Whether you?re contemplating the idea of getting a piercing or are ready and willing to get a hole or two drilled into you, downtown Sacramento piercing studios can help make the most of a painful experience.

With all the options and unexplored territory of the piercing world, there are more than enough ways to express your individuality or drive your parents crazy.

There are a wide range of piercing parlors that offer the most common kinds of piercing on the ears, navel, tongue, and eyebrows. Many of these stores go to the extreme by offering to pierce unusual places such as the septum (tissue between nostrils), labret (area between the chin and lower lip), vertical earl (between the eyes) and almost anywhere else.

The weirdest thing anyone ever asked me to pierce would have to be the uvula,” said piercer Casper Johnson of the Exotic Body Piercing Shop. The uvula is the piece of flesh that dangles from the back of the mouth.

Johnson said that most of their customers are in their 20s to 30s, and the shop tends to get busy when warmer weather approaches. Depending on the jewelry chosen, a piercing at The Exotic Body can range anywhere from $40-$235, or $25-$30 for a hole only.

“There really isn?t anything you can?t pierce,” Johnson said. “But I don?t recommend piercing the bridge of your nose, deep chest piercing, or anywhere underneath bone.”

Exotic body is located at 807 30th Street and can be reached at 447-OUCH.

Sub-Q has one of the largest selections of piercing products available, ranging from spikes and plugs to ear gems and barbells. Almost any style is offered, and come in such materials as silver, 18-karat gold, acrylic or titanium.

Sub-Q employee Paul Cimkowski said the parlor offers discounts of either $5 off any piercing service or 10 percent off the purchase of any jewelry to students, seniors,and for groups of four people or more.

According to the manager of Body Fantasy at 2525 J St., Megan O?Leary, piercings become more mainstream and accepted in the Sacramento area.

“There aren?t that many people who come back to get their piercings removed, and the few that do have to take them out because they got new jobs that will not allow them,” Leary said. “The labret piercing was really popular last year, but that fad has died down this year.”

Many people are afraid to get piercings because of the pain involved. Sub-Q at 714 K St. has some helpful tips for customers to prepare for a piercing. They recommend eating beforehand to keep blood sugar up (reducing the risk of passing out) and bringing a friend for support.

Plan your choice beforehand to prevent any future regrets. Finally, set aside time for your appointment and relax to erase thoughts of worst-case scenarios.

The most painful piercings are those in the cartilage or genitals. The least excruciating are the tongue and the eyebrows.

Piercings are not permanent like tattoos, but they can leave scars depending on how your body heals. Think about the “hole” picture before getting stuck with something unwanted.

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