When preparing for your appointment it is important to consider a few things, in order to have the most successful and long-term outcome.
It is ideal to eat a healthy portioned meal within four hours of being pierced. You don’t want to be starving or stuffed. Having stable blood sugar bolsters your immune system and helps the body deal with the fluctuation of endorphins, which are released during the piercing process.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol and aspirin.
A Valid Photo ID will be required for your appointment.
For minor ID requirements, including age limitations please read our F.A.Q below.
When scheduling your appointment, it is important to consider the healing times to avoid potential complications. Certain activities must be avoided (like swimming) during the healing process.
We break down the total price based on what kind of jewelry you want to start with plus a service fee for the piercing. There are so many sizes and styles to choose from, it’s usually easier to come into the shop and talk to a piercer about what you’d like to see happen, and we’ll try to accommodate it the best we can. Keep in mind that individual anatomy plays a big part in what we can and can’t offer to you. Not everyone is built for every piercing, but we carry some unique jewelry that can sometimes be the exception to this rule.
Regardless of any local legislation being more lenient, the following is an appropriate minimum standards policy on piercing minors:
We pierce minors ages 10 and up, when accompanied by their legal guardian or parent and have provided proper ID. Minor must be accompanied by the parent or guardian for the duration of the procedure. For those guardians wishing to have their minor pierced under the age of 10 we do offer this service based on consultation with the piercer. In this consultation the child will need to demonstrate the ability to follow instructions. Not all piercers participate in this practice.
A valid state issued photo identification is required from the legal guardian, and a bona fide form of photo identification from the minor. In the event the parent has a different last name and/or address from the child, court documentation is needed to prove the relationship, i.e., birth certificate, divorce papers, or a remarriage certificate, etc. In the event that guardianship has been court appointed to another adult, or in the event of emancipation, court documentation will need to be provided to prove the change.
Under no circumstances is it acceptable or appropriate for a piercer to perform piercing on the nipples or genitals of an individual under 18 years of age.
In light of Covid-19, our shop is conducting business on an appointment only basis We will update this should that change. We are reserving all appointments through our online scheduling service. You can reserve your appointment here. (https://skincity.myonlineappointment.com/Booking/) Although we do not charge a deposit for piercing appointments, there is a $40 no call, no show fee that will be charged without at least a 24 hours notice of cancelation.
We do not use piercing guns.
We are practiced professionals who take great pride in working with needles as our weapon of choice. There are
a great many reasons why piercing guns are subpar items to be pierced with. One of the biggest concerns is that
there really isn’t a good way to STERILIZE them properly. STERILIZATION requires a full process as outlined by the State of Oregon and the Association of Professional Piercers that requires special machines that rid the surfaces of
all tools, jewelry, and other single use items of every living micro-organism that could be a potential danger to
insert into a fresh wound. If you would like to read more about the potential dangers of being pierced with a
piercing gun, you can check out these websites:
http://www.safepiercing.org/piercing/faq/#guns
http://www.piercingbible.com/blog/tag/ear-piercing-gun
There are some items that are single use that get disposed of after every piercing (needles are ALWAYS single use) and some of the bigger tools have to go through a multi-step process to clean them in such a way that they are safe to use from person to person. We have ultrasonic machines that help to release contaminates from the surface of the item and an autoclave that uses high temperature steam to destroy all harmful microscopic particles. These are two very important machines that all tattoo/piercing shops should have available to provide safe services for the public.
We use jewelry that meets the standards set by the Association of Professional Piercers for initial piercings:
We carry implant grade surgical steel that is ASTM F-138 compliant, implant grade titanium (Ti6Al4V ELI) that is
ASTM F-136 (or ASTM F-67) compliant, Niobium, gold between 14k and 18k, and many iocompatible types of
glass: Fused quartz glass, lead-free borosilicate, or lead-free soda-lime glass.
We also have certificates from all of our jewelry companies that we can provide specific information regarding the
alloy mix of our metals in case there is a hyper sensitivity to nickel or other types of metal.
