Studs

Studs was founded in New York in 2019 by Anna Harman and Lisa Bubbers, who identified a gap in the piercing market between the mall gun-piercing format, which uses a gun to press studs through the ear and is associated with inconsistent placement and higher infection risk, and the tattoo-shop needle piercing, which carries the technical advantages but comes with the intimidating environment of a shop built around a different clientele. Studs created a bright, accessible studio environment with the needle-piercing standard that the professional piercing community considers safer and more precise than gun piercing.

The Georgetown store at 3288 M Street NW is on the upper end of the M Street commercial block. The piercing studio format at Studs serves both first-time customers getting their initial lobes done and the more experienced piercing collector who is adding a helix, conch, daith, tragus, or additional lobe to an existing ear curation. The staff approach each customer as a curator of their own ear, which is the term the brand uses for the total collection of piercings and jewelry that the wearer has assembled over time.

The jewelry selection at Studs is the second major product category alongside the piercing service. Solid 14K gold and sterling silver pieces across the stud, hoop, and charm formats in sizes appropriate for initial healing through healed-piercing wear. The selection is organized by the anatomy of the ear: what sits best in the lobe versus the helix versus the forward helix, and how different pieces relate to each other in the context of a curated ear. The pricing is at the approachable end of the solid gold market, which is consistent with the brand’s intention to make solid gold piercing jewelry the default rather than the luxury exception.

Walk-in availability at Studs depends on the day and time; appointments can be reserved online at studs.com for customers who want to guarantee a specific time. The M Street store is open seven days a week, with Monday through Thursday from 11am to 7pm, Friday and Saturday from 11am to 8pm, and Sunday from noon to 6pm. The professional piercing standard that Studs uses, where all piercings are performed with a needle rather than a gun, is the technical distinction that the professional piercing community considers most important. Needle piercing removes tissue cleanly rather than tearing through it the way a gun does, which produces faster healing and more precise placement. For customers who have had gun piercings that healed poorly or placed awkwardly, the needle option provides a better outcome in the same session. The staff can also advise on the aftercare protocol that the brand’s healing guides describe, which is the most significant factor in whether a new piercing heals cleanly. The Georgetown M Street store at 3288 is open seven days, closing at 7pm or 8pm depending on the day.