’t get it caught or snagged, don’t allow your piercing to get hit or bumped, and don’t sleep with any pressure on it.

Things you can intentionally do to help your swelling include: make sure to be very gentle (but thorough) while cleaning, don’t play with your jewelry, don’t wear anything constrictive over it, and use q-tips sparingly. Finally, icing your piercing regularly and taking Advil/Ibuprofen (if medically able) is the most helpful, intentional thing you can do to help manage your swelling.

After your swelling has gone down, the jewelry you are wearing will feel too long. Congragulations! It’s time for a downsize!

Now, it’s important to know that it’s not time for a downsize just because your piercing stopped being sore. It can be quite swollen and still feel totally fine.

You’ll know it’s time for a downsize when you feel like your jewelry is getting caught or snagged much more frequently than average, and you can see 3-4mm of the post without putting any pressure on it/distorting the area. Think of a nickel and dime stacked on top of each other, that’s about how much extra room we are looking for.

On average, this takes anywhere between 3-8 weeks for most piercings. If your piercing has been caught regularly, damaged, or slept on, it can take even longer.

We will carefully replace the jewelry you are wearing with a shorter, more well fit piece. This is helpful because it is more difficult to catch and snag, as well as help prevent migration. When a piece of jewelry is too long it has a lot of space to act like a lever, especially if it gets slept on. This can take your piercing from perpendicular to the tissue to angled, and there isn’t much we can do to fix it.

For more detailed information, please see “good things to know for all piercings” page in Aftercare 101.

Most people will experience a few minor complications during healing that tend to resolve themselves.

The most common complication is the piercing bump. Piercing bumps are discussed at length in the Aftercare 101 section of the website.

There is always a risk of infection, especially if the aftercare guidelines are not followed. What we see far more regularly than infection, though, is an affected piercing. Your piercing can become irritated, extra swollen, and have extra drainage, for a host of reasons. If you are concerned about your piercing, your best bet is to swing by the studio so that we can take a look! If you are very concerned about your piercing, skip the piercers and head straight to a doctor!

Migration and rejection is a potential complication that can happen to almost any piercing. However, some piercings have a higher likelihood of these adverse reactions. Examples include the eyebrow, navel, nipples, industrial, bridge, and rook. Your piercer will discuss these risks with you before you decide to move forward with your piercing.