Wednesday August 27th, 2008 @ 2:51 AM
Filed under: Tongue
Ok so my aunt has this like 2 acre natural lake. and i just got my tongue pierced about a week and a half ago (it’ll be two week when i am at the lake). so my question is do you think it will bother my piercing if i go swimming for a few hours in this lake that all these fish live in and dogs swim in and people swim in?
Realistically because your tongue is in your mouth, and when swimming in a lake like that, you should be keeping your mouth closed. Swimming should not pose many problems for you, in regards to your piercing specifically.
Just keep your mouth closed and don’t swallow/fill your mouth up with the lake water and don’t go licking any fish, dogs or people that are in the lake with you.
+26 / 26 votes 
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 4 Comments
Tuesday August 26th, 2008 @ 9:49 PM
Hey there. I was wondering if anyone knew of any suspension groups operating out of Philly. I moved here about a year ago and have not been able to find anything. Thanks!
Rites of Passage, NYC are about as close as I’d recommend. And I LIVE in Philly.
+6 / 6 votes
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Posted by Shawn Porter | Permalink | Comments
Sunday August 24th, 2008 @ 7:49 PM
I’m 28 years old and while I’ve always been fascinated by body modification, I’ve only recently begun to take a more serious interest. I’m wondering if it’s a little too late for me to look into a career in the industry. It’s obviously something that would take years to master and I wonder if, in your experience, most customers would be hesitant to get work done by somebody that “old” who’s just starting out.
I’d also like to add, after reading a rather long argument about whether or not it’s necessary to have mods to do them, that I don’t really plan on getting that many mods myself. As it stands, I have a few tats and a few piercings and while I intend to get more work done(including some microdermals) I’m not really into extreme mods for myself. That being said, I love extreme mods on other people and nothing would make me happier than to be able to help others get the mods they want. Although I’m obviously not an expert, I have done quite a bit of research about body modification and I think I know more about it than your average layperson. I’m very passionate about tolerance through education and whenever I hear people talking about “self mutilation” or calling people “sick” for getting mods, I make it a point to talk to them and try to help them understand more about it. I’ve actually managed to help change quite a few people’s views about the subject, despite not having any mods myself. I’ve also helped a few people to overcome their own fears about body modification to a point where they were able to get mods they’ve always wanted but probably wouldn’t have had the courage to get without somebody to help them understand it better. Er…not really sure where I’m going with this at this point but yeah…there you have it. Any advice/comments/info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I think that as long as the clientele could sense your commitment to their well being your age wouldn’t be much of an issue. Added to that I think that I’d personally be more comfortable with an apprentice who’s had a few more years under his belt than with one still wet behind his/her already massively stretched ears. Life experience is not a liability.
As to being modified? Have the mods you want to have. Do the mods you want to do. Steve Haworth doesn’t have horn implants. Brian Decker doesn’t have a split tongue. One doesn’t need to have a specific modification to be able to perform it.
The advice I always give goes for a person of 28 or of 18:
Classes. First Aid. CPR. Anatomy. Humility and Patience come in handy too. If you’re going to become someone’s apprentice they’re going to be teaching you a marketable skill- THEIR marketable skill- that will hopefully be the last job you ever get. Earn that. They tell you to wash forceps all day? Wash them. Two sugars in that coffee you ran to get for the fourth time today? Make sure you bring a third just in case. Above all- ask what you can GIVE to the community and not what you can take from it.
+28 / 28 votes
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Posted by Shawn Porter | Permalink | 1 Comment
Saturday August 23rd, 2008 @ 11:23 AM
I live in Milwaukee, WI and I’m wondering if there’s anyplace reputable near here to get suspended. The only place I know of is a tat shop that does it illegally(no license) and there’s no way I’m going there, obviously. I’m also wondering what kinds of questions I should ask to make sure they actually know what they’re doing before deciding where to go.
Swing on over to http://suspension.org/groups.htm and check things out. The basic questions I would ask would be:
How long have they been doing this?
Who taught them the “ropes” (bad pun) and how many suspensions have they performed?
Are they primarily a performance group or do they do private ritual type suspensions? Are they attached to a shop? Do they have sterilization equipment?
This experience should be very special to you- if at any point you get a negative feeling from them- move on.
+6 / 6 votes
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Posted by Shawn Porter | Permalink | 5 Comments
Friday August 22nd, 2008 @ 8:14 PM
Filed under: Nipple
I got my nipples pierced about 3 weeks ago. I haven’t had any problems or signs of infection, but for the past few days, I’ve been having trouble turning the rings. It almost feels like it’s healing too tightly or something. They don’t want to move when I try to turn them, and it’s starting to hurt to do so. I’m just wondering if this is normal or if I should be concerned about it.
Why are you trying to turn the rings? Please tell me this wasn’t the advice you were given by your piercer? Piercings heal from the outside inwards so moving the jewellery in a healing piercing only serves to damage the tissue, cause irritation and lengthen the healing process - hence the pain - you bodys way of saying ’stop it, you’re harming me’. The key to healing trouble-free piercings is more a case of what you don’t do to them, rather than what you do do to them. My advice - leave them alone, don’t turn them, don’t play with them.. whatever, and continue with nothing more than your twice-daily seasalt soaks.
+23 / 23 votes
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Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | 6 Comments
Friday August 22nd, 2008 @ 8:04 AM
Filed under: Ear
I have 9 ear piercings, 4 lobes, and 5 slightly above the lobe, but not quite to the helix. the 3 higher piercings on my left ear have a small red area around the jewelry that is very slightly swollen. I have been doing sea salt soaks daily that have made them less noticeable, but they are still very much there. What else should/can I do?
You haven’t mentioned how old the piercings are. If they are irritated, it doesn’t matter what you put on them. The only way for the symptoms of irritation to subside is to nail the cause of the irritation and remove that from the equation. Ask yourself these questions.. do you sleep on that side? What type of jewellery do you have in there? Is it good quality jewellery? Is the jewellery fitted properly, for example, if they are healing is there enough room to accomodate potential swelling? If they are healing do you avoid getting hair products in the piercings? Were they pierced at the correct angle? Is there anything you may have done differently, any stressful events that may have occured roundabouts the time you first noticed they weren’t happy?
A bit of detective work should reveal the root cause of the irritation. Deal with the irritation and the symptoms should subside.
+5 / 5 votes
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Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | Comments
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.
+3 / 7 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
