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Enigma Professional Piercing Studio
Category: Beauty and Spas Piercing Piercing [Edit]
2079 Garnet Ave(between Morrell St & Noyes St)
San Diego, CA 92109
Neighborhood: Pacific Beach
(858) 274-9950
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- By Appointment Only:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
193 reviews for Enigma Professional Piercing Studio
193 reviews in English
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Review from Bryan B.
San Diego, CA
2/2/2012
Maybe I am not like all dads. I let my daughter get her first piercing here about 2 years ago when she was 15, in her nose.
Here is how I look at it. She is an awesome kid, does great in school, cares about other people, and just a joy. If she wants to pierce here ear, then fine with me.
Fast forward to last night. We went to Enigma and the owner Didier was there just by luck. I got my daughter 3 piercings on the top of her ear. No idea why she would want that, but hey, she deserved it. I even made her earn them by doing some things with grades, etc....
As a dad, I am overly protective of my teenage daughter, but I never have any worries about Enigma. This is the most professional, caring and awesome business for piercing I have ever come across.
Didier took more than double the time it probably would have taken but he wanted to go slow and make sure the piercings were done correctly. What an awesome place. I spoke to Didier afterwords since I also own a business that is on Yelp http://www.prioritymov... and we spoke about how Yelp can be good and bad.
We are both tired of the filter review process when we know it is a legitimate real customer.
However, for this review I want to make sure Enigma gets it's fair due. They are awesome and when you are trusting someone to poke holes in your teenage daughter, you want to go with the best of the best. -
Review from Sandra S.
1/28/2012
Thank you fellow Yelpers!!!!
I am so glad that I came here to get my Nostril pierced. I had done it before at another location, however, I decided not to go there again.
We were greeted by the lovely young lady behind the counter and she was very friendly and very helpful. I knew we would be there for at least 30 minutes to 45 minutes because there was a customer ahead of us. (Thanks Yelpers for that tip).
I was next and Mark was the wonderful person that told me step by step what we were going to do and everything that he was going to do to make my visit enjoyable. He was so friendly and so patient with my questions. Within 5 minutes, I was done. He was very good about the after care when I leave there.
This place was an awesome experience.... -
Review from Giovanna M.
San Diego, CA
1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
WOW! We were in on a Saturday afternoon, and it was packed with people wall to wall. They said they're not usually that busy, so I don't know what was going on.
BUT, in spite of their busy-ness, they talked to us right away, asked what we needed, and kept us posted on how many people were ahead of us. We were not forgotten in the shuffle! And this, to me, signals impeccable service.
We were just there to get a new nose ring for my daughter. They were thorough and easy to work with, and they helped us find the perfect size and color for her new ring.
It wasn't as expensive as other places, and they even put the ring in for her.
We were in and out in about 35 minutes, and this was only because there were two people ahead.
CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN!!! Something that's important with body piercing/modification.
Service fantastic!!
Jewelry selection was HUGE!! OMG, they have a wide selection of styles, materials, sizes and colors.
I will return here again!! -
Review from Lauren J.
San Diego, CA
12/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Not surprised to see they have 5 stars!
Referred here by tattoo shop down the street. The guy said, "We don't do piercing and the ONLY place you should go is Enigma". Well, sir, you were right.
Amazing selection. I went in to find a special nose ring that not many places offer. They helped with the push-pin nose ring I love that few places carry. They were very nice both over the phone and in person. You could tell that they are really into their craft and wanted to make sure I was 100% happy - even let me try out a few different ones before I picked the one I liked.
I can't say enough wonderful things about this place! -
Review from Adrienne C.
San Diego, CA
12/27/2011
I have nothing but positive things to say about Enigma!
The first time I came here was just to watch my friend get her cartilage pierced a year ago. When I decided to get a piercing of my own, this place popped in to my mind. They take walk-ins and appointments. When I came on a Monday night, it was not busy whatsoever. Parking is a little bit tricky, but there's plenty of street parking to be found.
