Wednesday May 7th, 2008 @ 3:01 PM
I got my cheeks pierced on February 29, 2008. It is now May 6, 2008 and they are still not healed all the way. The piercer who did them told me after he pierced me that he had never done that kind of piercing and he was unsure what the healing process involved. If I would have known that before he stuck the needle in my cheek then he would have never been aloud to do so. So a week passed and the lebret balls sank on the outside and the the flat back on the inside was completely covered with swollen tissue. I therefore could not remove them the correct way so I used a tongue barbell to push the lebret ring through my cheek and out the inside of my mouth. The healing since then has gotten better but it is not complete and I also am unable to put the correct ring in yet. I have read a lot of the forums that people have wrote about with this piercing and I do understand that that this is a high volume area and healing can take some time. But how long and when can I put the appropriate ring , the one short enough to actually make dimples, in with out worrying about swelling or irritation? Thanks
Heather
Cheek piercings do tend to take awhile to fully heal, but the amount of time that takes should drop with proper jewelry installed for the initial healing period. High quality steel or titanium labret studs with extra length to accommodate swelling will aid in the healing of your piercings. Having disks and beads that are not too tiny may help as well.
Keep the piercings clean, drink lots of water, don’t cause undue stress by playing with the jewelry and try your best not to chomp down on them while eating!
+4 / 6 votes 
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Posted by Russ Foxx | Permalink | 2 Comments
Wednesday April 30th, 2008 @ 10:28 PM
I’m currently 14 years old, I live in Australia and I’m looking to pursue a carrier in the body modification industry. This is not something I want to just ‘jump into’ but right now this is definitely something I can see myself doing in the future. I am extremely passionate about piercings and other ‘heavy’ mods. I have had quite a few piercings myself (15+) and a few dermal anchors. I’m really quite responsible, this isn’t something I just decided, I’ve been interested in it for a few years now.
I already have extensive knowledge of piercings and other mods (especially for my age) and I want to learn more and become a great practitioner. I’m not interested in becoming famous, I just want to be the best I can be at the job.
I’m curious as to what qualifications are needed and
just any general experience anybody is willing to pass on. I’ve read various things online about this matter but I’m looking for a more personal answer, one that comes from a more experienced piercer or even an apprentice. I’m aware that this will by no means make me “rich”, I realize that in general the ‘trend’ comes and goes. I know about studio standards and cost of up-keep. But as I’ve mentioned before, this is something that I’m really passionate about.
Please, no negative comments,
Thank you in advance!
I’ve recently answered a “what to expect out of being a piercer” question, so I’ll piggyback on this one.
My first bit of advice would be to get a standard retail job as soon as you come of age. Customer facing. Learn what it’s like to have to hustle to SELL, while keeping a fickle clientel happy.
Next, I’d say start taking anatomy courses. What goes where, what happens when you cut this or remove that. Reading an anatomy book doesn’t cut it these days- since you’re young, you can tailor your education towards it.
After that- two words: Counter Bitch.
Take that knowledge of retail I’ve advised and apply it to a shop. Learn how to work IN a shop before you work in the industry. More from counter to apprentice. Apprentice to practitioner. MASTER one discipline before you start LEARNING new ones. Just because you love a modification doesn’t mean you have to know how to do it. I tend to respect people who’re masters of their craft not “swiss army knife” practitioners who offer is simply because one has to bleed to get it.
Lastly- while I won’t come down on you because of your age- (since we’re talking an “in the future” path) some folks will. Learn humility. Some people have good reason for doubting the intentions of someone who, at 14, has been into anything for “a few years”. Prove them wrong by committing to be the most responsible artist you can be. Don’t rush into anything just because your weaker willed friends will let you do “free shit” on them.
Put your heart and soul into this, earn your lumps and you’ll come out the other side where you want to be. Hopefully.
+38 / 44 votes
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Posted by Shawn Porter | Permalink | 10 Comments
Tuesday April 29th, 2008 @ 7:52 PM
Im thinking about going into piercing as a career , I went to college an graduated but haven’t done anything with myself. Im just wondering what kind of path/adventure Im in for, I should also mention Im an artist photograper an do alot of hands on production work in the graphic arts field.
