• This One Time at Piercer Camp p. 8 • Initial Piercing Jewelry p. 20 THE POINT THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL PIERCERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Brian Skellie—President Cody Vaughn—Vice-President Aaron Pollack—Secretary Paul King—Treasurer (currently vacant)—Medical Liaison Ash Misako—Outreach Coordinator Miro Hernandez—Public Relations Director Steve Joyner—Legislation Liaison Jef Saunders—Membership Liaison ADMINISTRATOR Caitlin McDiarmid EDITORIAL STAFF Managing Editor of Design & Layout—Jim Ward Managing Editor of Content & Archives—Kendra Jane Berndt Managing Editor of Content & Statistics—Marina Pecorino Contributing Editor—Elayne Angel ADVERTISING [email protected] Front Cover: Rob Hill entertaining at Camp APP Photo by April Thomas ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL PIERCERS 1.888.888.1APP • safepiercing.org • [email protected] Donations to The Point are always appreciated.

The Association of Professional Piercers is a California-based, interna- tional non-profit organization dedicated to the dissemination of vital health and safety information about body piercing to piercers, health care professionals, legislators, and the general public. Material submitted for publication is subject to editing. Submissions should be sent via email to [email protected]. The Point is not responsible for claims made by our advertisers. However, we reserve the right to reject advertising that is unsuitable for our publication.