The girl at the register greeted me and asked what I was looking for. I came for a navel piercing, and she took a look to see if I had the proper shape for it. She also had the piercer (Mark was his name I think) take a look at it, for a second opinion. For those interested in navel piercings, they will ask you to stand up tall and also to sit down to see if your navel will collapse on itself and cause future issues. Luckily they gave me the go ahead.
Took about ten minutes to autoclave the tools used and the jewelry piece I picked out. In which time, they will go over after-care instructions. They were very friendly and professional about the entire process and assured me that it was not as painful as I had hyped it up to be. Mark took me in to the back room. He cleaned the area, and used a toothpick to mark a tentative spot and asked me if it was okay. After I approved of the placement, he had me lie down. Now I'm not entirely too sure what he did, but I'm pretty sure it involved a clamp to pull out the tissue then the piercing. It hurt for maybe a second, but nothing too bad. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rate it around a 3 to 4.
I'm extremely satisfied with my piercing and the level of professionalism from Enigma. The facilities are small and clean, and the jewelry they have are top-notch. I went with a platinum piece, which cost more than the sterling silver piece. Bottom line, I definitely recommend Enigma! -
Review from Anna F.
San Diego, CA
1/11/2012
When I wanted a new piercing or jewelry, I used to go exclusively to Enigma. However, after the experience I've had at Enigma the past few months, I will never be returning.
Here is an incomplete list of the problems I've had:
-I came in to get my earlobe piercing stretched. I had never stretched before and honestly didn't know much about it. I let the piercer know this, and asked a lot of questions. He took off the jewelry I had been wearing, then inserted the taper into my ear with no warning or explanation of what was about to happen. I was startled, confused, and unhappy.
-When getting a second set of earlobe piercings, the piercer's hand slipped and he cut my ear with the needle before piercing it. There is a large scar from this, and I have had a variety of issues due to the cut.
-One piercer let me know that if I buy jewelry ANYWHERE other than their shop, I am guaranteed to be buying low quality jewelry.
-I was quoted a price of $30 for a piece of jewelry that they transferred from their Adams store. When I went to pick it up, suddenly the price went up to $40. This was not the only incident, in general the information they give out is inconsistent and varies wildly when you talk to different employees.
-An expensive piece of jewelry inserted by one of Enigma's employees into my helix piercing was put on incorrectly and subsequently fell off. I had to replace the full cost despite their mistake.
-I called about getting eyelets in a small gauge size and the piercer claimed that they did not exist. I let them know that I have seen them in different shops and online but I was trying to support their shop. The employee was completely rude to me, and acted like I either had to be an idiot or a liar and hung up on me.
Enigma's reputation and 5 star ratings used to be there for a reason. However, as the shop has expanded, the quality of service has deteriorated completely. I would recommend taking your money elsewhere.Comment from didier s. of Enigma Professional Piercing Studio 1/14/2012
I'm sorry you have had a few bad experiences at my studio.… More » -
Review from Melanierose T.
Northridge, Los Angeles, CA
11/28/2011
Great, absolutely great.
I recently got my nose pierced here. The service was great and the selection of piercings is wonderful. They were clean and quick... they showed how they sterilize their jewelery and completely informed me on how the piercing process would take place. I believe my piercers name was Damian... but I might be completely wrong. Whoever it was, he was hands down, the best piercer I have ever had. I also have my belly button pierced and 4 ear piercings, all done from different artists. I drove down from Los Angeles in order to get my nose pierced at Enigma. That's how great I thought it was before I even got anything pierced. I HIGHLY recommend Enigma for any future piercings. -
Review from C. B.
San Diego, CA
1/23/2012
I went to get my nose pierced after searching on yelp for a place. Everyone was right, super clean, sanitary and professional. Mark made me feel comfortable and was very thorough with aftercare instructions. I liked that he was very considerate about the placing of it. He put a dot and said I he would move it wherever I wanted. You know how sometimes you are getting a service and its not quite right but the person doesn't give you enough time or make you feel like you can change it, that wasn't the case at all.
