Piercing Courses in Hackney

Studios, yes. Hackney has plenty of piercing studios, from Dalston through to Hackney Wick. Structured training is the gap. Apprenticeships here are competitive, often unpaid, and vary a lot in what you are taught. A course gives you the theory and supervised practice in a set time.

Hackney Wick is a single London Overground stop from Stratford, about ten minutes, and the rest of the borough only a few minutes further. Many students walk or cycle. By road it is roughly 15 to 20 minutes, though the Overground is usually faster.

Prices and the deposit are shown next to each date on this page, and are the same whichever area you travel from. A deposit holds your place and the balance is paid before the course starts.

No. Both courses are open to complete beginners, and you need to be over 18. You start with theory, hygiene and safety, practise on piercing moulds, and only then move on to piercing live models with a tutor beside you.

The 2-Day Piercing Course runs over a weekend: a day of theory with a theory test, then a practical day on moulds and live models. It is intense, and the second day can run late. The 4-Day Piercing Course runs Monday to Thursday and covers the same ground at a more relaxed pace, with a lot more practice. Its first two days include Level 2 Infection Prevention and Control, and the piercing practice is spread over the last two days, across more live models.

Yes. You receive a certificate when you complete the course, and the 4-day course also includes Level 2 Infection Prevention and Control. A certificate shows what training you have done. It is not a licence to pierce.

Licensing is handled by your local council, not by us, and the course does not give you a licence. Most London boroughs license piercing under a special treatment licence, while elsewhere in England piercers and premises register with the council. It depends on where you work rather than where you trained, so if you plan to pierce in Hackney, check with Hackney Council before you take clients.

Talk to us as soon as you can. Each day builds on the one before, and on the 2-day course a missed day is half the course, so we would rather sort something out with you than have you carry on without the basics. Get in touch and we will talk through your options.

Both courses cover earlobe and cartilage piercings (helix, tragus, anti-tragus, conch, daith, snug, rook and industrial), nostril, bridge, septum, eyebrow, tongue, smiley, labret, medusa, madonna and monroe, navel and nipple. You learn the jewellery and sizing for each, and the risks of the more difficult ones.