Jewelry bought online or in common places, like the mall or gas stations, are usually “mystery metals” made of
who-knows-what from who-knows-where and are usually price hiked to prey on people who might not know there
are better options for your buck. Body jewelry should be exactly the piece you want to wear without having to
compromise on quality. We have American made products that we can order as unique as you can imagine with
Swarovski crystals or genuine gems set by actual jewelers, unlike some jewelry that can be foil backed and glued
into place. We believe that you should only have to pay once for your jewelry instead of investing 2 or 3 times.
That sounds like a lot of wasted effort and money.
The youngest that we pierce as a studio, is 10 years old. We believe that every person being pierced should be willingly able to consent to the piercing taking place. Babies do not have that ability, nor is their immune system fully developed enough to handle a potential infection, should one occur. Piercing the ears of someone too young can also cause their piercings to sit low to the bottom edge of their ears later in life, which can potentially cause thinning or splitting of the ear if pulled on too hard or if heavy hanging jewelry is worn often. If the piercing sits too low, it may also hinder the ability to stretch the hole bigger later in life.
We do not accept outside jewelry for an initial piercing. We provide only high grade jewelry that is compatible with
the body from well known, reputable body jewelry companies. Many of these companies are not compatible with
lesser quality companies that still maintain externally threaded jewelry as their dominate jewelry style.
The state of Oregon also requires that we process jewelry in a specific manner based on standards set forth by
the Association of Professional Piercers before insertion. Another factor is everybody is different and anatomy is
tricky; we are not all cut in one size and everybody swells differently after a piercing. Your piercer should be able
to take all the information you provide and be able to choose a piece of jewelry fitted for your specific situation.
Same goes for jewelry changes. We custom fit everything depending on the anatomy, length of healing, and depth
of piercing.
So long as the piercing was healed to its fullest, and it wasn’t torn or infected at the time you took it out, the piercer can use a small tool to check the site to see how far, if at all, the piercing might still be open. Sometimes it can be reopened this way and you may experience minor irritation for a few short days before the piercing is back to normal. It also gives the piercer a chance to assess the situation and suggest options further on re-opening vs. re-piercing. If a re-piercing is required, anatomy evaluation may be required to ensure the success of a re-piercing.
If your jewelry has come out and you are worried about it closing up, we recommend reserving a Jewelry Change appointment with our studio so we can insert it safely before it closes.
You will need to invest in jewelry that will work temporarily until you can get your regular piece back in, or a low-
key piece of jewelry that can stay in without looking too obvious.
“Retainers” are usually what you will be asking for. They can come in either plastic or glass, but keep in mind
plastic should not be worn long term in ANY piercing, healed or new. The body’s natural acidity can cause a
breakdown in plastic that will destroy the piece if kept in too long. Ideally you would only keep plastic retainers in
for as long as it takes to deal with the situation/activity until you can put your original piece back in. Glass is
completely okay to wear long term and to use as an initial piece of jewelry for a piercing, in some cases. Glass is
hypoallergenic and biocompatible and won’t interfere with MRI/CAT scans or surgery.
If the situation is that the jewelry is needing to be low-key, there are options for “flesh colored” pieces. For
example, Neometal has tiny press-fit ends that are textured (non-shiny) in shades of brown and pink tones to
emulate the illusion of a mole or a freckle. Glass and silicone can also come in shades of pinks if expanded
earlobes need to be downplayed. Septum piercings can easily be flipped up into the nostril by wearing Circular Barbells (aka: horseshoe-style) or U-shaped retainers in metal or glass. Anodizing metal can also help downplay
visibility by oxidizing the outer layer of the piece in different browns, yellows, or pinks. Surgical Steel does not
have the ability to be colored but Titanium and Niobium are metals that can be colored by this process. Anodizing
is a controlled oxidation process where metal has a reaction to being set in an acidic chemical bath while
electricity is ran through at different frequencies. It does not involve paints or coating the outsides of metal, which
makes it the safest option for wearing long term.
11945 SW Pacific HWY
Tigard, OR 97223
"Our Goal: To provide a connected experience combining skill, art and vision in an accessible and friendly environment"
Email: SKINCITY@HOTMAIL.COM
Phone: 1-503-624-1719
Hours: 11 - 7 P.M 7 Days a week
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