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Q: How old do you have to be to get pierced at Nuclear Ink? A: You must be at least 15 years old with parent or guardian consent (for most piercings). The parent or guardian must be present during the procedure. Both the parent/guardian and child must have Government issued photo ID’s showing same last name and address. If either are different, you must also have a birth certificate or guardianship papers showing both the names of child and parent/guardian. If you are 18 years old or older you do not need parental consent, but you do still need a valid Government issued photo ID. You must be at least 18 years old for nipple piercings or anything below the belt. The only exception to the age requirement is the earlobe. The child must be at least 10 years old and be able to ask for the piercing themselves. Q: Why won't you pierce anyone younger than 15? A: Most people are still growing until the late teen years, which can affect the healing process as well as placement of the piercing. As the body grows, the skin stretches, sometimes this can cause the jewelry to shift (migrate), so it ends up in a different placement than when originally pierced. We feel that by the age of 15 most young adults can make the decision for something that will affect their body and appearance for the rest of their lives. (Some people often think of piercings as temporary, saying things such as, “If I don’t like it I can always take it out!” But what they don’t realize is, the jewelry may not be permanent, but the evidence of the hole can stay forever.) Our piercers reserve the right to decline to pierce a client if they feel that person cannot take care of their new piercing in a healthy and correct manner, regardless of age. Q: Can I set up an appointment? A: Yes, but one is not required. Our piercer generally works on a first come, first served basis. This means that you may have to wait a little time to get your piercing if someone else is already getting set up. It is also recommended that you call before hand to make sure that the piercer is in the day you wish to get pierced. If you are on a tight schedule and only have a certain amount of time to get it done, we would be happy to set you up with an appointment to ensure that you will be able to come in and get pierced at a specific time. We generally ask that you pay for the piercing at the time of setting up the appointment, but at the least we would require a $20 non-refundable deposit to ensure that you will be back at the time set aside for you. Q: How much will my piercing cost? A: The cost of the piercings vary on what you are looking to get. It is recommended that you call us to ask about the pricing. We would be happy to answer any questions you have. (402) 556-8500 Q: Why don’t you use stainless steel for initial piercings? A: Stainless steel contains nickel, which is the metal that most people have allergic reactions to. We use only Grade 23 Titanium for our jewelry because it contains no nickel, almost completely removing the chances for allergic reactions in our customers. Q: If I have my own jewelry, can I bring it in and use it as the initial piercing? A: Unfortunately, no. Since we use only titanium jewelry for initial piercings, we will not use any jewelry for a piercing that we cannot guarantee the quality of. It is impossible to tell the quality of the jewelry or what metal it contains by looking at it. Even if the person who sold you the jewelry originally told you it was titanium, we cannot guarantee this to be true. Q: Do you accept jewelry in a kind of jewelry exchange program? A: No, we do not accept any jewelry that does not come from our manufacturers. Once jewelry has been used in for an initial piercing, it should never be used in another person’s body other than the original client. If the jewelry has been used strictly for completely healed piercings, it could be safe to be used by another person, but since we cannot guarantee this to be so, we will not accept or attempt to sell any used jewelry. If you already have a piece of jewelry for the piercing you are about to get, great, keep it, it’s always a good thing to have a spare piece of jewelry around. Balls do get lost and jewelry can fall out Q: Why do you recommend H2Ocean and sea salt soaks for piercing aftercare instead of the rubbing alcohol or peroxide? A: First off, alcohols, well, they’re flammable! Furthermore Alcohols act by denaturing proteins, also, the Handbook on Nonprescription Drugs states ethyl alcohol “is not a desirable wound antiseptic because it irritates already damaged tissue.” As for Hydrogen Peroxide, here’s another quote, The National Safety Council’s 1996 First Aid Pocket Guide states: “DO NOT use hydrogen peroxide. It does not kill bacteria, and it adversely affects capillary blood flow and wound healing.” H2Ocean, if used properly, can increase the circulation to the body piercing and accelerates the healing process. It can also help reduce lumps, scar tissue and itching. H2Ocean’s active ingredient is Lysozyme, which is also found in human bodily fluids to protect against airborne bacteria. Lysozyme is the body’s natural defense against bacteria and kills over 650 different types of “bad” bacteria, while leaving the “good” bacteria that are necessary for the growth and regeneration of cells. H2Ocean is Nuclear Ink’s preferred method of properly healing any body piercing. Salt Water Soaks may, reduce irritation, stimulate circulation, decrease healing time and stimulate the process of osmosis. Q: When can I change my jewelry after I get pierced? A: The initial jewelry, preferably made of titanium, should always be left in until the piercing is completely healed (healing times vary, call us and we can give you an estimated healing time for your piercing.) Changing the jewelry too soon can cause undo stress and added irritation to the piercing and can prolong the healing process. If you are unsure whether you are completely healed, you can always stop in and have our piercer look at your piercing and tell you if he believes it is healed or not. Once the piercing is healed, you can change your jewelry as often as you like. Remember, patience is a virtue! Q: Why do you use a barbell for a navel instead of a ring? A: We prefer to use curved barbells for the initial jewelry in a navel piercing because rings tend to stick straight out, increasing the risk of getting it caught on something or it getting tugged on. Plus, our barbells are double gemmed, meaning there is a gem on the top and the bottom. Since we ask that you keep the jewelry in until the piercing is fully healed, the barbells we use tend to be a little more “pretty” than just a plain old ring. Q: If I take out my jewelry, how soon will the hole close up? A: This depends on how long you’ve had the piercing, what part of the body the piercing is in, and how your particular body heals. For most piercings, if it is completely healed, you can generally take it out for a few hours (i.e.: for work) and not have a problem getting the jewelry back in. For areas such as the mouth or nose, the holes can close up much quicker. Some people will take out their jewelry and always have the hole. Q: Why won’t you pierce someone who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol? A: First and foremost, alcohol thins the blood, which can complicate the healing process. Secondly, drugs and alcohol can impair judgment. Also it is forbidden by the NE State regulations. Q: I used to have my ____ pierced but it’s closed up, can I get it repierced? A: Generally the answer is yes. Ideally you want to give the hole time to completely heal over and breakdown most of the scar tissue from the initial piercing. Massaging lotion to the area of the closed hole can often help the body breakdown the scar tissue. It is best to come in and have our piercer look at it to ascertain if you are ready to get repierced. |