If you apprentice the good old fashioned way, you have this to expect:
Learning humility. Respect. Patience. Traditional well placed piercings that the client has every chance of healing- and once you’re ready… you get to learn how to apply it all. As time goes on, you come to realize that you’re a bartender, a hairdresser, a priest, a shrink, a nurse and a friend to people who all want your best- not just a good piercing, but someone who listens and helps them on their way. Be prepared for that- moreso than dealing with people’s skin, a good piercer has to deal with tempermental clients, clients having bad days, et all. And sometimes for a less than stellar income. Is it worth it? It can be. On a good day, you get out of the industry what you put into it. On a bad…
Now. If you plan on doing the “rockstar internet” route of learning to pierce- all you need to do is look the part. Stretch everything REALLY big. Tattoo your most public of areas. And most of all- remember- it’s about you, NOT the client. *
*If you take this route, expect a lot of people to be unhappy.
+18 / 18 votes 
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Posted by Shawn Porter | Permalink | 1 Comment
Saturday April 12th, 2008 @ 6:18 PM
Hi, I was thinking about getting an anchor placed on my cheek.
The only concern I have is that I used to have my cheek pierced. Is the scar tissue going to affect it and it make it harder on the piercer?
thanks a lot 
Installing a dermal anchor into scar tissue can be done, but it can definitely be a little trickier than a procedure without scar tissue involved. I recommend recruiting a piercer who has experience with this particular type of situation, whether they use either the needle method or punch and taper method.
+1 / 1 votes
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Posted by Russ Foxx | Permalink | Comments
Wednesday March 19th, 2008 @ 1:30 AM
Warren-
In one of your comments on a recent modblog post:
“. . .or if they are the BioPlast that is immensely rampant within the piercing community because they don’t know any better.”
Explain? I have heard nothing but good things about Bioplast so I would love to hear what you have to say.
Pull up a spot on the rug as grandpa is gonna toke on his pipe by the fireplace in his rocker and tell a story….Ok so I ain’t nobodies Grandpa and I don’t like rocking chairs and I of course don’t smoke…But I do have a lil story to tell.
A few years ago shortly after I finished my first apprenticeship my tattoo artist and I were working towards opening up our own studio. A friend of ours had a giant two level store front and they were willing to co-own it with us and help us get it all started,etc. So in my attempt to get the piercing side sorted out, I contacted VARIOUS jewelry companies for catalogs,etc. A few companies catalogs had something called “BioPlast”…When discussing it with them they talked about how great it was, that its cheap, it can be cut to size,etc. When I asked them for any confirmation in Implant Grade Specifications or Bio-Compatibility Specifications, they were unable to provide me any. Because of this I simply decided I would not want to carry said material because if it can’t be confirmed as Implant Grade or Bio-Compatible by ISO or ASTM standards, then it should not be used for piercings.
Fast forward to today, I’m a bit older and a bit more wiser and have done more serious research into the subject. But first lets separate the misconceptions that various people have involving plastic/flexible/bendy based materials:
PTFE aka Polytetrafluoroethylene aka Teflon: This is often used in the Piercing industry and not going into the environmental damage PTFE does to the environment simply put, ptfe has a implant grade specification number: ASTM F754-00. This means if a Body Piercer is going to use PTFE, this is the specific type of PTFE they are to be using…And it should be used in a manner, that does not compromise the ASTM F754-00 standard that is given to it.
Tygon aka Silicone Tubing: Tygon is a specific trademark named product, much like Teflon is a trademarked name of PTFE. There’s various types of Silicone Tubing some might be bio-compatible while others won’t, especially in a fresh piercing. For Tygon personally I think the ideal tubing type to be used is: TYGON® S-50-HL Medical/Surgical Tubing as its fully characterized to ISO 10993 and FDA guidelines for biocompatibility. There are a couple other Tygon brands that meet the same ISO guidelines,etc, but again there’s also a few Tygon bands that DON’T meet said ISO guidelines.
This brings us to the glorious world of BioPlast.
