I went to Beyoncé’s piercer after countless piercing mishaps and here’s what I learned
Brian Keith Thompson, professional piercer and owner of Body Electric in Los Angeles, is known around LA as the celebrity piercer, and for a good reason.
While piercing tons of celebs will definitely give you clout, that’s not what Brian’s after. At the end of the day, he just wants to deliver a service to his clients that will leave them feeling happy with what they got, and ultimately feeling healthy.
Brian is adamant about providing clean, gorgeous, and healthy piercings, and honestly, that’s what has made his name a big name. He has made a career of putting the client and their satisfaction first, something that is somehow still rare to find, especially in tattoo and piercing shops.
When I first walked into Body Electric, I immediately felt comfortable – in basically every other shop I’ve walked into, whether for myself or for friends, I have never felt very welcomed. The environment of Body Electric is warm and charming, and it made me feel safe, which is important to me (and probably most others) when I’m literally there to get stabbed through the ear.
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In the past, I had two real go’s at getting my ears pierced – they were both absolute failures. The first time around, I was 13 years old and my grandma took me to a mall kiosk in New Jersey. One, I was too young to take care of my piercings responsibly, and two, I don’t think that the jewelry or the use of the piercing gun did me any favors. My ears became infected a week later.
I tried sticking it out and healing them, but nothing worked. I accepted defeat and removed my earrings. This was a huge bummer for a 13 year old who wanted to wear big, thin hoop earrings like all the other 8th grade girls.
My second attempt, I was 19. I went to a tattoo and piercing shop in Chicago while visiting my friend during Easter break. Randomly, I felt it was time to try again. We researched shops and went to the place that seems the best. I got my ears redone and my nose done.
Again, all of the piercings (yes, including my nose) became infected. At this point, I really figured there was just something wrong with me, when truthfully, I just wasn’t given the proper aftercare tips. Like, at all.
Brian has a rep for being the best in LA, and he’s actually the reason I decided to brave the storm and get my ears pierced again. I made an appointment, and as soon as I got there, we got straight to work.
We headed to the jewelry case, where Brian looked at my ears and told me I have a good tragus, but ultimately decided it would be best to 1. re-pierce my former piercings (two first holes and one second on my left) and 2. add a constellation to my right ear.
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Brian goes about piercing the way an artist goes about prepping to work on a canvas. He studies the face, takes his time, and makes sure to pierce you in a way that will make you leave feeling fabulous.
When I got into the chair, I was, of course, nervous. Any sort of body modification isn’t going to be 100% painless, but severe pain can be prevented if done correctly. Brian uses needles to pierce, and has a whole sanitation station set up for maximum safety. The piercing room is separate from the tattoo room, and it’s extremely quiet and calm.
Brian maps out the piercings meticulously with a sharpie and hands me a mirror – always trust a piercer who’s asking for you to double check them. Even though they were perfectly placed from the start, it’s a good practice, and allows clients to feel more secure in you getting the job done.
He tells me to take a deep breathe in, then out, and I’m pierced. Just like that.
While I felt a slight pinch and some subtle throbbing right afterwards, the whole process was really easy (notice, in the video, I actually say “That was so easy”).
The re-piercing of my original holes felt like nothing, and the new piercings were nothing more than a quick pinch that I hardly felt due to the deep breathe. This whole experience made me feel so comfortable with going back and getting something even more complicated done like a tragus, something I never would have considered prior to seeing Brian.
I actually got hit by a car shortly after he pierced me, meaning they had to remove all of my earrings for the cat scan (I know, I have really bad luck). But, once I was fully healed, Brian had me come into the shop for him to re-pierce me. Not only was the process relatively painless (both times), but the customer service that Brian provides is unmatched.
Most people would probably just say, “That sucks, good luck,” and send me on my merry way, but that’s not the way Brian works. He also sent me home with an aftercare routine that is simple and efficient. This included a spray solution and a Dr. Bronner’s soap to use daily.
For the first time ever, my ears have healed completely without any issue of infection.
It’s very clear that Brian and his shop are famous for a reason – he delivers a grade-A, safe, comfortable service with fabulous customer service and some humor on the side. And if you’re lucky, Brian might just tell you about his days as a Marine, or will talk to you about his love for Darth Vader.
6 months later and my ears are still healthy, infection-free, and cute af. Right now, Brian’s into constellation piercings (see: my ears), and it’s pretty much his specialty. If you want your ears to look like dainty little star clusters – aka the look every celeb has right now – Brian’s your guy. Or, of course, if you just want a dope ear party going on or a simple septum piercing.
If you live in LA, or you’re just visiting, and you’re looking for a great piercer who you can trust, I highly suggest making an appointment with Brian at Body Electric Tattoo.
And if you don’t trust me? At least trust Beyoncé.