ISSUE 73 3 that further change in practices were to come as a re- However, even with this global reserve of knowledge, FROM THE EDITORS INSIDE THIS ISSUE sult of attendance. I was so fortunate to be a part of that there are still specific concerns that only affect certain group and those changes. areas. In this issue, we are sharing some of those con- JIM WARD PRESIDENT’S CORNER–6 As an organization the APP stands poised for its next cerns seen during the revision process of body art laws KENDRA BERNDT change with the anticipated election of three new Board and rules and regulations within the state of Ohio. You MARINA PECORINO THIS ONE TIME AT PIERCER CAMP–8 Members this winter. This year there are a number of will also get a glimpse into the newly formed UKAPP The Point Editors outstanding candidates that will be in the running for and the issues specific to body modification artists in the COUNT ALL THE THINGS–16 these positions. We, as a membership, are so fortunate to European Union and the United Kingdom. have the ability to directly drive the changes that shape We hope that these articles help you gain an under- As most of our readers know, I do • Jim Ward our organization. So when your ballot arrives, remember standing and greater world view of what is happening the design and layout of The Point. INITIAL PIERCING JEWELRY–20 you have a voice and it should be heard. within the professional realm of your peers. ovember 17th this year When I was sent the image for this I hope you enjoy Issue 73 of The Point as we take a marked the 40th anni- issue’s cover I was a bit taken aback OHIO LEGISLATION–24 look at some of the current issues and changes on the versary of Gauntlet, the by the lack of visible body modifica- horizon for body piercing. world’s first body piercing tions. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a great PORTFOLIO PHOTOGRAPHY –26 Nstudio. For most of you reading this, image of Rob Hill, a well-known and • Marina Pecorino it will be difficult to conceive what respected member of the APP com- CHILDRENS’ EAR PIERCINGS–28 I realized that in planning my pieces for this issue, I things were like for body mod enthu- munity. But what, I asked my fellow composed my outlines in terms of an almost methodical siasts back in those days. For many editors and the APP Board, did it LBP UPDATE–34 past—present—future format. As a result, it has become of us, our piercings were a sexual have to do with piercing. The re- apparent to me that even when planning to discuss the fetish that were well concealed un- sponse stunned me: “We are seeing RINGS ARE NOT THE DEVIL–38 current events of our industry, I can’t help but relate it der our clothing and revealed only more and more people that work in back to where we came from and what has brought us to to our most intimate of friends and our industry who are choosing not THE UKAPP–46 this point. acquaintances. We remained firmly to have visible modifications. We In the past, current events within the body modifi- in the closet. also realize that not everyone that BMXNET–50 cation community were defined within small regional With the exception of tattoos, reads our publication is a piercer or groups, making the reach and influence fairly limited. other body mods were rare or non- modification artist and we want to the wheels in motion. I am a firm Then as piercing enthusiasts became less closeted and existent in the United States. Unless increase our readership, even having believer in the idea that everyone more prevalent, conferences like the APP Conference you lived in a colorful ethnic neigh- an article specifically aimed at reach- can make a difference, and together and BMXnet, publications like PFIQ (Piercing Fans In- borhood, you were likely to see only ing our clients in this issue.” [empha- a lot of small differences can lead to ternational Quarterly), and internet communities like piercings of the ears. Even then peo- sis mine] great change. We can all have a voice BME became available. With this, the barriers of geogra- ple with visible piercings could lose I have to laugh. It has been 40 and make sure that it is heard. This phy were broken and current events were defined more their jobs. Despite Gauntlet’s efforts, years, and we have come full circle. is not to say that everyone will listen by the shared interests of individual communities. This it was almost 15 years before things While people may be choosing to to your voice, nor will they like what allowed for a broader reach of knowledge and experi- began to change. When that change keep their piercings private again, you have to say, but neither of these ence, and for enthusiasts to have more choice available came, it was explosive. I can’t help wondering if piercings reasons should ever stop you from in their involvement with specific interests. But informa- Modern Primitives appeared in will ever be as erotic as they were all using your voice. That is one of the tion still had a trickling spread; trends were slower to be 1989 and soon thereafter Shannon those years ago. things I like about the body pierc- replaced with a newer, better, shinier thing. Larratt began advocating for more ing industry as a whole; there are With the overwhelming prevalence of social media extreme body mods. Piercing shops • Kendra Jane B so many accepted ways to get to the and technology, the wealth of knowledge available is in- began springing up like fungi after Change: it is the only thing that same final product. We may not all credible and the reach of information is limitless. Trends a spring rain. We saw fashion mod- is certain in life (other than death agree on how to get there, but for the change almost as quickly as they are born; in a matter els strutting down runways sporting and taxes). So why is it that change most part we are all open minded of days, sweeping interest in a particular piercing place- navel and nostril rings. Alicia Sil- is so hard for so many? I am one of enough to realize that this is the case. ment or jewelry style can become global. Unfortunately, verstone appeared in the Aerosmith those many. I consider myself in the Very recently we were able to get the same can be true in regards to misinformation and music video Cryin’ getting her navel know when it comes to what is hip a lot of these different opinions to- misconceptions surrounding placements, techniques, “pierced” by Paul King (admittedly, and cool these days, but in all actual- gether in the same room at the first jewelry, and aftercare. It is our shared responsibility to the piercing was staged). Suddenly, ity I struggle everyday with the fast ever APP Members Retreat in Geor- ensure the quality and validity of piercing specific in- visible body mods were everywhere. paced, significant changes that are gia. You could see change happen- formation available to our peers and the general pub- They have become so common that happening in the world around us. ing—changes in perspectives, meth- lic. Please be mindful of what you are sharing with the virtually no one raises an eyebrow In order for any change to happen, odologies, self esteem—and know world. anymore. small or big, someone has to start Shea Lloyd—photo by Kerry Tasker

