Tattooing and piercing share the same foundation: precision, sterility, and a deep understanding of how the body responds to intentional modification. At Pangea Ink, our piercing services operate under the same standards as our tattoo work — medical-grade equipment, single-use jewelry, documented hygiene protocols, and artists who know what they’re doing.
Here’s what we offer and what you need to know before coming in.
Ear Piercings and Ear Curation
Ear piercings are one of the most requested services at our studio. This includes:
- Lobes — standard, double, and triple lobe placements
- Helix and flat — upper cartilage piercings that have become one of the most popular ear curation elements
- Tragus and anti-tragus — precision placements that require anatomy assessment before committing to a position
- Daith — a cartilage fold piercing that has gained attention beyond aesthetics (though we’ll leave the migraine claims to others)
- Conch — both inner and outer placements, often paired with specific jewelry styles
- Industrial (scaffold) — a bar connecting two helix piercings; one of the more dramatic ear options
We offer ear curation consultations — a planned approach to building out your ear with multiple piercings that work as a cohesive composition rather than random additions. If you’re planning multiple piercings, this is the right way to approach it.
Facial Piercings
- Nostril and septum — the most popular facial piercings; both are quick and heal relatively well
- Eyebrow — surface piercing; healing requires attention and some placement choices are more stable than others
- Lip and labret — multiple placement options around the mouth and chin
- Bridge — surface piercing across the nose bridge; more prone to rejection than deeper piercings, so placement and anatomy matter significantly
Body Piercings
- Navel (belly button) — healing takes 6–12 months and is anatomy-dependent. We’ll assess your navel shape before recommending the placement.
- Nipple — 9–12 months to fully heal; requires strict aftercare
- Surface piercings — collarbone, sternum, nape of neck, and other non-traditional placements. Surface piercings have higher rejection rates than channeled piercings, and we’ll be honest with you about anatomy and likelihood of success before proceeding.
- Dermal anchors — single-point surface piercings that sit flush against the skin; can be placed in a wider variety of locations than surface bars
Jewelry: What We Use
Initial jewelry matters more than most people realize. We use implant-grade titanium and implant-grade steel for all fresh piercings. These materials are biocompatible — the body doesn’t react to them the way it does to lower-quality metals that contain nickel or other allergenic compounds.
Gold jewelry (14k and above, implant-grade) is available for certain placements. We don’t use costume jewelry, mystery alloy pieces, or surgical steel that isn’t implant-grade. After healing, we can often downsize jewelry to better-fitting pieces.
Healing Times by Piercing Type
- Lobes: 6–9 months for full healing (yes, this long — surface healing is faster than internal healing)
- Cartilage (helix, tragus, daith, conch): 9–18 months
- Nostril: 4–6 months
- Septum: 2–3 months
- Navel: 6–12 months
- Nipple: 9–12 months
- Surface piercings: variable, 6–12+ months, with higher likelihood of rejection
Aftercare for Piercings
The standard of care is simple and consistent: sterile saline solution, twice daily. Spray or apply to the piercing; do not rotate the jewelry. Do not use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or antibacterial soap on fresh piercings — these damage the new tissue and slow healing.
Avoid touching the piercing with unwashed hands. Avoid submerging in pools, oceans, or baths during healing. Change your pillowcase frequently for ear piercings. Sleep on a travel pillow (with the piercing through the hole) to avoid pressure on healing cartilage.
Visiting for a Piercing While in Panama City
Many of our tattoo tourism clients add a piercing to their visit — a natural complement to a tattoo appointment. Piercings are quick (a 15–30 minute appointment for most), heal well in Panama’s warm climate, and can be planned easily around tattoo sessions.
Walk-ins are welcome for most piercings. For more complex placements or anatomy consultations, reach out ahead of your visit.
