STUDS — Local services in New York

I came to NYC on Friday to run Brooklyn Half marathon. To honor my running experience, I really wanted to get an ear piercing and tattoo before leaving. We all know how hard it is to have things done in big cities without any prior appointments. So when I arrived to NJ on Sunday, i asked my friend's daughters in their 20s if they knew any good places that do an ear piercing, that also may require no or very short noticed appointment. One of them recommended Studs. She said the place was very hygienic in her experience, which was exactly what i needed. So since i was going to visit Central Park on Monday, i wanted something close by. After some googling, we have discovered that Studs has a branch that is close to Central Park. I was really happy, but I was worried if I would be able to make an appointment with such short notice. So i have decided to try my luck and visited them on Monday afternoon and was able to book an appointment for the next day. I was thrilled and appointment making process was very easy and smooth. After making my appointment, I received an email as well as a text message explaining what to expect and what to do or not to do prior your appointment such as eating before appointment and not drinking alcoholic beverages before appointment, which I found super helpful. When i arrived to my appointment, i was greeted by super friendly staffs and waiver signing process was super easy. Though to sign your waiver, they ask you to scan a QR code, so make sure your phone can do that or does that. After signing my waiver, i was waiting on their chair that is inside and taking selfies in their super cute mirror (please see photos). Soon after, i was greeted by a really kind and friendly staff who introduced herself and explained that i will be called in after she has completed preparing the equipment. Oh before that, one super friendly staff came by and asked me to choose a stud for my piercing. Until that, I didn't realize you have to have special high quality material stud for your piercing, not just any jewelry. So that was good to know. When the actual piercing time has arrived, everything including what to expect, what they're doing etc were very clearly communicated, which I appreciated so much. The process was super smooth. I had two piercings in one side of my ear and there were two staffs in the room. For the first one, one staff did it and for the second one, another staff in the room explained to the other one how to do it and what to consider. From that conversation, i have figured person who was doing piercings on me was in some sort of training. But I didn't mind it because she did such a good job and it didn't hurt at all. After the piercing, they kindly answered to all my questions and i have also received an email within an hour after the appointment that explains after care. I thought that was very thoughtful and considerate. Before paying my bills, i shopped for 2 other earrings that I could wear and girls at the shop were really kind to share their opinions on which design might be cute after I requested them to suggest me something nice. I appreciated it so much. Because i have never done it and because I didn't do much research on earring designs due to travel, I really needed second and third opinions. When i paid my bills, it was lower than I expected. So i asked are you sure, did you guys include the piercing work and they said they are sure and informed me that they also emailed me the receipt. Because my phone was dying, I didn't bother checking the receipt and thought if they forgot to charge something, they can always contact me by email and left the shop. When I came back to where i was staying, i had a chance to look at the receipt and realized they didn't charge me for piercings because it was an apprentice. They also gave me a discount on piercing earrings because it was an apprentice doing the job. I wish i knew it while in the shop, so I could have thanked them enough. All in all, great experience and definitely coming back....

If you are reading this and considering a piercing at STUDS, I am begging you to reconsider. I have had a few helix piercings from here, the oldest is now more than 18 months old and none of them have healed. Meanwhile, I have healed two daiths (both now 10yrs old!), a helix, and rook, which are all tricky--so all I can really attribute it to is a fact I could see but didn't want to admit to at the time, they were done crooked and my body struggled to heal a piercing that wasn't performed 90 deg. perpendicular to that portion of the ear. I think part of the issue is that because this a corporation, the piercers won't even tell you when they've given a subpar service. They'll just send you off and take the next customer.

Please if you have sensitive skin or are hesitant at all, visit a piercer who has had more than a 6-week "apprenticeship". This is NYC so it is not hard to find an APP (Association of Professional Piercers) Certified piercer, or at least one who uses APP Certified materials. Your body will thank you.

Lastly, if you can afford not to (I get that everyone's financial situation is different) why support a corporate grown-up Claire's knock-off when you could go to the independent professionals that developed and perfected this field? Again, it's NYC and we have the privilege of choice. I was blinded by the cute aesthetic and relative affordability but after taking out 3 sloppily done piercings that I tried to heal for more than a year (and even one for my mom) I won't make that...

Unfriendly and unhelpful guy in the front. Came in looking to purchase 2 new lobe earrings and also for help to screw back in the stud of my rook piercing, which had fallen out earlier in the day. I had tried to do it myself but had no luck, and a friend was planning on coming here so I met her here expecting they could help (have had this help in other stores before, fully expected to pay whatever fee). Front desk said they can’t change the jewelry unless its their jewelry, and I didn’t want to spend $100+ to replace the perflectly good piece already in my ear (the bar was in, just need to twist the stud in the end), so they couldn’t help me. I asked if they could let me use their tool to twist it - no. I decided to pass on purchasing new jewelry because I’d rather support local, especially with this type of customer service. My friend was able to help me twist the stud in securely before she was seen for her appointment, thankfully. During her appointment, the piercer gave her a disposable/plastic tool to give to me that I could use to twist the stud (presumably having overheard earlier) - which was very nice (and why I give 3 stars). Why couldn’t the front desk guy have been a decent person and helped me out by suggesting this earlier? Instead I had an extremely negative experience. Won’t be going back.

Have been to other studs before - including in Brooklyn - and they were...