I Got A “Snake Bite” Ear Piercing At Studs NYC & Here's My Honest Review

It’s been a minute since I’ve gotten a new piercing — but when Studs invited me to visit their Nolita studio in downtown NYC and design my own curated ear (or “earscape,” as they call it), I jumped at the chance.

If you’re interested in doing the same and don’t live in the New York City area, luckily, Studs has 13 studios across the country (and counting), with locations in California, Texas, Florida, and beyond.

My Ear Piercing Experience At Studs Nolita

Walking into the Nolita studio, I was met with an artsy wall of neon yellow ears covered in earrings (MoMA worthy, TBH), kind faces, and a lot of shoppable earrings on display.

With my previous piercing experience being at a Piercing Pagoda in the mall (Millennials, you know the vibes), Studs felt incredibly elevated, and in turn, a lot more trustworthy IMO. Unsure about the exact piercing I wanted, their team was both comforting and accommodating, allowing me time to chat about what may look best on my ear, which of the various piercings had longer healing times, and what earring styles may look best with my daily go-to jewelry.

After some time, I decided on trying the studio’s popular snakebite piercing, and headed to a private room in the back.

In terms of pricing, here is what you can generally expect: To service a single piercing, it’s $35, but if you go for two by way of a snakebite (which is their max amount of piercings you can get at a single time due to health and safety standards), it’s $50. On top of that service fee, the pricing of jewelry is tacked on and does vary — but for the simple 14K gold flat-back stud that I opted for above, the price is $80 per.

What Is A Snakebite Ear Piercing?

If you’ve yet to hear about snakebite piercings, it may be because Studs has coined the name as completely their own. The chic studio shares that the “Studs Snakebite® is two piercings stacked close together on your ear. While most commonly pierced along the midi-helix, these piercings can be placed around different areas of your ear, depending on your personal ear anatomy and your style.”

Though many A-listers and fashion girlies alike have gone for the edgy look, supermodel Kaia Gerber (below) is noted as popularizing the style back in 2019. Since then, other celebs like Gen Z icon Dixie D’Amelio and singing sensation Rosalia have joined in on the emerging trend.

The Snakebite Piercing’s Pain Factor & Healing Time

When it comes to piercings, I’d say I have a pretty high pain tolerance — though I must admit, the handheld single-use needle (as opposed to the piercing “guns” used at spots like Claire’s, for example) was a bit intimidating.

That being said, the Studs piercers are truly professionals, and made me feel incredibly comfortable and taken care of throughout the experience. With a few deep breaths, the pain was sharp and quick, and perhaps a bit more intense with the second piercing (likely because they are so close together). On a scale from 1-10 (with 10 being the most brutal pain), I’d say it was about a 3 tops.

As far as healing time goes: It was pretty hard falling asleep on my side for quite a few nights, and my ear was very, very sore to the touch and sensitive. That being said, most (if not all) discomfort went away at just about the seven or eight day mark post-piercing, though the time may vary for some. And even now at about two weeks out, it can be a bit uncomfortable in certain sleeping positions, though it’s no longer super sensitive to the touch.

One thing I will note is that with new Studs piercings, they opt for a slightly longer bar to make room for any swelling in your ear — and in about two or three months once it is fully healed, I will need to go back and exchange the bar for one that lays flush to my lobe for a more comfy fit, free of charge.

The Right Way To Aftercare

Remember that age-old advice that we should be twisting our freshly-pierced earrings? Yeah, well, come to find out: It’s a total myth when it comes to proper aftercare.

According to the Studs pros, it’s best to just allow your ear to heal naturally, touching it as little as possible to limit irritation. And other than avoiding jewelry twisting or accidental snagging with sweaters and hairbrushes, it’s best to spritz the area with a simple saline spray a few times a day to keep things clean and infection-free (which they have available at the shops).

So far? No issues, no nasty gunk, no infections, and no redness. All in all, if you’re in the market for a new curated ear, I highly recommend finding your closest Studs.