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| Essential Piercing Advice |
| Go to a reputable tattoo shop, stay away from those accessories stores in the mall. The gun is not a sterile and it only forces a blunt object into your piercing. The tattoo shop uses sharp, hollow, sterilized needles that slices through the skin and safely pushes the tissue aside to make room for your new jewelry. Thus making the piercing less painful and it heals faster.
Call your local health department for the names of tattoo shops that have been written up for health violations and stay away from those shops. Consider getting the names of shops that have always passed health inspections and these will be your best bet.
Be sure that the person doing the piercing takes out a new needle and opens it in front of you. Shy away from places that use autoclaves to clean their needles, needles are suppose to be used once then disposed of properly in a sharps container.
Always check the cleanliness of the shop, dirty places do dirty work in which could cause you to get Hepatitis C. or HIV.
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| What to expect from a piercing studio |
The studio should have an autoclave for sterilizing all reusable equipment (needles are not meant to be reusable). The autoclave should be tested monthly by spore testing and a log is to be kept of when and who sterilized the equipment. Feel free to ask to see the autoclave and log (any reputable place won't have a problem showing it to you.). Remember look for autoclave not a dry heat sterilizer.
Your piercing artist should wear medical gloves at all times. Their ungloved hands should not come in contact with your skin or any of the equipment to be used on your piercing.
Under no circumstances should you be pierced with anything other than a sharp, hollow, new needle.
The forceps, needle and any other metal equipment should be removed from autoclaved bag (autoclave bag is a long skinny pouch used to hold equipment during sterilization), with gloved hands in your presence. There is no way for you to know if the equipment is clean if they don't open it in front of you.
Remember if you get in that piercing chair and find that the person fixing to poke you is not practicing safe and sterile methods, leave. You have every right to get out of that chair and say no way! After all it’s your health at stake.
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| How old do I have to be to get a piercing? |
| In Texas that decision is left up to the parent. In order to pierce a minor in the state of Texas a parent or legal guardian must be present to sign the consent form. A state issued valid ID is required on the parent or legal guardian, and a bona fide form of picture ID on the minor (school, season pass ect.) and a copy of the birth certificate on the minor. In the event that the parent has a different last name then the child, court documentation is needed to prove the relationship (divorce papers, or a marriage certificate).
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| Is it safe for me to pierce myself or let one of my friends do it for me? |
| No never attempt to pierce yourself even with the help of one of those piercing kits. And never let your untrained friend to do it either. Do-it-yourself piercings are not sterile and if you accidentally pierce the wrong place, you could cause severe bleeding or permanent nerve damage.
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| How much do body piercing cost? |
| Prices vary depending on the place to be pierced. If you have any questions on the cost of a piercing just call, unlike tattoos we can quote prices over the phone for piercings. The quote we give you will include the jewelry, but there are upgrades available on jewelry if you like.
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| Do body piercings hurt? |
| Not nearly as much as you might think! In fact, the actual piercing is so brief that the worst part is the preceding mental anxiety and fear. And, no matter how the piercing felt, almost everyone who gets pierced can't help but laugh or smile when it's over. Don't get me wrong, piercing is not a painless experience--but pain is completely relative to the individual and the pain incurred during a piercing is nothing that the average person can't handle. Remember: the piercing process only lasts a split second, while the new addition to your body can be enjoyed as long as you like
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| Can you numb it? |
| There is a numbing cream for oral piercings, it will cost you an additional $5.00 and in my personal opinion it just takes the edge off and I don’t think it’s worth the extra money to prevent 30 seconds of pain.
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| How long will it take for my piercing to heal? |
| That depends. Each area of the body has its own unique healing period and process. Oral and oral/facial piercings tend to heal fastest, while others tend to heal a bit slower. Also, every individual body heals and reacts to piercings in an individualized manner. So, your friend may have tackled an entire pizza a few days after getting a tongue piercing (which is HIGHLY unrecommended) while you, on the other hand, may still be spoon feeding yourself ice cream and soup after waiting the same amount of time. A general guideline for approximate healing times is as follows: Cheek: 2-3 months; Cartilage: 2 months-1 year; Earlobe: 6-8 weeks; Eyebrow: 6-8 weeks; Genitals: 4 weeks-6 months; Labret: 6-8 weeks; Lip: 6-8 weeks; Navel: 6 months-over 1 year; Nipple: 2-6 months; Nostril: 2 months-1 year; Septum: 6-8 weeks; Tongue: 4-6 weeks.