BioPlast aka Udel Polysulfone: Their website states the following: “Bioplast” Corresponding to the current state of knowledge it represents a material, which is safe for the production of piercing jewellery as far as biocompatibility is concerned (Ref.: Technical Bulletin biocompatibility of Polysulfones for Medical Devices MD 50136 R12/99). Now in my research I have been unable to locate any confirmed documentation, just speculation. Also last to my recollection any discussion in the medical world on Bio-Compatibility,etc will not be touching on the subject of piercing jewelry and the safety measures surrounding it.
In my own independent research of Udel Polysulfones I have found there to be a large variety of usages for said material: plumbing, medical world,etc. However when it comes to the medical world we need to observe exactly how Udel Polysulfones are being used. The following website lists Udel Polysulfones being used for: surgical trays, nebulizers, humidifiers; note nothing is listed in regards to Udel Polysulfone being internally inserted into the body (ie: a body piercing). Also when researching through the ASTM and ISO standards for Implant or Bio-Compatible capabilities, you will not find Udel Polysulfones listed at all.
Yes Bioplast is resistant to heat and steam, thus meaning it can be sterilized. But just because something can be sterilized, does not always mean it should be inserted into the body in respect to a body piercing, especially in a fresh piercing. Also and finally another lil thing is that the majority of BioPlast sold is for the Externally Threaded body jewelry line, as most piercers tend to just want to cram the beads onto the BioPlast piece. This of course makes it an externally threaded piece of jewelry and because its crudely threaded on, makes the threading on the post a bit rough. They do make special tools to create the external threading and even internal, but I’ve yet to see or hear of a piercer using them. Also as for their Internal/Push-In style of jewelry, I know I personally often have people coming in looking for new beads as their beads simply fell out.
Now I’m not going to say it can’t be used, as I believe it can. But I personally believe the avenue in which it can be used for, is more for troubleshooting problematic piercings. So by saying that I personally believe it should be a last resort attempt to salvage a piercing and troubleshoot the situation to correct it, not to be used for initial fresh piercings.
+13 / 17 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 30 Comments
Wednesday March 5th, 2008 @ 12:41 AM
Some time last year while I was sitting at the doctor the young guy next to me had a rather large blowout on both of his stretched lobes, which were well past 00. He was discussing with his girlfriend and his friend who was sitting in the chair across the aisle that he hoped the doctor knew what had happened to his stretch lobes while touching the blowout.
Would it have been rude, nosy or just plain impolite of me to tell him he had a blowout or to refer him to BME so he knew what had happened?
There aren’t any piercers nearby, the nearest one is about an hour away so most people in my area go straight to their doctor when they have a piercing problem rather than going to their piercer.
What do you think? Should I have said something to him or minded my own business?
This type of conversation can often be a touchy situation, as some people might take it the wrong way,etc. As always in talking with others, its about how you verbalize your statements, so not to appear hostile,etc.
One way of slipping into the conversation is to simply say: “I’m sorry but I couldn’t help but over hear what you were talking about, I have some piercings and I’m curious as to what’s going on with yours, if you don’t mind me asking?” Usually by being very polite and showing the person you’re genuinely curious/concerned they are usually ok with talking about these things…
Then as you two are conversing about body modifications, the problems the person is experiencing,etc…You can then slip in BMEZine.com, and what you think the problem might,etc as well as suggest to not just consult with that doctor. Instead to consult with a couple and even take the time to visit a experienced/reputable shop to have them look at the problem.
So no I don’t think its rude or anything like that, so long as you’re not acting rude. By that I mean you’re not pulling gross faces, talking down to them, calling them stupid, screaming at them,etc. The problem is there so its not like this attitude will help, it puts people on the defensive. So if you open up and be kind and caring,etc I have found people are very willing to discuss these things, so long as you word what you’re saying properly.
Also never really got the whole: “the only piercer is about an hour away” excuse. As personally it used to take me 2-3 hours to travel from where I lived in Niagara Falls to visit one of the very few artists I trust to do serious work on my body. I used to purchase a greyhound ticket and like I said spend 2-3 hours depending on traffic to get there. Also at the time I was pretty much dirt broke and barely just paying rent, eating,etc. So if I was able to do that, I think its not really a valid excuse to say: “the only piercer is about an hour away.” But that’s just my personal view on that statement haha!
