FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Yes - please always make an appointment before coming to the studio. Without an appointment we cannot guarantee that we will have the time to see you, and you may have to wait a while to be seen, if at all. We want to be able to help all clients as efficiently as possible, and understand your time is valuable.

We do not pierce anyone under the age of 14 years old.

At Mystique Piercing Boutique we have age restrictions for certain piercings as follows; We will not pierce anyone under the age of 14 years old. * Anyone under the age of 18 MUST have a consenting parent or legal guardian accompanying. Both adult and child must have photo ID to show. If the last name of the parent and child is different you will also be required to bring a birth certificate or other documentation to show you are the parent or legal guardian of the child. Every individual who has a piercing MUST bring VALID ID, no matter your age.

All clients are required to bring a valid form of photo I.D. to their appointment any time they are being pierced. Anyone under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal guardian present with them at all times, for all appointments. Both minor, and adult must both have an original form of valid photo ID for each of them. If the same surname is not shared, we will also require a third additional official piece of paperwork to show proof of relation (such as birth certificate or official court document). Acceptable forms of photo ID: Passport, Drivers License, Citizen Card, Government Issued ID Card.

We require a minimum of two days notice to reschedule your appointment. This is so we have enough notice to be able to offer the appointment to another client. Failure to notify us with a minimum of 48 hours notice will result in a loss of deposit. We have a grace period of ten minutes if you are running late to your appointment. We understand that sometimes things happen unexpectedly. If you are more than ten minutes late, this will result in a loss of deposit and appointment as we will not have enough time to conduct your appointment before seeing our next client.

We perform strictly needle piercings only. We are very much against the use of piercing guns.

We do not use numbing creams for a couple of different reasons: Due to the numbing effect, blood vessels constrict and flesh can tighten. This may play a part in the position and placement of the piercing changing after the cream has worn off. They can cause severe reactions to some people unknowingly. It is illegal for us to apply any medicated creams , ointments etc onto clients as we are not doctors.

We stock 14 carat gold (which we offer in yellow, white and rose gold) jewellery. And also implant grade titanium (ASTM F-136). Titanium is one of the best metals for fresh piercings due to its strength, it's being light in weight, and being non-allergenic as there is no traces of nickel.

If you have jewellery purchased from us, from previous piercings and are having trouble fitting them, please make an appointment for 'Jewellery Fitting' from the "Make an appointment" page. We will not under any circumstances fit jewellery from any third party provider, or other studio. Unfortunately we cannot use jewelry you have previously been pierced with, or jewelry bought from anywhere else. Jewelry that has been previously worn is not suitable for use in a fresh piercing. The reason being is that once jewelry has been worn, a "biofilm" becomes present that is impossible to remove, even through re-sterilization. There may also be scratches on used jewelry that is not visible to the eye which can harbor bacteria and cause micro-tears to tissue. Jewelry that has been purchased elsewhere can be an issue as we do not know the quality and content of the metal. We follow a strict hygiene protocol. This prevents problems with your new piercings.

The short answer is no. Our clients well-being is our number one priority. Since we cannot know the quality and content of jewellery purchased elsewhere, we will not use it for fitting or piercing.

You are always welcome to bring someone with you to your appointment for support. We do ask that if you bring more than one person with you, and they are not being seen by us that they wait outside of the studio. This is because we have a very small studio and it can easily become overcrowded. We ask that you do not bring pets, children or prams to your appointment unless you have someone with you who can supervise them. As much as we love meeting our clients pets and little ones, we do not have the time to watch them during your appointment.

We will require ID from parent / legal guardian and individual for piercing during your appointment. Correct documents will be required as proof of legal guardian. Parental or legal guardian consent will be required for anyone under the age of 18 years.

Due to the nature of the services that we provide, for hygiene reasons we do not accept returns of jewellery under any circumstances. If jewellery you have purchased from us is faulty, please get in contact with us and we will be happy to assist you.

We will not pierce anyone who is pregnant or nursing. This is due to risk of infection during healing which may cause harm to the baby. While nursing, within 4 weeks your milk is mature. It's rich in protein, sugar, vitamins and minerals, plus numerous bioactive components – such as hormones, growth factors, enzymes and live cells – to support your baby's healthy growth and development. Any risk of infection maybe carried through the milk to the baby.

