Onin.London Interviews Ben From Metal Morphosis!

From Carnaby Street to Hackney via megastores; Selfridges and Topshop, celeb favourites Metal Morphosis have been body piercing pioneers for over 30 years. And this Spring, the in-demand, piercing institution will expand their operation by opening a new flagship store on Earlham Street in the heart of London’s Covent Garden, Seven Dials neighbourhood.

Metal Morphosis’s core message is that piercing is for EVERYONE. They believe in the right to live authentically and their trailblazing business has provided a safe space for exploration of expression for more than half a million clients over the past three decades.

Champions of the rebels, punks, misfits, mavericks, individuals, originals, icons, outcasts and creatives, Metal Morphosis has always been unafraid of self-identity, expression and exploration, making them firm favourites with London locals and celebrities alike. Recent recognisable clients include the actors Millie Bobby Brown and Patricia Allison, Vogue model Zinnia Kumar and Metal Morphosis ambassador, Kenya Grace, nominated for song of the year.

And now the family-founded business is thrilled to bring their inclusive brand to an even wider audience within this unique part of London. Part of the Mental Morphosis heritage, the brand has always had a deep connection to the people and business of the Seven Dials/Covent Garden neighbourhood – the cool buzz and eclectic, exciting mix of emerging brands and diverse consumer base echoes perfectly the brand’s core value.

Read what found Ben, the super cool 3rd generation owner of this London institution has to say here! We also thank Saoirse Flynn ‘Services Manager and Head of Buying for helping with this article.

What inspired you to start Metal Morphosis and delve into the world of piercings?

             Metal Morphosis was in fact started by my father and grandfather. My father was selling basic body jewelleryin the London markets in late 80’s and customers started asking him if he was able to pierce with it. He then turned to his father (my grandfather) who owned pharmacies and that is where the idea was born of opening a professional licensed piercing studio, in the centerof London.

             Where I came into the business was seeing the further opportunity within the space due to the rise in social media seeing how the industry had a revelation again due to consumers getting a glimpse into celebrities and in influencers private life and how they were starting to cover themselves with piercings, particular ear work. I saw an opportunity to re brand the business and tweak the offering slightly, using the history and heritage created from my dad and grandad. Now we are on an exciting trajectory as the stigma with piercing has diminished and getting a piercing is now like buying a new pair of trainers 😉

How do you ensure the safety and well-being of your clients during piercing procedures?

Firstly, all piercing studios need tohave a special treatments license, issued by the local authority. Ourstudios are fully licensed with eachthe local authority where we arebased, and we ensure we operate to, and above, all requirements laid out with our license.

Further to this, we stock and use only jewellery from suppliers approved bythe Association of Professional Piercers. This means all metals usedhave been verified as not onlyhypoallergenic, but crafted to thehighest standard of manufacture and polish ensuring the best healing and comfort for our clients.  

As with our jewellery, we operate toAPP standards of practice. All jewellery is pre-sterilised, in regularlytested, and serviced, in-house sterilisers. All piercings are performedusing single use sterile gloves, needles and disposable equipment.

With over 30 years of experience in the body piercing industry we knowhow important it is to provide clearand up to date information for ourclients and we are able to provide thisthrough our online resources and highly trained and experienced staff, from enquiring about a piercing, theprocedure, aftercare and follow upsupport we’re here to ensure ourclient’s safety and well being everystep of the way.

·  What are some of the most popular or unique requests you’ve encountered at Metal Morphosis?

Lobes and helixes, nostrils are always by farthe most popular piercings we perform. Withsummer on the way a lot of clients areplanning the piercings they want to show off during the warmer months and we alwaysrecommend getting pierced ahead oftravelling and holidays so new piercingshave a chance to heal before going abroador swimming, so navels and longer healingcartilage piercings are very common duringlate winter and early spring. Of course, whencelebrities are seen showing off newpiercings there is usually an increase in thepopularity of those piercings, more recentlySeptum piercings, as worn by actresses like Florence Pugh and consistently any piercingCardi B sports will have a sudden jump in demand– for example cheek microdermalsand double nostril piercings.

·  What are the biggest misconceptions people have about piercings , and how do you address them?

There are so many misconceptions aboutpiercing, even with it’s growing popularity! For example, that you need to be a certain“type” of person to get them, be it “young”, “alternative”, or in certain line of work– but piercing is for everyone. If you see a style that you love and you’re drawn to we say Go For it!  

Another misconception barrier is that a lot ofpeople are worried that piercings areextremely painful, but we are constantlybeing told by clients, after their piercings, that the experience wasn’t what they wereexpecting, and they are so happy they did it.

