Tell me a bit about yourself...

I'm a professional piercer (female), and have been for about three years. I've pierced in studios in ***** ****, **** ***** ****, and **** ******.

What's the biggest problem in piercing?

Quality of jewelry. Most places go with cheap jewelry to increase their profits. They're skimping on supplies and cutting corners everywhere. I'd say that happens more in Europe than in North America -- North America is a lot more aware. The quality of the people working in the studios is no better. In every European country, there are a small number of excellent studios, but all the rest are really bad. There's no in-between.

What do clients need to think about more before they get pierced?

They need to know how to look for a good piercer. They know what to ask -- "are you sterile?" -- but they don't know what to look for to find out for themselves. A lot of people are satisfied just to hear "yes".