Of angel wings and surface piercings

I wouldn't normally post a picture of a fresh surface piercing, it can be horribly off putting, but with these I think I can make an exception!



They may not look so hot now but I have high hopes. The piercings all went smoothly and I sent him on his way, with strict aftercare guidelines and demands of regular checkups, to the local health food shop for some zinc and arnica.
So why do I like these so much? The guy came in with a mind for two straight and very geometrical surface piercings. We ummed and we ahhed and decided to throw a bit of shape and curve into the mix. I like these so much because they simply would not work with most people. That makes them individual, and that makes them special.
Oh, and the title. Kinda looks like them, doesn't it?

Of those funny little skin diver thingies *update2*

Well, six days in this is how they look;



There is still, naturally, some discharge but they seem to have settled in well. No movement and little discomfort. I suggested using 'butterfly' stitches to keep them in over night and that has worked well. Apart from that a single saline soak a day, patted dry, then kept dry for the rest of the day. Now I'm looking forward to the next set!

Of the great p.t.f.e / surface bar debate

Like women's rights, environmental issues, communism, border controls and what the actual point to 'Lost' is; the surface bar / p.t.f.e war will likely rage on, and on, and on, and on. I won't add my voice to the throng, but I will put forward a few questions:
Can users of either method claim 100% success rate?
Aren't both methods heavily dependent on the piercee taking very, very good care of the piercing?
So with these asked, I'll just put it out there:
Are unprofessional piercers using either method really good ambassadors, can it be fair to use the individual as examples of the whole?
People are different, can a 'one method fits all' solution be expected to work?
Isn't the procedure and placement just as important as the jewellery used?
Maybe one day I'll discuss what I consider to be good procedure, though as I use p.t.f.e it is very likely I'll be considered completely unqualified, and dismissed out of hand. At the risk of breaking my own ethos of keeping my entries short, succinct and to the point, I'll leave the battle field with this parting shot:



Yup, they are all p.t.f.e. I won't pillage other peoples photos for pictures of healed surface bar piercings, but will be happy to put them up if anyone sends them in!

Of those funny little skin diver thingies *update1*

All good things, come in three. Two or three years ago a guy came into the shop without so much as a lobe piercing and had these done, all together, in one sitting.

Photo

Today he came in with those, and left with these;
















I'll update again soon, then we'll see if I'll be offering them in the shop!

Of pain, and the logical approach

I have recently been chatting to a tattoo artist about some work I’m keen about, a cover-up of a less than wonderful piece I had done as an even less than scrupulous youth. I’ll cut what could be a very long, BME-esque, 5000 word essay, somewhat short, to this: In order to do the cover up and do it well, the piece will need to be big.
[tattooist] Mmm . . . about eighteen hours, umm . . . three sessions should do it.
Time froze and my limited mathematical capabilities seemed to freeze with it, might as well have asked me to work out the period of a sine curve at 420 hertz, then commit it to an algebraic formula while spinning plates crossing a high wire. But back to the point; When I had stood there with a puzzled look, far longer than dignity allowed, the kindly tattooist put me out of my misery.
[tattooist] That’s three, six hour sessions.
Now this isn’t a way of patting myself on the back for how ‘fuckin hardcore, yeah!!!’ I am. I am absolutely terrified. I am neither as gung-ho, nor as bloody minded as I used to be about how much pain I am happy to cause myself. I no longer need pain to feel alive, I have my basil plant for that. So when I turn up for the dreaded ‘afternoon session’ do I flap on in, full tilt, “ohmygodohmygod”. Or do I step back, look at it logically, and decide that panicking won’t make it hurt any less, jumping up and down won’t make it go any quicker and that countless people have been in this same chair, doing the same thing and are all out there now, still very much alive and happy. Oh, and I have paid money to be here!
So do I feel pain less than my customers? Are their piercings more painful than any I have ever had? Am I shooting myself in the foot if I say no? I am not unsympathetic, I just try and approach things as logically as I can. Seems to have worked well so far . . .

Of the guiche / scrotal ladder *update*

Well here they are, the long anticipated (I'm sure) pictures. We decided on more than one photo so:

Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3

And apparently we're not finished yet!

Of those funny little skin diver thingies

Now I'm quite excited about these, kind of like dermal anchors without all the worries that come with removing them. I have been keen to try them out as I'd love to be able to offer them as an alternative to the microdermals. Single point piercing without the meshing of body tissue with a foreign object, an easier thought to stomach for some!
Anyway I'll be doing my first set, a set of three, on a customer of mine at some point this week. I'll make sure to post pictures as soon as I can, and we'll see whether concerns about rapid rejection are justified or not.

Of body piercing and artistic endeavours

Body piercing is all about lines and forms. Every piercing has an ideal place that is in sympathy with its surroundings, even simple cartilage piercings have a right and a wrong place. Which brings me to one of my favorite subjects; lines, symmetry and geometry. Call me fussy but I like nothing more than marking a piercing just so, taking into account every line and shape that is already there, working with, not against the body and individuality of my customer.
And then, i suppose, not so much 'doing a piercing' as insinuating the jewellery . . . just . . . there. . .
To watch me scrutinizing your body part, chewing my lip and muttering incoherently may seem a little disturbing. But don't worry, I'm probably too absorbed to care.
So are body piercers always to be just needle pushers? Receptionists at tattoo studios and second rate subsidiaries? (The amount of times I've heard; "So do you do tattoos too then?") Is there a place for the piercer that takes their time, thinks about what they do and can be proud of their work?
I think so, and the shift of awareness I have noticed in my customers over the last couple of years, says that you do to.
So yes, yes there is.

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 . . .