Sub Q Piercing and Tattoo

So you want to get a piercing and you have a few questions...

At Sub-Q we pierce hundreds of people each month and we are asked scores of different questions about piercings, In order. to help our clients better, we've compiled some of the most commonly asked questions and their answers here.

Look above for more specific topics, and click them for information

  • Does It Hurt?
    This question is probably the most commonly asked of all the questions that we hear. No one can truly predict the sensation that each individual will have during the piercing process. Although most piercings are fairly mild in the pain department, some piercings can be quite painful. To confuse things even more, the piercings that are usually mild can actually be very painful to some people. Our stance on the vast majority of piercings is that each person is different, And realistically, the only true way to find out weather a piercing is going to hurt is to have it done.
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  • Do I Need an I.D?
    We require all of our clients to show proof of identification for legal and record purposes before being pierced. The types of I.D. that we accept are California, Military, and Passport. In case of someone not having one of those types of I. D. we will accept a high school I.D, card from within 2 years, accompanied by a county or state birth certificate , Certain types of Social Services cards may also work at the discretion of the Sub-Q staff. Back to Top
  • Are There Any Helpful Hints to Use Before I Get Pierced?
    There are many pieces of advice that may be a positive influence on your piercing experience. Some advice may be more specific to a particular piercing than others. Here are some of the more general tips:
    1. Eat. This step helps your mind as well as your body. It keeps you blood sugar up, and it makes most people less likely to pass out.
    2. Relax. Most people come in to Sub-Q with imagining worst-case scenario of the piercing experience. A calm mind and body does wonders to the outcome of a piercing.
    3. Bring a friend. This helps almost everyone. Make sure to choose the friend you bring with care. Friends that are mean or joke around continually may actually make the person getting pierced uncomfortable.
    4. Plan what you want. Choosing your piercing before you come in is not necessary, but it is helpful. Snap decisions or impulse choices may actually cause regret. The time that you take to think through what you want lets you decide if what you want is really for you, Knowing precisely what you want helps us help you. It never hurts to learn the proper name of the area you plan to pierce.
    5. Plan for time. Some times are busier at Sub-Q than others. If you have a time constraint to work with it might be a good thing to give yourself about an hour just to be safe,
    6. If you are planning to get a genital piercing please shower prior to coming in and please wear clean underwear. Your piercer is taking the utmost care in ensuring your comfort. Please extend the same courtesy.
    7. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Our staff will be happy to answer any questions that you may pose. Back to Top
  • Why Does it Cost So Much?
    We try to keep the cost of piercings as low as possible but many factors determine our prices.
    1 . The jewelry we use is the best quality that we can buy or manufacture. The higher the quality, usually the higher the price.
    2. The Type of jewelry you choose can also raise the price of a piercing.
    3. Our service is a skilled labor. In order to maintain a competent staff we pay our staff more than the average company might. Back to Top
  • Are You Clean?
    More people probably should ask this question. At Sub-Q we hold the highest standards of cleanliness and sterility that we have knowledge of. Each person gets attention in the same manner:
    We alway use brand new sterilized needles, disposable latex gloves, and sterile instruments when used, and packaged sterile jewelry in most cases. In any case we do not use packaged jewelry we thoroughly clean the jewelry with cold spore sterilization agents. Our first and last thoughts are of the safety of our customers and our staff. Back to Top
  • Do You Pierce Minors?
    We do pierce minors under a few conditions.
    Please read all of thesel
    1. The minor must be 14 or older. We do not allow
    anyone under 14 in the studio.
    2. All minors getting pierced must be accompanied
    by a parent. Not a stepparent, a birth parent.
    3. We require the minor to have identification, the parent must also have identification, and the minor must also have his/her birth certificate. The birth certificate ties the parent to the child.
    4. The types of I.D. we require are California,
    military or passport.
    5. The types of Birth certificates we accept are state or county issue where the birth parent that is signing for the child is identified as a parent on the birth certificate. Back to Top
  • How Much Does It Cost?
    Most piercings at Sub-Q are priced somewhere between $25 and $50. But many plercings can be much more expensive due to Jewelry choices made by the client. Back to Top
  • I Have a Health Condition, Is That a Problem?
    Health problems can be an issue. Conditions like diabetes, or conditions that cause problems with the immune system may cause elongated heating times or continual infections. It's a good idea to consult the Sub-Q Staff about any concern involving your state of health before getting a piercing.
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  • Can I Be Drunk or High?
    It's just a bad idea to do any mind-altering substance before getting a piercing. Apart from the fact that people can bleed excessively when drunk, certain side effects like passing out can occur when someone gets pierced high or drunk. Here's some good advice, right before coming in to get pierced, eat a big meal. And bring a friend along to help you relax. Save the party for afterwards. A celebration of your new piercing is fun sometimes. Back to Top
  • Do You Buy Jewelry From the Public?
    We no longer buy jewelry from the public, but if the jewelry you want to sell is up to our standards, we can use it for credit toward another purchase.
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  • Do You Use Local Anesthetic?
    A few of the piercings that are preformed at Sub-Q have a need for anesthetic, but in most of the piercings we do it is not necessary. Additionally, it is not legal of sensible for any staff member of Sub-Q to inject local anesthetic into any person's skin. Think about it, we'd be stickinci you with a needle in order to stick you with a needle. A license that no one at SubQ has is needed to legally inject anesthetic under the skin.
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  • Do You Take Appointments?
    We do take appointments, but only during the last hour of the day. We currently take appointments on the day the appointment is desired, at 7:05, 7:20, and 7:35 P.M. Back to Top
  • Do You Offer Any Discounts?
    We offer standard discounts to a wide range of people. The discounts are either a $5 discount from any piercing service or 10% off the purchase of any jewelry. There are discounts that are given other than the standards, but the standard discounts are as follows:
    1. Student, valid student I.D. required.
    2. Senior (yes senior), an I. D. required as well. 3. Group, three people or more.
    4. Large purchase, at the discretion of the staff
    member.
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  • What Is Included In Your Service?
    All of our standard prices include a standard stainless steel captive bead ring or barbell, the piercing, the after care products, the information to take care of your piercing and the sales tax. At any time, each of these parts of a standard piercing can be purchased separately.
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  • Can I Use My Own Jewelry?
    Although we prefer to use the jewelry that we supply at Sub-Q, you may be able to use your own jewelry. If you have a piece of jewelry that you wish to use in your new piercing it's a good idea to bring it in to let us see if we can use it. Some jewelry may not be appropriate for some piercings. The way we determine a piece of jewelry's ability to be used is by our experience with what works. If we can use your jewelry we will. Bear in mind that being sure of the size of jewelry for your piercings is very important. If you see a piece of jewelry that you want in your piercing at another store, come in to see us to determine the appropriate size before you purchase it. Many places that sell body jewelry may not know how to properly determine sizes of jewelry for piercings. Back to Top
  • What if I Get An Infection? ... Don't Panic!
    If you think that you have an infection, come in to Sub-Q as soon as possible. The only real way that we can ascertain the severity of your problem, or concern of a problem, is for us to see it. Most of the time that people think they have problems with their piercings the problems are usually minor or normal. It may not be necessary to take out your piercing. And in most cases the problem can be rectified with only slightly more attention to the piercing. All piercings have a mild form of infection associated with them. It's the severe infections that are dangerous. Taking care of the piercing with our aftercare instructions is the best thing to do. If you do not ignore your piercing, the chance of a serious problem is minimized. Always be confident that we can help you. If you certain that you have an infection and you feel an emergency room visit is necessary, please come in to Sub-Q before you go in to see a doctor. More than likely, we can help your problem. Back to Top