The Most Commonly Asked Piercing Questions in Chicago

If you’ve ever walked through the incredible city of Chicago in neighborhoods such as Wicker Park or Roscoe Village and spotted someone with a stunning new piercing and thought, “I wonder what that feels like… how long does it take to heal… what jewelry should I get?” — you’re not alone.

At Identity Body Piercing, Chicago’s premier piercing and jewelry studio, we hear a lot of questions from curious first-timers and experienced clients alike. To help you navigate the world of safe, professional body piercing, we’ve compiled answers to the most common questions our guests ask.

Whether you’re planning a bold new ear stack or simply shopping for jewelry, here’s everything you need to know.

📍 1. Where is the best place to get pierced in Chicago?

This is by far the most common search phrase we see:

“Best piercing studio in Chicago” or “Where should I get pierced in Chicago?”

If you’re researching studios, look for:

Professional piercers with years of experience
Implant-grade materials (not fashion metals)
Industry affiliations like Association of Professional Piercers (APP membership or equivalent standards)
Transparent policies and pricing
A clean, professional environment

Identity Body Piercing offers:

10+ Years in business
40+ years of combined industry experience
APP-member standards
Single-use disposable tools
Implant-grade quality jewelry
Expert piercers
Daily walk-ins and appointments
Affordable piercing fees. Single lobe piercing fee $25 and each additonal individual lobe piercing $10 + jewelry cost. Most other piercings are offered at a piercing fee of $35 + jewelry cost

Plus, we’re located in two of Chicago’s favorite neighborhoods:

Wicker Park
Roscoe Village

💎 2. Do Piercings hurt?

Short answer: It depends on the person, but often not as bad as people think.

Pain is quick, sharp, and over in seconds.
Most clients describe piercings as:
Pressured
Pinchy
Annoying for a moment
Areas with more cartilage (daith, rook, conch) tend to feel more intense than lobes.

But with:

Skilled piercers
High-quality needles
Quick techniques

The experience is fast and manageable.

⏳ 3. How long does it take for a piercing to heal?

Healing time depends on the body part and your personal anatomy.

Average timelines:

Earlobes: 2–3 months
Helix (upper ear): 6–9 months
Daith / rook: 6–9 months
Nostril: 3–6 months
Septum: 3–4 months
Navel: 8–12 months

Pro-tip:

Healing doesn’t mean the piercing looks healed — it means the tissue has stabilized internally.

Be patient and follow aftercare!

🧼 4. How do I clean and care for a new piercing?

Healing piercings in those cold Chicago winters — cold, dry air can wreak havoc.

Our best aftercare advice:

Saline spray twice a day
Hands off — avoid twisting or touching
Don’t sleep on it if possible
Avoid swimming and submerging
Don’t change jewelry early

We provide a full printed and digital aftercare guide after every service.

💰 5. Why does good jewelry cost more?

We get a ton of “Why is body jewelry expensive?” questions.

Here’s why:

Implant-grade materials
Biocompatibility
Safe for long-term wear
Precision finishing
Ethical manufacturing
Cheap jewelry can cause:
Allergic reactions
Irritation
Infection
Migration
Scarring

At Identity, we carry a variety of price points to fit many budgets:

Solid gold
Implant-grade titanium
Luxury designer brands
Local Chicago jewelry artists
We offer anodizing services that can change the color of your titanium and niobium jewelry to a wide variety of colors.

You’re paying for quality, craftsmanship, and safety.

🔄 6. When can I change my jewelry?

We know it’s tempting — especially when you just moved to Chicago and want a new look for a night out in Logan Square, West Town, Wicker Park, West Loop, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Andersonville, Lincoln Square, Pilsen, Gold Coast, River North, etc.

But changing jewelry too early can cause problems.

General guidelines:

Lobes: 8–12 weeks
Nostril: 3–6 months
Cartilage: 6–9 months
Our team can check your piercing and let you know when it’s safe.

🧠 7. Can you reopen an old piercing?

Often, yes.

If the channel is mostly closed but still present, we can sometimes reopen it with a taper instead of re-piercing.

This is common for:

Lobes that closed in childhood
Cartilage piercings that grew over
Piercings neglected during college/hard winters

Come in for a consultation — we’ll assess your anatomy and options.

👶 8. Do you pierce kids?

Yes — we offer ear piercings starting at 6 years old

We can pierce minors with legal guardian consent, and certain ages are appropriate for specific piercings. Identification for both the legal guardian and minor are required such as passport, state ID, drivers license, birth certificate.

We maintain:

High safety standards
Parental consent protocols
Age requirements depending on the piercing

Call or visit for details — or book online.

🌟 9. What’s the most popular piercing in Chicago right now?

Trends shift, but our current top requests:

Daith piercings
Nostril piercings
Second and Third lobes creating a stunning ear stack
Septum piercings
Curated ear styling
Gold and gemstone upgrades

Chicago is a style-forward city — clients are embracing elevated, timeless jewelry over basic studs.

💬 10. Do piercings help with migraines?

There’s a long-running belief that daith piercings help with migraine relief. While many clients report improvement, there is no clinical proof.

We frame it as:

“A beautiful piercing with potential benefits — but not guaranteed results.”

If migraine management is your goal, chat with your doctor first.

📍 Where to Get Pierced in Chicago

Identity Body Piercing has two Chicago studios:

🐝 Wicker Park

1514 N Ashland Ave Chicago, IL 60622

Walk-in piercing services offered daily

Appointments can be booked online

🐝 Roscoe Village

2256 W Belmont Ave Chicago, IL 60618