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Review from Wyndi C.
Midway, San Diego, CA
10/9/2011
This place is AMAZING. Totally non-intimidating like some other places can be. I've gotten my nostril and tragus pierced here and they took care of me quickly and professionally and with very little pain.
That being said, I just wanna give a super special shout-out to Mark (who has done both of my piercings) for hookin it up today!! I very stupidly decided to change out my 8-day-old nose ring myself and put in a cheap silver ring instead because I'm stubborn and impatient :P Then when I tried to put the original ring back in, I couldn't get it all the way through and my nose started bleeding and I freaked out. So back to Enigma I went to beg Mark to save my nose. He was very honest and told me he wasn't sure if he could get the ring back in, but I was a very lucky girl and he got it back in painlessly :) I cannot thank him enough for helping me out. You're the bombizzle fo' shizzle Mark!!!! Hahaha...real talk though, Mark is amazing and I can't recommend him or Enigma enough.
Love and sparkles,
WyndiLady :) -
Review from Alejandra M.
San Diego, CA
11/19/2011
This place is great! I've been to my fair share of piercing joints but this one by far takes the cake! Went just yesterday with a friend, we both got piercings and were treated with the utmost care and concern. Not sure if I have any more piercings planned for the future but if I did I would definitely go here again! Would recommend to anyone who is thinking about getting pierced!
+1 for Damian who did our piercings! :) -
Review from Marina W.
Menlo Park, CA
11/13/2011
Highly Recommend.
I came to Enigma to get a cartilage piercing about 6 weeks ago, and my experience was nothing but positive.
Last night, my hair had gotten tangled in my stud and caused irritation and swelling of the piercing, which also pulled the jewelry inside my ear. When I visited Enigma earlier today to get some advice and help with this issue, Mark took time to study the area, clean it, and provide me options for how to deal with this type of infection.
He was very professional and reassuring, as he took the time to explain to me every step of the process. He also took special caution in being as gentle as possible around the swollen piercing. The whole process was less than 10 minutes!
This staff makes the effort to ensure that all patrons are treated with care, providing excellent service and attention to safety and comfort.
Enigma is quality. I don't think I can trust any other piercing parlor with my ears. -
Review from Kristen S.
San Diego, CA
12/4/2011
This shop is very professional and friendly. I came here to get my septum pierced. The shop is very clean and you can tell the piercers are well-trained in both piercing and general manners...which has definitely not been my experience with many other shops.
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Review from Abbeigh S.
San Diego, CA
1/22/2012
I wish I could give these guys a ten (i joined yelp just to review this shop!) I called in this evening to make an appointment for a labret piercing, and from the first chat enigma's employees were incredibly kind and helpful. I was told to come on in and once there I was treated like an old friend by not one but three employees. I was nervous upon arrival and Mark (my piercer) was incredibly kind and talked me through the whole thing, telling that next to biting your lip, the piercing is a cinch. After the ring was sterilized and I went into the back room (a very clean and almost quaint environment with great decor) Mark showed me the packaged and sterile clamps. After the piercing was done, he talked me through of the aftercare instructions and answered all of my questions. The care at Enigma is exemplary and very personal, I will never go anywhere else for a piercing again!
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Review from Rebecca N.
San Diego, CA
8/29/2011
I've had my nostril, septum, lobes (twice), helix and conch pierced at Enigma, and each visit has been pleasant, quick, and surprisingly low-pain.
I had my helix done there just two days ago; I came in wanting a forward helix, but the piercer was honest with me and told me it probably wouldn't look very good in my ear. So I decided to go with a more traditionally-placed helix stud, and despite what I'd heard from acquaintances, the actual piercing process was nearly painless. Additionally, I don't know what sort of voodoo piercing magic this guy was using, but I woke up the next morning and realized I'd slept on the newly-pierced ear all night without pain. I have yet to experience any pain or irritation whatsoever from this piercing! My conch was similar - I expected the healing to take forever, since the cartilage is so thick, but three months later I'm totally healed!
