Behind a vibrant counter surrounded by walls plaster with colorful artwork, a bouncing Chelsea Mauney awaits to greet and meet her new and loyal clients. Boone’s newest piercing parlor opened earlier this month on Howard Street, piquing many locals’ interest.
Peak Piercing, owned by Mauney, is located at 199 Howard St. inside the High Country Emporium. Mauney said she’s always been interested in piercing since she has piercings herself.
“I’ve had a hard time loving my body the way it is; piercings and tattoos help me love my body and when I can recreate that for other people it’s really special,” Mauney said.
After originally starting as a hairdresser, Mauney began piercing in 2011. She got her start in Charlotte at Ink Link Tattoos and moved to Boone hoping to escape the hustle and bustle of a big city. Mauney began piercing customers at Noble Tattoos and Piercings around the time the store opened in Boone in 2017.
The budding business owner decided it was time to forge her own path in the piercing industry earlier this year. Mauney sought to provide a loving and safe environment for all people and wanted creative freedom, qualities she said are a rarity in the industry.
“You have to be vulnerable when you’re getting tattooed or pierced,” Mauney said. “I wanted to create a safe and fun space where you can be yourself and get pierced and it’s okay if you’re scared.”
The state of North Carolina does not require a permit or license for body piercers, according to the North Carolina General Assembly. Mauney said this can create inconsistencies at certain shops regarding procedures and sanitation.
Sanitation is Mauney’s main priority while piercing which is why she uses a needle rather than a piercing gun to pierce her clients.
Jada Shoemake, a Boone local and hairdresser, has been a client of Mauney’s for five years. Shoemake said her years as a hairdresser have made her hyper-aware of sanitation practices and procedures.
“Chelsea does an amazing job at staying clean and sanitized,” Shoemake said. “You might think she’s going overboard after how many pairs of pink gloves she goes through for one piercing.”
Unlike some piercing parlors in the area, Mauney welcomes accompanied minors into her shop. It is illegal for minors to receive body piercings without parental consent in North Carolina.
Mauney believes anyone should be able to express their body how they see fit. If a minor wants to add some “bling” to their ears she is more than happy to do so with a parent’s consent.
Loyal client Skylar Russell brought her 7-year-old daughter to see Mauney for a lobe piercing, a true right of passage for many young girls, according to a blog posted on PopSugar.
Russell said Mauney went above and beyond to ensure Russell’s daughter wanted the piercing and talked her through the whole process, calming her nerves.
“My daughter was a little nervous but after meeting Chelsea and talking to her, I could tell she felt much better,” Russell said. “My daughter just giggled the entire time because her nerves were gone and she was just so excited for her earrings.”
For the upcoming year, Mauney hopes to be the go-to piercing parlor in Boone for people to feel welcome no matter how they identify. Mauney said she wants to give back to the community that has been her ivory tower by making her tattoo shop the best it can be for the people of Boone.
“I’m not really in this for the money,” Mauney said. “I wanted to be somewhere that aligns with my morals and to be a safe place for people.”
Correction: A prior version of this story included a quote that was accusatory about her previous place of employment. The place of employment was not given a chance to respond to the statement. The quote has been removed. Additionally, a previous version of this story contained a misleading statement about Mauney’s participation in Noble Tattoo and Piercing’s opening. This has been corrected in the story.
