You may have heard that we’ve recently expanded our Markham location in order to give everyone who visits the best experience possible. But opening up a new shop is only half of the process. You need the best tattoo and piercing artists working with you, who can pour their passion and style into their work. We’ve been looking for the right piercer for a while to be able to offer piercing services at both of our Markham and Toronto & Vancouver locations and with addition of Becky to our team, we’ve been able to offer piercing services every day of the week in Toronto & Vancouver and Markham. Becky actually started out in life wanting to be a plastic surgeon because she loved the idea of working with the human body to test the limits of what we could accomplish. Later on, as her artistic interests became more developed, she found that working with piercings would allow her to pursue her interests in body modification AND creating art together. But Becky’s talents go beyond piercing; when you sit down with her, she makes every effort to ensure that you’re comfortable with the process. Getting a piercing can be nerve wracking experience and so Becky makes a point of learning about everyone who sits down in her chair. Through this process has learned a lot about how to help someone choose which piercing artist is best for a particular job. Here are some of her top “questions to ask” when you’re deciding on your piercer:

How did your piercer get started in the industry?

“When you’re first talking with potential piercers, whether it be in Toronto & Vancouver, Markham or anywhere else in the world, ask about how the piercer got started in the industry, if they seem passionate, then that’s a good sign that you’re heading in the right direction.” The best piercings are created through passion and a love for the art. If the shop you’re in seems more like an assembly line, or if it seems like your artist is only in it for the money, then it may be time to consider an alternative.

How can I be sure of their experience?

Many people don’t know the best way to find out how much experience your piercer has and whether that experience is relevant to the type of piercing you’re looking for. Here’s Becky’s response “Being passionate about your work is important, but you also want to make sure that your piercer knows how to do what you’re asking for well. Make sure that you take a look at some of their past work, a good piercing artist won’t be afraid to show you this. They also shouldn’t be afraid to recommend you to a different artist if they aren’t as experienced in the type of piercing that you’re looking for.” When you’re choosing a piercing artist, make sure you learn about all of the piercers at a particular shop. Learn about their specialities so that you can make a more informed decision about who to choose.

How much should I contribute to the decision process?

Many people are unsure of how much they should discuss their ideas with an artist. Here’s what Becky has to say. “I’ve found that the best piercers take a more collaborative approach to the process. Your piercer should be asking you questions about your ideas and even challenging them if they feel you should go in a different direction. If you’re piercer is just accepting your ideas without question, then that means you’re not taking advantage of their experience. If they’re telling you what you should do at every turn, then that could mean that they’re not listening to your feedback and you may not end up with the piercing that you’re looking for. The bottom line is that getting a piercing should involve both parties so that you can both come to a clear understanding of what’s expected and what will be delivered.” To learn more about Chronic Inks Toronto & Vancouver and Markham locations, feel free to read about our piercing process or drop us a line.