My other piercings from Enigma have also healed extraordinarily well. So even though they're a little pricier than some other shops you might come across in PB, it's totally worth the sense of security you get. I'm not the type to take the insertion of foreign metal objects into my body lightly, and I feel like the piercers at Enigma totally respect that sentiment. I'd recommend stopping in if you even just want to ask a question. They obviously love what they do and are always enthusiastic about helping out customers. -
Review from Trisha M.
San Marcos, CA
6/29/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Professional and exceptionally clean! I dont think i'll refer anyone elsewhere to get their piercings done. I would give this place 10 stars if i could.
I got my nostril pierced and Mark was the name of the guy who helped me. He's awesome! I was nervous since it was my first facial piercing and he was very, very patient with me. He was honest about the pain factor and told me what to expect; I was really grateful for that since i was able to prepare myself. The process was quick and almost painless ;) and i love my piercing! My cousin also got her dermal that same day and he offered her the same level of awesome service.
A year later we came back and this time my sister wanted to get more piercings on her ears. We were lucky enough to get Mark again and nothing has changed. He was patient, honest, and very professional. SO appreciated because my little sister is a wimp (haha) and he completely put her at ease. Her new ear piercings are adorable and she absolutely loves them! =)
Enigma deserves all the great reviews. They have awesome people who work there and are genuinely passionate about what they do. The price, to be honest, is a little expensive compared to other places. But, c'mon, you're paying for the quality here so, trust me, you wont regret it. -
Review from Sammy B.
Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA
8/13/2011
Best experience to date I have had with a piercing shop, by far.
Previous to going to Enigma, I had 7 piercings all from varied shops, most of which I have been pretty dissatisfied with.
However, Enigma was legitimately one of the best experiences I have ever had.
My piercer was not from around here, his name was John Pierre and I believe he was from Michigan or something like that. He was very funny, very knowledgeable, and very honest.
My favorite thing about my piercer was that he was incredibly honest and didn't beat around the bush trying to get more money or make the customer feel as though it would be an unrealistic experience (i.e. no pain, no infections, etc)
I got my anti-helix pierced here on my 18th birthday, and I also went with my sister who got daith and rook piercings, and two of my best friends who got tragus piercings.
We were well taken care of, EVERYTHING was spotlessly clean and completely sterile, my piercer made it very important to show himself washing his hands, changing gloves, and using clean and sterile equipment. Also, the whole shop was really well decorated and very clean and inviting. It was very peaceful and the piercing experience was very low key and relaxing.
The piercing was much more affordable than my local piercing shop, 454, and was done better than any piercing I have ever had.
I love my new piercing, and after tax and jewelry it STILL only cost me 35 bucks! I gave a generous tip because of such great service.
Seriously if you are considering ANY piercing, please come here. They also have the most amazing selection of jewelry that I have seen of any piercing shop. I had to force myself to pull away from the gauges, because it would've been very easy to fork over tons of money on them.
I love this place and am most definitely coming back! -
Review from Nicole C.
San Diego, CA
11/28/2011
I came in to get a dermal implant put back in that fell out. I really appreciated the honestly of the guy working there who let me know the scar tissue still needed more time to heal before re-piercing the site. He gave me some tricks to speed up the process and 2 months later I was back in to get the piercing again. Because of his honestly the first visit, I felt a sense of trust and safety with Enigma. Before he put the piercing in, he showed me the sanitized instruments and talked me through the entire process. The shop was very clean and well kept. I would definitely go back if I need to in the future.
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Review from Carolyn K.
South San Francisco, CA
7/15/2011
I got an industrial here, and am very happy with the results.
