Frequently Asked Questions

ALL Services are appointment only including piercings, jewelry changes, and shopping for jewelry. Appointments can be booked by calling (330)374-0100.

Most jewelry change and check up services are 15 minutes, piercing appointments generally run about 20-30 minutes. Please be descriptive of how many services you are looking to get when you book, as we schedule based on the amount of time we need to complete each service. We build in enough time to browse jewelry and fill out paperwork, so please arrive on time, or give us a call if you are running behind.

Yes, we are appointment only, even for jewelry sales. We want to ensure that the pieces you buy fit appropriately, and we carry a huge range of sizes to make sure you can get that perfect fit. We also are unable to accept returns or exchanges on any body jewelry, and the best way to get the correct fit is to have a piercer install it for you.

Yes! We start children’s lobe piercings at age four. For more information please visit our Kid’s Lobes page.

To schedule a tandem ear piercing (two piercers, both lobes done at once), pleae call the studio and let us know your child would like to be pierced tandem.

We have opted as a studio to offer piercing services on children over four years of age. As a studio we hold a conservative stance in respect to body modification and practice strict informed consent. This is to avoid what we see as potential and inherent risks associated with the healing process in the context of very young children/toddler/infant earlobe piercings. When we work on children from 4 years of age and up we do a consultation with the child to ensure they are asking to have the piercings done, can sit safely and reasonably for the procedure, and also understand within reason how to take care of the piercings as necessary.

A person not sitting still through a procedure can result in less than perfect piercings as well as put our piercers at risk of needle-stick. As children grow, the ears may not grow perfectly symmetric and the placement of the piercings may seem to shift or look too low. Waiting until they are children as opposed to infants can help ensure that the placement will be appropriate in the long-term and not need to be abandoned and re-done later to correct placement.

In terms of consent, infants and toddlers are unable to give consent for a body modification. They are not yet old enough to understand that this is a permanent change to their bodies, and may not have developed a sense of self. We are strong proponents of informed consent, and make sure that each child is enthusiastic before continuing with any procedure.

Aftercare routines can be harder to maintain on an infant in comparison to older children as well. We suggest a *daily* irrigation of the piercings under warm water for a few minutes. Most infants aren't bathed on a daily basis as it can dry out the skin (and add to what is already a hectic schedule with a young one). Along with daily irrigation with warm water we preach a hands-free aftercare routine where touching and moving the jewelry is prohibited. The healing process can be boiled down to healing a tunnel of skin around a foreign object - moving the jewelry even with simple touching or snags can cause damage to the tunnel which is very fragile. An infant is unlikely to be able to control their movements, and potential snagging from being slept on or rubbing against carriers can cause complications.

Earlobe piercings:

We will pierce children as young as four years of age. Please see our Kids Lobes page about appointment, age, and identification requirements.

Cartilage/Helix piercings:

We will pierce a child’s cartilage/helix as young as 12 years of age. This is on a consultation basis to make sure the child can adequately take care of and heal the piercing. Cartilage piercings come with a bit more challenging healing process, as a piercing in cartilage will take no less than 6 months to heal. Please keep in mind any sports or extra curriculars that may require jewelry to be removed or hidden.

Facial/Oral/Inner Cartilage piercings:

Call the studio to find out! A lot of our age limits are somewhat subjective and are up to each piercer’s comfort. We want to help each person make the right choice when they decide to get a body piercing and with our years of experience we can help you figure that out.

Genital and Nipple piercings:

Any genital or nipple piercing or jewelry change services will only be performed on adults over 18 years of age. Proper state issued ID must be present, and there will be no exceptions. Please see our ID requirements page for a list of acceptable IDs.

It's hard to say how each person will react as pain tolerance varies from person-to-person. Our piercers will work with you to keep the procedure quick, safe, and as easy as possible.

We provide a comfortable and private experience tailored to each client to make them as comfortable as possible. Follow your piercers guidance and they will help you get through the appointment as smoothly as possible.

Our studio breaks the price down into a piercing fee plus the cost of jewelry. The price of a piercing will always vary depending on the jewelry selected to be worn during the healing process.

Each client getting a piercing will be guided through jewelry selection by our expert jewelry specialists who will show options tailored to each person's specific anatomy for the piercing they want, their style, and their budget. For more information, please give us a call and we will be happy to talk through pricing on the phone.