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| How long before I can change the starter jewelry? |
| In accordance with healing, this time period can vary from person to person. There are two things to consider: the initial and full healing periods. The initial healing period is that time when the body creates a nice layer of skin between you and the starter jewelry. The full healing period is when the new piercing is entirely healed. When deciding how long to wait before changing your jewelry you have to remember that you don’t want to reopen the wound. This will delay your healing process and require intense aftercare to prevent possible infection. And when you change your jewelry you are going to irritate your new piercing—no matter how gentle you are. So, my advice is to wait until the piercing is no longer tender (meaning, you can play with your piercing without experiencing ANY discomfort). At this point you can consider changing your jewelry. However, use as much care as possible when changing your jewelry for the first time!
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| What do I need to avoid after I get my new piercing? |
| Avoid the use of alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Beta dine, Hibiclens or any kind of ointment.
Avoid undue trauma such as friction from clothing, playing with the jewelry and vigorous cleaning. These activities can cause the formation of unsightly scar tissue, migration, prolonged healing, and other complications.
Avoid over cleaning, this will irritate your piercing and delay the healing time.
Avoid oral contact, rough play and contact with other's bodily fluids on or near your piercing while its healing
Avoid recreational drug use including caffeine, nicotine and alcohol
Avoid submerging your new piercing in bodies of water such as lakes, Jacuzzis, pools, etc...If you’re going to go submerge in a body of water protect your piercing with a waterproof bandage.
Avoid all beauty and personal care products on or around the piercing like cosmetics, lotions, etc...
Do not hang any charms or any object from your jewelry until it is healed.
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| What should I expect after a body piercing? |
| Initially some bleeding, swelling, tenderness and maybe some bruising.
During the healing process you may have some discoloration, itching, secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that will form some crusties on the jewelry. The tissue might tighten up around the jewelry while it’s healing.
Once healed you still need to keep it clean, otherwise normal but smelly bodily secretions may accumulate.
A piercing may seem healed before it is, this is because piercings heal from the outside in, and although it feels healed the tissue remains fragile on the inside. Be patient and keep cleaning throughout the entire healing process. Remember even healed piercings can shrink or close in minutes even if you have had it for five years. The rule of thumb is if you want the piercing keep something in it at all times.
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| How do I take care of my new piercing? |
| Wash your hands (they carry more germs than any other part of the body) before cleaning or touching your piercing.
Remove all crusties from the jewelry with a Q tip, and bactine or sea salt solution.
3 times a day clean it with sea salt solution, or bactine. (we carry both of them) Move the jewelry while cleaning it. But do not remove the jewelry, and make sure all crusties are off the jewelry before moving it through the piercing. Otherwise you’re just pulling a whole bunch of bacteria through your new piercing which will cause an infection.
Wash with antibacterial soap at least once a day, this is best done in the shower. Lather up a pearl size drop of antibacterial soap (dial, ect.) on the jewelry and the piercing. Leave the cleanser on the piercing no more than 30 seconds then rinse well making sure to remove all of the soap residue from the piercing.
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| Oral piercings |
| Wash your hands (they carry more germs than any other part of the body) before cleaning or touching your piercing.
Rinse out with nonalcoholic mouthwash or a sea salt solution anytime you eat, drink or smoke.
While brushing your teeth move the barbell up and down and brush it also.
Check the balls on the barbell every other day to ensure they are tight as possible.
Ice will help with the swelling (make ice your best friend for the first 72 hours)
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| Why do I have to start with stainless steel, titanium, or gold jewelry? |
| These are the best materials to prevent adverse reactions to the new object in your body. There will be plenty of time for the fun involved with changing your jewelry to express yourself or reflect your personal style. But it will suck if you lose your piercing because you have no patience. So, try to enjoy each stage of your new piercing and understand that better you treat your new holes, the sooner you’ll be able to pimp-out your new piercing.
