Frequently Asked Questions
What's included in your service?
▪️ At-home piercing*
▪️ Set of hypoallergenic earrings with Safety Back™
▪️ Bottle of ear cleaning solution
▪️ After-care instructions
▪️ Personalized certificate
▪️ Surprise gift for little ones
*if done at your your home, the travel fee is an additional cost and is subject to distance. I offer mobile service in select areas. contact me for more information.
Do you use a needle or a gun?
I use neither! I use the Inverness Ear Piercing System. The system safely & quickly pierces ears in 3 EASY STEPS using a gentle, hand-pressured instrument and sterile, pre-sealed, hypoallergenic piercing earrings.
Where do you travel for your mobile service?
I am located in Puslinch, Ontario and travel to client's homes to provide my ear piecing service in the wider Kitchener-Waterloo areas for a travel fee that is subject to your distance and is evaluated on a case-to-case basis.
Places I commonly travel to include: Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Puslinch, Ayr, Paris, Hamilton, and Burlington.
Don't see your city? Still reach out as I service out-of-town clients at my at-home studio.
What age do you do piercing on ears?
I do ear piercing for anyone 3 months and older. I am an expert in piercing baby's and children's ears, but do ear piercing for people of all ages. I've had clients from 3 months old to 85 years old!
Are your earrings hypoallergenic?
YES, the specialized Inverness piercing earrings I carry use only the best materials available and they are all hypoallergenic.
They come in a range of hypoallergenic metal choices including 24k gold-plated, 14KT yellow or white gold, medical-grade stainless steel and medical-grade titanium.
Do you just do ear piercing?
Yes, I just do ears and do NOT offer nose piercings or any other body piercings. I also do not pierce cartilage. For these additional placements, I advise going to body piercing shops.
I offer ear piercing on the ear lobe and can do multiple earrings going along the upper lobe as well!
Can I use my own earrings for the piercing?
𝑵𝒐. I cannot use any earrings other than the starter earrings I offer for the piercing procedure.
This is because the earrings I use are each individually packaged for sterility, have a specialized piercing tip and exclusive Safety Back for optimized healing. Only these earrings fit with my equipment.✨
BUT, you are able to switch out the starter earrings 2️⃣ months after the piercing. At 2 months, still make sure that earrings are in at all times and make sure to always sterilize and have clean fingers when changing them!
Piercing for Children & Babies
Is it safe to pierce baby's ears?
Yes. Babies are pierced at a very young age worldwide. Inverness recommends that parents wait until after the first DPT vaccination which is usually administered at 8 weeks. However, this is a personal decision, and I recommend that you discuss your plans with your baby’s pediatrician before piercing.
I do ear piercing starting at 3 months and older. Have peace of mind - I have pierced 1000s of babies’ ears and will walk you through the whole process!🥰
What should I do if my child is nervous about ear piercing but really wants it done?
Here are 6 helpful tips:
1️⃣ Help prepare your child mentally, the day before doing it, help assure them that it will be quick and easy. Help them focus on the type of earrings they’ll get and comfort them.
2️⃣ Purchase numbing cream and apply 30 minutes before the ear piercing appointment.
3️⃣ Give them a stuffed animal or stress ball. Squeeze it hard!
4️⃣ Don't look. If it helps, close your eyes. Mostly it's just a pinch with very little stinging afterward
5️⃣ Talk to your child in a practical way and be sure that you are not anxious or worried in front of them. If you look scared yourself, your child can pick up on it.
6️⃣ Lastly, know if your child is just simply not ready and don’t be afraid to wait a bit longer until they feel more at ease about ear piercing!
Do you offer ear piercing for children with disabilities?
Absolutely. I have done ear piercing for children with various disabilities. I recommend that you discuss your plans with your child's doctor prior to piercings. Let me know if there's anything I should know before your appointment to make your child's appointment smooth and comfortable.
Do you use numbing cream for the piercing?
While I do not provide numbing gel/cream because it must be applied well in advance of your appointment, if you know your child is more sensitive, hesitant or nervous prior to the ear piercing, I recommend purchasing numbing gel/cream for ages 6 and up.
You can purchase this at any pharmacy for an affordable price (Emla or Sensa). Apply to the lobe 30 minutes prior to my arrival.
Since the cream takes time to take effect, applying before I arrive or before you arrive will allow the lobes to be numbed prior to the piercing procedure.
The Inverness Ear Piercing System
What makes the Inverness System safe?
The Inverness System has two unique features designed to ensure the safest ear piercing experience possible.
1. Inverness is the only ear piercing system with fully-enclosed earring capsules that prevent our piercing earrings and exclusive Safety Back™ from being exposed to potential contaminants prior to piercing. Our earring capsules are sealed in sterilized cartridges that are not opened until selected for piercing. Unlike other systems on the market, our earrings are not exposed until they are safely inserted in the ear.
