Wednesday March 18th, 2009 @ 7:30 AM
Hi,
My name is Efrain Espinoza .I am a tattoo artist from Los Angeles. I was wondering if you could help me, I am trying to come to a fair business arrangement with my two piercers. I just want to know if there is a “standard” arrangement, and what a fair percentage be for procedures, jewelry sales, etc. would be.
Jewelry is being purchased by the piercers.
I supply alot of the materials, disposables etc.
plus ads , promos, etc.
If you can help me thats cool .
Thanks
E
There are a lot of different ways that shops employ piercers, but I’ll tell you how I do it - I employ my staff as full-time staff members, they get paid a very fair and decent hourly wage, and they get all the perks that every other full-time worker in Australia gets (four weeks paid leave a year, ten sick days, superannuation, etc). I buy all the jewellery and supplies and everything else associated with running the business, and my staff get paid whether it’s busy or slow, so they can live their lives like everyone else does and plan their finances accordingly. I’ve worked for a few different shops in my day, getting paid per piercing or a percentage of the piercing and had to buy my own jewellery, etc, and it really sucks, frankly. I’m sure Derek and Lexci and Tiff and everyone else will be happy to chime in with their thoughts on the subject!
+8 / 10 votes 
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Posted by Lori St.Leone | Permalink | 2 Comments
Tuesday March 17th, 2009 @ 4:35 PM
Filed under: Ear
My earlobes are currently 1″ and I love them dont get me wrong but it definitely does not help the career process, i want to pursue a career and I feel my earlobes are hindering the process so I am wondering where (in southern california, riverside to be exact) I can find a doctor or someone certified to fix earlobes that can completely close my earlobes up back to normal? I want them closed and I have no idea where to start, or who to contact.
This is a pretty simple one- if you’re looking for a licensed medical doctor to fix your lobes- start calling up plastic surgeons in your area- explain what’s going on and you’re guaranteed to find someone who can help you out.
+8 / 10 votes
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Posted by Shawn Porter | Permalink | 2 Comments
Tuesday March 17th, 2009 @ 4:29 PM
i have a zero gauge pa and want to turn it into a meato. would cutting from the hole to the tip work cause my pa is a little shallow. wan what is the healing time for this prodecure
The stretched piercing channel will likely make a good base for a meatotomy.
Depending on what method you use, healing time for the procedure is pretty quick- week/two weeks. Just depends on all the normal factors- technique, your health and general ability to heal, etc.
+6 / 6 votes 
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Posted by Shawn Porter | Permalink | Comments
Tuesday March 17th, 2009 @ 4:17 PM
I have an empty photo booth strip on the backside of my left arm. It’s about an inch and a half wide and nine inches high. The concept was nice to me. Fill it in with the things that i love to represent points of my life. The only thing is that now after I got the strip, I don’t like it. It looks awkward on my arm. Because it’s such a straight line, and my arm never lays perfectly straight the way it was put on it always looks warped or crooked.
So my questionis what could I turn it into so I don’t have to get it removed and can be happy with it?
Thank you so much.
Amy
The designs that could cover what you have are only limited to the ability and creativity of the artist covering it. This isn’t really a question we can specifically answer- the best thing to do is find a tattooist who’s work you like, show them the piece and get their feedback….
For cover-ups, it’s best to see healed pictures of their cover-up work. A creative tattooist can cover/rework just about anything- your main goal is to find a tattooist who can really get into your piece. My standard advice is to hit the web to find artists in your area (or where you’re willing to travel to) who’s work you like. Then go in for a consultation, check out their cover-up work and go from there. Anyone who gives you an attitude or treats you like you’re bothering them is someone you probably don’t want to work with anyway. Shop around- for something like this price shouldn’t be a deciding factor- just skill.
Good luck, let us know how it goes!
+6 / 6 votes
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Posted by Shawn Porter | Permalink | Comments
Monday March 9th, 2009 @ 2:55 PM
Filed under: Nipple
Hello
I’m planning on getting my nipples pierced, but I’m really afraid of getting mastitis. So I’d like to know:
-How high is the risk of mastitis due to nipple piercing? How often does it happen to women with pierced nipples?