4 THE POINT ISSUE 73 5 PRESIDENT’S CORNER “ ”* BRIAN SKELLIE Essential reading… APP President running

he APP is always going to be a precautions beyond what our sort- Consulting LLC. “That’s rightly so the gauntlet work in progress, since stan- of minimally invasive ear piercing because that is where the bulk of An Intimate History of the Modern Body Piercing Movement by Jim Ward dards are ever changing with procedures require for antisepsis it is. But whenever you are doing In this revealing autobiography, Jim Ward, considered by many to be the father of the modern piercing new evidence. Lauded among and sterility. For those who are curi- anything that bypasses the skin industry, tells the engaging and candid story of discovering his own fascination with body piercing, his Tthe guiding principles we maintain ous to learn more about Maximum barrier, you should automatically founding of Gauntlet, the world’s first body piercing studio, and how he transformed a personal fetish and as safety standards for our member- Sterile Barrier precautions, the CDC think aseptic technique.” — Apply- backroom, amateur pursuit into a respected profession and spearheaded a world-wide social phenomenon. ship is the practice of asepsis. We re- HICPAC describes further steps ing Aseptic Technique in all Clini- Essential reading for everyone with an interest in body piercing; you, your shop staff, and your customers will treasure this book. fer to many procedural acts as prac- that can be taken for more seriously cal Settings for more information and to order a copy of Running the Gauntlet signed especially for you by the author, tice, as they are rarely ever perfect invasive punctures such as a cen- This outline of technique sug- visit runningthegauntlet-book.com. Also available wholesale and retail at safepiercing.org/publications/ and require a profound theoretical tral venous or arterial catheter. For gestions comes from the AORN, running-the-gauntlet. * understanding coupled with regular body artists, an achievable version APIC and CDC standards and rec- “Essential reading for anyone who wants to •• Deluxe,Deluxe, large-format, large-format hardcoverboth hard and soft cover understand how modern body piercing exercise and critical self observation of surgical asepsis (sterile technique) ommended practices as well as a arrived at the place it currently occupies.” • Over 180• Over pages 180 pages for improvement. Asepsis requires maintains barriers such as sterile number of textbook resources such James Weber, Former President • More than 250 photos, over half of them in color! Association of Professional Piercers the right combination of cleaning gloves, masks and eye protection, as Asepsis, the Right Touch. Much • More than 250 photos, over half of them in color! and sterilization with touching and and removes obstacles likely to com- of it needs very little interpretation www.runningthegauntlet-book.com not touching manual, instrumental promise these barriers such as hang- for our purposes. Safety precautions and environmental surfaces for in- ing earrings and necklaces, long hair, should result in greater control of fection prevention and control (IPC). rings and watches. the procedure, clinical benefits, re- contamination room; single-use some that is participation in continu- educator instead of the minimums. We apply two types of asepsis to duced harm, and limited liability disposable items; the handling ing education, gaining knowledge, If we all did no more than what was reduce or eliminate infection trans- for negligence. One might say there is no single of previously worn piercing jew- and raising standards.wHOlESA MaintaininglE ORDERS NO a wrequired, AvAIlAB thelE THROindustryugH would THE APP! not be mission: medical asepsis which em- Rationale: There exist standards right way to pierce. Many varia- elry; disposal of waste materials; positive tone one can show those as as interesting. phasizes protection for the client for prevention of surgical site in- and implementation of recom- strengths withoutThe diminishing oth- I believe that it is the responsibility and their environment is more con- tions are possible with an un- fection that apply to even minor mendations.”