Body Piercing FAQ’s

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Studio Opening Times: 
  • Plymouth   Mon-Sat: 10:00-16:50 / Sun: 10:30-15:40
  • Torquay      Mon-Sat: 10:00-16:50 / Sun: 10:30-15:40

Covid-19 Update* – Updated July 14th 2021

Please note, according to Government guidelines, we are planning to offer:
Oral Piercings from July 19th!

We are taking the full precautions necessary to help reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Therefore we ask that you please:

– Do not bring anyone with you to your appointment.
– Any friends and family (aside from parents accompanying a minor) will no longer be permitted in the piercing studio.
– You are advised to wear your own mask upon your appointment.
– Any parent/guardian will also be advised to bring their own mask with them.
All Customers are advised to wear a mask in the studio, due to it being an enclosed environment. (Including those with Exemption Cards). This tends to only be for a short time between 5-10 mins.

Our available piercings will include Ears, Facial (including Nose & Septum), Dermal, Genital, Navel & Surface.
Available from July 19th: Oral Piercings (Lip, Tongue, Madonna, Cheeks, Medusa, Web etc.)

We ask you to please contact us to reschedule your appointment if you:

– Are currently feeling unwell.
– Have been unwell within the past 2 weeks
– Have travelled outside of the UK recently
– Have been in contact with anyone feeling unwell

We appreciate this can be inconvenient, however, the safety of our customers and staff is of the upmost importance to us.

Stay safe everyone and please remember to wash your hands!

*We have the right to refuse anyone, under our own discretion, no matter the reason.

Oral Piercings from July 19th (inside and around the mouth). Appointments are available 1 week in advance.


Common Questions

Does it hurt?
A question asked by almost everyone who comes into the shop for a piercing, and as much as we like to reassure our customers at Tribal Voice we do like to point out… of course it hurts. You consent having something unnaturally put into your skin, there is going to be a level of discomfort but it will vary piercing to piercing and person to person. Even our own members of staff have conflicting opinions on the same piercings! But it’s not all bad, it will look rad and for the 1.5 second of pain… it’s totally worth it.

Parents! If you are bringing in your children to have their ears pierced, the best thing you can do is be realistic with them. Try not to reassure them that it doesn’t hurt because they will find out that it does hurt. We’ve seen some real tough cookies come into our studio and still not been very happy because it’s an uncomfortable feeling that they have never experienced before. Be honest, so they can decide if it’s what they really want.

 

How can I be sure of hygiene in the studio?
Hygiene and Safety are an imperative part of the piercing procedure and Tribal Voice take this responsibility very seriously.

Tribal Voice is registered with Plymouth City Councils Health and Safety department and is subject to yearly inspections. The Council ensures that the studio and practice within, comply with their code of conduct. Therefore no establishment should be practicing Body Piercing without this.

The Body Piercers at Tribal Voice are all experienced and qualified to carry out the piercing procedure and again take this responsibility very seriously. A few examples: the studio is cleaned daily with a thorough weekly clean, the piercers always wash their hands before and after each piercing as well as wear gloves during the procedure. All instruments are sterilised and a disposable, sterilised needle is used for each piercing.

Plymouth City Council license Tribal Voice to carry out Body Piercing procedures.

 

What type of jewellery is used for my piercing?
The 3 types of material in Jewellery recommended to use for Body Piercing Procedures are:
Titanium
Niobium
PTFE (Plastic)

Recommended as they contain the smallest percentage of nickel. Titanium contains the least of all these and because of this Tribal Voice will use Titanium Jewellery for your piercing, with the exception of a Tongue Piercing where we will use a PTFE Barbell. This is because for the first 2 weeks of a tongue piercing it is likely to swell and the plastic bar allows for more movement and flexibility, it is also a much more lightweight material therefore more comfortable whilst the piercing heals initially.

WE DO NOT USE ACRYLIC FOR INITIAL PIERCINGS! Any plastic used is PTFE, a bio friendly plastic that is extremely unlikely to give any reactions. Did you know they coat frying pans with them? You do now!

We do sell Steel jewellery but we never pierce with it.

We will only use our jewellery to pierce with. If you bring us something else, we will not use it. Our jewellery is pre-sterilised and therefore reassures us what the material is, the quality of it and will further reassure you, your piercing will be fine during the healing process.

 

Do I have to book and appointment for my piercing?
We have introduced an Online Body Piercing Consent Form and Appointment System, therefore no more messy paperwork, whilst also adding to our green ethos! Every customer must complete the Consent Form and book an appointment within 24 hours of each other, otherwise we will terminate the application. Appointments are available 1 week in advance, as soon as we get the go ahead from the Government..

