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woop woooo i was #69 ^^ heehee ^_^

had my piercing for about a month... first two weeks awesome... then the lump, then the puss... and a little pain when I smile. I rinsed my mouth with Listerine and rubbed the inside of the piercing with sea salt on a Q-tip two times a day. I wash my face with clear antibacterial soap and use Kleenex around the site instead of a rag. I made a paste of sea salt and water for the outside of the piercing and alternate nights with neosporin. Each night I massaged the lump. The lump is now gone, the skin is no longer dry and peeling, and the secretions are now white/clear instead of yellowish green. I think it's always going to secrete... just a matter of cleaning properly. I smoke, drink, wear makeup, and refuse to rinse after each meal and drink... so I expected issues. Bottom line all piercings have issues. I love mine and if I am destined to keep sea salt and neosporin in the bathroom...and a nightly massage... so be it.

For scarification and branding through, there is very little diffeence between that and SI. I disagree. There is a huge difference between scarification/branding and self-harm. Why? Self-harm is done to yourself, whereas professional scarification is performed by a practitioner ON you. Besides, they're completely different things in my book.

[...] Either way, they won’t dissolve in the ink but instead remain suspended. In a blog post at Ask BME (Body Modification Ezine), someone comments that she “had a good sized ‘chunk’ put in on purpose so that I [...]

haha i love this question because i want to become an art teacher and i have my ears streched, my septum pierced, and i plan for more. one of my high school art teachers had every piercing in his ear u could imagine and tattoos (hes a good man) students barely aknowledge his mods i say its because their are far more students w. piercings than teachers. we're more than used to it :]

hey! i got a skin diver put behind my ear/upper neck about 2 weeks ago and seems to be healing quite fine. i have had it taped constantly (as the piercer told me to do) i have noticed the last few days that one side of it is hard, is this normal and will it go away. cheers,

My nipple piercings are 4 months old. Today I had to go in for a follow-up mammogram. The first time, I just removed my barbells and reinserted in the dressing room right after, no prob. However this mammogram involved 5 compressions (25 minutes time), then I had to have an ultrasound. This brought my time without jewelery to 70 minutes. Turns out my breast is okay, but my piercing isn't. I couldn't get the barbell back in then (or 5.5 hours later when I remembered it, oops). I read online a suggestion of using Tygon or PTFE to keep the hole open during medical tests, but there was no background on the person giving the advice. And I've learned so much in the last 30 minutes reading your site. . . .(hell, I was told to turn my new piercings too) that I'm not trusting just anyone. Soooo, what type of material could be used during such a test?

oops :-D ok my bad there, ill keep quiet...

Gigi.... Does the person you're apprenticing under also feel that piercing yourself is a good option? Or that something is acceptable if you've done it (as a 16yo) and nothing went wrong? Just curious.

Anil is indeed tattooed now. Aitchison/Rudy/Booth piece.

I prefer Distilled/Demineralized Water to boiling water *nods*

i just got snakebytes & kindakinda was in Becca's case at first till' i changed the jewlery to a bigger size. it seemed to be doing fine but now i have that "lumpy" thing on my left piercing && it seems as if i'm getting it on the right too, i was wodering if maybe the "lump" will go away with time...??...damn i proly' should give up piercings lol...i always had bad luck with them, i've have this HUGE "lump" on my right ear since i was about 13 [i'm 18 now] anyways do u guys know if maybe i can get some kinda surgery done to stop being so damn self consious! lol [IHATEIT]

I do agree that we should share information with eachother. I have no problem helping another artist out or giving them tips. The point I was making is that the original poster was asking for someone to show them a website that gives you the proper way to do the anchors. ANYONE who feels that constitues this person as being a professional is seriously mistaken. Any real PROFESSIONAL in our industry should know exactly where to find the information on dermals, if not then it seems that some of us have a different view on what classifies you as a professional. That just shows that they are not willing to take the time and effort to learn how to do something properly. We are working in an industry that has no room for error, so no I will not show anyone who cuts corners the same respect I would show to the real professionals. And I am not saying that your shop isnt a prfessional shop, but your post sure as hell didnt sound like anything a professional would write. But hey you tell your customers you learned how to do the shit online and see if they feel that was "professional". Sure we would all like to have the extra business, but dont forget your customers deserve to get what they asked for, not something half assed. I am just sick of the people in this industry that pretend like they are professionals but think its ok to learn how to do shit on the internet, thats as bad as the people who just buy tattoo shit on ebay and think that makes them a tattoo artist. My suggestion to ANYONE who is wanting to learn how to do the dermals is to take the seminars, where you can ask any questions you may need. I dont think everyone out their is a hack or a customer, but at the same time I cant sit here and say that I think the internet is positive place to "Apperentice". But these are all my opinions, and everyone is entitled to theirs as well. Sean

do you know anyone in or near philadelphia that will do a needle piercing for a 9 year old? The cut off is anywhere from 13 to 16 for most piercing places.

