Over Thanksgiving Break I went to Mint Piercing, located at 5525 Mills Civic Pkwy #125, West Des Moines, IA 50266, to get my ears pierced. If you know me you should know that I have one of the lowest pain tolerances of anyone I know. I had the option to get my ears pierced when I was 10 but chickened out and put it off. A couple weeks ago I decided I was finally done not being able to wear fun earrings. I did a quick google search to find local piercing places. There were a few tattoo shops that had good reviews, but the reason Mint stood out to me was because it was exclusively piercing and did not have one bad review. I scheduled an appointment and counted down the days. I wasn’t super nervous the days leading up but when we parked outside of the shop my heart began to pound. I will be rating Mint Piercing in three categories. Cleanliness, Customer service, Price, and  an overall score.

Cleanliness: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mint piercing might be one of the cleanest places I’ve ever been to. You park in front of the building and text the designated number to let them know you have arrived. They will then text you back telling you when it is OK to come in for you appointment. When I stepped into the room everything in the room seemed very clean and sterile. When the actual piercing process started the guy who was piercing my ears, Tyler Arnett, washed his hands about three different times, once after each step. He then sterilized the table his tools would be laid on. My ears were cleaned after each step as well. This may seem overbearing but the level of cleanliness made me feel more comfortable.

Customer Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The guy who pierced my ears explained every step that was happening and had me take a few deep breaths while he was doing the piercing. Afterwards I was provided with two bottles of aftercare saline solution to make sure my ears did not get infected. I also received a pamphlet with exact care instructions and information about the type of piercing and jewelry I had. Customer Service is one of the most important parts about having a successful business.

Price: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The price of the initial piercing is about $85 for ear lobe piercing. It fluctuates depending on the type of piercing you get. Another variable for the pricing is the material of the jewelry and the stone. When choosing my jewelry I was shown pieces that ranged from $45- $3000. I did not need anything fancy and chose to opt for the simple Swarovski stone with titanium metal backs. $100 for a piercing may seem a but pricey, but the precision of the piercing itself was worth the extra couple bucks. He measured my ears to make sure that they were even. Though it is strange your ears actually continue to grow into your 20s. He placed a mark where he would pierce them at the same spot on each ear that way if my ears do continue to grow they look even 10 years from now. For the quality of the jewelry and the detail of piercing I would say the price is a very good deal.

Overall: 1000⭐’s

Obviously I haven’t been to many piercing places, but I would recommend Mint Piercing to anybody. The five star ratings in each category are well deserved.