An expert with outstanding body piercing skills delivering consistently great services: Pierce Me London

Piercings have long been used to decorate oneself in cultures across the world. Body piercings are seen as a way to express our individuality artistically. As popular as they are, if done incorrectly, they can cause discomfort and infections and turn into a painful ordeal. Getting pierced in a hygienic place with professionals is the only way to ensure a smooth piercing experience.

Globally there are various entities delivering excellent body piercing services, but Pierce Me London (PML) stands out from the rest. PML’s award winning Tattoo and Piercing parlour is located in the heart of Covent Garden, on St Martin's Court, between Charing Cross Road and St Martin's Lane. The nearest tube stations are: Leicester Square and Covent Garden. PML is fully licensed by Westminster City Council and they operate within 7 Dials Tattoo studio. PML operates on 7 days a week basis for piercings, and the team is always happy to assist you on site for body jewellery: however, appointments are now necessary!

In conversation with Raph Duplay, Founder and Director of Pierce Me London

Q. As a journalist, I find Pierce Me London quite striking. From the emotional brandingstandpoint, it has that appeal. How did you come up with the brand name? And please brief us about the history so far.  

Thank you very much. Yes, I like this name! It seems a bit cheeky, but it's also a name that instantly indicates our location and is easy to remember. Our piercing studio operates within a tattoo studio; both businesses share the same premises but are actually independent of each other. Up until the first lockdown, we were known as Extreme Needle Piercing, which I was never too happy with, and the tattoo business was known as Extreme Needle Tattoo. During the lockdown, I was forced to work from home on various aspects of the business, such as creating a website, social media accounts, and an online booking system offering appointments rather than walking in. With the creation of the piercing studio's new website and social media accounts, it became clear that having very similar names would become an issue in terms of SEO especially. So we decided to change our trading names mainly for better branding and for a new visual identity but also to clearly state that we are two different businesses. Now, as you know, we are operating as Pierce Me London, while the tattoo Studio is Seven Dials Tattoo. I wanted to find a name that was strong, bold, and rapidly successful.

An SEO consultant suggested that I should look into top Google searches in my business area in order to pick a successful name. He then generated a list for me, and with the rest of the piercing team, we decided that Pierce Me London suited us well! The pandemic has been very challenging for our businesses. We were unable to trade for many months, but I feel that these challenges have been a motor in exploring new strategies in order to strengthen the business. Since then, our website www.piercemelondon.co.uk has been honoured with two separate awards: "Best online Body Jewellery Retailer – London" (LUX Health, Beauty & Wellness Awards) and "Best Jewellery Retailer of the Year London – UK" (Corporate Live Wire, Innovation & Excellence Awards).

Q. How skilled is the PML team of experts? And how do they bring value to the company? 

We have a strict protocol, and all our team follows the guidelines in place. We must always offer the highest standard of services, level of care, and hygiene, seven days a week, regardless of which member of our team is on-site. Each of our body piercers has a minimum of 10 years of experience as London piercing professionals, and they have worked in various studios and countries over the years. They are friendly yet strict: sometimes people want to get piercings which we do not consider to be safe. We only offer traditional piercings, microdermals, or surface piercings according to a body map. If we think a piercing is too risky, we always let the customer know that it cannot be done. Whenever we pierce someone at the studio, we provide them with a comprehensive aftercare leaflet so they know how to care well for their piercing and to prevent troublesome healing. Our receptionists also have specialised and lengthy training in order to have the right knowledge to answer comfortably to any piercing or jewellery related questions.

Every member of the piercing team is valuable to the company; furthermore, we are a bunch of really good friends! The company was created to practice the art of body piercing in the safest possible manner, and this is primarily achieved through the potential of our team and the deep trust they have for each other. There is a common desire to keep developing skills and to make London/Londoners more beautiful for the decades to come. This year, our team won the award and title: “Body Piercing Specialists of the year” (Corporate Live Wire, London & South East Prestige Awards).

Q. From your perspective, how is the industry you serve currently evolving? And where does PML stand at the moment relative to other participants in the industry? 

The body piercing industry is constantly evolving. There are always new tools being made, new Jewellery/ suppliers, and even new ways of piercing methods to update our own techniques! Additional health and safety protocols can be put in place at any time. During the Covid crisis, for instance, the government required that we should wear extra PPE for every visitor to the studio. I have to say that it's amazing to be part of such an industry; there is always something new to learn, and I think most of its members are always striving to have higher standards of hygiene and overall quality. As for PML, we have a fantastic online reputation thanks to our clients who leave online reviews and comments after visiting our place.

We also benefit from being in a central location, just a few minutes from Covent Garden. After a lot of hard work over the years, I can now humbly say that we are one of London's most acclaimed and well-established piercing studios.

Q. What makes – and keeps – PML relevant? 

I think it’s our friendly and very approachable attitude to our clientele that varies from all kinds of ages, genders, races, religions, and backgrounds. Our team has an extensive professional experience in the field and has been adapting to the modern demand and attitude toward the profession while still maintaining the core passion for the ritualistic art of body piercing. Not to mention that we are constantly expanding our ranges and services, and we try to offer quality at a competitive price.

Q. How do you see PML changing in five years, and how do you see yourself creating that change? 

When I first started to work in this business, body piercing was not so widely accepted and commercialized, but I had a vision then, and I kept working hard to achieve it. It is hard to tell what the future brings, but we will keep working hard to offer the best piercings and jewellery and to retain our fantastic reputation!

We will keep developing our website and jewellery/piercing range. We really hope to expand our venture at some point, perhaps by opening another venue.

Q. What is your final message to The Silicon Review readers, your current and future clients, and partners?  

We are welcoming everybody to experience our services with full confidence; you will not be disappointed! Feel free to email us if you have any piercing, aftercare, or jewellery-related question at info@piercemelondon.co.uk. Keep tuned to our Instagram page, where we announce all PML news and where sometimes we organize giveaways! @piercemelondon.