It never ceases to amaze me how much some shops charge for a simple piercing. At K. Ink our piercings are $24 jewelry included! Dermal mounts (single hole for wearing changeable gem tops like on a cheek or wrist) are $50. Other shops charge significantly more. I encourage people to shop around. Always have, always will. With tattoo art it's so you can try different artists, find one you like or find several you like. Go to all the shops! Get one from everyone I say. I think every artist is different. -- As for piercings.. well that's another story. They're either done right or they aren't. They're either done for a reasonable fee... or they aren't.