Frequently Askes questions

 The single most common exclamation post piercing is a joyous “That wasn‘t as bad as I expected!”  Each of us has a different tolerance and response to pain that is primarily determined by our attitude. Even if you can’t shake the pre-piercing jitters, the quick pinch/pressure of a piercing is over almost immediately. By the time you see how awesome your new jewelry looks, you’ll forget all about it.

18 is the age of consent in Michigan.  If you're under 18 and have parent's permission, we can pierce the following at age 14: Nose, Navel and most ear piercings. At age 16 with parent consent we can pierce the tongue, most oral piercings and the industrial.  You must be 18 or older to get your nipples pierced.

Express Yourself does not perform infant ear-piercing or any piercings on clients who cannot have a discussion about the care and consequences of piercings and give informed consent.  

If you are 18 or older, you will need to bring your drivers license or government id card. If you are under 18, you will need a verifiable parent or legal guardian present at time of piercing to sign documentation.  All parties will need to provide proper state or federal photographic identification with date of birth. The State of Michigan also requires the minor to bring their birth certificate.  

The first step to healing is to be healthy! Happy, healthy bodies make for happy, healthy piercings. Good personal hygiene and a stress-free life, complemented by a nutritious diet with proper hydration will enable the body to heal faster. The combination of showering daily along with proper saline irrigation will reduce chances of infection and minimize irritation. 

Secondly, see our aftercare page for full aftercare tips. Body Piercing Aftercare | Express Yourself Piercings 

We have a variety of jewelry options.  Titanium is our preferred jewelry for initial piercings.  NeoMetal and Invictus are the two brands we use most often.  We also use Implant Grade Surgical Steel as well as 14K Gold. 

Prices vary depending on the jewelry options you pick.  However, most piercings cost around $50.  We use industry best practices and follow all body art regulations as outlined by the State of Michigan. 

 Our V.I.P. club is free to join. To join text the word "Piercing" or "Novi"  to 88202. We text once or twice a month information about upcoming sales and discounts Sometimes we randomly send out coupons for free body jewelry.  All for being a member of the Express Yourself V.I.P. club

We use professionally engineered body piercing needles for ALL piercings. Ear piercing guns use blunt force trauma to put inadequately sized, improperly designed jewelry of dubious metal quality into jagged and brutally formed “holes”   Piercing guns are reused on 1,000's of clients. Guns are usually made of plastic and are not properly sterilized in between clients.  Often, they are just wiped down with alcohol.  They are not autoclaved.

Twisting came into popular lore from ear piercing guns that use blunt force trauma. Professional piercings provide little to no risk of adhering because the jewelry is implant-grade properly polished mirror smooth and custom sized to be of appropriate length to your specific anatomy. There is nothing to gain from twisting, in fact, rotating the jewelry increases your risk of infection, rejection and scarring dramatically and therefore increases healing time. Hands off for better healing! 

 We do not pierce anyone who is pregnant or nursing.  Your system is under tremendous stress from dramatic changes that leave you and your baby susceptible to increased risks of infection, allergic reaction and/or rejection.   It is best to wait until you are finished nursing before considering a new tattoo or piercing.  On a brighter note, if you already have a piercing that is healed and comfortable there is rarely a medical reason to take out your jewelry.  There are flexible jewelry alternatives available if as your pregnancy progresses any problems with fit or comfort arise. 

Different individuals and different piercings have different heal times. These times represent an average first stage of healing; actual healing can take well over a year. Even if your piercing is no longer swollen or tender it is not necessarily healed. Most of what people consider healed is far from it. The State of Michigan recommends 6 months of healing for most piercings.

 While we cannot guarantee absolute safety, you can rest at ease knowing that every aspect of your care has been considered and measures have been put in place for your well-being. The risks associated with body piercing include but are not limited to: Irritation, allergic reaction, infection, scaring, migration, and even rejection. All these risks can be minimized by choosing a professionally trained piercer in a clean studio with proper quality jewelry. That is why we have gone above and beyond all state, federal and industry standards for sterility, jewelry quality and continuing education.