History of Punktured

Our founder

Hi, I’m Julie – the owner and founder of Punktured. I am often asked what made me get into piercing. I should be honest and say that it was by complete accident. Before working in piercing, I was a licensee of a pub/club in Brighton’s West Street. Eventually, I fell out of love with the job and decided that I needed a change. I always had a love for the art of piercing (and Biology!), so I decided to pursue an apprenticeship with a local piercer in Brighton.

A bit about Punktured

After completing training and working as a piercer for four years, Julie opened Punktured on Friday 13^th August 1999 – unlucky for some but not for us.

Throughout the years we have seen some changes. It all started above Julie’s friend’s shop in North Road – now GAC. Sometime later, the ground floor became available, so we began to use this as a reception and jewellery shop.

2005 is when we moved to our current shop on Gardner Street. Haven’t seen it? It’s bright pink and has a giant snail (their name is Conch) above the entrance; you really can’t miss it. Initially, we housed a shop and 2 studios, but in 2010 we added a third studio. That same year we also set up our web shop.

Punktured's 18th birthday party

In 2018 - while still handling lots of the background nitty gritty - Julie decided to take a step back from the everyday running of Punktured. This was when she handed the reins over to Elliot. A former piercer and receptionist in the shop, under Elliot’s leadership we have gone from strength to strength. We really could not be prouder of him!

A couple of other things that people may not know about us – but that we are very proud of – are:

Julie wrote the current skin piercing bylaws for Brighton and Hove City Council.
She has also been interviewed on various radio and TV programmes.
She has lectured at Chichester University and Brighton City College.
Punktured was the first piercing studio to pierce at The London Tattoo Convention (for 3 years running).
Punktured has featured in many magazines and newspapers (including The Times and The Guardian)

What we are about

Our bold colour scheme in store is not just decorative – it’s a statement. We want to be known as the bright and welcoming piercing studio. Drab and hyper-masculine is not our style; we want everybody to feel welcome. Oh, and don’t forget our friend Conch sitting above the entrance. We mentioned that, right?

Appearances aside, we pride ourselves on offering an unmatched and relaxing experience with an emphasis on your entire journey. From booking, to appointment, to aftercare - we are here to take care of you every step of the way.

Our aftercare advice is something that we are particularly proud of. We will always take the time to explain proper piercing hygiene, and if you have any issues or questions, we are always on hand to help.