Diamonds. :) Seriously... my mother got her ears pierced at age 59 because my father bought her diamond earrings to wear for my wedding. So... find a shop that will order custom jewelry, and present her with diamonds. :p

If you lower the temperature it hardens more slowly. My husband and I did the same thing and had to buy more molding. We lowered the temp by ten degrees and worked nicely. So instead of 98 go 88.

This is a terrible question. Lucky they did not post the name of the shop. I feel bad for the clients who are the guinea pigs thou, until he concludes adequate size initial bars, it will all be trial and error, and in that sense i feel almost somewhat responsible by not just providing the information.

I would like to thank everyone that took time to responsed to this question. The event was alot quieter then we expected. But the dozon or so kiddies that came to where we were, was intrigued by what can be done from poor/ bad habits while piercing at home. Also show them alot of blow outs of overly fast stretched ears. That lit there eyes up. Handed out alot of flyer, business cards and just promoted safe piercing as a whole to the youth. Patience is a virtue they say, this generation has lost alot of patience. Even knowing fun well they can obtain safe, clean needles and either sharps containers from the council here. They still believe that bobby pins(yes bobby pins) are a safe and awesome way to pierced there mates. I've seen kids who have used a flat head screw driver and a hammer to punch out cartlidge of the ear??? Why coz they thought it be cool?? Beside the medical cost afterwards. But in the end i believe if I/we as a community can get just a few of the kids to listen, it may slowly curve the problem. Cheers Dion ps.. nothing against home piercing when you know what your doing. but in the end its always better to get a pro to do it. THANKS AGAIN

I'm too stupid but imma do it anyhow :P

HEY WELL I GOT A PIERCING ON OUTER SIDE OF MY EYE 3 DAYS AGO.. THE PIERCING IS FINE BUT IT STARTED TO BRUISE UNDER MY EYE ABOUT 1 CENTIMETER NEXT 2 MY PIERCING. FIRST IT WAS GREEN NOW ITS TURNING PURPLE, I WAS KINDA WORRIED ABOUT IT, BUT I SEE THAT OTHER PEOPLE GET BRUISING WITH PIERCINGS AROUND THEIR EYES ASWELL.. NO WORRIES IM SURE ITLL BE BACK TO NORMAL SOON, ALTHOUGH IM WALKING AROUND WITH A BLACK EYE

Found this, tattoo looks pretty nice to me - http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=326340496&albumID=156019&imageID=13004987

Any bleaching achieved with the glutathione preparations that are becoming popular in South East Asia would be due to inhibition of melanin production, so the same risks as above would apply. That's if it actually does anything. In a few minutes on google I've found the stuff marketed as tablets, creams, soaps and injectable ampules, pretty much everything short of crystals to freebase. The scientific literature does support that glutathione is involved in melanin production, but I wasn't able to find anything confirming that high doses cause a skin bleaching effect. I call bunk, and if it's somehow true then it's likely very dangerous.

i thought the double monroes where called crayfish piercings?

You can buy a device online for inverted nipples that will suck them out. It is like a big syringe. It hurts at first, but if you decide to do this, use the device several times to get used to your nipples being out. Then, take the device to a professional piercer and have them use it before they pierce. I did, and my nipples were extremely inverted. They have been pierced for over 3 years now.

jana: in order to "thin out the blood" it needs to be taken orally.

iv stretched my ears with bondage tape from like a 2 up to what im at now(and inch and a quarter) its quite comfortable,and better for your ears then ptfe tape.

What the kid posted was ridiculous, get it professionally done. You're not 'cool' or what ever doin' it yourself. I'm 13. Anyway. I agree what most of you are saying, they are just SHEEP. Fucking stupid sheep.

I had my tattoo at Jetty Rd tattoo and I wasn't that happy with it. They were really rushed as its so busy there and the guy looked kinda annoyed at me whenever I requested any changes. Altho this was maybe 3 yrs ago so don't kno who they have working there now. I am going to go to Ink Pit to get my tattoo covered/re-done, as I've heard a lot of good things about them.

My personal favorite is when people say they "gouge" their ears.

I think plugs are more likely to pass as "regular" earrings under a cursory glance. It's people with enormous eyelets where you can see through their lobes that look freaky =)

I can actually blow bubbles filled with the air from whistling so when it pops, it plays a pretty little tune. But in all seriousness, I couldn't do either of those things right after I got cut. I regained "normal" functions fully after about two months of training my tongue. Don't lose hope!

#12, The person who asked the question referred to the bumps as keloids. Everyone was simply stating that they don't look like keloids. Only #7 made a rude remark about the answer.

i've had the same problem with my tragus in my right and my daith on the left. with the daith i switched from a bent barbell to a horseshoe, which allows you to kinda move it around to accomodate the ear bud. what I've resorted to on the otehr side it to put the cable around the back and then top of my ear and then stick it in my ear from the top. it doesnt stick in as far but its more comfortable if you have piercings.

I only want 4 or 6gg so that means theyll close easily right?