Evan was very laid back and friendly. It might seem hard to trust a stranger to stick a needle correctly into a body part, but I felt comfortable here because everyone was so informative!
I recommend this place to anyone and everyone (:
P.S. The studio is very clean and well-equipped! I was really impressed when I discovered that they use the same sterilization process (with an autoclave) as my chem lab where I work. This isn't Claire's, where sterilization = alcohol wipes. -
Review from Emily T.
San Diego, CA
5/21/2011
This is my first rating of a business without actually having been a "customer" per se.
I went in to talk about a few piercings I was contemplating. I didn't get the guy's name (long beard), but I explained what I was thinking and his response was, "Can I talk you out of it?". See, I was looking to get dermal anchors as the center of some flowers in a tattoo I have (currently filled in black). He explained that the piercings could result in the deformity of the tattoo. He went on to explain that if I did decide I wanted it...end of story...to try one and see how that one went as I could always add the others.
This is precisely why I went to Enigma; to ask questions before doing any hole poking. I wanted "straight dope" on what I was thinking about doing. I feel like I got professional advice and I appreciate that the guy was more concerned with 1. the aesthetics of my body overall, 2. a piercing that I would be happy with...long term...as opposed to putting a few dollars in the cash register and calling it a day.
I will most certainly be back for my other piercing plans. -
Review from Tina J.
San Marcos, CA
11/6/2011
I highly recommend this place. A friend of mine recommended it to me when I decided to get my nose pierced and they did an excellent job. I had a consultation and then they talked me through the whole process. Very clean, quick, and little pain. The best!!
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Review from Mary K.
Silver Spring, MD
6/9/2011
I wish there was an Engima here in the DC Area. I'm going through a funk and I want to get a piercing.
I got my gauges done here and it happens to be the only place where I can find the jaded studs that I lost. Got a conch and also another one.
The service has always been great! Honestly I would not go anywhere else. They have such high standards for their facility, products and customer service.
Happy Piercing!!! -
Review from Crystal G.
San Diego, CA
5/25/2011
The reason why I made a Yelp account was to review this place. It took me a while but I'm finally getting around to it!
For years I'd wanted a conch piercing, but with a hoop. I wasn't sure where to get it. I did a lot of research about what the best ways to pierce it were and took time to see if it was something I REALLY wanted. When it came to where to get it pierced, Enigma had a bunch of great reviews so I decided to try my luck.
I went in really nervous. I only got my second lobe piercings the year before so this was the first time I was going to get something that wasn't very common. The employees were very welcoming, and I think a bit amused at my scatterbrained self, but had no problem answering any questions I had. When I went in the back, the guy piercing my ear was very thorough in making sure the equipment was sterile, and he explained to me how it worked -- which the curious side of me appreciated very much.
When it came time to actually put the needle through my ear, this big, burly guy went from being a relaxed professional to a caring one. He could probably tell I was really starting to get scared and even though I asked my boyfriend to hold my hand (lol) I guess you could say his bedside manner did a lot to calm my nerves. The piercing went really well (not as unbearable as I thought it would be) and the worst part was putting the big hoop through. But as soon as that was over, I swear, the pain was gone. He said I could take my time lying down and I did so, laughing that I went through with it.
My conch piercing healed SO much better than my second lobe piercings. No infections, unusual discomfort, nothing. I absolutely love it. I'd say it was pretty reasonably priced -- about $40 for a piercing and earring (especially since both are such good quality!). I almost backed out when I was told there had only been a few people to get their conch pierced with a hoop, but I'm so glad I went through with it. The staff at Enigma made me feel as much at ease as I could and I would definitely go back if I ever decide to get something else pierced! -
Review from L. B.
Encinitas, CA
5/27/2011
No idea how anyone could ever give this place less than 5 stars. After my experience with them, I'll probably never get pierced anywhere else.