—Piercing Experi- ers. This is crucial toPiercing developing the of each of us tob upholdible the values we cerned with cleanliness and preven- invasive elective procedures, and The definiTiVe gUide To sAfe body Piercing derstanding and application of ence adapted IPC standards from bonds between us as fellow profes- feel are important, and to continual- tion of the spread of the clients own piercing falls within this category by Elayne Angel asepsis. We are an industry in the CDC sionals. If you believe something you ly advance our standards in order to organisms to other clients, while by definition. surgical asepsis which focuses on which studios market based on My personal observation is that do has advantages,This one-of-a-kind comprehensive feel free to share resource achieve covers everything our goals. piercers I and do piercees have roman- “When implemented, these need to know about the subject. Piercing pioneer and authority Elayne Angel shares sterilization and maintaining steril- their specialties, and for some these policies have helped limit risk that with your customers in a way tic hopes that over time the industry guidelines should reduce the risk her exhaustive knowledge about piercing techniques, jewelry, placements, aftercare, ity for items that will be introduced at my studio. They have been re- that does nottroubleshooting, end up overly and more. critical will move in the direction of pure, that is participation in continuing of disease transmission in the to a wound or piercing cavity or pen- viewed by legal counsel, qualified of our other colleagues. validated, ethical materials and prac- education, gaining knowledge, piercing environment, from pier- ABOuT THE AuTHOR - ELAYnE AnGEL has been a professional piercer for etrate the skin, thus preventing the bioscientists, medical professionals, It should be clear that these posi- tices that are as harmless as possible. cee to piercer, and from piercee more than 20 years and has performed over 40,000 piercings. She was awarded introduction of organisms to the cli- and raising standards. and university professors. That said, tion statementsthe President’s in support Lifetime of Achievement surgical AwardA predictable,by the Association ofconsistent, Professional safe, sim- to piercee. Based on principles of ent. Medical asepsis can be referred I’m sure that they could always use asepsis are neitherPiercers in contradictory 2006 and is a contributing nor writerple, for andPAIN Magazine.gentle piercing She lives in Mérida,experience is infection control, the document accusatory ofMexico. others Visit currentlywww.piercingbible.com using for attainablemore information. today and can be refined to as clean technique, and surgical “I think that when you say ‘asep- more input and adaptation. Body art delineates specific guidelines APP minimum standards for medi- based on these principles and open asepsis as sterile technique. A thor- tic technique,’ a lot of people auto- safety is an ever-evolving field of in- Available for wholesale or retail purchase through the related to protective attire and cal asepsis accordingAPP office: 1 (888)to our 888-1APP 2013 or reAPP- website:communication www. among colleagues. ough and effective means of surgi- matically think ‘operating room’ terest. barrier techniques; handwashing vised Proceduresafepiercing.org Manual . They build The recommendations that I make cal asepsis should be implemented or ‘surgical procedure,’” explains One might say there is no single and care of hands; the use and upon them as we are all encouraged in addition to APP$20.00 minimums result for all body art procedures. [CE re- Kathleen Meehan Arias, MS, CIC, right way to pierce. Many variations A portion of the proceeds from each sale goes to the APP. PaPerBack care of sharp instruments and to do as Members, employing addi- from a continually researched pro- source] president of the Association for are possible with an understanding 6 x 9 Inches needles; sterilization or disinfec- tional precautionsTo sell The and Piercing elective Bible in yourlimi studio,- cess of elimination and adaptation, “Sterile technique is not one set- Professionals in Infection Control and application of asepsis. We are place a “retailer order” with the publisher: Photos & IllustratIons tion of instruments; cleaning and tations based on evidence and strong and they are freely shared for peer in-stone method, this is a guideline and Epidemiology (APIC) and di- an industry in which studios market email [email protected] 308 Pages disinfection of environmental theoretical rationale.or call 800.733.3000, My preference ext. 86384 review. Please consider this a formal for establishing your own individual rector of Arias Infection Control based on their specialties, and for ISBN: 978-1-58091-193-1 technique.” Nor is it advocating surfaces; disinfection and the de- is to demonstrate best practices as an request for comments.

