Thursday February 26th, 2009 @ 9:56 AM
Hi,
i’m wanting a pretty big tattoo on my belly of my dogs & horses, but i’m worried that in a few years time when i decide to have kids the tattoo will stretch & be distorted. Am i better to wait til after i have kids to get it?
Thanks Bryony…
I think that it’s a wise decision to hold off on tattooing your stomach until after having kids, yes. We don’t all bounce back after pregnancy as well as Twwly (sadly!), and stretch marks will surely change a tattoo!
+2 / 6 votes 
Loading ...
Posted by Lori St.Leone | Permalink | 3 Comments
Thursday February 26th, 2009 @ 6:25 AM
Filed under: Ear
I know all of the horrible reasons why you should not use a piercing gun, and I agree. But I wanted to know AskBME’s take on the things that are along those lines.
At your local walmart in TX you can have you lobes pierced or buy the supplies, with a disposable thing that is loaded like a gun but is pushed through only with the pressure the person piercing the ear can apply. In essence its just like the gun but not pressure loaded and disposable. So it seems to me that it would be like your friend just pushing a pointed earring through your lobe, only the stuff for this comes out of what looks like steril packages.
Do you think its safe to use something like this on ear lobes?
I’m familiar with what you’re talking about, and in a nutshell, no. I don’t think they’re a great idea. The blunt force of shoving a relatively dull stud made out of cheap materials and held on by a backing that is, essentially, a big petri dish catching all the lymph and muck coming out of the piercing and allowing bacteria to grow while preventing adequate cleaning is never going to trump an asaeptic procedure with sterile needles and highly-polished, implant-grade jewellery, full stop.
Will you DIE from piercing your ears that way? Nope, probably not. But it’s not the safest or best way, IMHO.
+18 / 18 votes 
Loading ...
Posted by Lori St.Leone | Permalink | 1 Comment
Thursday February 26th, 2009 @ 6:20 AM
I recently came back into the world of piercing after a long hiatus. I was a working proffessional for five years and eventually moved on to other things. I am now working in a shop again and I am getting requests to do microdermal implants. This is not a procedure I have ever seen performed, as I am not the type to just experiment on my clients, i have had to turn them away. My main question is if anybody knows of a reputable training program or seminar on the west coast. I am very interested in this procedure, but I want to make certain of the safety of my clientel. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Probably the easiest and most obvious thing would be for you to attend the Association of Professional Piercers conference this May - you can find more info on the APP’s website, http://www.safepiercing.org. There will be lots of informational classes (including one on microdermals), and you’ll have the opportunity to network and powwow with lots of piercers and pick their brains about how they do things, too. 
+13 / 13 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Lori St.Leone | Permalink | Comments
Tuesday February 24th, 2009 @ 8:45 AM
my question isn’t as much a question as much as it is outrage. What is this? The state of Oklahoma wants to ban eye tattoos. I thought that this was a free country. I guess I was wrong. Apparently I do not have the power to choose how I look. I am sad to say that I used to live there. How can they legally do this?
http://www.kten.com/Global/story.asp?S=9877699
With the risks that come with eyeball tattooing… I’m not really against this.
I’m not saying it shouldn’t be done… just that it being illegal will make it more serious for people to do/get and hopefully keep the hacks from doing something that’s beyond their skill set.
For the most part, things were a lot safer when they were underground.
+11 / 11 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Shawn Porter | Permalink | 5 Comments
Sunday February 22nd, 2009 @ 9:28 AM
Filed under: Nipple
I got my nipples pierced about a week ago, and I am not sure if they were done correctly.
It seems as if the holes are too far apart and the barbell isn’t long enough. I recently noticed that the balls were sinking into the piercing canal. None of the four balls were on top of my skin but rather inside. Naturally, I freaked out. I went to the piercing studio where I had gotten them done and they changed the curved barbells to straight ones and attached bigger balls to the end so they would not sink into my skin.
So far, there is no sinking and all is well. However, I have noticed that the piercing is more or less forming a cave around itself. There are definite indentions where the balls are. It kind of forms a cup around it.
My question was, is this normal? Should I replace the jewelery? I’m at a loss here, and I really need some advice on what to do. I really don’t want to take the rings out but I will if its my only option and go get them re-pierced later.
From what you’ve described, it sounds to me like you most definately need a longer bar. With a fresh piercing there has to be a little room between the skin and the ball ends otherwise the piercing may not be able to drain as effectively which can lead to irritation and a lengthier healing time. I suggest you have a piercer pop a longer, sterile bar into your piercing.
+7 / 7 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | Comments
Sunday February 22nd, 2009 @ 9:21 AM
Filed under: Navel
I just found out I am pregnant (hooray!) and though I have a few months before my stomach gets to this point, I like to plan ahead. I have 2 navel piercing (top and bottom) and I was just wondering what would be best. Should I just take them out when the time comes or just get the barbells to put in? I would rather not retire these to piercings, but if it is what’s best then I will. Thanks for your help.
Congratulations!
What you can do is when you notice that you are starting to require a longer bar, is pop an oversized PTFE bar in there and this will accomodate any extra length your piercing may require as your belly grows. I, personally, am not normally a fan of PTFE but this is one of those instances when it does prove useful. Take care not to catch it, though.