2. Our exclusive Safety Back™ allows for the safest healing possible by shielding the piercing tip and preventing the earring back from being squeezed too tight. This allows for proper airflow and prevents the earring back from becoming embedded during the healing process.
Why do you use the word “instrument”? Isn’t it a piercing “gun”?
No. In fact, we cringe when people call our piercing instrument a gun. Unlike our specially-engineered, hand-pressured instrument, piercing guns are spring-loaded and LOUD. Piercing guns “shoot” the piercing earring through the lobe. Our human-powered instrument is designed to pierce the ear quickly and accurately in one smooth, quiet, hand-pressured motion
How is your ear piercing “gentle”?
Most people report they feel no discomfort at all when pierced with the Inverness System. Here’s why:
1. Unlike loud piercing guns that shoot a spring-loaded piercing earring through the tissue, our hand-pressured instrument is smooth and quiet.
2. Our system will pierce your ears and attach our exclusive Safety Back™ in one quick, smooth motion.
3. Our piercing earrings are specially-designed with ultra-thin piercing posts & a finely honed piercing tip to help the earrings glide through the lobe as easily as possible.
Is there a risk associated with the sharp tip of the piercing earring?
To provide you with as comfortable an ear piercing experience as possible, all Inverness piercing earrings are carefully crafted with a sharp tip. For your protection, each earring comes with our exclusive Safety Back™, designed to cover the sharp piercing tip. We recommend checking that your Safety Back is securely in place daily, ideally after cleaning your piercing and before bed.
Caring for Newly-Pierced Ears
What aftercare should I do for my newly pierced ears?
After getting a new ear piercing it's critical to take care of them properly to ensure optimal healing.
I give each of my clients a bottle of ear cleaning solution as well as a slip with aftercare instructions:
▫️Avoid touching the ear piercing & NEVER touch your ears with unclean fingers!!
▫️Turn the earrings 3x a day
▫️Clean all around the piercing 2x a day by using a cotton swab doused in the cleaning solution
▫️Ensure the backings aren't on too tight to ensure the piercings can “breathe”
▫️After showering / swimming make sure to gently dry the ear piercing area afterwards
How can I prevent a new piercing from closing?
To prevent your new ear piercing from closing I recommend:
▫️Keeping your original earrings in for atleast 2 months before switching or taking them out.
▫️For the first 6 months after your piercing is healed, you should not go without earrings in for more than 24 hours or your piercing may close.
How long does it take to heal?
The typical ear lobe piercing takes somewhere around 8 weeks to heal. Each body is different and can heal piercings faster or slower.
There are 3 phases in the healing process:
1️⃣ HOMEOSTASIS & INFLAMMATORY
This phase can appear as swelling and redness. This is a natural reaction from the body to work towards healing the piercing. This stage peaks around 24 to 48 hours after piercing.
2️⃣ PROLIFERATION
This can appear as dry skin or crust surrounding the new piercing. This stage consists your body working to fill the wound and can last anywhere from 4 to 24 days.
3️⃣ MATURATION
During the Maturation phase, the new tissue slowly gains strength and flexibility. This phase varies greatly from piercing to piercing, often lasting anywhere from 21 days to a year.
After these three phases the total heal time for your piercing is complete. Typically, after 2 months is when you can begin to change your jewellery over as regularly as you wish.
What do I do if the earring falls out before the new ear piercings are fully healed?
1) Wash your hands
2) Make sure to clean/disinfect the lobe and earrings
3) Immediately try and put it back in as the hole can possibly close within 24hrs
4) Feel free to contact me for any additional information
How do i remove the starter earrings?
Like my piercing process, removing your starter earrings is as easy as 1-2-3:
1️⃣ First, always wash your hands before touching your new piercing! Whether you’re still in the healing period or it’s time to change your piercing earrings, always wash your hands before touching your ears.
2️⃣ To take your earrings out, hold the Inverness Safety Back™ firmly with one hand and grasp the earring front with your dominant hand to hold it steady.
3️⃣ Then, pull firmly on the back (we recommend placing your fingernails over the lip of the back) and your earring should release easily.
If you experience any resistance, clean the earring back carefully with your Ear Care Solution before trying again. Sometimes hair product (shampoo, conditioners etc.) can build up inside the Safety Back™ making it more difficult to remove. If you saturate the back and twist while cleaning, the solution can get inside the back to dissolve any hair product that may have built up.
Can I still go swimming with a new ear piercing?
After having an ear piercing, it is important to keep the area clean and dry as much as possible!! You should avoid swimming for at least 24 hours after having a piercing, and ideally until it has healed properly.
When swimming with a new piercing, thoroughly dry the piercing area afterwards and clean the area according to the after instructions:
▫️ Avoid touching the ear piercing & NEVER touch your ears with unclean fingers!!
▫️ Clean all around the piercing by using a cotton swab doused in the cleaning solution
▫️Ensure the backings aren't on too tight