Want something pierced? Get it done here... (Punktured Body Piercing Studio)

Member Name: Nichelette

Product:	Punktured Body Piercing Studio
Date:	28/12/08 (605 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very helpful staff

Disadvantages: Can be quite busy at weekends, jewellery is also quite pricey

I'm one of those odd people who likes to have holes put in them, and whenever I decide I'd like a new one I usually go back to the same place.

Punktured is a body piercing studio located in the North Laines in Brighton (which is in East Sussex, not Essex as the description states :oP). So far I've had my tongue, lip and tragus pierced there, and I can say nothing but good things about them.

The staff are all very experienced and knowledgeable, and are happy to answer any questions you may have. Although piercing places may conjure up images of small, dank, dark rooms, Punktured is a very light an airy place, there is nothing 'dark' about it. As should be the case, the studio is kept very clean and all piercings are done hygienically.

The piercing process:

At Punktured, before a needle goes anywhere near you, you are told what the process entails, and asked if you smoke as this hinders the healing process. When you are fully aware of what to expect your details are taken, and you sign a disclaimer. You are then issued with an aftercare sheet and told how to look after your piercing.

Typically, before an area is pierced it will be cleaned up to avoid any infection, and then the area to be pierced will be marked up. Next (depending on which region you are getting pierced), you will be clamped. Contra to what people often think, getting pierced isn't very painful as long as it is done properly, and between them the staff at Punktured have a lot of experience. Each piercing is performed with a new needle which is removed from its package in front of you, and immediately placed in a sharps bin after use.

Once your body jewellery has been fitted, you may need to return to the studio once more to have it refitted. In the case of lip and tongue piercings, larger bars are initially fitted to allow for the inevitable swelling. Upon your return you will be fitted with smaller jewellery at no extra charge.

Punktured is a very popular studio, and can get booked up very quickly, especially at weekends, so if you are completely set on getting something done on a specific day it is well worth calling the shop to book in advance.

The shop is small but stocks a large selection of body jewellery. Their range includes jewellery for your belly, lip, eyebrow, flesh tunnels, tongue and so on. Also available is black coloured titanium jewellery, and retainers for when you need to hide your piercings. The list is endless. Although this certainly isn't the cheapest place to buy body jewellery, the staff are very helpful, and if you aren't 100% sure of what you need or want it can be worth paying the extra for the advice. That said, I do usually know what I want, so unless I need something urgently I choose to buy from ebay where I can get jewellery about 50-80% cheaper.

For piercings, current prices are:

Ear, any area - £18-38 (depending if you want one or both done, and whether you would like a ring or bar)

Eyebrow - £18/22

Nose - £18/20

Septum - £18/20

Earl - £25

Lip - £22/25

Tongue - £22

Belly - £25-34 (varies according to your jewellery)

Nipple - £25-50

Surface - £23

Genetalia - £28-32

However if you have a student card you can get a 10% discount on these. It is also worth noting that there is a small additional fee if you choose to pay by card. I believe it was 50p the last time I was there, however this may have changed.

The Punktured website can be viewed at:

www.punktured.co.uk

All in all Punktured is an excellent studio which I would recommend. The staff are friendly and I'm sure that they would be excellent at putting those who are a bit nervous at ease. Although my first piercing wasn't done here, I think this would be a really good place to go if it is your first time.

I'm sure that I could get pierced a bit cheaper elsewhere, but I like the environment at Punktured and trust them, so I'm happy to pay an extra few pounds to be safe in the knowledge than I'm being looked after well.

Summary: A great place to go to, especially if it's your first time