My roommate and I went in to get pierced together and brought our significant others for moral support. I thought I needed my ears repierced because I gave up on wearing earrings for about eight years following multiple infections. Turns out they only needed to widen the holes, and only charged me for the jewelry they put in because they didn't actually have to do any piercing. They had a bunch of titanium jewelry to choose from for people with extremely sensitive ears like me.
At the end of the session, my roommate's girlfriend was contemplating getting pierced because we were there already, and the guy behind the counter told her to think about it and come back a different time because it was a big commitment and he wanted to make sure that she wouldn't do something she would regret. It's so rare to find a place that actually cares about what they do and how you will feel after you leave. -
Review from Annie K.
5/5/2011
Came here to get my lip pierced 2 years ago and from what I remember, it was a very pleasant experience. The wait was really long though because there were one or two people ahead of me and I just came in here on a whim.
Everything is really clean and sterile, and the piercer made me feel relaxed and calm....even though my heart was pumpin and pumpin seeing that needle so close to my lip. Yes, it hurt, but not that bad! It was surprisingly quick. I don't remember it being too over-pricey, but it wasn't dirt cheap either. But quality is important when it comes to piercing and you get what you pay for!
I came back here to get some replacement lip rings, and they were so patient with me while I took foreeeever to pick out one ring.
Would recommend to anyone that wants something pierced :) -
Review from Stephanie R.
San Diego, CA
12/23/2011
Amazing place. I was looking in to places to get a nose piercing. Enigma was at the top of the list. All the review are true. It's a great shop. Super friendly staff. Was pierced by Mark, and he couldn't have made me feel more at ease. Was accompanied by a friend who has had multiple piercings. He noted how great Mark was.
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Review from Ryan L.
San Diego, CA
5/22/2011
Had a really good experience when I got my ear pierced here and re-pierced. They are very helpful and know their stuff. I also really appreciate that they are clean and everything is sterile.
If you're looking to get pierced, I highly recommend coming here as they are knowledgable, clean and professional. -
Review from MsMargo M.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 2/15/2011
Well, this year when I took my earrings out for their ETOH soak I managed to bend them almost in half when I put them back in - by stupidly using pliers. No hesitation at all, I only thought to go to Enigma. The guy at the counter checked my old rings out and offered to try to bend them back, but pointed out that they had gotten nicked. He recommended against using them, so I decided to get a new pair, just like the old ones. He picked out the proper gauge and diameter and offered to put them in for me. As always, in the piercing room, with full gloves and disinfectant. He was very smooth and easy, both in technique and manner. Very impressive! Even gave me a quick lesson on how to more easily put them back in next time.
Now why would you want to go anywhere else?1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/7/2008
Another 5 stars for Enigma. The shop is clean and comfortable. The staff is knowledgeable,… Read more »
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Review from Golnaz P.
Gilbert, AZ
9/7/2011
Got a few piercings here and I recommend it to anyone who wants one. They are very clean and you better be looking for that in a piercing studio! They do a good job of making you comfortable if you are nervous. They have chill people working there, which makes sense. Their piercings may be on the pricey side, but they are worth it!
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Review from Melissa n.
San Diego, CA
4/27/2011
Three piercings, three different occasions, 5 star rating!
1. Septum piercing. I was scared shitless, and if they can make my 18 year old bratty self feel good about it, then they're pros.
2. Lip piercing. Because I didn't eat before my piercing, I felt a bit nauseous, and they gave me a juice box. 10/10 for juice boxes.
3. Industrial. A gift to myself for turning 21. Super nice man, very relaxed atmosphere, no pressure.
The price is sorta up there, but you get what you paid for -- excellent service, real jewelry, patient peeps.
Small little shack of a place, small parking lot in the back, the wait is sorta long, but hey, they have amazing customer service. -
Review from Erica C.
