Carroll Gardens Piercing Studio Ahimsa: $45 Fee, BVLA Gold

Ahimsa Piercing Studio & BVLA Fine Jewelry charges $45 for a single piercing and $25 for each extra one in the same sitting, and it only works by appointment. The piercing studio sits at 296 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231, in Carroll Gardens, and its booking page lists 11 am to 6 pm, seven days a week. What you pay on top of the fee is the jewelry, and here that means solid gold: Ahimsa works exclusively with Body Vision Los Angeles, and its gold studs start at $100 each.

The homepage describes Ahimsa as New York City's most experienced professional piercing studio, with over 40 years of knowledge behind it. That figure is the combined experience of the team rather than an opening date, and the site does not publish the year the studio opened, so neither will we. What it does publish is the roster. Adam P. Block is the founder, senior piercer and jewelry designer, and he holds the G.I.A. Applied Jewelry Professional credential. Lorelei Maiorano is general manager and a piercing practitioner, and Chance Sledge pierces as well.

That jewelry background explains the shop's shape. Instead of a wall of brands, Ahimsa carries one: BVLA, the Los Angeles maker known for handmade solid gold ends set with stones. The online shop shows only a rotating slice of the collection, and the studio says far more is in the cases on Smith Street or available by custom order. Custom pieces arrive within five weeks, which is useful if you have a specific opal, a particular gold tone or a matched pair in mind.

Ahimsa calls itself a private studio, and the booking page is blunt about what that means. Every service needs an appointment, including a simple jewelry consultation, so there is no wandering in to browse. New clients pay a non-refundable deposit before the visit, and the studio contacts you to collect it. The deposit is applied to your service. Cancel or reschedule within 12 hours of your slot and you forfeit it.

The studio also asks you to arrive on time but not early, and to bring no more than one guest. Clients who do not show up, or cancel at the last minute without getting in touch, lose the ability to book again. After you book, you get a confirmation email and later a link to a release form, which you complete before the appointment. The studio is wheelchair accessible, a detail worth knowing on a block of older row buildings.

Age rules are posted on the FAQ. Ear lobes are available from age 5. Cartilage, nostril, septum and navel piercings start at 16. Everything else is 18 and over. Minors come with a parent or legal guardian, complete the release form together, and both bring ID. Ahimsa accepts a driver's license or permit, a non-driver photo ID, an NYC ID, a passport or a birth certificate. School ID is not accepted, so leave it at home.

The service fee is simple. One piercing is $45, and each additional piercing done in the same sitting is $25. Two lobes, for example, come to $70 in service before jewelry. Most placements start with a stud, and the studio's yellow, rose and white gold studs begin at $100 each and climb with the design. A gemstone cluster or a custom setting will push that higher, so it pays to decide your budget before you sit down at the case.

Ahimsa does not install outside jewelry. There are two exceptions. A piece you bought from Ahimsa earlier can be reused if it suits the new piercing. And if you already own BVLA jewelry from another reputable studio and it fits the placement, Ahimsa will pierce with it, though the service then costs $50 rather than $45. Checkups on piercings done at the studio are free. If you need a downsize once swelling settles, the shorter posts cost $20-$25 each.

One rule surprises people who arrive with a picture of a fresh hoop. With the exception of daith piercings, Ahimsa will not pierce with a hoop. A stud moves less while a piercing heals, and the studio would rather you wait and switch than fight a slow, irritated helix for a year. If your plan is a hoop in a cartilage placement, book the piercing with a stud now and treat the hoop as a second visit.

The FAQ also says that if a service is not on the booking page, Ahimsa does not offer it. So if you are hoping for something unusual, scan the menu online before you message. For questions about anything listed, the team answers email at ahimsapiercingstudio@gmail.com, and for a healing problem it asks for a photo first. In many cases it can talk you through care without a trip back to Smith Street.

Aftercare follows the plain routine most professional studios teach. Clean the piercing with sterile saline daily for the first 8 to 12 weeks, keep hands and phones off it,, and try not to sleep on the new piercing. Ahimsa suggests every client come back for a checkup somewhere between six and 12 weeks, depending on the placement. That visit is when the piercer decides whether you need a shorter post.

Our honest take: skip Ahimsa if you want a cheap lobe on a whim or plan to choose jewelry on the spot from many brands. The studio is built for people who want to choose one excellent gold piece slowly and get it placed carefully. If you cannot get an Ahimsa slot this week, The End Is Near in Park Slope is a short ride away, and Ahimsa's calendar will still be there when you are ready.

The studio sits on the stretch of Smith Street that serves as Carroll Gardens' main shopping and dining strip, with brownstones and their long front gardens lining the side streets. The Carroll Street station on the F and G lines is a few blocks away, which makes the trip easy from Manhattan or from elsewhere in Brooklyn.

After the appointment, walk a couple of blocks west to Carroll Park and sit on a bench under the trees while the sting fades. Continue to Court Street for a coffee or a slice. If you head east instead, Union Street crosses the Gowanus Canal on its old bridge, and the view down the water toward the converted warehouses is worth the detour.

Ahimsa Piercing Studio & BVLA Fine Jewelry, at 296 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231, is open seven days a week from 11 am to 6 pm by appointment only, according to its Setmore booking page. Phone (929) 305-3400 or email ahimsapiercingstudio@gmail.com. The service fee is $45 for one piercing and $25 for each added one in the same sitting, plus jewelry, with gold studs from $100. Outside jewelry is not used, except earlier Ahimsa pieces or suitable BVLA pieces, which cost $50 to pierce with.

A deposit is required for new clients and is lost if you cancel within 12 hours. Bring a government-issued photo ID, an NYC ID or a passport, and for minors a guardian with ID. Checkups for Ahimsa piercings are free. Ask the Karpo APP to line up a lunch spot on Court Street or a coffee near Carroll Park for after your appointment.