Our last available appointment will be 10 mins before closing time. This is so we can make sure we have enough time to sterilise the studio, as we all know it’s a very important procedure. (Also, we have homes to go to too you know and it’s not just a case a wiping a few surfaces down).

Note: Before attending your appointment, you must have eaten a full meal within the last 4 hours, not taken any blood thinning medication (non-prescribed), recreational drugs or alcohol*

  • Whilst booking your appointment, you must choose your body piercing. Jewellery will be shown on the day & piercing prices will also be confirmed on the appointment day, as this may vary depending on the jewellery chosen.
  • Please notify us of any changes in circumstances or if you’re running late, as soon as possible.
  • Any late/missed appointments without notifying us beforehand, will be cancelled and you will have to re-book.
  • Photo ID will be required during your appointment, please make sure to bring this with you*
  • If Parental Consent was required (for Under 16’s and those without Photo ID), the parent/guardian must be present in-store during the appointment.
  • Parent/Guardian’s must have their own Photo ID and a copy of the applicant’s Birth Certificate (or other proof of guardianship) during the appointment*

If you want to make an appointment you can find the Appointment system here.

*We have the right to refuse anyone, under our own discretion, no matter the reason.

 

What do I use to clean my piercing with afterwards?
Our Body Piercers at Tribal Voice will explain to you in detail how to look after your piercing once you leave the studio, and you will also receive an email stating the aftercare procedures after your appointment.

We recommend that you use Sea/Rock Salt and hot water solution twice a day with a cotton bud around the piercing. Purchase Sea or Rock salt from most supermarkets.
When making the salt solution make sure you boil the water and allow it to cool down before using it on your piercing. Use a quarter tea spoon of sea salt to half a pint of boiling water.

We recommend this solution to clean your piercing with as it is a very natural solution and contains no chemicals. We do not recommend using any other solution than this due to the strength of chemicals in others such as TCP, Tea Tree Oil or Savalon. Your piercing is a small puncture in your skin and your body will react to this and heal the piercing appropriately. Just ensure that your piercing is clean and leave it alone to heal, your body will do the rest!

Once you have left the studio it is your responsibility to look after you’re piercing and important that you follow the aftercare advice emailed to you after your visit.

 

How long will my piercing take to heal?
Healing times will vary depending on the piercing that you have had done. Some piercings can take a few weeks and others can take months. Soft tissue such as lips and genitals will only take 4-8 weeks and surface piercings such as a navel piercing can take as long as 6-9 months!
The following reflects each piercing and its expected healing period:

Piercing Healing Time

Ears (Lobes) – 6-8 Weeks

Ears (Cartilage) – 4-6 Months

Nose – 2-3 Months

Eyebrow – 6-8 Weeks

Lip – 6-8 Weeks

Tongue – 6-8 Weeks

Nipple – Male – 4-6 Months

Nipple – Female – 2-3 Months

Navel – 6-9 Months

Surface – 6-9 Months

Genital – 4-8 Weeks

 

What should I do if I’m worried or can’t change the jewellery myself once my piercing has healed?
If you have any problems at any point with your piercing – new or old – you can:

 

School/Work don’t like me wearing my piercing, is there anything I can do to make it more discreet?
Tribal Voice would recommend that you buy a Retainer if you want to make your piercing more discreet.
A Retainer is plastic see-through piece which works well and is available in all forms i.e. Barbell, Labret etc.

If you have a specific question you would like to ask please email: [email protected]

Please note: if the answer to you question is already on the website, we may not reply.

 

Can I film/photograph my piercing being done (or a friends)?
It’s always good/polite to ask our piercers first before whipping out your camera. Please don’t be offended if we say no. This could be because we prefer not to be filmed, we may feel it’s not appropriate for it to be filmed or we’re just having a bad hair day (just kidding we never have bad hair days here at Tribal Voice!)

 

How much is a piercing somewhere else?
We politely ask that you don’t ask this question as it is a little rude. After all, we are well aware we’re not the only place in our city piercing, but it is not in our interest to know others prices or what they might do differently in their practice. We respect other piercers so please respect that we are our own business.

We also ask you don’t put down other businesses in our studio. It’s rude and it’s not getting anyone brownie points for doing so. You wont get us joining in as it’s not our business, we have no opinion in the nicest way. We focus our efforts on our own skills, techniques, care, experience and quality.