San Diego, CA
10/13/2011
This place is amazing. I went in with hopes of getting 4 more dermals added near my collar bones. I spoke with Evan and he gave me his professional opinion and talked me down to 2 since adding the other 2 would cause them to sit on the bone. He was extremely professional and amazing. He didn't insert anything until he made sure they lined up perfectly with the other 4 dermals I already had. I would definitely recommend this place.
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Review from Jimmy H.
1/31/2011
This place is top notch. I got my ears pierced here last September. It was my friend's 21st so she decided it'd be awesome to get an industrial. I was like f* yeah so we went here because I believe she had come here for her other piercings.
I also came here with my other friend to have one of his ears pierced.
Finally I came to have my own ears pierced and let me just say the service here is remarkable. Different people piercing each time, but the same great standard of customer service.
They have a really great selections of studs and such so you're not going to be disappointed. I had my ears pierced and purchased two black studs for around $100 bucks. It was well worth it, especially after they taught me about proper ear care. Who knew that the Claire's piercing kit actually takes a longer time to heal your piercings than a simple formula of sea salt and ionized water.
Get with it, go to Enigma!Listed in: San Diego
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Review from Lily P.
11/28/2010 1 Check-in Here
Great place for piercings that every other tattoo and piercing place we went into that day mentioned. They weren't afraid to recommend this place as the go to place.
They didn't have as much gold jewelry as I wanted and nothing in white gold. I was looking for a white gold naval piece and they lacked that and their other gold was over priced.....I think this place is very professional though and they had everything else you could possibly want from a peircing only place. -
Review from Bekka K.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 9/29/2011
Came here yesterday for a VCH piercing-without going too much into detail, I found that I didn't have sufficient anatomy for this particular piercing. Although I was initially pretty bummed out, I was relieved that the piercer was honest about it. I would much rather that then get a improperly placed piercing...which might have resulted had I gone somewhere else.
I decided to get my nipples pierced instead, after encouragement from my roommates and Evan (the piercer) answering all my questions patiently and thoroughly. I highly recommend Evan, he's awesome! He kept us all laughing for most of the time my roommates and I were there, and he put us all at ease.
Now I'm not gonna lie, my piercings freakin HURT! But the intense pain only lasted for a few seconds for the duration of the actual piercing. My piercer made it as quick as possible, and I'm very happy with how they turned out!
The establishment is spotless, the front staff are chill, and the piercers are great! Plus you don't need an appointment to come in. My roommates and I will definitely be returning to Enigma for all of our piercing needs.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/14/2011
I got my navel piercing here with Mark about 5 months ago, and it has healed up very nicely since.… Read more »
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Review from Hilary C.
San Diego, CA
12/9/2011
This place is awesome! I came in to get a second opinion about my nose piercing and Didier S. helped me. He was a total professional, kind, nice, honest, and super attentive! I will definitely be back and would recommend Didier to anyone who wants a piercing!
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Review from Buttah L.
Lemon Grove, CA
3/31/2011 1 photo
This place is very easy to miss because it literally looks like a little house surrounded by Palm trees. So take your time when navigating there.
- SUPER CLEAN! Mr. Evan washed his hands several times, changed gloves several times and wiped down the tables after each customer. A+++
- SUPER PATIENT! Answered me and my mother's 10,000 questions. We're Virgos, we can't help it!
- QUICK! My mother's nostril piercing took a tad bit longer because she moved cuz she's scared of needles and she didn't relax. However, my septum piercing was virtually painless which was mind blowing to me. (Breathing and meditating helps!)
I would definitely go back again if I were to decide on another piercing and I would definitely recommend this place to folks.
By the way, I also dug the decor inside of the room. It was lovely to see the beaded jewelry from the Maasai Tribe. I'm a jewelry maker & I love afrocentric art, so of course that caught my attention. -
Review from Aeryn A.
Chula Vista, CA
Updated - 5/1/2011
After coming in and out of this place for the past year for my various piercing needs (getting jewelery changed or rebent, new piercings, having piercers look at potential infections) I really have to say that this place is the best around. Today really was the icing on the cake though.
