Everything You Ever Wanted To Ask Beyoncé’s Ear Piercer

“I just kind of see it; I guess it’s intuition. I’ve always been good at decorating physical spaces – I always know where the chair should go, or where to hang certain artwork, or the correct lighting to use. I think a lot of it has to do with my ADHD and how I see the world; I see the little things that many people don’t. I’ve been piercing for 16 years and I really, really enjoy it. I could happily decorate ears all day, every day, and never pierce anything else.”

“The colors are changing. For a while, everything was yellow gold; no one wanted anything else. Now, we’re leaning in to white gold and silver. I love mixing rose and white gold – they pair perfectly. But in the piercing industry, nothing stays on top forever; it ebbs and flows.”

“I definitely see that – mainly with my female clients, who come to experience a positive pain. I feel that women don’t get as nervous as my male clients, and they can compartmentalize the pain a little bit better. From what I’ve seen with my clients in this studio, women are badass; tough as nails. When I left the Marines, I was looking in the mirror and I had all these street-gang tattoos. I knew I wanted to change, but I needed to change the guy looking back at me in the mirror. I guess that’s what cutting hair, changing a makeup style or getting a tattoo or piercing is about – it’s tossing out the old you so you don’t see that person anymore.”

“I give everybody the exact same intensity and the exact same effort. It’s a lot more difficult to pierce someone at their home, though. You have to bring everything over and set up, do the piercing in low light, sometimes in an awkward position – usually in their kitchen. Then, you have to break it all down and leave as fast as possible – you never want to linger in a celebrity’s house. I’ve seen kitchens bigger than the house I live in.”

“Absolutely. Sometimes, it just doesn’t work – let’s say if someone wants to pierce the web between their thumb and index finger, then I have to say no. I don’t do tongue piercings or many genitalia piercings, either; it’s just not my strong point. For ear and nose piercings, I’m your guy.”

“Nobody walks into a studio these days without doing some kind of research first. I would start by looking at the person you want to do the piercing: is their portfolio matching up with what you want? In terms of hygiene, if the studio looks clean and organized at first glance, I’d say you’re safe. If you walk in and it’s visibly dirty out front, leave. If the person doesn’t want to talk or answer your questions, that’s another red flag – they should want to answer your questions.”

“If you’re unsure how you will heal or have had bad experiences in the past, start off with just one piercing and then keep adding. Patience is key. Piercings seem like an instant-gratification thing – you’ve worked up the nerve, you saved up the money, you do it and you feel great, and then you think it’s over. Nope – it’s really only just begun. You should also explain your lifestyle to your piercer, too: if you wear earbuds all day, maybe don’t get your tragus pierced. If you’re horseback-riding, or doing a cross-country trip on a motorcycle, probably not a great time to get your ear pierced. You have to fit it into your schedule and remember that, in extreme cases, some piercings can take up to a year to heal.”

“I’ve just launched the Body Electric Tattoo YouTube channel. It can be intimidating to walk into a studio if you’ve never been to one before; maybe you don’t know the right terminology, or perhaps you’re just a little shy and don’t know how to get started. So, I hope these videos can help ease that anxiety. Being nervous doesn’t mean you’re weak or you can’t handle it; being nervous just means you’re human. You’re still doing it, and that’s bravery, right?”