Are you considering a piercing?
The trend for multiple ear piercings shows no signs of waning, which means many of us are considering getting that second (third? Fourth?) hole.
But where in London can you get that perfectly positioned itty bit of bling placed in your ear?
For those of us that grew up in the UK, tac-fabulous accessories emporium Claire’s was always the go-to. No booking required, cheap as chips, bang with the piercing gun and you were out again in five minutes with some rather red-looking ears and new studs.
But frankly, as we grow older and wiser, some of us might be looking for a slightly more luxe experience – or at least somewhere that uses a needle for the piercing rather than a gun, which is much more accurate and causes less trauma to the tissue (meaning the hole will heal quicker and is less likely to get infected).
Luckily for us, a whole host of retailers have stepped in and upped the game. From the high street hero to piercings fit for a princess, London has a hole (sorry) host of options…
No frills: Superdrug
High street pharmacy Superdrug is fast becoming a rival to Claire’s. These days, they have piercing services in over 80 stores around the country, including the The Strand, Harringay Arena Shopping Park, and Hammersmith Kings Mall in London. Piercings are done with a gun.
Prices: start at £11.50 for a stud, and £23 for a pair (the price of the piercing is included). There’s a range of jewellery available (including 9ct Gold, 9ct white gold, gold plated, stainless steel and polished titanium) and both ear lobes and cartilage and noses can be pierced.
Locations: The Strand, Tottenham Court Road, Holborn, Marble Arch, Blackfriars... the list goes on and can be found here
High street favourite: Accessorize
Accessorize has long been a high street go-to for super affordable girly bling. And in recent years they have launched Piercing Parlours in 103 of their stores across the UK. Piercings are done with a gun.
Prices: start at £18 and include the earrings and aftercare solution to take home. There’s a range of jewellery available (including 9ct and 24 carat gold and stainless steel) and both ear lobes and cartilage can be pierced.
Locations: The Strand, Waterloo, Liverpool Street... find the whole list here
Grammable and affordable: Astrid & Miyu
Known for signature ear cuffs and ear stacking, London based jewellery brand Astrid & Miyu introduced ear piercing into its central Bond Street store several years ago; these days, it offers piercing services in locations across London. Chill in the super-Instagrammable studio and select from a large range of dainty and on-trend studs and hoops in different platings, made in solid gold or surgical steel options; if you want to go all out, they even have an Ear Stack Curator to plan your look with.
All piercings are done using a needle.
Prices: there’s a service fee of £20 per 20 minute appointment, plus jewellery. Earrings start from £40 per stud, and include a selection of titanium and 14K gold.
Locations: 4 St. Christopher’s Place (Bond Street) and 35 Neal Street (Covent Garden), among others: find the locations here
The aftercare experts: Monica Vinader
Monica Vinader has branches all over London, which means that booking an appointment has never been easier. The ever-chic jewellery brand (a favourite of Meghan Markle) offers a huge amount of piercing jewellery that’s perfect for stacking.
All piercings are done with a needle, and even better, the aftercare is excellent: follow-up appointments can be booked at any time to address any concerns the piercee might have, and they even offer sessions where studs can be swapped out for new earrings once the piercings have fully healed.
Prices: appointments cost £20, while earrings can be bought from £38 (for titanium labrets) and £80 (for 14k yellow gold labrets and 14k white gold labrets)
Locations: Selfridge’s, Jubilee Place (Canary Wharf), 70-72 Duke of York Square (Chelsea), 6 King Street (Covent Garden), 15 Marylebone High Street, 14 South Moulton Street (Mayfair)
The fashion insider: Maria Black
Copenhagen-born, Danish-Irish jewellery designer Maria Black has been furnishing the fashion set with delicate, minimalist fine and fashion jewellery since 2010. In recent years, Black opened her first UK outpost in Selfridges. Piercings here use her 14k gold piercing jewellery collection, which she added to the range in 2017.
Prices: The flat rate for a piercing is £30, and includes up to four piercings for that amount, with the cost of the jewellery to be purchased on top. The Piercing Collection is priced from £125-£1,089.
Location: 3rd floor, Selfridges, 400 Oxford Street, W1A 1AB
Appointments can be booked online at Selfridges.com
The industry icon: Maria Tash
Widely regarded as the pioneer of the modern movement for luxurious, dainty diamond jewellery in unusual places, New York-based celebrity piercer Maria Tash has a fan base that numbers Beyoncé, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Moss, Jennifer Hudson and Scarlett Johansson.
With over 20 years of piercing experience, Tash has elevated piercing jewellery to use precious metals and stones and a more delicate and refined aesthetic.
In 2016 Tash opened her first permanent space in London at Liberty and this summer she also opened a permanent boutique on the Harrods 4th floor. Both offer a wide range of piercing services including; ear lobe, outer ear cartilage to nostril and navel.
All piercings are done using a needle.
Prices: start at £15 for the piercing, not including the jewellery. Studs start at £91.
