From sketchy mall kiosks to Instagram-worthy studios: The untold story of how Studs transformed body piercing forever
The Problem Nobody Talked About
Picture this: You’re 16, standing in a dingy mall corridor, watching a teenager with zero medical training point a piercing gun at your ear. The jewelry? Cheap metal that’ll turn your skin green. The aftercare? “Just twist it and hope for the best.”
This was the reality of ear piercing in America until 2019, when two women decided enough was enough.
Anna Harman, a former corporate lawyer, and Lisa Bubbers, a branding expert, saw what millions of consumers couldn’t articulate: the piercing industry was broken.
“There was this massive gap between Claire’s at the mall and intimidating tattoo shops,” Harman recalls. “People wanted something safe, professional, and actually enjoyable.”
The $3 Billion Opportunity Hidden in Plain Sight
What they discovered was staggering. The body jewelry market was worth billions, yet the customer experience hadn’t evolved in decades. Young consumers were driving a piercing renaissance on social media, but the industry infrastructure was stuck in the 1990s.
The problems were everywhere:
- Piercing guns (banned by health professionals) were standard
- Cheap metals caused infections and allergic reactions
- Zero consultation meant poorly placed piercings
- Sterile environments were practically non-existent
“We realized we weren’t just starting a piercing business,” Bubbers explains. “We were creating an entirely new category.”
The Revolutionary “Earscape®” Concept
In November 2019, Studs opened their first studio in New York’s SoHo district. But this wasn’t just another piercing shop – it was a complete reimagination of the experience.
The Studs Difference:
🎯 Needle-Only Policy: No piercing guns. Ever. Only sterile, medical-grade needles that minimize tissue damage and promote proper healing.
💎 Implant-Grade Materials: Titanium and 14K gold only – the same materials used in surgical implants.
🎨 Personalized “Earscaping”: Custom consultation to map out multiple piercings that complement your ear anatomy and style.
📸 Instagram-Ready Spaces: Neon lights, photo walls, and carefully curated aesthetics that customers actually want to share.
🎓 Professional Training: Their internal “Studs Academy” ensures every piercer meets medical-grade standards.
The Numbers That Shocked Investors
The results were immediate and explosive:
- $30M raised in Series B funding by 2021
- 26+ studios across the United States (with more opening monthly)
- Viral social media presence with millions of UGC posts
- Premium pricing ($35-50 per piercing, $30-180 for jewelry) that customers gladly pay
“We proved that consumers were willing to pay more for a better experience,” Harman notes. “This wasn’t about being cheaper – it was about being worth it.”
The Secret Sauce: Making Medical Cool
What separated Studs from every competitor was their ability to make medical-grade safety feel trendy, not clinical.
The Studs Experience Journey:
- Pre-Visit: Book online, browse curated jewelry collections
- Consultation: Professional assessment of ear anatomy and healing history
- Custom Mapping: Design your personal “earscape” with placement recommendations
- Professional Piercing: Sterile needle technique with implant-grade jewelry
- Aftercare Education: Comprehensive healing guide and premium care products
- Return Visits: Jewelry changes, additional piercings, styling consultations
“Every touchpoint was designed to make customers feel like they were getting luxury healthcare mixed with high fashion,” Bubbers explains.
The $20M Expansion That Changed Everything
By 2021, demand was so intense that Studs raised $20M in Series B funding led by Spark Capital, with participation from Thrive, First Round, and Lerer Hippeau.
The expansion strategy was surgical:
- College towns became primary targets
- Omnichannel approach blending studios with direct-to-consumer online sales
- Content ecosystem turning every customer into a brand ambassador
“We weren’t just opening stores,” Harman reveals. “We were creating cultural hubs where self-expression meets medical expertise.”
The Competitive Moat That Keeps Growing
Traditional competitors couldn’t replicate Studs’ model because it required:
- Massive upfront investment in training and equipment
- Medical-grade compliance across multiple states
- Brand consistency across physical and digital experiences
- Cultural credibility with Gen Z and Millennial consumers
Meanwhile, new entrants faced the “Studs standard” – customers now expected needle-only piercing, implant-grade materials, and professional consultation as baseline requirements.
The Challenges of Scaling Perfection
Success brought new problems:
Talent Shortage: Finding and training enough qualified piercers to maintain standards across rapid expansion.
Regulatory Complexity: Navigating different health codes and licensing requirements in each state and county.
Brand Dilution Risk: Maintaining the “cool factor” while becoming mainstream.
“Every new studio has to feel like the first one,” Bubbers admits. “That’s incredibly difficult to scale, but it’s what makes us special.”
The Cultural Impact Beyond Business
Studs didn’t just build a business – they shifted cultural norms around body modification.
- Normalized multiple piercings as fashion statements
- Elevated safety standards across the industry
- Created new vocabulary (Earscaping, needle-only, implant-grade)
- Influenced competitors to improve their practices
“We made body piercing feel safe for parents to approve and cool enough for their kids to want,” Harman observes.
What This Means for the Future
The Studs model has implications far beyond piercing:
For Entrepreneurs:
- Identify broken customer experiences in established industries
- Combine safety with style to create premium positioning
- Use social media native design to drive organic marketing
- Build education into your service to justify premium pricing
For Investors:
- Experience innovation can be as valuable as product innovation
- Cultural shifts create massive market opportunities
- Professional service businesses can scale with the right systems
- Gen Z spending power is reshaping retail categories
The 23-Studio Empire Today
As of 2024, Studs operates 23 profitable studios with plans for continued expansion. Each location generates strong unit economics through:
- High-margin jewelry sales (customers return for new pieces)
- Repeat piercing services (the average customer gets 3+ piercings)
- Premium pricing power (justified by superior experience)
- Low customer acquisition costs (viral word-of-mouth marketing)
“We’re not just a piercing company anymore,” Harman reflects. “We’re a lifestyle brand that happens to specialize in ear curation.”
The Bigger Revolution
Studs represents something larger than business success – it’s proof that even the most mundane industries can be completely reimagined.
By focusing on an overlooked customer pain point and refusing to accept “that’s how it’s always been done,” two women created a new industry standard that competitors are still trying to match.
The lesson? Sometimes the biggest opportunities are hiding in the most obvious places. You just need to be willing to see them differently.
Want to experience the Studs difference? Check their website for studio locations and book your Earscape consultation. Fair warning: once you go needle-only with implant-grade materials, you’ll never go back to mall piercing.
Follow the revolution: @studs on Instagram | studs.com
This article explores the business strategy and cultural impact of Studs based on publicly available information, founder interviews, and industry analysis. Individual experiences may vary.