6 THE POINT ISSUE 73 7 This One Time at Piercer Camp... photos by April Thomas

That sentence will for- ever hold a special place in the heart of the people that at- tended the first Association of Professional Piercers’ Members Retreat at Hard Labor Creek State Park in Georgia. After getting home and taking time to reflect on the new friend- ships that were forged, old ones that were strengthened, and realizing exactly how much I learned, I also realized that no one person would be able to fully express what this first was like. So instead of solely giving you my viewpoint, on the following pages, I give to you reflections on our time in the woods. Paul King, Mic Rawls, and Brian Skellie cool off from the steamy Georgia humidity in the lake. —Kendra Jane B.

8 THE POINT ISSUE 7372 9 I’m still in awe of Camp APP. I’ve worked this hard for many events, but never been so happy about it. I see people transformed after Vegas and Camp APP–2015 just try and remember what that used to be like. It happened for me at this event. I learned more, Camp APP blew my mind! got to know people better, and even relaxed. It Thank you Bethrah and all the was a truly beautiful group effort. Thank you to volunteers that helped make the my staff at both studios for holding down the fort magic. Almost 25 years into my and helping before, during, and after (I’m not career, you’ve given me my most tagging you all but know that I appreciate you). memorable community event! Thank you Nancy Napolitano for coming to fill —Paul King in. Thank you Monica Sabin for coming early and helping out. Thank you John Johnson, Matt Paul King offers up some of his knowledge to Bavougian, Tamar Strong, Randy Smyre and Tobias Vallone and Becky Dill in one of the many Woodstock Bader for kicking ass in the kitchen. classes through the Camp. Thank you speakers for making things interest- ing. Thank you campers for bringing an open mind and heart to the event. Also, for helping out with dishes, trash runs, box loading, and every- Upon arrival we got in our arts and crafts thing else needed to make things happen. Finally, It’s difficult to accurately sum up just what went on last time with these great name tags. thank you Paul King for your ongoing support week in a single post. Camp was not at all like Conference. and love. You are an amazing person and friend. I think in a lot of ways it was better. The communal set- It’s helped me be brave about a lot of things just ting and small intimate classes made all the difference. Most knowing that you believe in me. campers, like me, were out of their element and comfort —Bethrah Szumski zone for sure. Well, everyone but Woodstock, but I think he lives out there full time. Cheddar apple pie The classes and instructors were the best I have experi- enced. There was more instructor interaction, and a lot of great hands on learning in small workshop groups. All the kids were very well fed and cared for thanks to Bethrah, Matt, John and Tamar. Thanks guys! The last night was the peak and culmination of all of our feelings from the entire week. We all stood in a big circle and gave our thoughts on what we were taking away from the John Johnson was responsible for week we spent together. It was a beautiful and intense expe- helping to keep our vegans (and the rience. If you were one of the fortunate people to be standing rest of us) fed all week, in that circle you understand exactly what I mean. I have never been held in such a loving, massively huge embrace as the one we all shared at the end. The feeling in the room was so positive and strong; it’s hard to describe how wonderful it really was. Many had tears, everyone was smiling and cheering and the hugs, laughter, and love went on into the night. All in all, I got to learn a great deal more about the profession I love and the great people who are at the top of their game making it all happen. I’ll be there for the next one for sure. No doubt. Thanks again and Love to you all. The anthropology of Pie! Organizer Bethrah Szumski —Julian Ganesha puts the finishing touches on the pie buffet which was out of this world!

10 THE POINT ISSUE 73 11 So I survived the Georgia heat, the spiders, the snakes, the scorpions, at the camp where Jason was filmed. I let go of the internet for a week and spent it with some of the most amaz- Ashley Misako with Rick Freuh, ing people I have ever met. I had the opportunity to build new Aaron Pollack, and Peter Sher- I just wanted to say, thank you to everyone for making relationships and strengthen others. I learned, I cried, I laughed, man Jett this experience so amazing. Super thanks to Bethrah for but most of all I became a better person because of this week. I setting this up, John and Matt for keeping us fed with awe- am not sure I can even put words to it all, but it really truly was some food, Paul for keeping me laughing all week. an experience of a lifetime. So much love. It was great getting more one on one time and small group —Kendra Jane B. time with everyone. I sometimes feel left out in Vegas be- cause of how long I’ve been piercing and teaching, but here I felt like I was still a part of the vibrant electricity that flows in the membership. Great job, everyone. —Luis Garcia

Randy Smyre, Matt Bavougian, Woodstock Bader, Tamar Strong, John Johnson, and Bethrah Szumski— our kitchen crew!

