Now that we’ve covered tattoos, let’s talk about body piercing. There are a lot of things that can go wrong with a piercing that really aren’t a concern when it comes to tattoos, so there are a few points that we need to cover.
First of all, body piercing is inherently more dangerous than tattooing. Before you write off piercings altogether though, I want you to realize that properly placed by a competent individual with appropriate jewelry and technique, most of the danger of body piercing can be negated. There are a few things that can happen with any piercing though, such as cysts, boils, scarring, rejection or migration, and infection. This article is going to walk you through some of the things you can do to avoid the above conditions. Now you have decided to get a body piercing. The first thing you have to do is to find a body piercer. You should be listening to word of mouth from people that have well-healed piercings that look nicely placed, that have gorgeous jewelry, and have a minimum of scar tissue. If the tissue around the piercing is discolored, raised, or looks red and angry, this piercing may not be doing well. This might be due to the client’s actions or the piercers, so take each piercing with a grain of salt!
So let’s say you find a piercer who seems to be doing well. Now you have to meet them and take a look at their shop. When you walk in the shop the atmosphere should be comfortable, clean, and friendly. Remember, if you feel uncomfortable, that’s a good sign that this is not the shop for you. You should be greeted by friendly counter staff or an artist and they should be able to answer any questions you might have. Ask away! Even if you don’t know the answer to the question the staff should be able to give you one or find it for you.
Some examples of good questions are:
-What metals do you use in fresh piercings?
-May I see your work area?
-May I see your clean room?
-May I see your autoclave and autoclave logs?
-May I see your spore test results?
-May I see your portfolios?
If everything checks out, then walk out! Like we covered in the tattoo article, you want to shop around-for quality, not price. Now let’s say you look all around town and have found the place that you feel comfortable in. This shop is clean, the staff is friendly, they are up to date on all sterilization protocols, and they use quality jewelry. "What is quality jewelry?" you may ask. Jewelry that is acceptable for body piercing will be made of implant-grade materials. This means the jewelry is made of materials that the Association for the Safety Testing of Materials has certified as safe for insertion to a fresh wound. These are the same materials that bone screws and other medical implants are made of. In the case of body jewelry the materials will be 316LVM ASTM F-138 Steel and ASTM F-136 Titanium.
The jewelry should have also have a mirror finish. A mirror finish on your jewelry is an indicator of a complete chromium oxide layer (in the case of steel) or a complete titanium oxide layer (in the case of titanium). This is the layer that will keep your body from attacking the piece and creating excess scar tissue. If you decide to go ahead and get the piercing, the artist should check the anatomy in question before the procedure. Not everyone is built for every piercing, and there are a few that lots of people shouldn’t get. If you have the correct anatomy to perform the procedure, then price and aftercare should be discussed.
Don’t be surprised by the price, as body piercing by a reputable artist with high-quality jewelry can be more expensive than many people expect. If you don’t have the money to get the piercing right now, then you should wait until you can save up enough. Don’t settle when it comes to your body. Now, if everything we have talked about checks out and you do have the funds to get it done, then the next thing to talk about is procedure. The piercer should have a good bedside manner, they should answer any questions you have during the procedure, and they should conduct themselves in a professional manner.
Remember, if at any time you feel uncomfortable or in danger, you should walk out immediately. I can’t tell you how many clients come in to my shop to get their piercings fixed or taken out who have a story that starts out with "I kinda felt like it was a bad idea". The piercer should show you autoclave marks on each package, or if there is no package, should show you the jewelry coming out of the autoclave (in the case of autoclaves like a Statim). They should change gloves multiple times during the procedure, and be very careful about what they touch and in what order. Try and stay calm, and your piercing will be over before you know it. So you have your new piercing. The piercer did a great job and has gone over your aftercare with you. This is when it becomes your job to make sure your piercing will do well.
You need to follow your aftercare to the letter, and if you have ANY questions let your piercer know as soon as possible. Don’t listen to your friends; many times aftercare is tailored to suit you, and their aftercare might not work with your anatomy or lifestyle. Don’t rotate or turn your jewelry, as this will tear up the fragile fistula (skin tunnel) that is forming and will expose the inside of the piercing channel to bacterial this is living outside of it. If you have a problem with your piercing, drop back by the studio and talk to the piercer.
For many piercings a long piece of jewelry is used to accomodate swelling; if your jewelry needs to be shortened after the initial swelling is gone, make sure you drop back by and get that taken care of. Many times, wearing jewelry that is too long can contribute to gum erosion, tooth damage, bone density loss, and scarring depending on where your piercing is. Lastly, if you think you might have an infection SEE A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL IMMEDIATELY. While this article is full of good advice regarding piercings, it is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
