The best piercing studios in London

A stalwart of Camden Market and bonafide piercing pioneer, ColdSteel is one of the oldest and best in the game. Established in 1993, this piercing shop is the place to go if you want the authentic Camden Market experience. The piercers are absolute pros, too. 

A fashion-y and colourful piercing studio that once had a home in Big Topshop (RIP), Metal Morphosis now has outposts in Hackney and Carnaby Street. Established in 1991, the family business has poked holes in the likes of  Rhianna, Little Mix, Kate Moss, and Millie Bobbie Brown. The expertise of the piercers at Metal Morphosis will have you well on the way to achieving the perfect ear stack. Piercings start at £10 for a single lobe, excluding the price of jewellery. 

Found among the swanky shops in Coal Drops Yard, Sacred Gold offers a pain-free and uber-stylish piercing experience. Not only are the interiors reminiscent of a 1920s sorting office, the parlour caters for a very wide range of tastes, offering Europe’s largest selection of BVLA precious-metal body jewellery. It's not the cheapest of piercing shops (they only reveal price on request), but the chic interiors are guaranteed to make for a relaxing and aesthetically pleasing piercing experience. 

Sacred Gold also has studios in Soho and Covent Garden. 

Find out more here. 

With its prime location in the middle of the Liberty store in Soho, Maria Tash has made a name for herself as piercer to everyone who’s anyone – the waiting area is regularly occupied by London A-listers. Cheap and cheerful this place isn’t. You might need to save up for one of the diamond studs here, but you’ll wear it for life. 

Appointments from £20, excluding cost of jewellery. Find out more here.

A lovely little piercing studio tucked away just off Shacklewell Lane. Dedicated solely to body piercing, the top tier piercers at this independent shop have a total of over 20 years of experience between them. Piercings start at £30 including titanium jewellery. 

This sustainable women’s jewellery brand launched its own piercing studio in 2018 and specialises in jewellery that minimises scarring with new piercings. Forget a low-key metal stud – Lark & Berry uses 14-carat gold from its piercing capsule collection and offers a similarly high-end experience to those braving the needle. Fancy.

Appointments complimentary, excluding cost of jewellery. Find out more here. 

This Portobello Road studio boasts a vibrant atmosphere and highly experienced staff as well as a selection of high-quality jewellery to suit all styles. It’s the crème de la crème of piercing places when it comes to having an authentic yet unintimidating experience. Plus, you can go from piercing to perusing market stalls in less than three minutes. Winner. 

Appointments free, excluding cost of jewellery. Find out more here.

Made for the Instagram age, Astrid & Miyu’s Ear Bar is decked out in pink tiles, neon signs and greenery. It hosts parties and events as well as offering affordable piercing. The aim is to make getting pierced feel less daunting and more like an on-trend wellness experience. And A&M’s locations in St Christopher’s Place, Boxpark Shoreditch, King’s Rd and Neal St do just that. 

Appointments cost £20 per 20 minutes. Find out more here.