Friday August 22nd, 2008 @ 8:00 AM
I’ve been thinking about getting a vch but im confused about whats right for me. I read an article that mentioned making sure your body was right for a particular piercing, my question is how do i know my body is right for a vertical piercing? is there something i can do to check?
Well, you can use a cotton bud (Q-tip) or a toothpick (snip the point off first, mind, and round off the sharp edges!) and pop it under your hood. If you can get the item more than 10mm under the hood and it isn’t very tight then I’d say you’re fine for a VCH. Alternatively, pop down to a reputable piercers and ask them to take a look for you.
+12 / 12 votes 
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Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | Comments
Friday August 22nd, 2008 @ 7:44 AM
Filed under: Navel
I have had this particluar piercing for about 9 years, had no trouble at all when it was done (it is one of three in a triangle formation -one top, two bottom)
It is one of the bottom ones that have gone a bit wrong, I can only asume I slept on it funny and it swelled up a little then got infected, it is not oosing pus or anything, its just red under the skin and rather hard and swollen.
I feel very similar to when I got cellulitus at a festival last year in my leg.
sick, head aches, fuzzy head, swelling, funny redness under skin surface, etc. by the time I got to the doctors (could walk to get there) it had cleared up and they of course did not believe there was a problem.(pfft doctors eh?)
I know it can be a re-occuring problem, is it possible to get cellulitus via piercings?
I would go to the doctor about it but they never actually help, at all.whatever the problems they seem to just assume I’m after prescription drugs or something. which is baws as I have no interest in such things, prescription or otherwise
Cellulitis rarely clears up without antibiotic therapy. It is a bacterial infection of the subcutaneous tissues (usually staph. aureus, sometimes streptococcal). It is characterised by a red, spotty rash, heat, intense throbbing pain and later on, fever and general feelings of malaise. It is treated with urgency (in some cases intravenous antibiotics may be administered) due to the potential it has to lead to septaecemia. Usually, there is a point of entry for the infection - a wound of sorts, but it can be systemic if infection exists elsewhere in the body. I am not a doctor but I would also have doubted your diagnosis based on what you have said.
You say you are feeling unwell? Sometimes, even well-healed piercings can flare up if you are under the weather so your angry piercing could be a symptom of something else. If the redness isn’t accompanied by excess heat, pain and discharge then I wouldn’t be too concerned. You can do twice daily tepid seasalt soaks to help reduce the inflammation and ensure you eat a healthy, balanced diet and keep well hydrated. If you are under the weather then taking a multivitamin may be of benefit. If you have changed the jewellery recently, then this could be a factor. If you haven’t removed the jewellery to clean it in the last nine years then this could also be a factor!
Of course, if you are in any doubt whatsoever, then a trip to the doctors won’t do any harm.
+2 / 6 votes 
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Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | Comments
Thursday August 21st, 2008 @ 1:47 AM
I would like to have a microdermal placed near my pubic bone. What sort of aftercare would such a placement require? How long before I can resume sex? What clothing considerations should I have in mind?
Thank you for taking the time to answer these basic questions.
I’m finding more clients opting for dermal anchors in the pubic area instead of “Christina” piercings with curved or surface barbells.
Aftercare for anchors requires plenty of hot compresses to help promote circulation and draining as well as to encourage the anchor to “anchor” in nice and flat.
I tell my clients to use a waterproof, tight-fitting bandage on their anchors when they’re sleeping or participating in activities that may risk the anchor being snagged in it’s early several weeks of healing.
If the piercing was placed high enough on your pubic mound, you shouldn’t have to refrain from sexual activity if the piercing wasn’t coming into contact with fluids or suffering trauma from any impact…
You shouldn’t run into any issues with clothing as long as you’re exercising some common sense: Nothing lacy or holey that may catch on the piercing (and that includes NOT wearing any underwear and putting the piercing at risk of snagging on the inside of you jeans’ zipper…)
For the most part, I’ve found that people are pretty happy with the aesthetic results of pubic-placed anchors! I would recommend wearing flat discs on them for the first couple months, however.
+11 / 11 votes
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Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | 1 Comment
Thursday August 21st, 2008 @ 1:39 AM
Filed under: Ear
Hi there.