-What factors can make the risk of mastitis higher and what should I do to reduce the risk?
Thanks in advance for the answer.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any hard numbers I (or anyone) can give you on the risk level of mastitis from nipple piercings. That type of research or tracking just doesn’t exist. I can tell you that in the 14 years I’ve been piercing (i.e., thousands of piercings I’ve done and even more that I’ve seen), I personally have only seen it occur a handful of times. However, being realistic about it, I would have to assume there have been other times it has happened that I haven’t been aware of.
From my perspective, I would classify the risk as real, but very low.
Some things you can do to reduce the risk of mastitis even further:
1) Have your piercings done by a knowledgeable, experienced piercer. Appropriate placement of the piercings is very important. When the piercings are done too deeply, you are at greater risk of complications.
2) Get the piercings done with barbells that are appropriately-sized for your body. Barbells are subject to much less movement and pressure, and therefore much less irritation. The less irritation, the faster the healing and the less likely you are to experience complications.
3) While I don’t think it’s that much of a factor, consider using titanium jewelry. This will virtually eliminate any chances of problems due to the jewelry material. Of course, this also assumes you are having high-quality jewelry put in in the first place. If you have poor made, poorly finished titanium barbells installed, you aren’t doing yourself any favors.
4) Be careful with them while they are healing. Take extra care when taking off clothes and putting them as well as when you are drying off after a bath or shower. One good snag can be enough to tear the piercings, increasing your chances of problems.
5) Keep your hands, as well as other people’s hands and mouths off of the piercings while they are healing. The more bacteria you put near, or into, the piercings, the greater your chances of having problems. In addition, the trauma from being played with too soon can lead to problems.
6) Appropriate aftercare is important as well. Your piercer should go over the care thoroughly.
Good luck!
+16 / 16 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 1 Comment
Monday March 9th, 2009 @ 2:49 PM
Filed under: Ear
Hullo!
I’ve recently been having problems with my stretched lobes that I can’t figure out. I haven’t stretched them in atleast 6 months nor have I changed the type of jewellery I’m using for over three year. (New sizes, obviously, but always the same type..) Yet they’re suddenly (Well, for the past month..) ithcy, red, flaking, gunky and leaking a clear fluid. :/ Sometimes, clear crust builds up too.
I did have a problem the last time I stretched.. One ear could handle going up a size while the other ear couldn’t. I left it in for the day hoping it would adjust but ended up taking them both out (I hate having uneven ears..) and going down a size as it was uncomfortable. It was a little red and swollen for a couple days but that was it..
I’m not alone, though, my husband hasn’t stretched or changed his jewellery in years yet his ear suddenly flared up a couple days ago and is now swollen, gunky and crusty. >_<
What is going on?? O_O (P.S We both wear silicone plugs.)
While a reaction to silicone isn’t incredibly likely, it is possible. And, the symptoms you describe certainly sound like your ears are reacting to something. Sensitivities and reactions typically build-up over time, meaning you may be fine with something for a while and then develop a reaction to it.
Having said that, it would be one heck of a coincidence if you and your husband developed a reaction to silicone at nearly the same time. So, this leads me to think maybe you are reacting to something else in your life. I would suggest thinking about any recent changes you’ve made to laundry detergents, fabric softeners, soaps, body washes, shampoos etc. Things such as changes in your diet could also be the culprit; or a change in your water source also. It seems that perhaps something new has been introduced into your little ecosystem and it’s causing you and your husband problems. It could be something that is reacting with/to the silicone, which might explain while you aren’t seeing a reaction anywhere else on your body.
If you figure it out, I would definitely like to know what the culprit was.
+9 / 9 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 2 Comments
Monday March 9th, 2009 @ 2:42 PM
Filed under: Nose
I had a deviated septum and have since had surgery to correct it. I was poking around in there as I contemplated a septum piercing and found that I don’t really feel a sweet spot anymore. I’m wondering if it would hurt the results of the surgery to pierce my corrected septum, and also if it is wise to pierce through cartilage instead of the sweet spot?
Unless you are planning on doing a large-gauge piercing, I think it’s unlikely the piercing will interfere with the corrective surgery you have done. However, I would also suggest consulting your surgeon just to make sure. They probably won’t be thrilled at the idea of you doing it, but hopefully you can get them to give you some straight talk about how it might affect things.