The other day I attempted to perform a cartwheel while drunk and in the process lost the screw on my belly button ring. I went in today to get a replacement screw (my other rings were all the bad-for-your-piercing externally threaded barbells and wouldn't fit my internally threaded one) and not only was the guy super nice like always, but at the end when I went to pay for it, he gave it to me for free. If that isn't amazing customer service, I don't know what is.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/9/2010
After finally gathering up the courage to fulfill my dream of getting a nose piercing, I checked… Read more »
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Review from Eric G.
Santee, CA
1/24/2011
I'd given a LOT of thought to it, and was finally ready to go in for some microdermals. I knew what kind of jewelry I wanted, exactly where I wanted it. Mark was VERY professional, and very informative. I'd done a lot of reading about these, and went in with a lot of info. He was very respectful, added some of his personal experience and knowledge to that, and ultimately I got some good advice. Mark suggested against the jewelry I originally wanted, strongly -but he had a damn good reason, and he explained that. I really appreciate that, and I suggest that folks always listen to their piercer on these things.
The procedure took longer than expected, through no fault of the piercer. I've got tough skin, and I was getting microdermals, which aren't super common as of yet. Throughout the process, Mark was upbeat, and continually checked on me any time he perceived that something might have caused significantly higher levels of pain (My skin is very tough to get the footer into correctly, especially at the neck).
We got it done, and I'm happy with the result. My piercing required a bit of extra knowledge and skill, and I don't believe that anyone would have been more qualified to do the work. They're friendly, they'll offer advice and suggestions, they're very clean, and they leave you with instructions for aftercare. I'd definitely recommend Enigma. -
Review from Aurora L.
San Diego, CA
2/13/2011
All the good reviews are true! I went here for my earlobe piercing. It was my fourth attempt, after going to Claire's so many times and having the 16-year-old trigger happy girls shoot my earrings in wrong, consequently causing an infection.
The decor was very relaxing and my piercer, John, was super nice and funny. I was a little nervous about the situation since I had bad experiences before, but he assured me that this would be the final time I had to get it done because it would be done right. The whole piercing took about 10 minutes and he was very funny/encouraging the whole time.
They also gave me a guide on how to clean my ears--which is just a simple saline solution--and advised me not to twist my earrings around after because it makes the holes more infected (Thanks a lot, Claire's!).
It cost $25 for the piercing and $70 for the earrings I picked (the largest studs) but I had a 25% coupon off (which they accept) so the whole thing came out to ~$85. It was a little pricey, but I figured if I was having a hole punched in my body I wanted it to be done by someone qualified. Definitely recommend this place! -
Review from Nicole p.
San Diego, CA
11/13/2010
I got my inner conch piercing done here. The guy was super friendly answering all my questions in a professional manner and was very thorough. He broke it all down for me step by step. It was great he took the time to do that because I felt much more at ease getting a hole punch in my ear. Everything was very clean and so was his piercing process.
The jewelry is on the pricier side but it's great quality. The actual cost of the piercing is fair. I'm going back again to get my other ear done. The best part about going to a dedicated piercing shop is that this is what they do all day long *stabstabstab* so they're really good at it. I dunno about you but when I want a hole stabbed in me I want it done by a pro. -
Review from Shannon L.
San Diego, CA
7/3/2011
Wow what a wonderful experience! I would highly recommend this place.
My daughter, friend and I all got a tragus piercing at Engima and I can't be more pleased. The guy who handled our paper work was professional and friendly. I was very happy that he asked for my daughter's birth certificate to cross check that I was indeed her mother (under 18). She told me many of her friends have been pierced without parent consent.
Our piercer was just awesome. I'm not sure of his name but he has a long beard! He was professional, calm, assuring and took away any fear I had. I was so relaxed and trusted him 100%. We all kept talking about how nice he was. This was an all around positive experience for all three of us. If you are thinking about getting pierced go to Engima in PB!!!