After much thought and discussion with a piercer, I chose a snug as the least problematic of piercings I was considering having, so that’s what I ended up with. The piercer went out of his way to calm me (though I already have an industrial and was aware of the pain issue and possible long healing time) and explain to me about the piercing. He also showed me the barbell he was going to use and talked with me until I was ready. Anyway, that was six weeks ago now. It’s been painful and itchy, but I didn’t really see any problems with it until today. This morning I woke up and realized my head (not ear) was itching and when I lifted a hand to check it, I had crusties on my scalp and in my hair. Naturally I checked my ear next and it seems as if the curve of the barbell was too sharp (?), because there’s a raised, scabbed and crusty spot on the back of my ear just about the center of the snug. My question is whether I should try and keep it clean and leave it alone and hope for the best for the skin or if I should just remove it and try again another time with a straight(er?) barbell? At the moment it doesn’t hurt especially, but I’m worried about overall/future damage to my ear. Any advice?
I’ll personally question the theory behind a snug piercing being the least problematic of piercings to choose from… I would say it’s one of the most prone to having problems piercing you could pick…
I’m concerned that you have a scabby raised part on the BACK of your ear. This leads to me think that you didn’t the right anatomy to accommodate a very anatomy-dependent piercing such as this and that your piercer may have pierced in a way that’s causing the barbell to expose itself out of the back of your ear.
I usually use a straight barbell for snug piercings (Which is why I’m so choosy as to who can actually wear a snug piercing with minimal potential issues.) Some people have a very pronounced fold of cartilage there, others don’t and a snug piercing will basically become a cartilage “surface” piercing and end in disaster.
Without seeing the piercing it is hard to say for sure, but it sounds as if you may want to remove the piercing.
+5 / 7 votes
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Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | 2 Comments
Thursday August 21st, 2008 @ 1:34 AM
Filed under: Ear
Alright so right now I’m stretched to 3/4′ and I have wrapped tape around my plugs. I didn’t wrap much, just twice around, they were kinda tight going in and now one of my ears are super sore and the other is fine, just wondering if this is normal or a bad thing?
And if there is anything I can do to help, because this is very uncomfortable and I know if I take it out now it’s gonna be super super sore.
“Super Sore” is not a good way to describe earlobes!
Even a couple wraps can be too much for some lobes. Your best bet would be to downsize the jewelry to the size you were last - or maybe even the size under that until you feel less pressure on the lobe.
Treat it like a new piercing - wash it with warm water twice a day, don’t touch it, etc and give it lots of time before you attempt to wrap it again.
+7 / 7 votes
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Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | 10 Comments
Thursday August 21st, 2008 @ 1:30 AM
I am thinking of getting diamond body jewelry (navel and nipples) with diamond balls, either with titanium rings or 14k white gold rings.
my question is : how practical is “dressy” body jewelry? am i more likely to lose the diamond in my cbr in the shower than i am a regular titanium or stainless steel cbr?
is this kind of body jewelry practical for every day wear?
please help me. the answer could potentially save me thousands of dolalrs.
thank you.
The likelihood of your jewelry falling out when you don’t want it to is going to be based largely on the quality of your jewelry.
There are a few body jewelry manufacturers out there who make VERY well-made, implant grade, precious metal and gem body jewelry.
The chances of you losing a diamond captive ball shouldn’t be any higher than if you were to have one in any other material.
If you’re looking into a CBR style of jewelry, consider a fixed bead ring - then the ball CAN’T fall off!
“Practical for everyday wear” will depend on what you do everyday (an elaborate, dangly navel piece may not be suitable for someone who carries boxes around all day!) and the durability of the jewelry will depend on where you get it from.
+9 / 9 votes
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Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | 9 Comments
Wednesday August 20th, 2008 @ 2:30 AM
I have had a PA for 5 months now. It started at a 10g and after 3.5 months I moved to a 8g. Well now the piercing seems loose enough that I could move to a 6g but I don’t want to push myself and risk tearing/thinning the tissue. Is there a guideline of how long I should wait in between moving to a new gauge or how can I tell when it is healed enough? I have no intentions of rushing the process, but if I am ready to move up I am more than willing.
When I moved up to the 8g from the 10g the new jewelry went in easily with no resistance.
You kind of answered your own question friend 
If the pathway is resisting the jewelry being inserted, its not ready and you should wait longer.
