Frequently Asked Questions

Short answer: 10-12 months

Reason: Hoops are a great way to accessorize many different piercings however the most commonly asked about piercings are for Helix, Conch, and Nostril piercings. These piercing will all be performed using flat back posts for optimal healing and will need a downsize typically around 6-8 weeks after the initial piercing. You will wear a straight post in these piercings until 10-12 months to ensure the piercing is healed and ready for a hoop.

A needle is beveled into a point which is able to glide through the tissue for a piercing whereas a gun uses the initial starter jewelry and a tensioned trigger to shoot the jewelry through the skin. The gun not only tears through the skin with the jewelry as it is not as sharp as a needle, but it also means your initial jewelry will be that sharp ending stud with a “butterfly” backing secured behind the ear. This leads to a large amount of dirt and bacteria becoming embedded in that backing, as well as improper fitment to each persons body. With a needle piercing we can size your jewelry to your individual needs, as well as using a flat back pot which is smooth and allows for swelling behind the skin. Gun piercings are also not able to be properly sterilized and the gun can bunch up your skin leading to a wonky or badly shaped channel making it harder for the body to heal. A needle piercing can ensure all the tools and jewelry are properly sterilized before the piercing as well as a much clearer entrance and exit site for the jewelry leading to a straight channel for the jewelry to sit in and the body to heal around.

Currently at State Street Tattoo we take walk-ins any day and time I, (Chili), am at the shop. However I know people have busy schedules so I do offer appointment time slots Monday-Wednesday 12-6 for anyone who would prefer an appointment. I still take walk-ins during these hours as well but want to have an option for those seeking an appointment time. Currently Friday and Saturday are walk-ins only. If you would like to set an appointment, reach out through social medias or email me from the home page. I work 12-8pm everyday except Sundays and Thursdays and take my last client by 7:30.

I am always happy to help with ear inspiration and ear stylings/curations! However because I like to take my time and ensure all the best pieces and options are made for each client, I ask clients to reach out first before coming in as a walk-in for ear stylings. This way we can have some dialogue prior to you coming in and establish style, end goals, and budget beforehand and have all the pieces pre-selected and ready for install when you come in. Feel free to reach out through social media or email me from the homepage!

• “frog eyes” or “snake eyes”. (Any horizontal tongue piercing) I do offer vertical tongue piercings as well as paired, or double vertical tongue piercings known as “venom piercings” however, these are very anatomy dependent as with any tongue piercing.
• Hip/Back surface anchors.
• Genital Piercings

Often times I hear clients say they they used to have a piercing but it got a keloid so they took it out, and unless they then had the keloid surgically removed, this would not be the case. Often times irritation bumps are referred to or mistaken as keloids but they are very different! An irritation bump is fairly common and are caused by outside trauma such as a bump, snag or tug to the piercing (as well as many other irritations to a healing piercing like excess moisture, hair, sleeping etc.) but these are treatable and will go away with patience, proper care, and time. A keloid is caused by the body simply producing too much keratin as a reaction to a new piercing and thus the formation of a bulge of excess skin/scar tissue near the piercing. Keloids typically aren‘t red or painful but they are a permanent alteration to the body and won’t disappear unless surgically removed. Another misconception is that a piercing is infected when it may just also be an irritation bump, or just natural stages of the healing journey. A fresh piercing will be red, and swollen and sometimes have bruising and will also be releasing some fluids as the body heals around the jewelry. An infection will be a large area all around the piercing being red and heavily swollen as well as large amounts of greenish yellowish pus oozing from the piercing site. You may also experience a fever, headache and in some cases nausea. If the piercing is infected, DO NOT remove the jewelry. If you remove the jewelry the skin can close and trap the infection inside the body where it can spread. Instead, go to your doctor or local urgent care and get on an antibiotic which will treat the infection from the inside, don’t try to solve it with any home remedies or quick fixes you see online. If you have questions about your piercing and if you are experiencing normal healing issues, an irritation bump, a keloid, or an infection, don’t hesitate to reach out, or come in so I can assess the piercing.