Due to the size of our studio and piercing rooms, we ask that you please limit your moral support to 1-2 extra guests. Depending on the procedure and piercer, we may limit the amount of people in the piercing room to just the client + one guest. Minors will always need a legal guardian present, and because of this a friend may not be able to come into the piercing room.

For a piercing:

A jewelry specialist will greet you when you arrive, and run your photo ID for paperwork. We will begin to guide you through a selection of jewelry tailored to your taste and needs. Once an appropriate piece of jewelry is selected we may run the piece through our statim (if we are selecting from the showcase) or pull backstocked jewelry that has been previously sterilized. The jewelry stylist will also provide you with written aftercare instructions.

Once the jewelry is sterilized and the room readied, the piercer will bring you back to the piercing room. The piercer will go over aftercare and answer any questions you may have.

After discussing the goals you have for the piercing the piercer will clean and mark the area to be pierced. The client is given time to review the mark and will not be pierced until the piercer and client agree on the marks (there are a select few piercings where the marks will not be in a visible location, such as the daith!) The piercer may also discuss specific concerns or placement in regards to your anatomy.

For a Jewelry Change:

A jewelry specialist will greet you, assess what pieces you need changed, and consult with a piercer for your best options.

If you have extra posts or ends for your piercings that were previously purchased from Good Life, bring them in and we can clean and install them for you.

Once the jewelry needs are determined and the pieces have been adequately disinfected or sterilized the piercer will take you back to change the pieces out for you.

It’s not required, but if you are squeamish with the idea of being pierced, or have a history of passing out you might want to at least have a snack before you head in. This helps maintain your body’s blood sugar and give you the energy to get excited about your piercing and get through the rest of your day! Drinking water and staying well hydrated is never a bad idea, either!

Never!

Piercing guns pose a risk to your health and safety because of their inability to be properly sterilized, their blunt force trauma to the tissue, “one size fits all jewelry”, and the inadequate training of the person utilizing the equipment.

At Good Life each piercing performed will be done with a single, sterilized, hollow piercing needle in the size appropriate for the piercing.

Most clients fear the word “needle” because it sounds scary and intimidating, but more often than not a piercing performed with a needle will be less painful than one performed with a piercing gun. Our piercers work in a smooth manner and work with the client to make the piercing as comfortable and fast as possible.

We are not doctors which means we cannot use any type of numbing products on you!

Realistically, any shot that would numb the area would be worse than the piercing itself. The pain associated with a piercing is very brief and tends not to linger, fading before you leave the studio after your piercing.

You should never use topical numbing agents prior to your visit. These can change the texture of your tissue, and affect the way the needle travels through the tissue. Our piercers can and may reschedule your appointment for another time if you have.

Absolutely not!

We aren’t here to lecture you on how drinking a few beers could lead to that really regretful tattoo of your favorite Backstreet Boy on your left buttcheek, but when it comes to getting a piercing you really shouldn’t have alcohol or drugs in your system because of the blood thinning effects it has.

Aside from the safety aspects, you cannot legally sign a contract or release form when you’re inebriated as it makes you incompetent to consent for yourself.

An initial piercing needs to be pierced and left alone without changing the jewelry until it is healed to ensure the healing process is not disrupted or complicated. Cartilage piercings take at minimum 6 months to heal! If you have a job or school that simply does not allow anything on your face or ears you should consider getting this piercing at a different time.

While we have glass retainers in stock to help keep existing piercings open we tend not to use them in fresh piercings as they are substantially less secure than our titanium jewelry options.

If you decide to get a piercing and hide it while it’s healing we do have a “freckle” option that is still the high quality implant grade titanium we use on most of our piercings. This option works well for nostrils and ear piercings and looks a bit like a freckle or mole instead of a piece of a traditional piece of jewelry.

Some piercings are easy to hide while they are healing, like the septum. Septum piercings are fully capable of being hidden while healing - let your jewelry specialist know you have to hide it and they will show you style options that will allow you to do so.

Of course!

If you know you have an appointment for a procedure where you cannot wear jewelry coming up, wait until after your appointment to get a new piercing.

If something comes up while you’re healing a piercing, schedule an appointment a day or so before your surgery/MRI and a piercer can install a safe glass style retainer into the piercing to keep it open during your procedure.

Occasionally you can speak with your healthcare or dental professional and explain that you’re wearing implant grade materials - which are technically safe to leave in during an MRI as they aren’t magnetic - and leave them in during your procedure. Be sure to talk to your doctor or dentist and see what they will require ahead of your appointment.

