"Pain is temporary, vanity is forever," Thompson reminds us from his relentlessly cool Melrose studio, which has catered to a long roster of Hollywood clients including Beyoncé, FKA Twigs, and Jessica Alba. Favouring a special needle sourced from Japan as his go-to tool, Thompson's expert technique delivers a clean puncture without the irritation or pain often caused by a piercing gun. In fact, the sight of those fibres bursting from the gun's impact will make you rethink that first piercing experience you had at the mall. There's also something quite zen about his method — pushing the needle through just as the client lets out a long, calming exhale. For Thompson, the entire process is an art and a science, expertly balancing exactly where each stud or ring should go before making his final decision. After all, what could be worse than a poorly-placed conch ring?