FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

At Pit Tattoo, your health and safety are our priorities. We use aseptic technique which means:We use fresh gloves for every piercing, and you will see us change gloves a minimum of 3 times during your visit to prevent cross-contamination.

We use a new sterilized needle for every client. You get to see the package opened in front of you, and the needle disposed of immediately afterward.

All tools and instruments that are not disposable, such as forceps and tubes, are cleaned, disinfected and autoclave sterilized before use on each client.

All jewelry is ultrasonically cleaned, individually packaged and autoclave sterilized before insertion into any new piercing. Jewelry which cannot be sterilized (i.e. acrylic, bone, wood) is never inserted into a new piercing, and is thoroughly disinfected before being inserted into a healed piercing.

YES! Receiving a tattoo is a painful process. It requires the application of pigment under the first epidermal layer of the skin. The larger the tattoo the longer it will take to do, so small tattoos hurt less than large ones! But remember, people wouldn’t get a second tattoo if the first one hurt that bad.

An autoclave is the same device used by hospitals, doctors and dentists to sterilize their equipment. Autoclave sterilization is the only way to ensure that all equipment is properly sterilized and safe to use on you. Autoclaves achieve sterilization through the use of intense steam heat and pressure over an extended period of time. Items such as dry heat sterilizers, chemical solutions, boiling and alcohol do not achieve appropriate levels of sterilization.Any autoclave being used for piercing should be tested by an independent lab at least monthly. This is called spore testing. At Piercology, we spore test weekly on all three of our autoclaves.

The cost varies on the size of your tattoo, the complexity, and where you put it on your body. Our prices start at € 50,- and go up from there. Pit Tattoo freely admits WE ARE NOT THE CHEAPEST! Remember, you get what you pay for and only have one chance to get one tattoo on that one spot on your body. Do it right! Go to a pro!

Most piercings are just a slight pinch for a second, and most of our clients saying, “it was so much easier than I thought it would be”, or “that didn’t hurt at all”.

YOUR PIT “TATTOO” HAS BEEN PUT ON UNDER STRICT SANITARY CONDITIONS.
Keep it clean and follow these instructions:

1. Leave bandage on for 5-6 hours.
2. Remove bandage, wash with warm water & soap, pat dry.
3. Never bandage again.
4. Before scab forms apply NEOSPORIN 3 or 4 times daily.
5. Stay out of chlorine pools, salt water, and only minimum sun exposure while tattoo is healing.
6. Don’t pick at scab. Tattoos will heal in 10-15 days.

We perform all of our piercings with single use, sterilized surgical needles. They are extremely sharp, therefore making the piercing as painless as possible. You get to watch us break open the needle package, and dispose of the needle immediately after the procedure.

Pit Tattoo uses the highest quality pigments found in the industry. These pigments are not cheap and not easy to find. The reason we have been able to stay in business for so long is because we use nothing but the best. Our work is guaranteed to stay bright and sharp forever.

Internally threaded jewelry has the threading attached to the ball, with a hole in the shaft of the barbell. While externally threaded jewelry has a hole in the ball and the threads exposed on the shaft of the barbell.What this difference means to a piercing is that when the threads are exposed, as on externally threaded jewelry, those sharp threads can cause tears to the inside of a piercing. This can lead to pain, irritation, bleeding, scarring and prolonged healing, The quality of externally threaded jewelry is generally inferior, specifically the finish is duller, the steel is usually a lesser grade, and in the case of curved barbells, is not shaped correctly.

When inserting internally threaded jewelry, the threads are inside the shaft, and therefore the transition from needle to jewelry is painless, with no harm done to the piercing. This means faster healing time, less chance of excessive scar tissue and happier clients.

So why does externally threaded body jewelry exist? Because it’s much cheaper to make, and therefore your piercer makes more money off of it, but at your expense.

Just about any design you can think of can be made into a beautiful Pit “Tattoo”. You are more than welcome to bring in your own design or pick one of our hundreds of thousands of designs that line our walls. If you already know what you want, great, it is very simple to convey your idea to our artists. The easiest way is with a picture. It doesn’t matter what the picture is on (keychain, t-shirt, book, drawing…etc.). Even if you can’t draw, our guys still love to do the custom work. Just describe it well or even bring in a stick drawing. We can turn it into your dream tattoo on paper right before your eyes!

You must bring state issued photo ID, such as a drivers license or passport. It is Dutch Law, that we cannot perform services on anyone without a copy of their ID on file. Eat something substantial an hour or two before getting pierced. This will help support your blood sugar level.

Avoid alcohol, aspirin, excessive caffeine, and all recreational drugs for 24 hours beforehand.

