Should You Tip Your Piercer?

(PLEASE NOTE: In some countries, tipping isn’t a common practice. If that is the case in your country, this may not apply – but throwing a few extra bucks or a nice little gift to someone who just did a great piercing on you will always be appreciated.)

A common question that comes up in piercing-related social media is whether to/how much to tip the piercer. Today we are going to going discuss tipping and give a basic idea of how much is generally considered fair and appropriate. When one goes out to dinner, it’s considered typical to tip ten to fifteen percent of the bill. This is a perfectly acceptable amount to tip your piercer.

You may note that many piercing studios have signs saying that tipping is not required, although it is appreciated. You may even wonder why, for something like a nostril or lobe piercing, that you are mainly paying for the jewelry and that the actual procedure costs far less. So why tip at all? Well, unless your piercer owns the studio, they are just an employee. They get their payment from the owner and are not necessarily getting any portion of the money received for jewelry sales. The piercing may not actually cost you very much but that also means the piercer isn’t getting compensated very much.

Another reason you should tip your piercer is that you aren’t just tipping them for piercing you. Piercers put years of effort into honing their craft. You are tipping for all those years of practice, education, and experience. You are tipping them for all the work that came before your piercing, not just the piercing itself. While ten to fifteen percent is always fine, if you really love your piercing (especially a more advanced piercing!) it never hurts to tip more. If you can’t afford to tip more, why not a small token of gratitude? A gift card, some homemade baked goods, a nice treat from a good coffee shop – all of these make great thank you presents. You know what else makes a great thank you present? A referral!! If you have a great piercer, don’t keep it a secret! Reviews on the internet, bringing your friends for a piercing, and generally directing traffic to your piercer is ALWAYS appreciated!!

Another reason to tip well, whether with money, goods, or traffic, is simply face recognition. If you tip well or come back with a nice treat for your piercer, they’re liable to remember your face. If you are recalled as a good tipper, you may get a little extra attention and time, for a better and more rewarding piercing experience. While a good piercer is always going to give you their A game, it’s always nice to get their A+ game.

Tipping is always a bit of a complicated subject, but nowhere so much as in body modification circles. Just remember that a good piercing may cost extra but a good piercer is invaluable. Don’t forget to tip your piercer – or at the very least do something nice for them! It’ll definitely make their day.