Our Story: Changing the Way Kids’ Ears Are Pierced
A different standard for little ears — decades before it became common.
For more than 23 years, Calgary families have trusted Tribal Expression. Founder and owner Keith Kennedy has been professionally piercing for nearly 32 years and is one of Canada’s longest-practising professional piercers.
Long before professional needle ear piercing for children became widely accepted, Keith was among the early Canadian professional piercers willing to provide children the same professional piercing standards he expected for adults.
At the time, that decision was not always popular. Children’s ear piercing was still strongly associated with piercing guns and retail environments, and Keith received criticism for bringing children into a professional piercing studio.
Keith saw it differently.
If a child was going to have their ears pierced, he believed they deserved professional placement, individually sterilized equipment, sterile single-use piercing needles, properly fitted jewellery, high-quality materials, honest preparation and a piercer who listened to the child.
For Keith, that was not simply a business opportunity. It was a professional responsibility.
“I always felt that if kids were going to have their ears pierced, it was my professional duty to provide them with the safest, highest-quality professional piercing experience we could give them.”
23 years
of Tribal Expression serving Calgary families
Nearly 32 years
of Keith Kennedy’s professional piercing experience
Made in Calgary
much of our professional jewellery is produced locally
Much of the professional jewellery we pierce with is produced by our own local manufacturing operation — see how our Canadian body jewelry is made in Calgary.
That philosophy became The Tribal Expression Way
Keith’s early decision — professional needles, individually sterilized equipment, precision placement, professional jewellery, honest preparation and child consent — evolved over decades of piercing children and families into the process Tribal Expression calls The Tribal Expression Way today.
Today that experience continues through a new generation. Iliana Kennedy apprenticed under her father Keith and specializes in creating the kind of first-piercing experience Tribal Expression has developed over decades. Sergi brings his own calm, creative personality and professional piercing experience to the same standards.
The tools have evolved. The jewellery has evolved. The studio has evolved.
The principle has not:
Children deserve professional piercing too.
Want to know everything about kids ear piercing?
KidsPiercing.com is our dedicated comprehensive kids ear-piercing knowledge centre — for children and grown-ups alike.