+3 / 3 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | Comments
Tuesday February 26th, 2008 @ 9:44 PM
I’ve read some expierences about pulls/suspensions and some say when the needle is put through the flesh lube is used, some say no lube… I’m staring at a 10ga needle and it seems like lube would be a good idea - but what kind? I find it hard to believe KY would be appropriate. Thanks.
For starters let me say that in the realm of pulls/suspensions, its very rare that a 10ga needle would be used. At least in my past experience with suspensions & pulls. In fact the average reputable suspension crew will usually use 8ga and 6ga needles and hooks.
Now I could make MANY comical statements here…Saying to not use lube, Saying to use spit and various other sexually related joke comments. But alas lets just cut to the chase, with these large sizes its ideal to use some Sterile Water Soluble Lube. Sure you can insert the 10ga needle dry, but my personal suggestion would be to use the Lube.
Also know depending on the type of needle you’ve obtained, the use of lube can definitely be an ideal option. As certain companies produce needles differently then others, ie: some are duller than others.
+2 / 2 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 6 Comments
Monday February 25th, 2008 @ 9:47 AM
I have a 0 gauge apadravya in which I am currently wearing a 1″ stainless steel barbell. I have been wanting to try something a little lighter and thought of PTFE but have only been able to find small gauges. Do you know of anywhere to order something similar in PTFE or someone that will custom make such a piece?
Thanks!
We don’t as a rule link away from BME (for obvious reasons), but since BMEshop doesn’t carry any PTFE at all, I feel like it’s probably justified in this instance. I have a LOT of respect for the folks behind Aesthetics Bodymod - all of the jewellery they carry is fantastically high-quality and obtained from ethical, reputable manufacturers, and they manufacture PTFE and Delrin in-house and can make it to suit whatever you like. Their contact details are on their website.
+1 / 1 votes
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Posted by Lori St.Leone | Permalink | 3 Comments
Sunday February 17th, 2008 @ 5:53 PM
I’ve always known that “organic” jewelry is a breeding ground for bacteria and such and it shouldn’t be passed around from person to person(never mind the ick factor), but what about sterilizing the jewelry after you’ve worn it a while? Say if I had stretched lobes and wooden tunnels and I got some sort of infection in my ear lobe would in be safe to wear that jewelry again?
I found this: http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arch/9_14_96/bob2.htm
about kitchen cleaning and at the bottom it talks about sterilizing wooden cutting boards in the microwave. Is that an option with wooden tunnels/plugs?
Thanks.
I think the chance of you getting some sort of infection in your earlobe, which would live in your plugs and then somehow re-infect your earlobes is extremely unlikely. You could try microwaving your plugs, and it might help in terms of an baddies living on/in the jewelry, but it’s hard to predict what it would do to the integrity of your plugs…in other words…I wouldn’t do it if it were my jewelry.
Regular oiling and the occasional washing with mild soap and water (if you’re concerned about germs) should be sufficient to keep your plugs clean and looking good.
0 / 0 votes 
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments
Thursday February 14th, 2008 @ 10:57 PM
Alright, so I got a standard nostril piercing this past saturday and have since developed an uber bad cold (I actually think I may die haha) and it’s extremely angry because of the excessive nose blowing.
What should I do to calm it down/make it better… I’ve been using sea salt spray often, but it’s really red. I’m not so sure it’s infected though.
While an infection isn’t impossible, it’s likely not the problem in this case.
As you mentioned, the pressure/irritation from blowing your nose a lot probably has the piercing seriously unhappy. Nose piercings can be a little delicate in general when they are healing, let alone when they are merely days old.
The best option is to simply be as careful as you can when blowing your nose. You obviously have to put pressure on it, but try to do it as gently as possible. Other than that, I would consider doing more a salt soak/compress than a spray. Mix a solution of salt water and then either submerge your nose in it, or saturate a gauze pad or paper towel and use that like a compress.
Get well soon!
0 / 0 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 2 Comments
