Professional Piercings in Sherman Oaks, CA

The Menu

The full piercing menu.

Ear piercings cover the whole ear: lobe and upper lobe, helix along the outer cartilage, tragus, conch, and industrial bars that connect two points across the ear. Your piercer plans ear placements so each new piercing works with the ones you already have - and with the jewelry you want to wear next - whether you are starting with a first lobe or building a curated stack one or two piercings at a time.

Nose piercings include classic nostril placements and septum rings. The menu also covers lip and eyebrow piercings, navel piercings, and dermal anchors. If you are not sure what a placement is called, just describe the look you want - explaining the options, the healing expectations, and the jewelry for each is part of the appointment.

Needle vs. Gun

Why professional studios pierce with needles, never guns.

A single-use piercing needle is sharp, precise, and sterile out of sealed packaging. It creates a clean channel for the jewelry with minimal trauma to the surrounding tissue, and it is disposed of the moment your piercing is done. That precision is also what allows placements a gun simply cannot do - cartilage, septum, navel, and dermal work all require a needle in trained hands.

A piercing gun works differently: it uses spring-loaded force to push a blunt stud through the skin, crushing tissue rather than parting it. Gun bodies are reused from customer to customer and cannot go through an autoclave the way professional instruments can. That is why piercing guns are common at mall kiosks and jewelry counters - and why you will not find one at American Ink.

Clean Setup

A sterile, single-use setup for every client.

Health and safety come before anything else. Needles are single-use: they come out of sealed, sterile packaging at the start of your procedure and are disposed of as soon as it ends. Nothing that breaks the skin is ever reused between clients.

Every appointment begins with a fresh setup laid out for that piercing alone - gloves on, surfaces prepped, jewelry ready. The shop follows strict hygiene and sterilization protocols, and if you want to see how the station is prepared before the work starts, just ask. Walking clients through the setup is part of the job.

Jewelry

Jewelry built for healing skin, fitted to you.

Implant-grade titanium is the material professional piercers reach for on fresh piercings because it is built to sit in healing skin - ask your piercer about the jewelry options when you book. Sizing matters as much as material: initial jewelry is fitted with room for the normal swelling of a fresh piercing, then can be swapped for a closer fit once you have healed.

Jewelry advice is honest and specific. The piercers will tell you what works for your placement and anatomy, what to start with, and what to come back for later. Jewelry choice is also part of the price, which is why piercings are quoted at the studio.

Aftercare

Aftercare basics, explained before you leave.

Every piercing comes with clear aftercare instructions for its specific placement. The universal rules: clean the piercing as directed with anti-bacterial soap and/or saline solution, leave the jewelry in for the full healing period, and keep hands off - twisting or spinning the jewelry irritates healing skin rather than helping it.

Avoid pools, hot tubs, and open water while the piercing is fresh, and keep hair products, makeup, and friction away from the site. Healing times vary widely by placement, so your piercer will give you the expected window for yours. If anything looks or feels wrong while you heal, call the shop - checking back in is always the right move.