Hi folks! The day has finally come, and it’s an exciting one. We are reopening all under the mask procedures from Tuesday, the 18th of May! You can book for these piercings through our online booking system from Saturday, 15th of May. We are so excited to be able to offer nose piercings again alongside all of our other orofacial options.
This means we will be offering:
- Nose piercings
- Septum piercings
- Lip and cheek piercings
- Inner oral piercings such as tongue, smiley, and frenulum piercings.
Why Offer Nose Piercings etc. Now?
We are a data-led studio, so we chose not to reopen these procedures as soon as we reopened. We simply didn’t feel it was the right decision to blindly reopen these procedures when we didn’t have enough data to make an informed decision. When we reopened, the infection rate 7-day average was 29,290.3 cases.The most recent 7-day average was 14,000. This is a percentage decrease of 210%!
Not only this, but our ability to access the correct level of PPE for under-the-mask services has vastly increased and we now have access to high-level HEPA filters which remove contaminants from the air. We now have three HEPA filters running at a rate that completely filters the atmosphere in the studio 15 times an hour.
We will constantly be reviewing this policy in response to updated infection rates and local governmental guidelines. If we feel it is no longer the responsible choice to offer these services, we will close these options again until the data says that it is safe.
Why are we offering inner oral piercings as well as nose piercings?
We have noticed some studios are offering nasal piercings but not oral piercings. There is no scientific basis for this- It is the same as wearing your mask not covering your nose. The contamination risk is the same. The oral cavity and nasal pathway are a single tract that connect at the larynx to meet the lungs. This means that air expelled from the nose is the same that would be exhaled through the mouth. When choosing to offer under-the-mask piercing, we are already accepting the chance of contamination whether we enter the nostrils or mouth for nose piercings or lip piercings.
In order to accept this risk, we have increased our handwashing procedures to include the upper forearm right to the elbow in the same way that surgeons scrub for surgical procedures. Our PPE is robust and whether we touch the nose or oral cavity we carry the same level of protection. We are confident in our protocols and policies, and are therefore happy to offer all nasal and oral options.
What are our Protocols?
Rogue is known for our stringent hygiene protocols and strong cross-contamination procedures. As a studio, we have always worked to the highest standards. In order to prepare for under-the-mask services, we haven’t needed to change our protocols that much! For all piercings we already use a single-use medical mask, eye protection, visors and disposable aprons to prevent cross-contamination in regards to bloodborne pathogens. These protocols are fully extended to the coronavirus and other respiratory illnesses. The main change that has allowed us to reopen these under-the-mask procedures is the rising rate of vaccination, reduced infection rates and the installation of HEPA certified air filtration.
What is Expected from our Clients
Although we are offering under-the-mask work like nose piercings, masks are still mandatory in store for all other piercings. This means you must bring and wear a mask from the moment you enter the studio, and only remove it once you have entered the piercing room and been asked to remove it for a facial or oral piercing.
We recommend bringing a spare medical mask with you as they can be more comfortable than a tight fabric mask. Once you have had your piercing we recommend using disposable masks for the first 4 weeks as fabric ones can become contaminated.
We are so excited to be able to safely offer these piercings again- We adore facial piercings because they are such a simple way to either revolutionise your look or to add a dainty extra to your style. We would love to perform more lip piercings including philtrums, jestrums and paired lip piercings. You can book for these options online through our website, and we look forward to seeing your smiling faces again. In the meantime, keep an eye on our social media for gorgeous inspiration!