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| Will a piercing heighten sensitivity in the pierced area? |
| Yes. While all piercings will make you more aware of the pierced area, there are definitely some piercings that heighten sensitivity more than others. Typically, these include the tongue, nipples, and genitals. As a piercer I have heard everything from “erotic stimulation” to “instant orgasm.” Now, I cannot guarantee that one of these three types of piercings will make you shudder in sexual or sensual delight; but, I will say that I have never heard anyone say that one of these three types of piercings did not enhance sensitivity.
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| For how long can I keep out my jewelry? |
| This depends. Each piercing has a different lifespan without jewelry. For example, I removed my second tongue barbell to go to the dentist and after an hour and a half the hole closed up. On the other hand, I've kept my earlobe jewelry out for days without having my holes shrink or close-up. Bottom line, if you have to remove your jewelry, get a retainer. This will prevent any chance of losing the piercing. And retainers are made with clear Lucite; flesh colored or clear acrylic ends, and other styles of "hide able" accessories. So hiding your piercing shouldn't be an issue. And for athletes, a PTFE tongue retainer, monofilament nylon, or other types of inert metallic substances may serve to keep your piercing open while engaging in activity.
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| Is piercing some new “fad” or “trend”? |
| Hell no!! Piercing has been around since back in the day. It has been practiced in nearly every culture all over the world for thousands of years. The reason why some weak-ass journalists call piercing a “fad” or “trend” is either because they don’t get around much (non-ear piercings have officially been in the US since Gauntlet opened shop in the early 70’s) or they are uneducated about the myriad of cultures and societies that inhabit our planet. In my opinion, we are merely experiencing the Western Body Art Renaissance. Now that body art has spread beyond a select few subcultures in the US, our peoples have come to appreciate the beautification and joy that body art offers. Tribalectic is currently embarking on a huge project to provide you with the most comprehensive and accurate information regarding the history of body piercing. For now, keep your eyes on Tribalectic’s Online Magazine for new and archived articles about body piercing and body art.
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| Will I have a problem breast feeding if my nipples are pierced? |
| As long as the piercing is well healed one would not have a problem with breast feeding. The nipple has plenty of cells of mammary glands. If the piercing is at the base of the nipple, jewelry doesn't matter. A lot of people choose barbells so they can remove them during the great feed. Some leave them in. If the piercings are not healed, take'em out.
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| Can you please tell me about "migration"? |
Curved bars, when placed properly, are the one type of jewelry that is least likely to be rejected. Rejection is usually caused by "back pressure" often caused by using straight bars, or simply the body refusing to accept the piercing. Rings can get knocked around quite a bit and that irritation can also cause rejection. In fact, any piercing, it received enough trauma, can be rejected. Infection and allergy/sensitivity are also types of irritation and can lead to rejection. Some piercing will "migrate" to a more comfortable setting without being rejected. Eyebrows that are pierced too deeply will often migrate to a more comfortable position and stop. This is common with Guiches, Frenums, Brows and even Navels. You can tell a piercing is rejecting when the skin is pink (not infection) and sometimes tender. The holes begin to get closer together leaving a thin scar in their wake. This can happen extremely quickly or over a long period of time. And it can happen to a brand new piercing or one that is 5 years old.
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| On the bottom of my tongue, there is a hard ring around the bar. What is this? |
| The bump that appears to be scar tissue is just that, scar tissue. This is not too uncommon. It is usually caused from mechanical stress or too much movement. I would suggest that you get your barbell downsized and that alone should alleviate the irritation.
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| I want to let my piercing hole close up as best as possible ... What should I do? |
| You should: Massage the tissue while you're in the shower letting very hot water run over it and help break up the scar tissue, stimulating new skin growth. Try dabbing a small amount of Vitamin E oil on the piercing once a day before you go to sleep. AFTER a few weeks give cortisone cream a try ... it's cheap enough.
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