Does Permanent Jewelry Hurt? What the Appointment Feels Like

Short answer: no. There is no needle, nothing goes through your skin, and the part people are nervous about — the weld — is over in about a second. Most people describe a faint warmth or a small tap. Plenty feel nothing at all.

Why it doesn't hurt

The welder discharges a very short burst of energy across the two link ends being joined. The pulse is measured in milliseconds and the heat is confined to the metal at the join, so the chain doesn't warm up along its length. A leather or card shield is normally slipped between the chain and your skin as well.

You may see a small spark and hear a click. That's the whole event.

What the appointment is actually like

• You pick a chain. This is most of the appointment and the only part that takes real thought.
• The artist wraps it round your wrist and marks the length, checking the fit with you.
• They cut it, then join the two ends with a jump ring and weld it closed.
• You check it moves the way you want. Say something now if it doesn't — after this it's a cut and a re-weld.

Fifteen to thirty minutes start to finish for one piece.

If you're nervous

Two things help. First, tell the artist — they do this all day and will talk you through the weld before it happens rather than surprising you. Second, ask them to demo the weld on a scrap length of chain first. Most will offer anyway, and watching one happen a foot away removes essentially all of the anxiety.

Piercing studios are often the most comfortable environment for a nervous first-timer, simply because reassuring people is a large part of that job. Piercing studios that weld permanent jewelry.

Is it safe?

For most people, yes — it is jewelry fastened around you, not a procedure. Two things are worth flagging to the studio before they start: a known metal allergy, and any implanted medical device. Neither is necessarily a problem, but both are worth a conversation rather than an assumption, and if you have any doubt speak to your doctor rather than the internet.