Whether it's a new or well established piercing, we will be able to help you with the process of preparing for a medical procedure.

State of Ohio body art laws require new piercings be performed with pieces of body jewelry that are implant grade and internally threaded or threadless. If you have pieces that were purchased at Good Life we may be able to resterilize those for future piercings. We can install fashion jewelry for you into healed piercings, and our piercers and jewelry stylists will assess whether the jewelry you bring in is appropriate for each healed piercing.

More about jewelry quality is discussed below in the next question: "What is surgical steel/What is implant grade?"

We never treat body jewelry in a “one size fits all” manner. Our skilled piercers select the appropriate length based on each person’s unique anatomy and allow room for swelling as necessary. This makes sure the jewelry quality along with proper fit will allow the piercing to heal well and look great while it’s healing.

If you have pieces already you may be able to wear them later when the piercing has healed. Bring them along and a piercer can check to see if they’re the right dimensions and style for the place you want to wear it!

“Surgical steel” is a blanket term used to describe a broad range of things… from the externally threaded body jewelry sold at the mall, to the hemostats and other tools our piercers use day to day in our studio. This classification only really means the metal will not melt or rust when exposed to heat and moisture (meaning it can be sterilized via autoclave). Even surgical steel can be alloyed with nickel - which is what most people with metal sensitivities are sensitive to. While this is good enough for a tool that will only temporarily contact the body, it is not good enough to be worn within the body.

At Good Life we only stock jewelry made of ASTM certified implant grade stainless steel (ASTM F-136 implant-grade) and ASTM certified implant grade titanium (ASTM F-138 implant-grade titanium).

The ASTM is an independent organization that certifies material standards by reviewing the mill certificates from body jewelry manufacturers. The body jewelry manufacturers we work with provide mill certificates to us as well, which detail exactly what percent of each material makes up the metal they are using. This means we can prove what our jewelry is made of.

The FDA has rules in place that require the use of these implant-grade alloys of stainless steel and titanium in things like pacemakers, bone pins, etc., since the alloy content is not likely to cause reaction in a majority of the population. In the body piercing industry we’ve adopted an implant-grade material standard to help ensure the safety of the client and avoid material reactions or delayed healing due to poor jewelry quality.

We do not use rings for most initial piercings. Healing a piercing comes down to healing a tunnel of skin around of a foreign object and hoops inherently move more than stud styles. Movement of the jewelry damages the tunnel you’re trying to grow, so we avoid that unnecessary movement whenever possible.

While we are strict about not using hoops in fresh piercings, some piercings require being pierced with hoops (daith, septum).

If you even so much as *think* you’re having problems with your piercing please schedule an appointment for a check up. All piercing check-ups/consultations are free of charge. We can assist you with any issues your piercing may be experiencing by visually assessing them, adjusting jewelry if necessary, and talking through potential causes, as well as methods and routines for recovery.

Getting paired piercings is common, getting 8 piercings at the same time is not. We typically recommend consulting with a piercer on projects and not trying to heal more than 4 together at any given time. Healing lots of piercings at once tends to mean slower healing as there is more maintenance required, and more work for your body’s immune system.

Each person can sit for different amounts of piercings at a time - just be sure to communicate about your energy to your piercer so they can continue to make you as comfortable as possible.

Getting ear cartilage piercings on both sides can be an issue for healing because you will likely need to sleep on one side or the other. A good option is to work on one ear at a time to avoid compromising one or the other. Earlobe piercings are a bit more resilient and can certainly be healed on both sides of the head without too many problems.

Stretching piercings is a really fun way to get a different look and take control of your body! The process when done safely is long and slow. There are a lot of factors that weigh into how a piercer will recommend you stretch any given piercing and how long you should wait between stretches. If you’re interested in stretching a piercing you have or want to get piercings to stretch in the future contact a piercer and they can set up a consultation to discuss with you one on one, or even answer your questions via phone/email.

In our studio we focus on safe stretching processes where tapers, acrylic jewelry, wood jewelry, and double flared jewelry are never worn in fresh/healing stretches. We always wait for a previous stretch to heal before moving up again.

Stretches can be performed for you by a piercer in the studio or if the situation is right a piercer may guide you through how to stretch safely on your own. We carry single flare glass plugs up to size 00g, and can order larger sizes upon request.