Of the guiche / scrotal ladder

I'm quite excited at the moment. A guiche/scrotal ladder I have been working on with a client of mine for, well several months now, is nearing completion! He has already agreed to have them photographed so unless he has a change of heart I'll be posting a link to it quite soon! (Obviously I won't be posting them here!) So my thanks to you, if you read this, you know who you are. One of the few clients with as aggressive a pursuit of perfection as I have ever come across!
Watch this space folks!

Of 'ye olde' ways of thought

'Yup, if you can pinch it you can pierce it.'
This is accompanied with a somewhat vague look, normally as a result of the orator hearing nothing but the till opening, and your money being thrown in. And I suppose, occasionally as the result of, well, nothing at all, in particular, really. . . Um.
And technically it's true. But then the same can be said of such golden oldies as; 'just give it a kick, that'll get it workin'', and 'give him another drink, that'll sort him out!'. So yes, back in the dark ages these were perfectly solid chunks of reason and logic, able to withstand the protestations of all sensitive and thoughtful people. But today?
Well that’s just not good enough really, is it?

Of trips down memory lane

We recently took on an apprentice, which started me thinking about when I first took a needle, clutched in a trembling hand, to a very good freind.
If you are hoping for some humerous, anecdotal remeisces I'm afraid you'll be out of luck, I wholly lack the humour. However, here goes. . .
I did the piercing, shaking away, checking with the the piercer, Pete, every step of the way. I was so worried about hurting the aformentioned freind I needed help to put the jewellery in. I then proceeded to put the clinical waste into the regular bin, the needle in the clinical waste bin and drop the tray on the way to the autoclave, all within the space of an eternal few seconds.
Slick huh?
Lian, our apprentice, performed her first piercing on me, a conch. I talked her through it, but offered no assisstance.
And how did she do?
The piercing was smooth, unhurried. The jewellery went in without complaint and all the equipment and waste went safely away to their various locations.
Um . . . (hangs head low)

Of the inconstant piercer

I am an inconstant piercer, I admit it. The way I pierce one tragus may, and probably will be totally different to the way I do another. And that's not even mentioning the more challenging work I do.
Yes, I freely admit it. And that is one of the many reasons I love my job so much. It always keeps me on my toes.
There cannot be such a thing as a 'one-size-fits-all' method of piercing. That would be denying the individuality and needs of your customer. What will look good for one may be a terrible mistake on another. What may heal well for someone may give months of discomfort for somebody else. So does your piercer understand you and what may be good for you?
Are you the same as the person next door?

Nope, me neither

Of the answer to 'that' question

Q: "Does it hurt?"
A: "Um . . . yes, sorry"

Of a frightening lack of regulation

I wanted to share with you all, something that I think everyone should know. Often I am asked 'can I see your certificate?', 'are you registered?' and many questions on a similar line. I show my certificate but what does that actually mean? Does it mean my sterilization procedures have been examined? How about my competency tested? Nope, none of the above. Here is a quote from Reading Borough Council.
'Anyone carrying out cosmetic piercing within Reading Borough must be registered to do so and also register the premises in which they operate.'
Sounds good doesn't it? Read on.
'The Council cannot refuse to register a premise . . .'
So after an arbitrary, and woefully lacking inspection, you are certified to perform whatever you like on whomever walks through your doors. Follow the link on the title of this post to RBC's website and read it for yourself. And I'm sure it varies little across the different councils.

Worried now?

Of the holistic approach to body piercings

I know, the word holistic conjures images of summer solstice, organic foods and bad hair. But let's look at the meaning of the word:
ho·lis·tic: Emphasising the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts.
Reminiscent of the old belief in the humours of the body, the principle is sound. If one thing is out of balance with the whole, the whole will suffer.
So what has this got to do with body piercing and why am I boring you with it?
Wound your body by piercing it, then agitate that wound repeatedly by keeping it open with jewellery. Given that, wouldn't you rather have 'the whole' working to heal your piercing? Or have parts dampened with stress, fighting off a cold, or trying to shake the groggy effects of alcohol?
I don't know, makes sense to me . . .