FAQ

About Luxe

  • Luxe Piercing Boutique is a dedicated piercing-only studio located in downtown Forest Park, IL. We are committed to providing clean, safe, and high-quality body piercing services. Our piercers are active members of the Association of Professional Piercers:

How much does it cost?

  • Single Piercing: $55.00 service fee for one piercing + cost of jewelry.
    • Example: A single conch piercing comes out to $55 + cost of jewelry.
    • Starts at $115 in total with basic titanium jewelry
    • Starts at $145 in total with basic gold jewelry
  • Multiple Piercings: $55 single piercing fee + $20.00 service fee per each additional piercing + cost of jewelry.
    • Example: A tragus piercing + conch comes out to $75 + cost of jewelry. A triple helix would be $95 + cost of jewelry
  • Pair of Earlobe Piercings: $60.00 service fee + cost of jewelry. This is for one earlobe piercing on each ear (2 piercings total).
    • Starts at $180 in total with basic titanium jewelry
    • Starts at $245 in total with basic gold jewelry
  • Pair of Nipple Piercings: $60.00 service fee + cost of jewelry. This is for a pair of nipple piercings (2 piercings total).
    • Starts at $185 in total with basic titanium straight barbells.
  • Tandem Piercing: $70.00 service fee + cost of jewelry. Tandem piercing (both piercings performed simultaneously) is offered for pairs of earlobe piercings for children between the ages of 8-11, as well as pairs of nipple piercings (ages 18+).
    • Tandem earlobe piercings start at $190 in total with basic titanium jewelry, $260 in total with gold.
    • Tandem nipple piercings start at $195 in total with basic titanium jewelry.
  • Reprocessing Fee: $20.00 to re-process/sterilize worn quality jewelry for re-insertion (we must be able to verify that the jewelry was purchased at Luxe/belongs to the client prior to insertion)
  • Tapering Fee: $25.00 service fee + cost of jewelry to re-open/stretch old piercings.
  • Outside Jewelry Removal Fee: $10.00
  • Surface Anchor Removal Fee: $25.00

What are your ID requirements?

  • Every piercee must provide a form of government-issued ID with a date of birth listed on it in order to get pierced. This is a Public Health Department requirement. Acceptable forms of ID include a driver's license, state ID, or passport.
  • For minors: We need government-issued identification for both parent and child to be submitted with the release form (e.g. the child's birth certificate + the parent's driver's license). A birth certificate, passport, state ID, or driver's permit/license is acceptable.
    • This documentation is needed to show that a) the minor fulfills age requirements for the specific piercing they are getting and b) that it is indeed the minor's parent/legal guardian who is consenting with them.

Do you pierce children's ears?

  • Yes, we offer earlobe piercing services for children 8 years of age and up.

What are other policies I should be aware of?

  • We cannot pierce you if you are currently on Accutane, are currently pregnant/breastfeeding, or are under the influence of drugs/alcohol. We also cannot pierce you if you have recently numbed the tissue prior to the procedure; piercings performed on numbed tissue can appear highly angled/crooked once the anesthetic wears off and the tissue relaxes.

What are your policies regarding minors?

  • We need government-issued identification for both parent and child to be submitted with the release form. e.g. the child's birth certificate/passport/state ID + the parent's driver's license
  • We will need a parent or legal guardian present in the studio during the appointment.
  • Age minimums are as follows:
    • Earlobe: 8+
    • Helix/flat, conch, daith, navel, forward helix, rook, tragus, nostril, septum, eyebrow, lip: 15+
    • Navel: 16+
    • Industrial: 18+
  • Please note that new piercings should not be submerged in unhygienic enclosed bodies of water such as lakes, pools, hot tubs, etc. for a minimum for 6-8 weeks; make sure to account for swimming plans when scheduling your appointment.
  • Note that we will not pierce tissue that has been numbed within the past 24 hours. Topical anesthetics such as Lidocaine distort/contract tissue, meaning that piercings performed on numbed tissue will appear highly angled/crooked once the anesthetic wears off.
  • Earlobe piercings for children ages 8 - 11 are only offered on Fridays and 12pm on Saturdays so that piercings may be performed tandem (both piercers performing both piercings simultaneously)

What happens during an appointment?

  • Release forms/paperwork
  • Anatomy consultation (especially for more anatomy-dependent piercings, such as navels)
  • Jewelry selection
  • Sterilization of jewelry as well as single-use piercing needles/tools in our Statim autoclave
  • Cleaning/marking/skin prep of piercing site (please let us know if you have an iodine allergy)
  • The actual piercing itself--this is the fastest part of the process!
  • Cleaning the piercing site with sterile saline
  • Going over aftercare / scheduling follow-up appointment

What kind of jewelry do you carry?

What's the difference between "threadless" and "internally threaded" jewelry, and how do these jewelry systems work?

