Illustration of an ear with many piercings. Piercings are a fun way to experiment with jewelry and self expression. Illustration by Everette Cogswell.
For anyone contemplating getting a body piercing, there are some important factors to keep in mind in order to have a healthy and beautiful piercing! Whether you’re going to get your nipples, your earlobes, or any part of your body pierced, Portland has a variety of shops to check out! As a side note, if you’re considering doing a “do it yourself” or DIY piercing, be sure your needle is sterile and unused before stabbing yourself to protect against harmful bacteria and infections.
Without further ado, here are some recommendations and reminders for anyone wanting a piercing this spring season.
The first thing to consider when looking for a piercing is timing. Depending on where you get pierced, there will be different lengths of healing periods, ranging from six weeks for earlobes to six months for a belly button. For most of this time, it is advised not to go into bodies of water, and also important to cleanse the piercing on a regular basis to avoid infection. Additionally, certain sports such as soccer and basketball may forbid wearing jewelry during game time for safety reasons, which can be an issue for healing piercings that could close up without jewelry. When getting pierced, it is helpful to account for these factors and plan ahead to see if the healing period will work with your activity going forward. Considering that summer is closely approaching, now is a good time to get most piercings because the majority of the healing period will be complete in time for summer, where swimming and other activities are sure to take place.
A second aspect to consider is pricing and location. Portland offers a range of piercing shops with diverse price ranges. Claire’s, the notorious piercing chain, has several locations in the Portland area and is relatively cheap, however, some students have shared that they have low quality service with higher risk of infection. Claire’s uses a piercing gun, which uses blunt force to push the jewelry through the skin, potentially creating more discomfort and irritation long term. Another option is Paramount, an affordable piercing parlor with decent jewelry and great reviews. They have a popular deal where two piercings cost 25 dollars, including the cost of the jewelry. Paramount uses a needle to pierce, which is actually hollow, meaning a chunk of skin is removed and it is easier to insert jewelry. Some people do say that the needle method is slightly more painful than the gun.
Similarly, parlors such as Black Hole, Straight to the Point, Nomad, and Adorn also use needles to pierce their clients. Black Hole Piercing falls under the middle range of pricing, with most of their services costing 45 dollars, whereas Adorn prices are closer to 80 dollars plus cost of jewelry. That said, the quality of Adorn and similar piercing studios is excellent and the staff are very professional with most clients never having issues with infection. Franklin senior Devin Goddard got her nipples and ears done at Adorn: “The pain afterwards is worse than when they actually get pierced,” Goddard admits. She recommends Adorn to anyone looking to get a high quality piercing, especially for a more complex body part than just ears, since she has had nothing but good experiences there. “I think of it [as] an investment. [They have] really high quality jewelry, so it’s gonna last you for years,” she explains, pointing out that her eyebrow piercing has been in for a year so far and still looks brand new.
Kennedy Boyles, Franklin junior, is a huge Paramount advocate. She has six piercings and has gone to Paramount for each of them. “Paramount has really beautiful jewelry and the people who work there are really sweet,” said Boyles. “I’d highly recommend going there for [someone’s] first piercing.”
Once you’ve decided on where you want to get pierced based on your price range and desired quality, then it’s pretty straightforward! Make sure to check on the piercing shop’s appointment policies, since some places like Paramount are mostly drop in customers, whereas at Adorn or Nomad, it is appointment only. Also, it is important to take into account the pain levels of your desired piercing, and know that at most piercing studios there will be staff there to help you and make sure you are comfortable before starting. Goddard attested that her nipple piercings were an 8.5 out of 10 on the pain scale, while her ear piercings were closer to a 1 out of 10. Nose, eyebrow, and belly button piercings tend to fall in the middle range, though it differs from person to person.
Take into account that if you are a minor, it is usually required to bring a parent or guardian to your appointment. Also, people can be turned away without an acceptable ID, so make sure to check the shop’s website for their policies around identification.
After getting pierced, it is crucial to adhere to the instructions given by your piercer. Cleaning consistently is the main factor in avoiding infection. Also keep in mind that the healing period for your piercing might be a bit shorter or longer than your piercer suggests. If you notice that your piercing is still tender or is bothersome after the healing period, continue to avoid bodies of water and keep cleaning it daily. Or in other cases, you may think it has healed before the suggested time period is up, in which case you should still be cautious of the risks, but it is probably fine to resume all activities.
Piercings are a unique and exciting way to explore your appearance and express yourself, and Portland has plenty of great piercing places to consider. Check them out for yourself and see what fits you best!
