09/16/2026
And THIS is why we send people to Aubrey for piercings.
When it comes to body modifications you deserve to have the best experience & to have that service done by someone who has more than your dollars at heart and in mind.
ANNOUNCED ‼️‼️‼️‼️
Piercing Educational Series — Post #1 For those of you Interested in learning and being educated.
Knowledge Is Power. Your Body Deserves Education, Safety & Integrity.
Hey guys! I’m starting something new here at Piercings by Aubrey. Once or twice a week, I’m going to share an educational post about professional body piercing—everything from anatomy and jewelry selection to sterilization, placement, healing, aftercare, troubleshooting, and the red flags you should know before you ever sit in someone’s piercing chair.
Why?
Because lately we’ve had quite a few people coming into the studio needing help with piercings that have improper jewelry, questionable placement, incorrect sizing, or were performed on anatomy that simply wasn’t suitable for that particular piercing.
And I want to make something very clear from the beginning:
This series is NOT about tearing down another piercer or another studio. ( Save The Drama Fo Yo Momma)
It’s about education. It’s about safety. It’s about protecting our clients and honoring our craft.
Before You Choose a Piercer—Do Your Research.
And I mean any piercer—including me.
Ask questions.
A knowledgeable professional should be able to explain why your anatomy is—or is not—appropriate for a particular piercing. They should understand placement, tissue, jewelry style, material, gauge and length, anticipated swelling, healing, downsizing, potential complications, and what they’re going to do if something doesn’t heal as expected.
Please remember:
Just because someone is willing to perform a piercing does NOT mean your anatomy supports it.
Sometimes the most knowledgeable, ethical and professional thing a piercer can tell you is:
NO.
I would much rather lose the money from a piercing than knowingly give someone a piercing their body cannot safely support.
Sterilization & Cross-Contamination Matter.
Piercing isn’t simply jewelry and a needle. We’re creating an open wound and working around blood and other potentially infectious material.
That means your piercer should understand aseptic technique, hand hygiene, appropriate PPE, single-use needles, sterilization of reusable instruments when applicable, surface disinfection, prevention of cross-contamination, and proper handling of sterile supplies.
Improper infection-control practices can expose clients and workers to bloodborne pathogens, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.
That’s why I want you guys to learn what to look for. You should never feel embarrassed to ask a piercer how something was sterilized or whether a needle is single-use.
Your safety is more important than someone’s ego.
Jewelry Isn’t “Just Jewelry,” Either.
The material, finish, size, style and construction of jewelry matter—especially in a fresh piercing.
Nickel is a common cause of allergic contact dermatitis, which is one reason professional jewelry selection matters. But irritation or a struggling piercing doesn’t automatically mean someone is “rejecting nickel.” There can be many causes, including inappropriate jewelry dimensions, excessive pressure or movement, poor placement, unsuitable anatomy, trauma, aftercare issues or infection.
This is why troubleshooting requires actually understanding what you’re looking at.
And Education Isn’t Just Watching Someone Pierce.
This is something I feel very strongly about, especially when it comes to apprenticeships.
An apprentice should not be learning how to perform piercings from little clips on Patreon or social media and considering that an apprenticeship. That is NOT an apprenticeship, and that is NOT how you properly learn to pierce.
Online education can absolutely be a wonderful supplement to professional education. I’ve continued educating myself throughout my entire career, and I believe we should always be learning. But watching a video cannot replace standing beside an experienced professional piercer and learning the craft hands-on.
You shadow someone.
You watch consultations. You learn anatomy assessments. You watch your mentor mark and remark placement. You learn why they choose one piece of jewelry instead of another. You learn sterilization and cross-contamination prevention. You learn setup and breakdown. You observe healing piercings. You see complications walk back through the door. You learn troubleshooting. You learn when something needs to be downsized, changed, retired or referred to a medical professional. You learn how to communicate with clients. And, under appropriate supervision, you gradually develop practical skills.
Most importantly, you learn WHY your mentor makes the decisions they make.
A clip can show you someone’s technique.
It cannot give you their years of judgment.
If you’ve only learned certain piercings and haven’t completed the rest of your education, in my opinion, your apprenticeship isn’t finished. Piercing education shouldn’t be pieced together by collecting procedures from videos or different people until you’ve learned enough individual piercings to call yourself a professional.
This is a craft that deserves a complete foundation, appropriate supervision and continued education.
20+ Years In—and I’m STILL Learning.
I’ve been professionally piercing for over twenty years, and I will never tell you that I know everything.
This industry continues to evolve, and I continue to educate myself.
I’m not simply putting a needle through someone’s body and inserting jewelry.
I’m working with living tissue, anatomy and wound healing.
A knowledgeable piercer doesn’t just know HOW to perform a piercing.
They should understand:
WHY this placement?
WHY this jewelry?
WHY this anatomy?
What could go wrong?
What does normal healing look like?
What doesn’t look normal?
And when should I put the needle down and say NO?
Piercing may take only moments to perform, but you have to live with the outcome.
And anyone who has been pierced by me knows I’m not interested in rushing you out of my chair. I want to give you my best.
I’m far from perfect. But I continually strive for a level of perfection that may very well be impossible to reach….and that’s exactly why I keep learning.
It’s also why my clients get my personal number and why I remain available throughout their healing process. My responsibility to you doesn’t end when the jewelry goes in.
One More Thing—Let’s Talk About How WE Treat Each Other.
I know how frustrating it can be when you love this craft and your clients more than you love the money.
I’ve watched people come and go in this industry for more than two decades. And I’ve learned something important:
How we correct something matters, too.
If I see a piercing that concerns me, my first responsibility is helping the client—not publicly humiliating another piercer.
If another professional sees something I’ve done and has a legitimate concern, I hope they extend me that same courtesy. Reach out. Talk to me. Educate me. Hold me accountable.
I’ve always tried to ask myself:
How would I want another professional to approach me?
Being cruel, blasting people publicly, or appointing ourselves the “Piercing Police” doesn’t automatically make our industry safer.
I understand the frustration behind it. Truly, I do. When you’ve devoted your life to this craft, seeing unsafe work is incredibly frustrating.
But we can be matter-of-fact without being hateful.
We can educate without humiliating.
We can hold each other accountable without believing we’re above accountability ourselves.
Community Over Ego.
There are piercers in this area whom I respect tremendously. And if somebody is better suited than I am for a particular piercing, I’ll send you to them.
I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again.
I’m never too proud to shine a light on another talented professional. Your body and your outcome are more important to me than whether the money comes through my door.
That’s what I want our piercing community to become.
I would love to see professional piercers throughout Southeast Texas be able to sit at the same table—to teach each other, learn from each other, refer clients to each other, respectfully hold one another accountable and raise the standard of piercing together.
There is room for talented, educated piercers to succeed without tearing one another down.
Love the craft.
Love your clients.
Stay teachable.
Protect your integrity.
And leave your ego at the door.
So that’s what this series is going to be about.
We’ll learn something new every week. We’ll discuss it. We’ll ask questions. And hopefully we’ll all walk away knowing a little more than we did yesterday.
Please chime in with topics or questions you’d like me to cover. You’re also welcome to privately message me with concerns. I only ask that we keep the comments educational and respectful—no studio or piercer bashing.
Knowledge is power.
And when you’re trusting someone with your body, you deserve to know what you’re looking at and why it matters.
Stay tuned. ❤️
Thank you,
Aubrey Trevino
Piercings by Aubrey
