FAQ Muthafucka! Got a question? Check here first.
You've got questions? We've got answers. If it's not here, give us a call and ask. We'd be happy to help!
01
How much do piercings cost?
We charge for piercings based on what we pay for the jewelry used. We do offer jewelry upgrades such as anodizing titanium (colouring the metal) as well as adding gem beads to both rings and barbells! Check out a more comprehensive price list here. For piercing payments we accept cash, Visa & MasterCard, and for Debit we have an ATM onsite.
02
Why won’t you pierce anyone under the age of 16?
The Alberta Health Services regulations (which can be found here) state on page 5 that you should undertake the procedure “of [your] own free will,” and because the legal age of consent in Canada is 16, you must be 16 years old to be able to legally consent to getting a piercing. The regulations do not mention parental consent so we cannot accept it. We would be happy to give you 10% off a piercing if you come in on your 16th birthday with government issued photo ID because all of us remember how much waiting sucks!
03
Is it going to hurt?
You're using a sharp piece of metal to stab a hole through your skin. Of course it's going to hurt.
That said, it's probably not going to be as bad as you're imagining! It's very quick, and our piercers don't use clamps, so the piercing will likely be much more gentle than you're used to. You got this, don't worry!
04
Can I bring in my own jewelry to get pierced with?
You are welcome to bring in your own jewelry HOWEVER please be aware that if it does not meet implant grade standards we will not be able to pierce you with it. If this is the case, we will be happy to show you why we are unable to pierce you with it, and show you the difference between the jewelry you brought and what we use.
05
Will you put in other jewelry for me?
Once again, you are welcome to bring in your own jewelry HOWEVER please be aware that if it does not meet implant grade standards we will not put it in your piercing. If this is the case, we will be happy to show you why we are unable to use it, and show you the difference between the jewelry you brought and what we use.
06
Is your shop clean and sterile?
Great question - yes! All of our piercing needles are used on a single client and then discarded into a puncture-resistant sharps container that is picked up by a biohazard waste disposal company when it’s full. All of our re-usable piercing equipment is left to soak in hospital-grade disinfecting solution, then scrubbed by hand, put through an ultrasonic cleaner, soaked in 99% alcohol, run through the autoclave unpackaged, then run through the autoclave again in packaging. We use a Level 3 surface disinfectant to clean all work surfaces between each client.
07
What do you recommend for piercing aftercare?
Piercing aftercare is extremely simple! Our piercing aftercare instructions can be found HERE.
08
Does your shop take walk-ins for piercings?
We would prefer that you phone ahead and book an appointment with our piercers can get quite busy. If you have a piercer preference, please be sure to let us know. We will take walk ins based on availability and they are first come first serve.
09
10
Do you charge for jewelry changes or removals?
Nope. We simply charge the cost of the new jewelry that you're purchasing plus GST.
Can I bring a friend with me to my piercing appointment?
You can bring one or two friends with you as long as they are ready to be respectful of the staff and do what is asked of them. This includes not touching certain things, not sitting in certain places or on certain furniture, lowering their voice if asked to, etc. That goes for you, too!
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12
How do you charge for scarification?
Scarification is charged by the piece, but is similar to tattooing. Please book a consultation. You must be 18 or over to get scarification done.
Can I bring my child/baby with me to me to my piercing appointment?
We do not recommend bringing children in the shop so please arrange for alternate childcare.
13
I had a piercing in the same spot before but I took it out and I want it done again. Can you do this?
There is a good chance you will be able to get a piercing in the same spot again, but the question is WHEN the scar tissue will be healed enough to re pierce it. You will need to have the piercer take a look in person to know when this will be possible.
14
Help! My piercing is doing something weird and I don't know what to do!
If you're having trouble with a piercing please email us at heroescalgary@gmail.com or send a message to our Facebook page. Sending detailed messages helps us a lot. Details that help are; has anything changed recently, describe what you can see happening instead of what you think might be happening, and clear photos! Better still, come into the shop and let us take a look. We are always happy to help!
15
Why won't you do (insert crazy piercing/body mod thing I saw on the internet) on me?
If a piercing isn't going to work on you we simply will not perform it. We put our clients' well-being first and foremost!
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16
I heard daith piercings help reduce or cure migraine headaches - is this true?
While we WISH this could be true there is unfortunately no scientific evidence whatsoever that a daith piercing even could reduce or cure your migraine headaches. While acupuncture has been scientifically proven to lessen lower back pain (in a few specific situations only), this is the ONLY thing it has been proven to work on. Acupressure has been shown more effective when treating pain than acupuncture (if you'd like to see a series of acupuncture maps for the ear specifically, please CLICK HERE), so if you'd really like to see if this piercing will help your migraines, try pressing on the area. If it doesn't help (which it almost definitely won't, sorry) then a daith piercing will not help your migraine headaches. However, if you'd like a cool piercing we would be happy to help!
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17
But my friend said their daith piercing reduced/cured their migraines! Doesn't that mean something?
It's great that your friend feels like they have less frequent and/or less painful migraine headaches, but this is called the placebo effect. They believed it would help and so it may have - the placebo effect is so strong it can convince children that drawing a black circle around their wart in sharpie marker will cure it once the black has faded. BUT the placebo effect is impossible to control or manipulate, and we don't want to take your money on a chance we might cure your headaches.
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