  • Threadless: Also known as "press-fit" or "push-pin"-style jewelry. A small pin on the back of the decorative end is slightly bent; that bend provides the tension to keep your jewelry sitting in its post. The sharper the bend, the tighter the pieces will fit together. With freshly washed hands, press both pieces together with even pressure. Check out this video about threadless jewelry by Jef Saunders of Gamma Piercing! Additionally, please refer to this fantastic video walkthrough from Brilliance Piercing on how to insert threadless nostril jewelry at home.
  • Internally threaded: the threading is located on the decorative end piece, which means no sharp threading will drag through the piercing channel when changing your jewelry. With freshly washed hands, screw the decorative end right to tighten, left to loosen.

What do you recommend for aftercare?

  • There is no product you can use that will make your piercings heal--what's ultimately doing the healing is your body and its immune system! As such, our recommended piercing aftercare is to create an ideal environment for your body to progress through the stages of puncture wound healing with minimal interruption. Here are a few simple rules to follow:
  • DON'T twist, turn, or touch your jewelry, and avoid putting any physical pressure on your piercing. This includes sleeping on it, wearing headphones/hats that compress the piercing, or using Q-tips to clean the area. Lastly, avoid snagging the jewelry! You essentially want to keep the jewelry as stationary as possible while it is healing.
  • DON'T use harsh chemicals or cleaners such as rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil, Bactine, or Neosporin. These products are not recommended for use in puncture wounds by their manufacturers, and can cause more harm than good for your piercing. If shampoo, hair spray, or lotion gets into your piercing, rinse the area well with warm water. A good rule of thumb: if it will sting your eyes, it's going to sting your new piercing! So don't use it.
  • DO irrigate the piercing site 1-2x/day by rinsing it under running warm water in the shower, or by using an isotonic/body-neutral sterile saline wound wash spray (0.9% sodium chloride). As you are healing, it will be normal to see crusties (byproducts of the wound healing process) forming around the exit and entry points of your new piercing. This is similar to a scab in that you don't want to pick it off, but you also don't want it to build up excessively on your jewelry. As such, rinsing is the best way to clean because it will encourage any crusties that are ready to fall off to wash away on their own, without you needing to touch the piercing.
  • DO try to keep the piercing dry in between rinses, as excess moisture can impede the wound healing process. If you shower at night, tie your hair back so the piercing is not left wet. It's an especially good idea to blow dry your daith, rook, tragus, forward helix, or navel piercing on a cool air setting, as those nooks and crannies tend to retain moisture.
  • DO downsize your jewelry once the swelling has subsided (typically after 4-6 weeks). We use a longer piece of jewelry initially in order to accommodate for swelling. Once the swelling has gone down, you don't need all that extra length -- and that extra length can actually cause movement and irritation. Downsized posts are on us, free of charge.
  • DO get plenty of sleep, stay hydrated, eat well, and manage your stress levels. These factors absolutely impact your immune system's ability to heal. Even after a full healing period, we recommend wearing jewelry at all times to prevent shrinkage/closure of the piercing channel.

How long will my piercing take to heal?

  • A few common healing time frames:
    • Earlobe/septum/eyebrow/lip: 4-6 months
    • Helix/conch/flat/forward helix/nostril: 6-9 months
    • Rook/daith/nipple/navel/bridge/lobe orbital: 9-12 months
    • Industrial/cartilage orbital: 12+ months Even after a full healing period, we recommend wearing jewelry at all times to prevent shrinkage or even closure of the piercing channel.

How soon can I go swimming?

  • You should ideally refrain from swimming throughout the entire duration of your healing process. At minimum, 6-8 weeks, but make sure to irrigate and dry the area especially well afterwards.

When can I change my jewelry?

  • Depends on what you want to change your jewelry to! If you just want to change the decorative end of your threadless/threaded stud, we can do that as soon as you come in for your downsize. The beauty of these jewelry systems is that we are simply changing out the decorative end of the jewelry while leaving the post itself in place -- which means that the healing piercing channel is relatively undisturbed. We still recommend having us help you with changes while you are healing, so that we may ensure everything is both properly sterilized and swapped out as gently as possible!
  • If you want to change to a seam (continuous) ring, we recommend waiting for your piercing to be fully healed (earlobes: 3-5 months, hard cartilage 6-12 months).
    • Why such a long wait? The shape of a ring can put a lot of pressure on the entry and exit points of your piercing, which - if the piercing is not yet fully healed - can cause major setbacks in your healing process. The movement of a ring (and especially the motion of a seam or hinge sliding through the piercing channel) can also cause excess irritation inside the already fragile piercing channel. It's best to make sure your piercing is fully settled before switching to a ring.
  • Even after a full healing period, we recommend wearing jewelry at all times to prevent shrinkage or even closure of the piercing channel.

I have a bump on my piercing / Is my piercing infected?

