Founded in Los Angeles in 1976, Studex are turning 50 this year. With over 40 offices worldwide and 11 regional trainers in the UK and Ireland, we uncover their past, present and future plans…
What’s the Studex story?
Since its launch, the brand has grown significantly and currently has over 40 offices worldwide supplying piercing equipment and jewellery to a range of different sectors. With our 50th anniversary year underway, expect lots of new products on the horizon!
Tell us about your UK presence…
Within the UK and Ireland, we have 11 Regional Trainers who carry out training on the System 75 Ear Piercing and Medisept Nose Piercing. Some of our trainers have worked with Studex for over 20 years so their wealth of expertise and experience is invaluable to the core of our training. We pride ourselves on offering face to face training for salons to ensure that once the training is completed, all members of staff feel confident and excited to offer a piercing service to their clients.
Do you need any prior qualifications to become a piercer?
No prior qualifications are needed to carry out piercing training; we cover everything necessary in terms of practical and theory to be able to offer a piercing service within a business. Knowledge of anatomy and the confidence to complete the consultation and deliver a professional service puts beauty specialists at an advantage for offering piercing.
Why should someone consider adding piercing services to their salon menu?
Piercing offers a great add-on service to any beauty business seeking additional revenue. With low set up costs and a potential to upsell during the service, there is a fantastic opportunity to boost revenue and become a destination for piercing. With a range of marketing support available salons can create an experience for all clients to ensure that they can create a customer for life.
To offer a piercing service salons would need to check their insurance details and look into a ‘Special Treatments' Licence with the local council which our team will support you with. A lot of businesses already offering aesthetics within their business should be able to add piercing to their treatment menu with ease. With piercing remaining very much on trend, the opportunity for curating client's ears with multiple piercings ensures it’s more than just a one-off service too.
What support and training does Studex provide?
With the purchase of a Starter Kit, a Studex Trainer will carry out the onsite training with the staff members who will be piercing. We encourage team members who may not be physically carrying out the piercing to also attend so that they are able to promote the service within the business. Training takes between three to five hours, within this time the trainer will carry out the theory side, safe and efficient piercing, contraindications, best practice, the piercing process, aftercare and any troubleshooting.
Staff are required to bring a model into the training session so that the trainer can view the piercing process and be on hand to assists with any questions. On completion of the course, staff members will complete an online assessment and with feedback from the trainer, a certificate of completion will be supplied.
Once the training has been completed, our trainer is available to answer questions which may arise in the weeks and months after the training. Our head office, based in Peterborough, has an experienced customer service team who are on hand to help with any questions and assist with marketing support and product selection.
Studex offer a wide range of marketing support to help promote piercing within salons and our website houses a media hub which consists of social media posts, reels and expert guides which can be used to showcase your piercing services. In addition to digital assets, Studex offers a wide selection of point-of-sale material all which help to offer additional support.
Is Studex just for piercing ears or does it cover body piercing too?
Within the Studex product portfolio we offer System 75 Ear Piercing - a hand pressured instrument which is loaded with a pre-sterilised cartridge which holds the earring in order to carry out the piercing service. With System 75 you can pierce a client’s lobe and cartilage and during a training session, our trainers discuss correct placement and where a piercing can and can’t be performed.
An additional service available is the Medisept Nose Piercer, similar to System 75, training is available on each system individually or the courses for Ear and Nose piercing can be combined. Many salons also enjoy additional sales success with our retail programme; Sensitive has a beautiful selection of hypoallergenic earrings, perfect for the most sensitive ears and Tinytips is a fun and colourful range, specifically for children.
What makes Studex stand out from the competition?
As the global manufacturer of piercing supplies and with 50 years of experience we are experts in what we do with safe, hygienic piercing at the forefront. Every Studex system is engineered with precision, designed to deliver a safe, gentle and sterile experience for consumers globally. Our jewellery is carefully crafted to the highest global standards, using premium hypoallergenic materials that are kind to even the most sensitive skin. We go above just being a manufacturer and supplier of piercing supplies, the training and ongoing support from our head office is at the core of our partnership with salons. From accredited training courses to on hand guidance and support, we strive to empower our partners to offer safe and confident services their clients can trust.
Finally, what's new in piercing for 2026?
This year we have launched the ‘Multi Piercings’ which consists of three new piercings; Triangle, Auricle and Spider Bite. These piercings offer more opportunity for salons to promote new areas for piercing and encourage current and new customers to return for additional piercings.
Our premium Advanced Aftercare lotion has also had an impressive makeover. The hypochlorous based product has proven a huge success with amazing retail opportunities, boasting accelerated skin recovery post-piercing and reducing natural swelling and redness. Advanced Aftercare now offers easier cleaning, touch free application and amazing results.
As we step into our 50th year innovation continues and we have lots of exciting new products on the horizon, so watch this space…
For more information, go to studex.com