Old tattoos can be easily reworked into a fresh work of art. Color can be added to brighten your existing tattoo or with a little creativity even turned into a completely new (although larger) tattoo. There’s no use in going through life with “Brenda” tattooed on your arm if you love “Nicole.” Thanks to the modern possibilities of the Pit Tattoo experience, it can all be corrected. Why wait? We fix other tattoo shop’s mistakes every day!

Having your nipples pierced will not impede you from breastfeeding. However, you want to make sure your piercings are well healed beforehand. Also, be sure to remove your jewelry before breastfeeding, as it can be a choking hazard for infants.

A Pit “Tattoo” is put on under the strictest of sanitary conditions. We use a totally disposable tattoo system! Every instrument is new before going into a high pressure, high temperature autoclave for approximately one hour. Everything is disposed of after every tattoo, and the entire area sanitized. Our procedure consists of individually wrapped instruments that are only opened in front of you. (If you choose to go somewhere else, insist on this same procedure.)

There are several contributing factors to a well-rounded piercing education. The three most important factors are: apprenticeship, classes and the Association of Professional Piercers (APP) annual conference.The first thing you want to do is acquire an apprenticeship with a professional piercer. It would be wise to choose a piercer who is a member of the APP, to ensure they are following industry standards. Most studios promote from within, so you would probably have to work the counter first. That studio may send you to classes if they use that as part of their apprenticeship. These classes by themselves do not make you a professional piercer. They are to be taken only as a supplement to an apprenticeship.

And finally, all piercers who want to stay current with the industry attend the APP annual conference. This is where you hear about the latest in aseptic technique, studio management, client care, anatomy relating to the piercing industry, you can take the required CPR, First Aid, and Blood Borne Pathogens classes, and also get to mingle with other piercers.

Tips are never expected, but always appreciated. Tattooing is a service and if you were happy with the service you received, yes tipping is appropriate.

For the first month it is a good idea to avoid swimming unless you can cover your piercing with a Tegaderm patch bandage. This is a clear, adhesive, water proof bandage that can be comfortably worn on some piercings, such as navels with curved barbells, and nipples. It can usually be found at most pharmacies. Of course, if it’s a facial piercing, just avoid submerging it.

A bandage is not going to help heal your piercing faster, so if that’s why you would want to bandage it, don’t bother.If the bandage is to hide the piercing, be sure that the bandage is not holding the piercing down, and that the adhesive is not getting on the piercing or jewelry.

There are several reasons why we do not use ear piercing guns for any type of piercing.First, there is no way to sterilize piercing guns. Most guns are made of plastic and will melt under the extreme heat and pressure of an autoclave (the piece of equipment used to sterilize implements) and chemical sterilization has not been proven to kill all blood borne pathogens; this is extremely dangerous since fluid micro-spray (microscopic particles of tissue, blood and other body fluids) might be present on the gun after a piercing.

Second, guns are considerably more painful than a piercing needle because guns use the blunt end of the jewelry to do the piercing – actually tearing the skin, traumatizing the area, and complicating healing.

Third, since both the instrument and the jewelry were designed for earlobes, they are not compatible with other areas of the body, increasing the risk of infection and further complicating the healing process.

Fourth, standard piercing gun studs are usually made of a poor quality metal that can cause additional complications.

Lastly, the jewelry is poorly designed in that the backing traps and collects waste, hair and debris, holding it against or close to the piercing. This is far from an ideal healing environment.

Piercology will follow the letter of the Dutch law and only pierce clients with the proper ID and at what we feel is an appropriate age.
FOR PIERCING MINORS; We require that the parent or legal guardian have a valid government issued photo identification. The last name of the parent or guardian MUST be the same as the minor, or legal documentation as to why they are different. The minor being pierced MUST ALSO have photo identification; this can be a passport or a drivers license. We do this to protect ourselves and the minor. The guardian of a minor must also be prepared to be present while the piercing is being performed.
Piercology will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone attempting to use a fake ID, or trying to impersonate another person as this is a federal offense.
For those over 18, a valid government issued photo ID is required.

First. I would like to state that any minor getting a piercing must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian with the appropriate ID and documentation. (See above question.)
Having said that, we will perform the following piercings starting at the corresponding ages.
Earlobes…Age 7
Navel, Cartilage, Nostril, Septum, and Eyebrow…Age 15
Tongue, Lip, Labret, Monroe….Age 16
All other piercings…Age 18

Infections are generally the result of improper aftercare. If you follow the aftercare instructions given to you, infections are very rare. Avoid over cleaning or under cleaning, stick with what the guidelines say and you will avoid an infection. The guidelines you will be given are the latest and up-to-date. They have been established by the industry and the APP working with doctors and the piercing community

Tips are never expected, but always appreciated. Piercing is a service and if you were happy with the service you received, yes tipping is appropriate.