+9 / 13 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | Comments
Thursday February 19th, 2009 @ 9:05 PM
ok so i pierced my snake bite 2 days ago i did it myself i pierce everything on my body but anyway its been pussing,swelling,and it looks like the outside of the ring is about to go into my lip and on the inside its like the ring is pushing against my lip and my skin is hovering over the metal part in the back its kinda swore but not really
but i clean it everyday
1.sea salt (1 min)
2.clean it with dial soap
3.rinse my mouth with mouth wash
4.spray the outside with bactine
5.put A&D ointment on the outside!
idk whats wrong! i want it to heal
plz help meee!!!!
The reason your lip may be pussing, swelling and embedding into your lip is very likely from the following reasons:
1. Cleaning your piercing with a very chemical, strong Dial antibacterial soap
2. Rinsing your mouth out with very chemical, strong mouthwash
3. Spraying it with a numbing astringent like Bactine
4. Gumming it up and preventing the wound from breathing by applying A&D ointment on it.
5. You’ve pierced yourself with clearly no knowledge of piercing aftercare which leads me to believe you very likely haven’t done a lot of research into any other technical aspects of body piercing (ie jewelry size and metal quality, oral anatomy and aseptic technique)
I’d see a piercer and have them check out the placement and jewelry choice and completely cease all of your current aftercare procedure save for warm water rinses on the outside of your mouth to remove crusties and practise a regular oral hygeine regime (brush your teeth as per usual) and rinse your mouth out with a mild salt water solution after anything you eat or drink. (And this is only AFTER you’ve ensured you have a piercing that’s done and placed and jewelry is worn even remotely correctly.)
+37 / 39 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | 2 Comments
Thursday February 19th, 2009 @ 9:00 PM
Filed under: Tongue
A little bit embarrassing, but anyways.
I’ve had my tongue pierced for nearly 3 years now. My tongue web comes forward quite a bit, so it was pierced to the side.
A few days ago, I was kissing someone, and lets say something got stuck, or pulled, or bitten, I dont know, but it seriously hurt. I took out the barbell, and it was bleeding a little. I put it back in and thought nothing of it, just maybe it got a little torn, as nothing looked wrong. So today, (4 days later) and still in the same amount of pain, I gave it a closer examination, and discovered that the bottom ball of the barbell, has ripped a hole through my tongue web, and it can half stick through there…
Am I going to have to retire my tongue piercing so this hole will heal up, as it is aggravating it?
(..that or put a ring in there and celebrate my new accidental piercing…)
Oww!
Well - a couple options: You could see a piercer and have them assess if your new hole could be filled with some jewelry.
-You could remove your barbell if it’s too much hassle and pain for you
-You could put a slightly larger ball on the bottom part of your barbell so that it doesn’t fit through the hole and gives it time to heal up.
The good news is that oral tissue heals up pretty quickly so whichever option you choose you likely won’t be in as much discomfort for much longer.
In the meantime, be sure to keep your mouth clean and drink lots of water. Basically treat it like a new piercing should be.
+10 / 10 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | 1 Comment
Tuesday February 17th, 2009 @ 4:04 PM
Filed under: Ear
Yesterday I got a rook piercing done, but I’ve been concerned about it. First of all, my piercer pierced it with a CBR, which I’ve heard can hinder the healing process as it can be easily bumped around. Second, it was pierced at an 18 gauge, which is really small. Are these factors going to be an issue? Because I really am worried about the health of my piercing. If it is recommended that it be changed from a CBR to a curved barbell, is it okay to go to a different piercer as soon as possible and request that be done? Or is it still too early to be changed at all?
Any information regarding the jewelry style and/or gauge or just any other information about the rook piercing would be so helpful and much appreciated.
Thank you very much.
I would say the earlier you could see a different piercer to have it switched to a larger gauge curved barbell the better.
Rings do indeed get knocked around much more frequently and do pose the risk of traumatizing the piercing.
I prefer to do cartilage piercings 16g+ for the added stability a thicker anchor provides.
+5 / 7 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | 1 Comment
Tuesday February 17th, 2009 @ 4:01 PM
So I woke up in a bit of chest pain this morning and went to investigate my (roughly 8 month old) dermal implant. She seemed to have a lot of crust around her, and was a little askew as well, so I washed up and got my cleaning tools (cotton tips - love em). Upon prodding around I noticed that the majority of the ‘crust’ was the lower end of the ‘foot’ of my implant!! The initial reaction was to yank it out, and once I did, LO AND BEHOLD THERE GUSHED A BLOODY SIGHT I HAVE NOT SEEN SINCE.. I got pierced. Not much really, but I freaked out.
My question is pertaining to the lovely wound I now have in the dead center of my chest. How can I keep it clean and free from infection (since I obviously couldn’t manage with the implant itself..)? And is there anything I should be looking for, such as a keloid or hypertrophic scarring?
It’s not unusual that after yanking out a surface anchor you experienced some bleeding.
Keep the wound clean like you would a cut. Mild soap whenever it becomes contaminated (touching it, contact with clothes, etc) keep it out of standing bodies of water for a couple weeks, don’t pick at it.
The resulting scar will depend greatly on how you scar normally. If you’re prone to keloid scars, there is a good chance that one could come up from the piercing.
+6 / 6 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | Comments
