17/01/2026
This lovely lady came to see me this week as she was concerned about the placement and healing of her navel piercing, which was done fairly recently at an establishment she believed was reputable.
As you can see, the piercing was pierced high and not even placed within her navel, but even if it was, the chances of it surviving are exceptionally minimal as the client does not have the appropriate anatomy for a traditional navel piercing.
Have I made piercings such as this? Without a doubt I have, because at the time I was uneducated around appropriate navel anatomy and available alternative navel piercings. Do I still make mistakes like this? Absolutely not! I decline just as many traditional navel piercing requests as I perform, and I am completely ok with that, as the long term success of a client's piercing is far more important to me than earning a few bucks and scarring someone for life.
When you contemplate getting a new piercing, I urge you to research the piercer and not simply the establishment. Many "chain" stores have multiple people performing piercings, and you take a lucky dip in who may be performing your piercing. Some may have years of experience and be an excellent practitioner, conversely some may not even be schooled in cross contamination...you simply don't know.
Hit up reddit, face book groups, your friends and work colleagues...ask them who they see (and who they won't see again)...please do your research.
Sadly there are no certificates or enforced standards of practice for body piercers in Australia. Being a competent body piercer takes years of experience which incorporates constant training and upskilling...investing in our craft to ensure our clients get the best chance of receiving a beautiful piercing for life...not a scar for life. We do this, not because we are legislated, but because we care.
