Can I get pierced?
At CowPok, you must be at least 15 years old with proper ID to be pierced and accompanied by a parent or legal guardian with ID as well. If you are under the age of 18, we will not pierce nipples, genitals or do surface work, even with parental consent. We also offer lobe piercings on ages 6 and up as a safe alternative to "mall piercers," with ID from a parent and birth certificate for the minor. Remember - there is no submerging your piercings for 6-8 weeks - which means no swimming. Plan accordingly!
What ID do I need?
Proper ID includes something with your picture, full name and date of birth. Passports, ID cards, driver’s license or permit, passport cards, birth certificates in combination with a photo ID will also work. If you are under the age of 18, both you and your parent will need ID, and if you have different last names or addresses, a birth certificate is required as well. We cannot accept school IDs alone, they need to be accompanied by a birth certificate.
Do I need an appointment? is there a cancellation list?
All of our services are on an appointment basis only, including tattoos, shopping for jewelry, and all piercing related services. Visit our tattoo page for information on booking a tattoo, and head over here to book piercing and styling services!
We want everyone’s long awaited appointment to be as smooth sailing as possible, so we’re unfortunately not able to accommodate a cancellation list due to our high volume of appointments, small team, and booking system. All cancellations are immediately available online on a first come first serve basis, and manual booking on top of it would run the risk of accidentally double booking. We frequently have same or next week availability, and we open up new dates for booking approximately every two weeks, so check back every so often to find something that works for you!
How much will my piercing cost?
Your piercing cost will be broken down in to two parts – a piercing fee and the cost of jewelry, and the price of jewelry can vary greatly. At CowPok, we have a huge variety of body-safe, implant grade materials, and one of the biggest BVLA collections in Western New York! Your stylist and piercer will help you find the perfect piece in your budget during your appointment – both locations’ selections are ever-changing, and you will find something that screams YOU.
Does it hurt? Do you numb it?
We do not numb the area, nor is it safe to do so, because the numbed tissue will be stiff, often resulting in crooked piercings and a plethora of complications during healing once that tissue does eventually relax again. Pain is relative. Take a deep breath, and relax. We’re here to make this experience as enjoyable and easy as possible. As our buddy Mike says, stubbing your toe or biting your tongue hurts worse, and you never end up sparkly at the end of that.
Can you pierce me with my own jewelry?
The short answer? Probably not. Every piece of jewelry that comes into our store is carefully cleaned and autoclaved, to ensure each piercing experience is as sterile as possible and done with the highest quality materials that the industry has available. Without knowing where your jewelry came from, what it is made of, etc. there is no way to know that it is safe to wear in a fresh piercing. Don’t fear – although we cannot pierce you with your own jewelry, with such a wide selection available for initial piercings, you’re sure to find something that you love that is not only the highest quality, but is tailor fit for your body.
If you have jewelry that was purchased from our studio that you would like to use again for a new piercing, we can totally do that as long as it’s an appropriate style and size for the new piercing! Just be sure to drop that jewelry off at least 24 hours prior to your appointment for processing, otherwise we will not be able to use it.
Does your jewelry have a warranty?
Yes! We guarantee our jewelry for life against manufacturer defects, which includes things like stones falling out of their setting, broken pins/threading, abnormal discoloration of the stones or metal, etc. These warranties are offered through the manufacturers of the jewelry, not directly through our studio, so in order to fulfill the warranty, you must be able to bring the broken jewelry back to us so we can send it back to the manufacturer for repair or replacement. We cannot replace or repair lost jewelry, and we do not offer returns or exchanges for any reason.
How do I take care of my new piercing?
During each piercing appointment, your piercer will cover all of the aftercare instructions we’d like you to follow, and we’ll also send you home with a written version of those instructions. If you forget everything and also lose the written instructions, we also have our aftercare right here on our website! We even wrote a blog post about it! If all that doesn’t cover your question, please reach out to us or set up a jewelry change appointment so we can chat with you and troubleshoot any issues.
What will I experience during the healing process?
Redness, soreness, dry skin, swelling and aches are all common for most piercings throughout the healing process. If anything looks funny, or feels weird, do not hesitate to stop in and have a piercer take a look.
Do I tip my piercer?
Anytime you are provided a service by someone (think tipping your hairdresser for a great haircut, or your waiter or waitress for a positive experience at a restaurant) tips are always appreciated. There is no “standard” amount, and it doesn’t always need to be money. We like cookies too. A LOT.
When can I go swimming?
The piercing channel won’t be healed enough to have a protective layer for 6-8 weeks after being pierced, so you should avoid submerging your new sparkles in any body of water for at least two months. This includes salt water, chlorinated water, pools, jacuzzis, lakes, oceans, and baths. All healing piercings should be kept as dry as possible, so even after two months it’s good practice to thoroughly dry all of your piercings front and back after getting them wet, including after showers!
When can I change my jewelry?
Healing times vary greatly from body part to body part, and person to person. Everyone is different – so stop by and check with your piercer to see if you’re ready to safely change your jewelry. Changing it too soon can cause significant discomfort and worse case scenario, total loss of your piercing, so be patient.
At what point can I take my jewelry out without the hole closing?
Everyone is different, so we leave you with this advice: if you like your piercing, leave it in, no matter how old it is.
Can I get an old piercing re-pierced?
Usually, yes! We recommend waiting a minimum of 8 weeks before attempting to re-pierce anything, and ultimately our ability to re-pierce something depends on the scar tissue in that area and sometimes the reason the piercing was retired in the first place, so this isn’t something we can give you a firm answer on without seeing you. You’re never wasting our time if you come in for a piercing appointment and don’t end up getting pierced because we advised against it, so when in doubt, let a piercer check it out (this is good advice in general)!
HOW DO I CHANGE/REMOVE MY JEWELRY?
Graphic courtesy of joeltron.com!
We carry a number of different styles of jewelry, and if possible, we usually recommend making an appointment and letting us help you change things out, which we offer as a free service. If that’s not an option for you, here’s a handy guide to how the different types of jewelry work. The huge majority of our jewelry is going to fall under the threadless jewelry category, which is the “bend & push in” style.
If you’re finding that your threadless ends aren’t fitting into the posts securely, you’ll need to adjust the tension in the pin by inserting it half way into the post, and very gently bending it to the side. The more harsh the bend, the more securely it will “snap” into the post. Be gentle while bending your pins, especially with larger pieces, as too much pressure can cause the top to snap off of the pin. If you’re nervous about doing this yourself, come see us and let us do it for you!