Research Tattoo/Piercing Parlours Near You The main criteria for the right place to get a piercing is safety. When choosing between potential places to get a piercing the safety standard should be the top priority, since getting a piercing done in an unsanitary environment puts you at risk of contracting an infection. Going to a dedicated parlour is a safe option because they have strict hygienic standards. Just because a place looks clean doesn't mean that it is, so it’s best to go to a place which is required to be clean by regulation. Doing this work upfront will help put your mind at ease leading up to the piercing, inspire confidence in the end result, and ensure your safety. If you want to get a specialized type of piercing like a dermal, make sure to do some extra research and pick a parlour which employs a specialist for your type of piercing. You can do some research online or ask a piercing artist in your area if they know anyone who specializes in the service you are looking for. Prepare for Your Piercing the Night Before Your Appointment Eat and get hydrated before going in for you piercing, or you may become nauseous during the procedure. Eat a decent meal 6 hours before you get pierced. You don’t want to feel stuffed during the procedure. Get plenty of sleep the night before your piercing appointment. Don’t drink the night before getting a piercing. Even if you don’t drink enough to get hungover, alcohol can make your blood nutrients deficient, meaning that the piercing will take longer to heal. Reschedule or cancel your piercing appointment if you’re sick or have been sick recently. Make sure you are 100% healthy. Not only will your body have a harder time healing if you are sick, but the piercing could expose your body to further illness. If you have a medical condition like hemophilia which requires that you get a doctor’s note before setting up an appointment, get approval from your doctor before making the appointment. You’ll typically only have to get approval from a doctor if you have a blood condition, a heart condition, or you need to take antibiotics. Please be honest with your piercer and your medical professional. Just because you have a condition doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be able to get pierced. Finally, remember to bring identification. Most piercing parlours require ID to make sure you are old enough to be getting a piercing, no matter where it is on your body. Get the Piercing Have an appointment made and aim to be there a few minutes early. Be sure to choose a time when you aren’t busy and you don’t have plans made immediately after. Your piercing may take a bit more or less time than you expect, so it’s to your benefit to not be in a rush. Be prepared to chat with your piercing artist a bit about the piercing beforehand. He or she may want to get to know a bit more about you and your expectations to make sure you end up with the piercing you want. Bring a friend for moral support if you are squeamish. It always helps to have a familiar face nearby during a piercing, especially if you are getting your first piercing done. Please note, however, that it will be up to the piercer to decide if your guest is allowed in the piercing station with you. Prepare Yourself Psychologically Getting a piercing can inspire a range of feelings and emotions, especially if it’s your first time. You may feel excited for the outcome but nervous about the procedure or whether it will turn out the way you want. Having these feelings is perfectly natural, but managing them is critical to not getting too stressed out about the procedure. You’ll want to calm your nerves if you have them and hold on to the excitement of the experience. While it’s great to be excited it’s not enjoyable to be nervous or stressed. If you are getting nervous, take deep breaths or talk to your friends to take your mind off of whichever part of the experience you are nervous about. Get The Piercing Now that you’ve overcome your nerves and achieved the perfect combination of excitement and relaxation, you’re ready to get the piercing. It’s important to feel relaxed in order for the piercing to go smoothly, especially if you are getting a piercing in a muscular area like the navel. Keeping your muscles relaxed makes the piercing procedure easier on you and your piercer. Don’t Be in A Rush Don’t feel rushed. Your piercer will take as much time as is needed to get the piercing done right. Feeling nervous or rushed might tense up your muscles or make you fidget, leading to potential complications during the piercing procedure. Hopefully you’ve chosen a piercer you trust to handle your new piercing and you can rest assured you are in good hands. Keep Your Hair Under Control If you are getting an ear piercing and you have long hair, it’s a good idea to bring a hair tie to hold the hair back from the place you’ll be getting the piercing. You don’t want your hair interfering with the piercing process and getting in the way of a great new piercing. What You Should and Shouldn’t Wear Any makeup you are wearing will be wiped away when your skin is disinfected. Don’t reapply makeup on a fresh piercing, as this could lead to complications like an infection. Don’t get a spray tan before getting a piercing because it will be wiped off while your skin is disinfected. As a general rule, the less adornment the better. If you need to shave the area where you’re getting a piercing, shave it before your appointment. It may be difficult to shave effectively after you get the piercing, depending on where it is. It’s best to wear comfortable clothes during a piercing session and for the days and weeks after. Wearing loose-fitting clothes ensures that the piercing won't rub against the fabric and the clothes won’t constrict bloodflow to the piercing. Make sure the clothes you are wearing for your piercing provide good access to the piercing. If you are getting pierced in a private area, make sure you wear comfortable underwear which you don’t mind getting stained if the piercing bleeds. It’s important to shower or bathe before going in for your piercing session, regardless where you expect to get the piercing. Your piercer won’t appreciate having to pierce an area that hasn’t been washed recently. It’s especially important to shower if you are getting a piercing in a private area. Don’t come inebriated. It’s illegal to pierce someone under the influence of alcohol, so if you show any signs of inebriation you will be turned away. You can take over-the-counter pain killers as directed if you’d like, but it’s best to save them for dealing with inflammation which appears the following day. Finally, don’t overdo it with caffeine before your piercing, whether you are imbibing it in the form of energy drinks, coffee, or tea. Caffeine thins your blood, making it more difficult for blood to clot. After the piercing Your piercer will give you aftercare instructions. Follow them.The most important thing to do after a piercing is to follow the aftercare instructions. At the top of the list of aftercare instructions is leaving the piercing in for as long as your piercer instructs you to. You can ask your piercing for opinions on jewellery to use for your piercing, although you’ll have to wait until your piercing is healed before you switch it out.]>>