Tuesday January 15th, 2008 @ 6:14 PM
hey =]
my question: how deep can you play pierce?
i’ve done it on my foot, hand, between my knuckles and on my finger where the skin is really stretchy, but can you do it on places (like the arm) where it goes through flesh, not just skin?
thankx
You can pretty much play pierce as deep as you like, it probably wont kill you. Performers such as Zamora the torture king routinely shove skewers through muscle tissue. In the Phillipines religious devotees crucify themselves through the hands. So to answer your question know your anatomy and know your physical limitations. Those are the only two things that determine how deep and where you can safely play pierce.
+4 / 6 votes 
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Posted by Sean Philips | Permalink | Comments
Tuesday January 15th, 2008 @ 5:57 PM
Filed under: Nipple
This question is in regards to my left nipples piercings.. my outer diagonal nipple piercing is about 3/4mo old, and was doing great, then I had the inner diagonal done as well, about 3 weeks ago, and now have this strange bump right on the very top of the nipple. It’s not painful, is tender to touch, slighter darker than surrounding area, “shiney”, smooth, and when I press on it (gently of course), bits of yellowish thicker fluid comes out of the inner upper exit hole. I’m pretty sure it’s an abscess, and am horrified by it. So, I’m set on removing the newer diagonal piercing, but, what precautions should I take before/while doing so? Can I just remove, and trust my body to drain/cleanse it on its own? (perhaps with aid of sea salt soaks?) I basically, am confused by this, and scared of what could happen, and want to remove this offending piercing in the best way. (of course if you think this could be saved, I’d be open to hearing suggestions on that as well). Thank you very much!!
(The picture doesn’t show the discoloration as well as it could, but the bump is shinier, like the picture shows, and please excuse awkward angle–thus causing the balls to all look different sizes, really are the same)
Perhaps your problem comes from the jewelry pinching. It is impossible to say without seeing, but possibly just switching the back to a curved barbell could alleviate your problems. I would also advise using titanium if you make the switch.
+1 / 1 votes 
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Posted by Sean Philips | Permalink | 1 Comment
Tuesday January 15th, 2008 @ 1:53 PM
Hi folks,
This may be a little difficult to answer, but I’m just wondering if you can give me any advice or perhaps put my mind at rest.
I had my last tattoo about 3 years ago, but in the time since I was last tattooed, I have developed a couple of new allergies to certain medication and foods (which includes urticaria as a symptom) and I’m just wondering if this means I will have an increased risk of reacting to any new ink?
The urticaria seems to be caused by a new food allergy that has developed (which I am trying to identify and remove from my diet). I have seen a doctor and it is currently under control with anti-histamine.
Have you ever come across this query before? Is there any likelihood that this would cause a problem with a new tattoo?
I have never had a problem with any of my previous tattoos and none of my allergies are life-threatening, thankfully (just annoying!)
Thanks in advance for any light you can shed!
This is a tough question which should really be discussed with your Allergist. Without knowing what your allergy is, it’s hard to tell you what would be safe. Tattoo ink ingredients aren’t consistent from artist to artist depending on the origin, brand, mixture etc. Keep in mind, some artists by bottles of ink pre-mixed from a supplier, some mix it themselves. I’m sorry that I can’t give you a better answer. You should speak with your artist to find out what brand of ink they use and go from there. Unfortunately most manufacturers aren’t as forthcoming with the ingredients that go into their inks.
0 / 0 votes 
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Posted by Rachel | Permalink | 3 Comments
Tuesday January 15th, 2008 @ 1:30 PM
I’ve only recently started hearing about a new non-laser tattoo removal, such as http://www.e-raze.com
I’m skeptical–does it work? What’s the straight dope?
My first thought was just to reply with “If it seems to good to be true, it probably is” but being diligent I read the site. I haven’t heard about this type of removal until reading your question but after looking at the site, it is not the typical “PAIN FREE TATTOO REMOVAL CREAM!”. They tattoo over your old tattoo using this cream instead of ink. I doubt it’s less painful or more effective than laser removal. You also have to keep in mind that you’re tattooing a cream into your skin.
Personally, I’d rather get traditional laser removal than put a chemical under my skin to destroy tattoo ink.
+8 / 8 votes
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Posted by Rachel | Permalink | 1 Comment
Monday January 14th, 2008 @ 10:13 PM
Filed under: Ear
I have 2 rooks and 3 helix piercings that are all at least 7 months old. Also, none of them are healed and still have crusties and are still a little painful. I do salt soaks and they only seem to help temporarily. Question: is 7 months too soon for me to expect them to be healed? Or is there some factor I’m not aware of slowing the healing time?
Thanks!
Did you obtain them all at the same time? Or did you obtain them all on off-set periods of time? Are they all on the same ear or are they on both ears?
7 months can still be too soon, especially with the amount of cartilage work you’ve obtained. I would look more towards the year marker for them to be healed, perhaps even longer.