I had my nostril pierced for awhile, and I got the dreaded red bump. I took it out and there is no scar whatsoever. At first I could see a tiiiiiiny little dimple, but now there is nothing.

it is not a real holiday.. it is like national weed day.. May 16 people are supposed to go an get a piercing... thats all it is you dont have to celebrate if you dont wanna

Pipa, half the piercers in this country claim to have been piercing since the dawn of man, my thinking on it is that it really doesn't matter how long you've been piercing, if you're just repeating that same first year of experience over and over for 20-or-however-long years. One must keep up with advances in the industry in ANY industry, as well as learning from that experience, otherwise experience doesn't count for much. The advantages of piercing at larger gauges are many and the risks are few - less risk of rejection, easier healing, less hypertrophic scarring and irritation, to name a few. For anything larger than 14ga, your options pretty much consist of proper piercing needles (aka "blade" needles, some piercers call them that here). Quite a few shops use piercing needles (over cannulas) for all piercings, regardless of gauge. Piercers may use a freehand technique, receiving tubes, forceps - your mileage may vary there. And yes, VCHs are often done at larger gauges, and tend to both look better and heal better, as well as be more effective stimulation-wise and are able to withstand a lot more abuse than done at a cheese-cutter 14ga size. It is VERY dependent on anatomy what size and shape of jewellery will work best for you! Please see my response to another comment you left re: resources in Australia. :)

There is some (albeit very limited) clinical testing suggesting that saline wash/soak environments actually lend an ideal environment for bioburden growth. I would try using a dry heat compress personally with a heating pad an some form of barrier to keep the surface clean. That seems a little safer to me than using saline that is "outdated." Keep in mind Bactine (which is not intended for healing piercings) has a shelf life of about a week; after a week of air exposure it grows pseudomonas aeruginosa within the container. Just as Warren has said regarding the saline... the longer the air exposure, the more likelihood of contamination even if you haven't directly been the cause.

ไม่พบคำ is Thai, but it's not an actual word. What was the context?

Lori, you have never and probably will never mock someone with mental health issues. You are always extremely respectful when talking about it! It's absolutely ridiculous these people are getting up your ass about how you're apparently making fun of anyone with suicidal thoughts or notions. Absolutely fucking ridiculous.

if you like a bigger hole you can go to a professional piercer and ask for a dermal punch, but this will be not-return election

K: Cos Plus doesn't have the sparkling shiny rep you're referring to either. Also know the current Australian requirements for Infection Control and Sterilization are atrocious and sickening.

I am the original poster of the question. My partner and I are located in Northwest Philly, near Germantown and Mt. Airy, so it wouldn't be in direct competition with the older establishments in Center City, like Infinite. I've heard great things about Infinite and don't want to take business from them, but there are many potential customers just in this neighborhood who don't always have the time to drive to South Street just for a stretching or jewelry change if that's what they want. That said, the fact that I am adjoined and partnered with a salon will bring in the kind of customers that wouldn't necessarily have gotten a lobe, helix, or nose piercing done in a reputable place. I'd like to point out to Sarah that the piercings would not be performed IN the salon, they would be a separate business in a separate room where no other salon services are performed. The two places are only sharing a waiting room, we even will have separate reception desks. Even the Association of Professional Piercers has no complaints with that kind of arrangement. I've done some research into the competition, but I haven't found any other reputable shops in the area that are charging $45 for almost all piercings, but using 316LVM surgical steel or titanium and not cutting corners with sterilization and cleanliness.

Your so dumb for doing that .

Why would you care if your dentist saw your septum? It's not like they can tell anyone. I have a split tongue and my dentist assured me he wouldn't tell anyone. *shrugs* Not like it's a big deal.

why not just get it pierced on the other side? :D

I've found taking off the tops,putting some vasaline in the internal thread part and putting some make-up over it very sucessful :) and depending on how flush they sit just taking to the tops off and wearing a onepiece you'd have no chance of them noticing :) good luck

I would never consider going anywhere but a proper piercing studio. I wonder if regulating the practice would have some effective measure at keeping these rogue piercers at bay. Sure it could be a bit of a hassle but it seems unfair that someone who has no proper training/qualification would be allowed to freely play 'piercer' (and sell it as part of their services). Perhaps licensing the trade might seem a bit harsh (meaning to be legally allowed to perform piercings, you would need to have a license and of course the qualifications to attain one). I'd be interested to see what qualified piercers think about this? In my industry, we need a license to practice (depending on the license, could be anywhere from $60 to $120 a year). Admittedly I get annoyed when I have to pay but really, it's only annually and becomes a tax deduction anyway. Needs to be policed to some extent. Those who aren't qualified or operate in the correct environment/use proper equipment shouldn't be allowed to provide these services. Including random annual or bi-annual inspections to check standards are being met. Surely someone who runs their studio to a professional standard would have no qualms with this? Again, I'd love to hear what professionals would think about this.

#8, I got mine done at Industrie8 in Cabramatta (bit of a trek, but my friend recommended it and the piercer Joe is a pretty awesome guy!) but if you don't feel like trekking it all the way there Polymorph and Industrial Strength in Newtown both do them as far as I know! Oh and they have 2 for 1 deals too :)

dead skin cells