the art of piercing

and why details matter

Image taken by BKT

A week and a half ago I noticed one of my piercings was acting weird:

This is the second “embedding” that occurred in the past three years. The first time it happened with my conch piercing in my L ear, which was quickly taken care of at Body Electric. It is so important to be to feel safe and welcome in a piercing studio when these things do happen.

What I thought was a stud that had perhaps fallen out turned out to have gotten embedded in my lobe. So I immediately emailed my piercer to book an appointment. Fortunately the piercing wasn’t angry; it was just acting up. And even more fortunate was that I got a reply back the following day with some suggested days and times to come in for a consult, in addition to getting some extra decorations.

At twelve piercings, I was ready to add more.

Body Electric is where I go to for my piercings. The proprietor is Brian Keith Thompson, a celebrity piercer whose impressive clientele includes some of Hollywood’s A-listers (think Beyonce, Chrissy Teigen).

In September of 2021, I was looking for a new studio to go to after a cartilage piercing got infected (yup, it was pierced with a gun. Never again!) After scrolling through Brian’s IG, I knew I had to book my next appointment with him.

The studio is located on Melrose on the second floor; I have to admit the first time I climbed those steps I was a little nervous.

Three things to keep in mind when looking for a piercing/tattoo studio:

• It needs to be spotless

• It needs to make you feel welcome

• It needs to be trustworthy in its practices

Body Electric checks off all three. I mean, look:

Clean floors in an incredible studio with professional staff? 100/10.

During our consult, I tell him about my earlobe; it’s an easy fix, not to worry. I want some add-ons. He recommends what I should get done (change out some old jewelry with small gold hoops, add a vertical piercing on the lower lobe, and another stud on the high lobe. I like these consults because I’d rather listen to a professional’s recommendations. And let him do his thing.

What I really appreciate about Brian is not only the cleanliness with which he works, but how hygiene is of utmost importance to him. For instance he cleans and sterilizes all of his tools while the client is waiting, and not before. And I am not kidding when I say I absolutely do not mind the wait. The anticipation of getting my ears curated with the most beautiful and minimal pieces of jewelry is fun and exciting.

I ask Brian about his business, his children, how he is doing overall. By now I am so used to getting piercings that I wouldn’t say it’s painful.

And the result:

LEFT: Personally for me, the daith piercing helped get rid of occasional tension headaches on that side of my head, though this is not true for everyone. RIGHT: It's hard to believe how that little diamond stayed embedded in my lobe for almost a whole week. Also to note; Brian exclusively works with BVLA jewelry.

I can’t stop smiling from ear to ear. I thank Brian for his amazing work and also thank his assistant Veronica for booking the appointment so quickly. If there weren’t stairs, I would’ve skipped out the door, I am so damn happy with my new ears.

When I treat myself, I rather like going solo. Usually afterward, I like get myself to a cup of coffee or a walk through the local bookstore if there happens to be one nearby.

Confession: Getting new ear piercings makes me feel like a new person.

Second confession: I am absolutely obsessed with getting them.

And I think I know why.

I was fourteen when I finally got my ears pierced after years of begging my mom to take me to Claire’s.

After, I remember feeling like one of the cool kids. No more clip ons and stickers!

As I grew older I wanted to be adventurous with my sense of style and fashion. I’ve had more misses than hits, but now I can finally say I know what works for me and what doesn’t. One thing I look for in my piercing journey is intentionality; I want each piece of jewelry to be strategically placed and chosen reflective of my overall look, the way I do my hair, what I put on my body, and even my skin tone.

Body piercings have existed throughout the ancient world and there are cultural connections to it as well. In her book The Piercing Bible, Elayne Angel mentions in tribal cultures, the word “labret” refers to an ornament that is worn perforated at the hip¹.

There’s something about body modification that is incredibly empowering to me; I can express myself in a way that is uniquely me but in the context of getting a “glow up.” As it is with style in terms of clothes and accessories, I truly don’t believe piercings have an age limit. I can see myself getting my nose pierced in my 50s.

That’s actually not a bad idea.

As the bejewelification of my lobes have increased over the years, they’ve become a part of who I am as someone who loves wearing nice things and a healthcare professional. I think it is so cute when a small child I am treating stares at my ears in wonder and in some cases, even timidly reach out to touch a sparkly diamond. Or when a four year old tells me, “I have earrings too, see?” while proudly pointing to her dainty studs.

Even better is when I am out in public spaces and a stranger compliments my piercings and asks about them.

“Did it hurt?”

“Where did you get them done?”

“What are you getting next?”

When I enter into these conversations I feel like I am included in something not everyone is a part of. And as someone who always felt like an outsider in many circles growing up, it’s a great feeling.

1. Labret piercings are practiced in areas including Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, Amazonia, and the northeast coast of the United States (The Piercing Bible).