Piercings: Where to Go in St. Louis

When I took my daughter to get her ears pierced for the first time, I admit I did not do my research as well as I should have. I took her to a place I thought was reputable because it was a nurse who used a piercing gun and not a store or kiosk in the mall that didn’t have trained professionals to do it. Despite caring for them as instructed, her newly pierced ears got infected, and we had to let the piercings close.

We waited a few years before trying again, and this time, I decided I was going to have them done right. I researched tattoo places that did piercings and came across one that was highly recommended for piercing with a needle.

When we arrived for my daughter’s appointment, we met a professional who walked her through the process. She pierced her ears with a needle, placed earrings with a flat back, and walked us through the aftercare instructions. We went back 6 weeks later for her to shorten the earrings and check on the progress of the healing. This time around, the healing has been much smoother. My daughter and I definitely recommend this process over a piercing gun.

Piercing guns are not recommended because they can cause significant tissue damage due to dull piercing studs. It causes blunt-force trauma, and the stud length is often too short for the earlobes. This can compress the tissue and keep it from healing. Those who work in piercing kiosks or stores that use piercing guns are often not trained in piercing or preventing disease transmission. This increases the risk of irritation, infection, and human error greatly.

Finding a place that does piercings with a needle, especially on young girls, is not easy. It is also important to find a place where everything is clean with the use of hand hygiene, gloves, sterilizing the studs, and cleaning the area with special soap prior to piercing. Most places are actually tattoo shops. Some places won’t pierce younger than 4 years of age. A parent or guardian has to accompany the child and be able to provide their ID or the child’s birth certificate. A notarized form may also be required of the store. This form can often be found on the store’s website.

No matter where the piercing is done, it is important to follow aftercare instructions to ensure healing and prevent infection. No swimming in fresh water, such as lakes and the ocean, and pools are not recommended for a short time after piercing to avoid unknown bacteria that can lead to infection.

Here are the local places I came across when I researched and were recommended by other moms in the area for piercing with a needle:

Outlier 
St. Peters, MO 63376

Steel and Ink
St. Louis, MO 63125

Brass Elephant
Chesterfield, MO 63017

Promised Land Tattoo
St. Louis 63116

St. Louis Tattoo Company
Chesterfield, MO 63005

TRX Tattoos and Piercings
St. Louis, MO 63130

Iron Age Tattoo and Piercing 
St. Louis, MO 63130

Salty Siren
Washington, MO 63090

*This list has places other moms recommended as I researched. This is not a comprehensive list of places that pierce around the St. Louis area using a needle. It is important to research and look into any piercing studio prior to having your child’s ears pierced.