This page should help answer questions about body piercing with John Johnson at Outer Limits in Long Beach.
What questions should I ask a potential piercer? Whether you call piercers on the phone or visit their studios, there are some great questions you should ask before asking price. If your biggest concern for your new piercing is cost, you may be compromising quality and safety. It becomes more expensive to pay for a low-cost piercing that you have to abandon after a short period of time and pay for again for the same service from a more qualified piercer. 1. Ask to see the autoclave where your jewelry and piercing implements are sterilized. If there is no autoclave for you to see be very concerned. An autoclave is the only practical means a piercer has to sterilize properly. Accept no exceptions. 3. Ask the piercer if they use internally threaded barbells. If the studio uses externally threaded barbells for initial piercings then it's not likely any of their jewelry is of good quality. 4. Ask the piercer if they're members of the Association of Professional Piercers. APP members have met personal minimum requirements and the studios they pierce in have also met environmental minimum standards. You can find a current list of member piercers here. APP members have all signed a contract with the organization to continue to meet these minimum requirements during their membership. If your potential piercer is not a member ask why, it's easy and inexpensive. 5. Whether or not your potential piercer is an APP member, ask them if they attend the APP's annual professional conference. This annual event is the best educational opportunity in the world for piercers and it happens every summer in Las Vegas. Every piercer should strive to attend 6. Ask if the piercing or jewelry you're interested in is available from the piercer or studio. Not every piercer provides every piercing and jewelry item. 7. Ask your future piercer if their portfolio features healed images of the piercings you're interested in. Piercers like to have pictures of their work to showcase their experience, but pictures of fresh piercings aren't an indicator of success. 8. Ask your piercer about schedule, age and ID requirements, and availability. This information will vary from studio to studio and piercer to piercer, even in the same studio. For age and ID requirements with John Johnson scroll down to the minors section. How much do piercings cost? In most professional studios you will pay two basic charges, a service fee and jewelry costs. Service fees can range from only $10.00 for a basic ear lobe piercing up to $50.00 for genital piercings. Sold separately, jewelry can start at as little as $10.00 for a captive bead ring or cost many hundreds of dollars for gold. You can learn more about the piercings you're interested in and find prices in the portfolio. Prices are listed with pictures. Can I bring my own jewelry? Many clients would like to save money by bringing jewelry with them. Most of the time it's not usable. It's never appropriate to wear jewelry in a new body piercing that has been previously worn by another person. Also, California has regulations for piercers that require certain quality materials be used in fresh piercings. Unfortunately, jewelry sold in stores and many piercing studios does not meet these standards and can not be used at Outer Limits in Long Beach. Jewelry comes in many materials, styles, and sizes and your piercer will help you determine the best fit for your particular anatomy, let your piercer sell you your new jewelry. Lastly, jewelry needs to have a mirror finish free from scratches and all barbells need to be internally threaded. Does it hurt? Most clients describe a new piercing as a pinch or some pressure. There's definitely some discomfort with a piercing, but it's usually minimal and very fast. John Johnson will walk you through your new piercing and give you the most comfortable experience possible. Do you numb the area first? No, it's not legal to do so. Only a licensed anesthesiologists can professionally administer anesthetic of any type. Clients who are relaxed and calm usually report that their piercing wasn't nearly as intense as they expected. Do you take credit and debit cards? Yes, we take all major credit cards and cash. We do not accept checks. What is the piercing schedule? The current schedule can be found here. Do I need an appointment? No, walk-ins are available during normal piercing hours. The piercing schedule changes periodically so check here for current information. Often John Johnson will need time off from the current schedule so appointments are suggested. You can find contact information on the main page. Upcoming changes to John's schedule will be posted on the main page as well as information on guest piercers who may be working while John's away. John invites you to visit guest piercers and trust them to take good care of you when he's not available. What is required for a piercing? Anyone at least 18 years old with a government ID can be pierced. Outer Limits accepts driver's licenses, state ID's, military ID's, and passports from all states and countries. No other form of identification will be accepted. This is non-negotiable, please don't ask. Do you pierce minors? Minors wanting to be pierced must be at least 16 years old with a government ID as mentioned above, also have a birth certificate, and a parent present also with an ID. This is non-negotiable, please don't ask for exceptions. Where are you located? Outer Limits is located in downtown Long Beach between the courthouse on Ocean and the Pike. The studio is in the basement of the Sovereign condominium building at 360 West Ocean Blvd. Where do I park? You can find parking information here. Can my friends watch? Each piercing client is free to bring one person into the piercing room to watch. That person must remain seated. How do I take care of a piercing? Click here for John's suggested aftercare guidelines. Can I drink alcohol before my piercing? Absolutely not. No person under the influence of any drugs, alcohol included, will be pierced by John Johnson. The piercer maintains the right to refuse service to anyone at their discretion. This is non-negotiable. If you've been drinking, even a small amount, the best thing to do is wait until another day. Thank you. |