  • Piercings are more commonly irritated rather than infected. However, if you do suspect bacterial infection (pain, red streaks emanating from the piercing site, green or smelly discharge, fever, nausea, or vomiting), please see a medical professional as soon as you can.
  • Piercings often become irritated in response to some sort of intrinsic or extrinsic health factor(s).
    • Intrinsic factors may include nutritional status, sleep, stress levels, or overall health status. For example, it's not uncommon for piercings to flare up around finals week or a major work deadline.
    • Extrinsic factors affecting wound healing include mechanical stress (like a snag, or sleeping on the piercing), excessive moisture, chemical stress (like the use of oils/creams/ointments), changes in climate, or inappropriate jewelry (like wearing a style or metal not suited for initial piercings).
  • We do not recommend applying any cleaners/creams/oils to your piercing when it's irritated or if it develops a bump, as that can actually exacerbate the problem. The best way to soothe an irritated piercing is to figure out what caused the irritation, and eliminate the source -- then the irritation should subside with time.
  • We do not recommend removing the jewelry if you want to keep your piercing open! The jewelry is what keeps the piercing channel open with 100% certainty. An irritated piercing will likely close up much faster than a healthy piercing, but collagen shrinks even in healthy, well-established piercings when jewelry is removed. This leads to shrinkage of the piercing channel or sometimes even closure.

  • Trying to insert jewelry into a piercing channel that has shrunken down can cause further damage to your piercing. This should only be attempted by a professional piercer.

  • We do, however, suggest the use of dry hot compresses 2-3x/day to stimulate immune response if a piercing is flaring up.

  • Feel free to make and appointment or send us an email with some photos so we can figure out what's irritating your piercing, and develop a game plan!

How do I make a dry hot compress? How does this help irritated piercings?

  • You can find a microwaveable gel hot/cold pack at your local pharmacy. There are also a few ways to make one at home! First, cover the piercing with sterile gauze (preferred), fresh paper towel, or clean cloth.
    • Microwave a wet paper towel or washcloth for 1-2 minutes and pack it inside a clean Ziploc bag
    • Microwave dry rice inside a cloth bag until warm
  • The dry heat source should be bearably hot, but not painfully so; if it's too hot, let it cool before applying it to the area. We recommend holding up the dry heat source for 10 minutes, 2-3x a day if a piercing is irritated.
  • Heat stimulates blood flow/immune response and encourages drainage. We prefer the use of dry heat rather than soaking the piercing because the latter can actually impede wound healing by causing moisture issues.

How does cold weather affect piercings?

  • Low/fluctuating temperatures can trigger/exacerbate swelling in both piercings old and new, as well as slow down the healing process overall. It's important to limit the amount of time you spend outside in the cold with your piercings uncovered (i.e. wear a hood or clean, loose scarf). And drink plenty of water to keep your skin well-hydrated!

Do you use a piercing gun?

  • No. All of our procedures are used with single-use, disposable needles that are sterilized prior to the procedure in a Statim autoclave.

Will you pierce with rings?

  • Yes and no. There are two main things to keep in mind when considering rings for initial piercings: size and style.
  • Size: If used for an initial piercing, the ring must be of a large enough diameter to accomodate for swelling. What this means is that the ring will not be snug/fitted, and will most likely have some hang. There are certain piercings where the size of the ring presents a higher potential for healing issues and is just not feasible, so we just don't offer it.
  • Style: A ring used for an initial piercing must also have some sort of bead or other decoration to block the seam from sliding into the healing piercing channel. As such, we cannot not start off any new piercings with a seam (continuous) rings -- tissue can actually grow in between that seam.
  • It's also best to use a ring of a slightly thicker gauge/thickness for more stability. That all being said, rings of an appropriate size style can totally be used for earlobes, helixes, and septums! And for daith piercings, the only appropriate jewelry style is a ring (not a curved barbell). For all other piercings, it's best to wait for your piercing to heal before switching to a ring.

Can you help me design / order in custom jewelry?

  • Yes! We can order in a custom piece from any of the jewelry companies we work with. Send us an email or set up an appointment to discuss your dream piece of jewelry.

Can I purchase a gift card?

  • Yes! You can purchase a physical gift card in-store or a virtual gift card here. Please note that the gift card is only redeemable in-store, and can be used to cover both piercing fees and jewelry.

What precautions are you taking in light of COVID-19?

  • We are still operating by appointment only in order to manage studio traffic and ensure adequate time to thoroughly clean between clients.
  • All of our staff are fully vaccinated and up-to-date with boosters.
  • What we ask of our clients:
    • We ask that you arrive alone is possible, or with at most one additional guest. If you are a minor, one parent/legal guardian must accompany you.
    • We will be working in close proximity with one another, so our staff will be wearing face masks during your procedure. While face masks for clients are optional as of May 2023, we do have extra surgical masks on hand if you would like one.
    • Contactless payment is preferred. No cash will be on our premises to make change.
  • What you can expect from us:
    • Common areas and procedure rooms will be thoroughly cleaned before and after every client with EPA-registered disinfectants.
    • We’ve taken WHO courses on hand hygiene, PPE, and infection control/prevention to ensure our protocols are up to date.