If they are on both ears what you have to remember is the amount of stuff that comes in contact with your ears, ie: telephones, headsets (mp3 players,etc), pillows, hair (for those with hair),etc. All these things contain contaminates that can prolong the healing time, plus pressure/bumps/bangs being applied to cartilage work tends to really irritate them.
This is why I tend to do no more than 3 piercings on a client in one sitting and before doing any others make sure they are healing very well before attempting anymore work. Also when its involving ear cart work, I try to talk them into getting it on one side. As well as stress the concept of reducing the amount of impact that ear takes, ie: to only use a phone on the non-pierced ear,etc.
0 / 0 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 2 Comments
Monday January 14th, 2008 @ 9:10 PM
Filed under: Ear
allright,well this isnt a problem for me right now but i just wondered if it was normal.
a few months ago i gauged my ears from a regular ear peircing (16-14 i think) to a size 10.
a few days after that i took the gauges out to clean them and the holes started bleeding quite a lot. i had blood all over my fingers.i put the gauges in and waited about a week,took them out to clean and they were fine.i still have them in and there are no problems.
can anyone tell me if it was normal for them to bleed so much?
Proper stretching protocol is highly recommended, please refer back to past QOD questions/answers:
http://www.askbme.com/2007/12/13/bleeding-days-after-stretch/
http://www.askbme.com/2007/10/12/waiting-time/
To just put things simply, stretching from 16ga or 14ga to 10ga is NOT recommended, you should only be stretching one jewelry size at a time. As the larger the size difference the higher the chance of ripping/tearing the fistula(piercing pathway) which can lead to infections, blow outs and many other problems.
+1 / 1 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 4 Comments
Monday January 14th, 2008 @ 9:03 PM
Hey, I’m thinking about getting a christina piercing within the next few weeks or so. I usually shave that area completely everyday, but during healing time I probably couldn’t. Also, I’m afraid of having hair grow in places it shouldn’t and halt the healing process. So my question is: What do you suggest? Keep shaving or get a full wax? If I get waxed, how long should I wait before getting it done? I know everything is super-sensitive 24 hours after. Thanks!
In my experience, clients don’t generally need to alter their shaving/trimming/waxing routines all that much with a new genital piercing. Hair re-growth doesn’t tend to affect a piercing much, unless you shave for the piercing when you don’t normally shave…which doesn’t sound like it’s an issue for you. If been clean-shaven is important to the point that a week or so of not shaving is going to be aggravating, a waxing is a good alternative that shouldn’t cause any issue as long as you give it 4 or 5 days before the piercing.
0 / 2 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments
Monday January 14th, 2008 @ 8:58 PM
I’m going to be getting a new tattoo done quite soon, and most of the tattoos I already have are smaller pieces. This will be my first larger piece, so I’m going to be spending considerably more on it than usual. My question is, how much do you tip for a larger piece? Is it like going to a restaurant (15-20%) or do I just throw in an extra $40? I’m not too sure how that works….Is there some kind of rule of thumb to go by?
There isn’t a hard-and-fast rule such as the one for tipping at a restaurant…although I know many people who apply the same rule. I personally tend to tip more in the 30%-40% range, but I’m able to do so and I tend to get a hefty discount on my work. When it’s all said and done, an artist working at a shop that isn’t taking advantage of them shouldn’t be depending upon their tips to live, so anything extra you throw in should be appreciated.
0 / 0 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments
Monday January 14th, 2008 @ 8:55 PM
Filed under: Nipple
Hi,
I have had my nipple pierced for almost 8 years and am considering removing it but am unsure how to go about it. Does anyone know how I should be cleaning my nipple once I remove the bar, if it will fully heal over and, a little pre-emptive, whether or not in years to come I will be able to breastfeed?
Thanks in advance for any help
x
You shouldn’t need to do anything exceptional once you remove your piercing. Washing the area as part of your normal hygiene routine should be sufficient. You may find that you occasional get some “gunk” that comes out of the piercing. This will be nothing more than some dead skin cells that collect on the inside of the piercing and eventually work their way out.
Since you’ve had your piercing for so long, they probably won’t full-close. The holes will shrink after a while of not wearing jewelry, but they will likely stay somewhat open.
There is very little chance they will interfere with breast feeding. Unfortunately you won’t know for sure until you actually try, but it’s generally not an issue.
+3 / 3 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 2 Comments
Sunday January 13th, 2008 @ 3:12 PM
What can I use to treat and clean lower-grade metal jewelry, such as that found in fashion jewelry? I don’t want to corrode the metal with salt water or harsh chemicals. Also. I like wearing antique earrings usually found in antique shops, but unsuprisingly my ears aren’t to happy with that. I was wondering if there is anything I can do to treat them so they will be clean enough to wear? Or should I just give it up and stick with high-grade jewelry?
Reaction to inexpensive and antique jewelry has nothing to do with the jewelry not being clean enough. Your body doesn’t react well to it because it doesn’t like something (or several things) the jewelry is made of. No amount of cleaning is going to change that.
If you don’t want your jewelry to irritate your ears, you need to wear good-quality jewelry.
+1 / 1 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 9 Comments
