Piercing in Westerly, RI
Irish Rose Tattoo offers walk-in piercing in Westerly, RI, at 9 East Ave, Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 8. Rayna Lundvall pierces with needles only, never guns, using implant-grade titanium or 14k solid gold. Piercings cost $40 to $70 plus jewelry, with titanium from $35. No appointment needed.
Walk in, show an ID, pick your jewelry, and Rayna will have you pierced in about half an hour, most of which is paperwork and choosing what goes in. There is no booking form for piercings and no deposit. We are open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 8, and the quietest time to come in is a weekday between noon and 3.
Rayna Lundvall has been piercing for eight years and is APP-trained. She pierces with single-use hollow needles only, never a gun, and she marks placement with you in the mirror before anything happens. If an ear shape will not hold a particular piercing well, a rook on a shallow fold for example, she will say so and suggest something that will.
All starter jewelry is ASTM F-136 implant-grade titanium or 14k solid gold, threadless. No plated metal, no mystery steel, no externally threaded bars. Threadless ends push in and are held by tension, which means fewer snags and easy swaps later. Our jewelry page shows the ends and hoops we keep in stock.
The shop is licensed by the Rhode Island Department of Health and inspected every year, and Rayna holds bloodborne-pathogen certification along with Tony and Zak.
What piercing in Westerly costs
Piercing fees run $40 to $70, plus jewelry. Titanium starts at $35 and 14k gold at $90.
- Lobe, $40
- Helix or forward helix, $50
- Conch, $55
- Daith or rook, $60
- Industrial, $70
Nose, navel and other body piercings are on the nose and body piercing pages, and every ear option is laid out on the ear piercing page. Card, tap and cash all work.
Healing, and what Westerly summers mean for it
Healing times are longer than most people expect. Lobes take 6 to 8 weeks. Cartilage, which covers the helix, conch, daith and rook, takes 6 to 12 months, and an industrial 9 to 12. Nostrils settle in 4 to 6 months, septums in 2 to 3, and navels and nipples 6 to 12 months.
Living near Misquamicut and Watch Hill makes that matter. Ocean water, pools and hot tubs are the most common reasons a new piercing gets irritated. If you want a cartilage piercing and a full beach summer, get it in the fall. Lobes before June are fine as long as you keep them out of the water for the first couple of weeks. Rayna walks everyone through the piercing aftercare steps before they leave, and the same instructions are online.
Families and first piercings
A lot of Westerly kids get their first lobes with us. From age 8, a parent comes along and both bring ID. Rayna does both ears one right after the other so nobody has time to change their mind halfway. Teenagers 16 and 17 can get most other piercings with a parent or guardian present and both IDs. If you are planning a first tattoo instead, see our tattoo shop in Westerly page.
Piercing questions
Do I need an appointment for a piercing?
No. Piercings are walk-in whenever we are open. On summer Saturdays there can be a short wait, so weekday afternoons are quickest.
How old do you have to be?
Lobes from age 8 with a parent and ID for both. Most other piercings from 16 with a parent or guardian present and both IDs. Nipple and genital piercings are 18 and over only.
Why don't you use a piercing gun?
A gun forces a blunt stud through tissue and cannot be properly sterilized. A hollow needle makes a clean channel, heals faster, and lets Rayna fit jewelry sized for your anatomy.
What is the downsize check?
Initial jewelry is a little long to allow for swelling. Come back at 6 to 8 weeks and Rayna will check the fit for free and swap to a shorter post if you need one.