Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a list of our most frequently asked questions and their answers, for the curious mind.

1. Does body piercing hurt?

The short answer to this question is “only a little bit”. Our highly skilled piercers will make sure your piercing experience is as quick and comfortable as possible. We find that almost everyone says that it didn’t hurt nearly as much as they thought it would. In most cases, a piercing is just a quick sting then it is all over before you know it!

2. Will it hurt after the piercing is done?

Most people say that after the piercing is done there is no pain at all. However, a slight ache or a feeling of hotness is completely normal, and generally will calm down quickly and easily as you go about the rest of your day.

3. What is the process of getting a piercing?

Upon arrival to the studio, you will be greeted and checked in to your appointment. One of our friendly team members will look at your anatomy, discuss your goals for the piercing and assist you in choosing an appropriate piece of jewellery. We will have you fill in a consent form and then sterilise everything for your procedure in one of our Statim autoclaves. Once everything is ready for you, your piercer will take you back into one of our private piercing rooms. The placement of the piercing will be marked out, and you will be able to look and be sure that you are happy. The area will be cleaned and prepared for piercing, and then your piercing will be performed in one swift motion! Jewellery will be inserted, and the area will be cleaned once more.

Your piercer will also go over all the aftercare information you need to know, and get you booked in for any follow up appointments before you leave.

4. How long will it take?

The piercing itself will take just about half a second, but for most appointments you should allow about an hour out of your day to fit in the whole process. For group bookings you should allow around 1.5 - 2 hours, depending on the amount of people in your group.

5. Do I need to make an appointment or can I just walk in?

We want to make sure that we have time dedicated to assisting you, so we highly suggest making an appointment for any service you wish to receive. This includes jewellery changes, in store shopping and consultations. Without an appointment we cannot guarantee that we will have time to assist you.

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6. How far in advance do I need to book?

As a general rule, the earlier you book, the more likely you are to get the time slot that you want. We often book out about a week ahead of time, and the more popular spots on Saturdays and weekday evenings can often book out even quicker.

7. Do you use piercing guns or needles?

At The Piercing Urge we only use single use, sterilised, hollow piercing needles, sometimes referred to as blade needles. These are the safest and least painful way of getting pierced. We do not use medical “cannula” needles or piercing guns, even for earlobes. If you would like to know more on why piercing guns are not safe, then please view this section on The Association of Professional Piercers website..

8. Will my piercing bleed?

Some piercings can bleed a little after they are done, though it is different for each person. Most of the time there is very little to no bleeding. However, if there is some bleeding it is nothing to be concerned about.

9. What is the risk of infection?

With any open wound there is always a risk of infection. This risk is greatly reduced with proper hygiene during a procedure, and proper care afterwards. You can take confidence in knowing that all our piercing instruments go through a rigorous process, and all tools & jewellery are sterilised for you right before your procedure. All our autoclaves and equipment are regularly tested and serviced to ensure they are in proper working order. Our piercers are also trained in aseptic techniques so that your piercing is carried out to the highest of hygiene standards.

With all of this, it is very unlikely that an infection would happen. However, it is equally as important to keep your piercing clean while it heals, as infection is caused by foreign bacteria entering a wound. Things like touching your piercing, submerging it in a body of water, other people’s bodily fluids and sleeping on dirty pillowcases can easily cause your piercing to get infected. If you do think there is something wrong with your piercing it is very important that you get in touch with us, or your GP as soon as possible.

10. Something is wrong with my piercing, what should I do?

Our care for your piercings is ongoing, which is why we are here to assist you with any piercing related problems that you may have. Don’t worry, most piercing issues are very easy to fix. If you have any concerns for your piercings while they are healing or even after they have healed, please contact us so one of our expert team can assist you. We will need to look at the piercing either in person or with photos, and then we can advise on the best course of action.

11. How long will my piercing take to heal?

Everyone is a little different but depending on the piercing you can expect anything from 3 – 12 months for healing. This doesn’t mean that you must perform a strict aftercare routine for this long. It just means that during the healing process you should be careful not to disturb the piercing and be gentle with the body part that it is on.

12. Can I get a piercing while I am pregnant?

It’s not a good idea to get a piercing done while you are pregnant or breastfeeding, as your body is already undergoing a lot to look after your baby. We think it’s best to let your body focus on this, rather than trying to heal a piercing at the same time. Come to see us for the piercing once you are done! Waiting until afterwards will also eliminate the risk of your baby contracting any type of infection (in the very unlikely event of an infection) that could possibly be passed on. So unfortunately, we will not pierce you while pregnant or breastfeeding.

13. What is your jewellery made from?

We care a lot about the quality of the jewellery that we use here at The Piercing Urge. For this reason, we only use jewellery that is completely safe for wear inside your body (biocompatible). We have a large range of jewellery that is made from implant grade titanium and solid 14k nickel free gold. Implant grade is a certain alloy of titanium that is tested and proven safe to be worn inside the body (the same type of alloy that is used in surgical implants!) A lot of jewellery found elsewhere isn’t made from implant grade alloys and contains components that can be harmful to your body. It is extremely unlikely that someone would have a negative reaction to the type of jewellery we use, as it is safest jewellery available.

Not only this, but all our jewellery is internally threaded or threadless, flawlessly polished for a smooth wearing surface, and comes with a lifetime quality guarantee. We proudly only stock jewellery from the world’s leading manufacturers..

14. Can I bring my own jewellery?

It is really important to us that your piercing has great quality jewellery, so that it has the best chance of healing and is the most comfortable for you to wear. You are welcome to bring jewellery with you, however it must meet our strict quality standards if we are going to use it. We must be able to verify that it is made from an implant grade material, that it is internally threaded or threadless, has a flawlessly polished wearing surface and is the correct gauge, length/diameter, and style for your body and for the piercing it will be worn in. If you are unsure, you can always bring it with you for us to inspect.

15. How old do you need to be to get pierced or tattooed?

• As per Victorian law, if you are under the age of 16 you need a parent or legal guardian to accompany you to your piercing, with valid ID.
• If you are 16 or over you can get pierced without anyone else’s permission, provided you have your own valid ID.
• To get nipple or genital piercings you must be 18 or older, there are no Exceptions.
• You must be 6 or older to get your earlobes pierced at The Piercing Urge. Read about our children’s earlobe piercing service here.

For more information about our age limits and types of ID we accept you can view this page.

16. How much do you charge?

Piercing pricing is broken down into two parts. The first is the piercing fee, which is a fixed fee for the service that you receive. The second is the jewellery cost, which depends on the jewellery that you choose for your piercing. You can view our pricing here.

17. What kind of ID do you accept?

We accept all valid forms of government issued ID, you can read about our ID requirements here.

18. What are your COVID-19 safety measures?

The Piercing Urge has always been one of Australia’s leading body piercing studios in health & safety. We are committed to protecting the health of our clients and staff. Our piercing rooms are deep cleaned every single day, and thoroughly disinfected between clients with products that are proven to eliminate COVID-19. All piercers wear face masks during procedures and practise proper hand hygiene. We ask that you do not come to see us if you are unwell or experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 and have a zero-fee cancellation policy which allows clients to easily reschedule appointments if needed. We also have a strict policy in place for COVID-19 exposure in the studio, and among our team members, going above and beyond what is recommended