+10 / 10 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 1 Comment
Wednesday August 20th, 2008 @ 2:05 AM
Is it possible to make a decent living in the UK as a piercer without also being a tattoo artist? I’m not talking anything extravagant here, I just wouldn’t want to end up constantly broke! (although I do realise I probably would be when starting out). I’ve been interested in body mods since I was about 11 (I’m now 18) but I’ve only recently started to consider a career in this industry so I haven’t got the faintest idea how I would actually go about it. I’m starting to do some research into it now but I thought BME would be the best place to start. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
The discussion of how to get into the body modification industry has been discussed many times before. But simply put I always try to guide individuals in the direction of actually getting proper training (ie: Anatomy & Physiology Courses, Business Management Courses, Metalworking if possible,etc,etc). Because the more we get properly educated individuals in this industry who fully understand those area’s, the more our industry will flourish and grow.
As for financial status our industry has people who are well below the poverty line all the way up to rollin in their pimped out Escalades.
I will say though there are far more “broke” piercers and tattooists out there then the cashed up bling bling styled ones. Some are unhappy about being “broke” while others don’t care about the money because they are providing a solid service and helping people modify their bodies.
Personally, I’ve only recently been able to be in a position where I am capable of affording somewhat of a life. I can pay my bills with ease and even eat a better type of food, I’ve even managed to buy a laptop as well. However I’ve had the same pair of scratched up/warped glasses since I was 17 years old, I’m 28, but that’s my next major purchase.
But like I said for many years in my piercing career, I was simply too poor to afford certain necessities and luxuries. Which is the case for MANY piercers/tattooists out there. This is why so many artists actually have part-time jobs to supplement their bod mod careers. Some wait tables, others sling suds, others jiggle their jellies on stage, others paint/sculpt,etc.
But yeah if you’re expecting to be all cashed up bling bling rockstar style, think again, chances are it probably will never happen, unless you sell your soul or are very lucky. The chance of you even being able to comfortably live and be stable and own a car and buy a house, is a bit more feasible but again many artists are lucky to make it like that. Most artists tend to be more underpaid for the type of services they provide.
The thought process though is that a tattoo artist will make more money, not getting into the discussion on that argument(tattooing vs piercing,etc), because they are completely two different realms within the Bod Mod umbrella. I will say though that in the past there has been plenty of times where I’ve made more money then my past shops tattoo artists did,etc.
This reminds me, rent’s due this week hahaha!
+8 / 10 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 4 Comments
Monday August 18th, 2008 @ 10:02 PM
what is the best way to remove an unwanted microdermal that has completely healed? also what is your suggested aftercare following removal?
The absolute best way to remove one would be to go to the person who did it and ask them to remove it. The second best way to remove one would be to go to a reputable studio- one that does microdermals, and ask them to remove it. (if they do it for free, make sure to tip them)
+6 / 12 votes
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Posted by Shawn Porter | Permalink | 7 Comments
Monday August 18th, 2008 @ 12:30 AM
hey, my labret piercing is 2 weeks old, pierced with a stud. It looks a feels fantastic, but i was wondering if i could get a downsizing from my piercer? Or is it too early? Also, do i just walk into the parlor and have them downsize, or should i call first?
Thanks so much.
-Au Revoir
Bonjour,
Now that I’ve used up my entire French vocab that I remember from my early school years, lets get get on with the topic at hand. Downsizing.
It is best to call up the studio and ask them if you need to make an appointment, or if you can just walk in. Many shops allow you to simply walk in, however sometimes a studio might require you to make an appointment. Some studios are just busier than others and require appointments, that’s all.
Also based on what I was seeing in that picture, I’d be inclined to say you should wait another week or two. However if you visit the studio they’ll be able to properly assess the situation and determine if your labret can be downsized now, or if there is still swelling and would require more time before downsizing.
A lot of people are a bit confused, quite often, when it comes to downsizing. I often have customers coming in requesting to downsize and to show that its “so long” what they do is smile or actually use their bottom teeth to compress the lip tissue thus giving the appearance that the labret is too long. This is not an ideal viewpoint to confirm the labret needs to be downsized. The ideal way to confirm that downsizing needs to be done is if your face is perfectly relaxed and still and you see extra length of the bar showing/sticking out.
But as I said your best option is to just visit a studio and they’d be more than happy to sort out the downsizing for you. Most studios should be offering some sort of incentive for customers to come back to get a downsize anyways.
+8 / 12 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | Comments
