Three years ago 17-year-old A level student Daniel Hindle, from Richmond, Sheffield, had his lip pierced at Body Poppers, in Sheffield's Forum complex, South Yorkshire Coroner Christopher Dorries and a jury were told. He later died of severe septicaemia.
Daniel had a history of heart complications having been born with a deformed heart. But after two major operations as a young child he led a normal, healthy teenage life, said his mother Christina Anderson, 44.
Ms Anderson, told the inquest she recalled talking to a doctor when Daniel was first admitted to hospital in Sheffield on October 2002.
"I thought it was something to do with his heart, but he told me Daniel had septicaemia and it was the most severe kind. He said Daniel had only a five per cent chance of recovery. In effect, he was telling me Daniel was going to die.
"It was then that I told him about the lip piercing. Going back over the events he seemed to agree that would be the cause of the injury."
Daniel's then girlfriend told of her fears about hygiene at the Sheffield shop. Naomi Storey, 21, said the woman piercing her eyebrow had removed the needle's cap with her mouth.
She said they were told to sign a consent form, but she did not remember what the form said, as they barely glanced at it before signing.
Both were "rushed" into having piercings without being questioned about their medical history although the shop was signed up to Sheffield Council's Code of Practice asking for all clients' medical history to be discussed with them.
Emma Thompson, who did the piercings, denied having put Miss Storey's needle into her mouth. She said she had been doing piercings for only nine months when the couple went to the parlour, but always spoke to clients before doing them.
When asked if she had ever read the code of practice she said she had "seen it."
The inquest continues.