Ask a Piercer:
Marilyn Mena-Scott of HTC Body Piercing

Meet Marilyn Mena-Scott of HTC Body Piercing in Phoenix, Arizona - one of the oldest piercing-only studios in the United States. Marilyn manages the uptown location, which was designed with a heavy emphasis on high-end jewelry. Her clients seek her out to curate delicate ear parties with a minimalistic feel.

Read on to learn about the stacked ear trend, the best kind of jewelry to wear when you first get pierced, and why you might want to choose push-pin vs. screw style flat back earrings for your piercings.

✨ Marilyn's Advice to You ✨

What trends have you been seeing for piercings or piercing combinations? 

Multiple lobe piercings in unique configurations have really made a big splash in our industry. 

Stacking lobe piercings close together or one atop the other is one my favorite things to do. Lobe piercings can make a big statement all on their own. Plus, they are super easy piercings to heal compared to those in the ear cartilage.

What kind of initial jewelry would you recommend for each of the following piercings: helix, tragus, daith, conch, nostril, septum? 

Although cartilage rings look super cute in many piercings, most piercers agree that starting with a barbell post (e.g. a flat back stud earring) initially in a fresh piercing is the best way to go to promote faster healing. 

Septum and daith piercings tend to be the exception as those piercings are usually performed with a cartilage ring of some kind.  

Thoughts on push-pin vs. screw-style flat backs?

When it comes to comparing threadless / push-pin jewelry to threaded jewelry, the biggest pro/con comparison would be convenience. Threadless jewelry by design is way more user friendly. I myself struggle to thread jewelry back together in my ears, where a pushpin piece just pops right in. 

The downfall to threadless jewelry is that it is not as locked in as threaded jewelry can be. Another thing to know: the bigger the gem is on a threadless end, the higher the chances of it snagging on something and getting pulled off. 

 I personally prefer to work with threadless jewelry, but most of the gems and ends I am using are very tiny and therefore more secure.

See more of Marilyn's work on Instagram at @htcmarilyn