ONLY USE STERILE SALINE SOLUTION -Neilmed -Stericlens and clean gauze or clean kitchen paper towel. NO cotton products! ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS FIRST FACIAL & EAR PIERCINGS - Clean twice a day with STERILE saline. - Dampen a clean piece of kitchen roll or gauze with the sterile saline. - DO NOT USE ANY COTTON PRODUCTS ( no cotton buds, no cotton discs, no toilet paper) - Soak the piercing area with the wet paper product for 3/5 minutes. - After soaking, using the same wet paper product, remove any residues of dry matter that you could eventually have around the jewellery. - Using a dry clean paper product, GENTLY pat dry the piercing area and it will be done. - Do not turn/twist the jewellery and DON'T pick at your "crusties". - Avoid to submerge the piercing area in pools, saunas and bathtubs for at least 4 weeks. - Be sure NOT to sleep on your piercing! Travel pillows are super handy to lie on without applying pressure directly to your piercing. Or grab a jumper and roll the body into the sleeves, tie the sleeves to create a doughnut shape. ORAL PIERCINGS - Use alcohol-free mouth wash 3-4 times daily, especially after eating or drinking something that is not water. Don't overdo it! - Lots of water and cold drinks are great during healing. - Swelling is normal for the initial 2 weeks. - Eat soft food while healing and avoid dairy, spicy & acidic foods. - Do NOT play with jewellery at all. - Downsize jewellery in 4-6 weeks. - Rinse with cold water after every meal. - Stay hydrated! Again, DRINK A LOT OF WATER. TORSO - Follow FACIAL aftercare. - No bodily fluids (saliva, semen) on healing wounds. - Do not apply any body cream, lotions or spray tan. - Piercing can take up to 6 months or longer to settle. - NO tight clothing compressing or rubbing against the piercing area. DERMAL ANCHORS - Sterile saline soak for 3/5 min, once a day. - Gently dry on low settling with hairdryer. - Come in, to let us change your tops for the first time, so a professional can evaluate if is it ready or not. - Anchors heal in around 10 weeks. - Do NOT cover with plasters or bandages. - BE CAREFUL NOT TO CATCH THE MICRODERMAL! TROUBLES - Sleeping on, or bumping piercing will slow healing and cause those dreaded lumpy lumps to form. - Hot compress soaks reduce bumps and increases body fluids to circulate. - Playing with your oral piercing can cause ripping and tearing of the surrounding tissue where the jewellery is placed. - Using alcohol wipes, salt water, tea tree oil, Dettol, Povidone-iodine(e.g. Betadine), Listerine or any harsh products will harm your piercing. DO NOT USE THEM! ALWAYS CHECK YOUR PIERCING IS TIGHT.

Week 1 - Your piercing is fresh. Expect swelling, redness and some bleeding. This is totally normal. Week 2-6 - Healing. Yellow 'crusties' form, (this is what we refer to as dry matter) DO NOT pick them and no touching! Week 4 - Come for a check up! - We need to check the healing of your piercing and a possible downsize of jewellery may be required. Week 5 - Matured. Redness should be nearly gone. Keep gently cleaning the piercing. Week 8-12 - Make sure the jewellery is the right fit. This is where your jewellery will start to settle thoroughly. We want a happy, healthy piercing! Please contact us at anytime for any questions or concerns. We're here to help.

The wonderful thing about the human body is that we're all unique. This means everyone heals differently, and at different speeds – factors that may affect healing times could be your diet, lifestyle, and body chemistry. Healing times listed on our diagram are not absolute or “one size fits all” and are a guidance. We have given general healing times as an estimate of when your piercings will heal. ★We strongly encourage you to leave the jewellery in the piercing for at least the first 6 months. (The longer, the better!) ★A piercing may appear to be healed when viewed from the outside, but much of the healing you cannot see is happening on the inside. Based on our experience, we strongly suggest that you observe these time guidelines before changing and/or removing your jewellery. ★If you have recently experienced an irritation bump and are eager to change to a ring. We want to make sure the irritation bump is less likely to return by advising you to wait a little longer before changing to a ring. ★You are always welcome to contact us via telephone or e-mail or Instagram if you have questions or problems.

