the piercing market | France

1.1 Definition and scope of study

Piercing is a practice that consists of to pierce the skin in one or more places to insert a ring or a jewelry item . There are piercings for the face, body or ears but also surface piercings.

The international market for piercing studios is growing and has for example seen its size increase by 33% between 2012 and 2019 in the United States The United States is one of the main consumer countries for this type of jewellery. Indeed, it is with the punk and rock culture of the Anglo-Saxon countries that the piercing started to be perceived as a true fashion accessory.

The piercing has been widely democratized in recent years supported by a wider choice of products. The broadening of the customer base is contributing to the strong growth of the market In France, it is estimated that 12% of the population wears at least one piercing . The young generations and women are most likely to engage in body piercing.

The market players are mainly independent piercing and tattoo studios whose location is limited to a city or a region . For the sale of piercings, e-commerce sites are also particularly popular.

The profession of tattooist and piercer does not require any particular diploma but professionals must nevertheless register with the ARS of their region and follow training on hygiene and health conditions . The rules of hygiene and sterilization of needles are very strict to minimize the risk of disease transmission and infection