There are, however, some misconceptionsthat can have negative outcomes. With therise of high street brands ‘jumping on thepiercing wagon’ this has meant we still seethose who have had bad experiences withgun piercings, or piercings performed withlow quality jewellery. We always recommendgoing to a professional body piercer for yourpiercings and jewellery, even healedpiercings can become irritated by massproduced plated jewellery. Getting piercedwith guns, low quality, or plated jewellery cancause so many issues with piercings, and really ruin what is supposed to be a fun and positive self expression experience.

Luckily with consumers becoming moreeducated on better piercing practices, iesterile needle piercing over gun piercings, and seeking out higher quality jewellerydesigned for piercings – so we hope thatfalse marketing and ‘too good to be true’ pricing won’t be able to continue foolingpeople away from getting the experiencethey deserve with professional piercers.

·  How do you stay updated on the latest trends, techniques, and safety protocols in the piercing industry?

Our company history is built on a dedicationto staying up to date on jewellery materials, manufacture, safety and best practice. Webelieve learning is never done when it comesto our industry, and are ever evolving ourpractices as the piercing industry continuesto develop. For us, this takes the form of ourstaff staying up to date with industry relevant courses & publications, attending trade and learning conferences, and alwayscommunicating updated information to ourlicensing local authority. We strive to delivera consistent quality of service, and as such, offer internal training and support to our staffin addition to external piercing and healthand training education. So that thisexperience can be shared with our entireteam, from those piercing for over 30 years, to our apprentices and counter staff.

·  What advice would you give to someone considering a piercing for the first time?

Begin by researching your piercer and yourpiercing. Many piercers, and their studios, have online portfolios on platforms like instagram, and reviews can be seen on google pages for their businesses. Information on what to expect with specificaftercare for the piercing you want can befound on studio websites and blogs fromvarious piercers, and all this will help prepareyou for what to expect.

Recently, a large number of fashion jewellerybrands have begun offering piercing as an additional service, often using gun piercingmethods or jewellery that isn’t suitable forpiercings. We always recommend seekingout a professional body piercer, who’sprimary goal is the best piercing outcome fortheir client.

Personally, we love it when client’s bring reference images they’ve found to theirpiercing consultations, be it in store or fromemailing or messaging us online. Sites like Pinterest and instagram are great forreference images as we can help plan thelook they want to achieve around theirspecific anatomy and style. We can evencustom order jewellery ahead for clients, orthey can buy on our website for in storecollection, so it’s all ready for theirappointment day. Don’t be afraid to email ormessage ahead with questions, we arealways here to help.

·  Can you speak to the importance of aftercare and ongoing support for clients post-procedure?

It is vitally important to care for and clean a new piercing, sterile saline is the bestsolution to clean with and this is usually soldby your piercer or on multiple online stores. Avoid making your own salt water solution asthe water to salt ratio is difficult to get right, and can result in salt residue build up on thepiercing. Aftercare advice for your specificpiercing will be provided by your piercerfollowing your appointment, and given in written form in an aftercare leaflet. Online resources are also available for specificpiercings, as different parts of the anatomywill require different care.

Downsizing the long initial piercing jewelleryis an incredibly important part of the healingprocess. There is always initial swelling thatpiercers allow for by piercing with longerjewellery, however leaving this long jewelleryin past the time when the initial swellingreduces can cause issue such as migrationor catching and tearing. Your piercer will advise you on when to return for a check upand downsize to make sure the jewellerylength is always correct for your piercing’sstage of healing.

External issues and problems can occur, healing isn’t always a linear journey and so follow up support is always available fromyour piercer should you need it– just get in contact or book a check up should you behaving any problems with healing orjewellery fit.

·  In what ways do you collaborate with other professionals or organisations in the piercing community?

As the body piercing and jewellery industryhas evolved and expanded so haveresources such as body piercing specificconferences, trade shows and publications. Piercers from across the world are providingeducation for all through these conferencesand sites like Patreon, and we feel very lucky to be able to attend these and support online education such as those from theAssociation of Professional Piercers, magazines such as The Sharp End, and Patreon. Conventions, guest spots, and online groups allow us to connect with otherpiercers in the community and help continuelearning and developing as the industrycontinues.

·  What do you envision for the future of Metal Morphosis and the piercing industry?

As we open our new flag shop store in Covent Garden, we are so excited be able toextend our offering to more clients. Our aimis to continue to elevate customerexperience, offering the highest qualityjewellery and piercing services.

We look forward to the piercing industry continuing to grow and develop best practice through continued education and knowledge sharing, and are proud to be a part of it still, 32 years since we first opened our doors in Soho London.