Have you caught your piercing? Do you pick your piercing? Have you slept on or irritated your new piercing? We understand accidents happen and we can't always control what we do in our sleep. We provide all the information needed for aftercare via e-mail during your visit and we will also explain this at the time of your appointment. The most important thing is to identify what has caused the irritation, then we can treat it by following the steps below. Treating an irritation bump Place boiled water in a mug, and wait for the water to cool slightly. Dip the kitchen paper towel/clean gauze in the hot water and test the temperature on the back of your wrist. The hot compress needs to be warm but not burning hot. Please don't burn. Place the hot compress over the piercing without pressure. This will provide direct heat to the area and causes blood to circulate, tightening the skin in the area of the irritation bump. Leave the hot compress there until it's cool. Do this everyday for 5 consecutive days. If you miss a day, you will need to repeat the process again. You won't notice a difference immediately and it may take a couple of weeks for the irritation bump to go down. If the irritation bump is particularly stubborn proceed with the treatment for longer. 5 consecutive days hot compress, 3 days off, another 5 consecutive days. You can always take a photo before treatment and 3 weeks after to help see the difference. Please contact us if you require any help and assistance.

Most often or not piercings tend to become irritated and not infected. Piercings naturally secrete lymph and possibly spotting of blood whilst healing. This is all perfectly healthy and natural for a healing piercing. This is what we refer to as 'dry matter'. Dry matter will build up around your jewellery which is why it is important to gently clean your piercings during healing. If you allow the dry matter to build up around your piercing this will create more bacteria to be present around your new healing piercing. If you are worried your piercing may be infected, please contact us or pop to the boutique so we can best advise you on what to do next. Symptoms of a localised infection ★ Red around the area of the piercing ★ Swollen, tender and hot to touch ★ Swollen lymph nodes ★ Feeling unwell ★ Oozing green/brown puss ★ Unpleasant smell Infections may happen. At the end of the day, this is a piercing. We are creating a micro-wound for a foreign object to be worn. Bacteria could be transferred to your new piercing just by touching it with dirty hands. If you do go to your GP, pharmacy or a walk-in clinic the usual response is to remove the jewellery due to the lack of understanding towards body modification. If you suspect you have an infection DO NOT REMOVE YOUR JEWELLERY. All infections should be treated before removing jewellery. Jewellery provides a drainage point for the infection to exit the body. Removing the jewellery without treating the infection could trap the infection inside the body resulting in a much longer healing and excess scarring.

This is possible with all piercings as we are placing a foreign object (jewellery) in the body. Surface piercings i.e navels, eyebrow and microdermals are more prone to migration than others. Your skin constantly regenerates and it is possible that your surface piercings may migrate slightly. Other factors of migrated jewellery may also be weight gain or weight loss. As your body transforms your jewellery may look slightly different to when it was originally pierced. Signs of migration ★ Darkened tissue in the surrounding area of the jewellery ★ The entry and exit of the piercing has a red line connecting both points ★ If the tissue starts to look grey/clear and you can see the jewellery through the skin, we recommend removing the jewellery to avoid scarring. Please visit the boutique if you have an questions or are seeking advice. We could help the piercing by changing the jewellery.

After removing any piercing you will be left with a slight scar. We have created a micro-wound to allow jewellery to be worn. Once removed, generally this may look like a tiny freckle or dimple. You may have noticed individuals with a long scar in their earlobe. This is usually caused by wearing heavy jewellery over long periods of time. You are able to purchase a sticker (not from the boutique) that sits on the back of your ear lobe to help support the weight of heavy jewellery and prevent this scarring. Wearing appropriate jewellery will also help to avoid scarring.

We use ASTM F136 implant-grade mirror-polished internally-threaded titanium OR ASTM F136 implant-grade mirror-polished threadless titanium for initial piercing. Thread type depends on the jewellery you choose at the time of your piercing or jewellery change-over. Mirror-polished is important, because there are no nicks or scratches on the surface of the metal which is vital for a healthy healing piercing. A slight scratch on the metal can cause an irritation bump and bacteria to harvest in the grove and generally, prevent the piercing from healing. Why do we use titanium? Titanium is naturally a silver-coloured metal valued for its low density, high strength, and resistance to corrosion. Titanium is the most biocompatible metal - not harmful or toxic, and doesn't react to body fluids or tissues making it perfect for body piercing and surgery! Titanium is not magnetic which interestingly doesn’t set off airport security or MRI scanners and is least likely to cause an allergic reaction.

We can pierce with high-end 14k or 18k gold jewellery by specialist manufacturers and goldsmiths such as Anatometal, Junipurr, Auris and Danila Tarcinale. This gold is specially designed to be worn in the body (unlike gold plated or poor quality non implant grade gold jewellery that can be found elsewhere). Come to the boutique to see what we have in store. If there's anything in particular you like, we can also order jewellery. We will be able to advise you on estimated time for delivery and how much the item will be.

Here is a general idea of healing times. In some cases people may heal slightly quicker based on your lifestyle.