Septum piercings can be done through cartilage. In general, you should expect it to hurt more to get it done, be sore for a longer period of time afterwards and in general, take a bit longer to heal. That’s just the nature of cartilage tissue.
You may want to consult with your piercer about different options for piercings, such as a needle that is a bit larger than the jewelry or perhaps a dermal punch (even at a smaller size). These things may help the piercing be more comfortable while it’s healing and perhaps heal a little faster.
Also, if you decide to stretch the piercing at some point, expect the stretching to be more difficult.
+7 / 7 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 2 Comments
Saturday March 7th, 2009 @ 9:28 AM
Having just turned 18, I am doing my best to make good choices when it comes to modifying my body, regardless of how many years I’ve yearned over the possibilities. I’ve always wanted a lip piercing, but being a clarinet player going to college in 4 months or so, it’s not really an option. However, I recently started considering getting a monroe done. Obviously, I would wait as long as possible (realistically, probably about a month or so) without doing any intense playing, but I recently realized something that could create a problem: When the piercing is mostly/fully healed, will it be air tight? In other words, would I be able to maintain enough pressure in my mouth to force air through my horn without any leaking out the piercing?
Thanks for your time!
Assuming you’re wearing jewellery in your piercing, it’ll be airtight for all intents and purposes. While I am by no means an expert on the subject, I can’t imagine that a healed monroe would have any effect on your embouchure at all. And hey, if it does, you can always retire the piercing. :O)
+9 / 9 votes
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Posted by Lori St.Leone | Permalink | 5 Comments
Thursday March 5th, 2009 @ 9:19 PM
in your opinion, what’s the viability of healing a microdermal in the lip area? as in, in place of a standard labret or philtrum piercing?
thanks!
Search Function! Top right!
http://ask.bmezine.com/index.php?s=microdermal+anchor+in+lip
http://ask.bmezine.com/index.php?s=anchor+oral+piercing
+3 / 3 votes
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Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | Comments
Thursday March 5th, 2009 @ 9:07 PM
Good morning ASKBME,
Well í’ve seen to have a stupid question, i know the answer already but would love to hear your view about.
I currently own and run my own Piercing Studio in a small town. With 2 other places that do piercings. I’m somewhat of the person people will go to for a top service, repair or actually information about what to do with the piercing.
So yesterday morning had a young lady come in. She wanted her horizontal nipple pierced, already having a vertical one there. Nothing hard, proceeded to prep the skin and all that other fun stuff. And notice the bar in her nipple was only a very small 16g curved barbell. So changed it for nothing to a bit longer and recommended to stretch it to 14g. As i was place the new jewellery into the piercing, notice something wierd(and that takes alot) There was a thin whitish flesh coloured tube of “what i thought was dead skin” I ask her if it hurt she said nope. So grab a pair of tweezers and slowly pulled on it.. And to my jaw dropping amazement it was the remains of the Catheter Tube, from the piercing. Which was done about 4months earlier.
So the thing is. WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO THAT. lol. Wouldn’t it be just easier to remove the entire tube from the nipple when inserting jewellery?
And is actually safe for the client to have bits of tubes in there body? ie is it bio degradable?
Cheers
Dion
ps.. Thank you for your advice earlier, it really paided off. The studio is starting to move along nice ^^
WAS it actually the remains of the catheter tubing? The previous piercer would’ve had to trim that down to fit and it doesn’t make any logical sense as to why.
Are you certain that during the stretching of the piercing you didn’t disrupt the fistula and pull it out?
(It’s thin, whitish, flesh coloured and tube shaped)
The fistula could very well have been torn out… Nipple piercings do not stretch with ease.
If you’re not using internally threaded jewelry that could cause the fistula to tear out as well.
If it WERE a piece of tubing, depending on what it was made of, it likely wouldn’t be in the client’s best interest to wear it as body jewelry, no. (And as the go-to piercer for problem piercings please consider we, as piercers, don’t want our jewelry being “Biodegradable”. We want it to be “biocompatible“.)
+6 / 8 votes
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Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | 5 Comments