This first week back at work after camp has been the best I’ve had in a long time. Every piercing I did I Twisted piercers Chad Frodnella, Kelly Carvara, and was very pleased with the final re- Morgan Strong having fun Paul King plays the role of our clients sult (which hadn’t been the case for as John Johnson and Mic Rawls discuss the months leading up to camp). I tools and tissue manipulation even did a septum and while it was not absolutely perfect, it was one of the best I’ve ever done and only Thank you for allowing me to be your cook. a hair off on the horizontal plane. Without hyperbole, this was one of the best weeks She was thrilled with it and hugged of my life. It allowed me to combine some of my Time out for a dip! me after she looked in the mirror. I greatest passions in life, as well as feeling like I had a great time talking to all my was directly helping those I admire and respect. clients. Everything just felt perfect. Las Vegas is a fun and exciting place, but like I remember why I decided to make many others, it is very taxing on me physically this my career! I’m so happy I got to and emotionally. Heading out to the Georgia Camp APP was one of the most intense weeks have this experience and can’t wait woods with you was rejuvenating for my soul. of my life! The connections I made with so many for Camp APP2016!!! Thank you Cooking for you over the week gave me a way amazing and passionate people meant the world to This was incredible and I’m so glad I was all so freaking much for helping me to stay calm and always feel like I had a sense me, especially since quite a few of these people were able to be a part of it along with the rest of get back on track!!! I love you all of purpose. With your help I was able to stay icons for me as a young piercer. Being very shy, I you. Thank you again. more than you know! upbeat all week, become a more well-rounded needed an environment like this to really open up ­—Tobias Vallone —­ Shorty­ piercer and, I hope, a better member of our com- to form those bonds. Not only did I learn so much, munity. I enjoyed the little bit of private time I both in and out of classes, but the love of my life got with each of you as you filtered in and out of proposed to me, making everything truly magical! the kitchen over the week. It feels good to have I look forward to getting to be part of Camp APP been entrusted to nurture your bodies while oth- again; hopefully it becomes a regular event! ers had been nurturing your minds. I look for- ­—Key York ward to cooking for you in the future, if you’ll allow it. —Matt Bavougian

12 THE POINT ISSUE 73 13 This one time at piercer camp, I met and remet 40 amaz- ing humans!

—Woodstock Bader FINE BODY JEWELRY

Chad Frodnella learns about ear Welcome to the new Leroi.com projects with Matt Bavougian, Julian Ganesha, and Luis Garcia SHOP - Wholesale customers only ONLINE - Fully secure e-commerce site Randy Smyre immersed in learning - Products added daily 24/7 - Shop 24/7

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An impromptu late night Statim class from Brian Skellie

14 THE POINT ISSUE 73 15 photo by Marina Pecorino What can you do to prepare? COUNT ALL THE THINGS Pre-counting preparation can make the inventory count go smoother. The day before the count, make sure CHRISTINA SHULL that jewelry is organized and items are in their desig- Owner of Integrity Piercing nated places. If you have recently received a jewelry or- der, have all jewelry checked in, processed, and put away. Every studio seems to have a place, if not many places where jewelry just ends up; a special cup or drawer can

photo by Kendra Jane B. be found in almost any room that often contains random to. An accurate count can signifi- beads, balls, and o-rings. Defective jewelry has a habit of cantly reduce the chance that you ending up in a variety of different locations. Check for will overpay for taxes related to all of these miscellaneous pieces of jewelry and put it all jewelry investments. Shrinkage, or away where it belongs. losses, which can happen in our in- dustry fairly easily: jewelry being tions, preferably in writing. During your planning, con- How will the count be recorded? dropped on the floor and rolling sider the following: If you have a Point of Sale system, you may have inven- into the abyss, small parts easily end When will the count be done? Ideally, inventory tory worksheets available that are ready to print and go. up in the sink drain of the process- counting will be done when the studio is closed, or at I just recently discovered that QuickBooks has printable ing room (along with almost every least during a day when business is expected to be slow. I inventory sheets that I am very excited to use this year! threaded or pin taper you once had), personally opt to perform the count on a day my studio (Reports>Inventory>Physical Inventory Worksheet, for and the often overlooked comp jew- is closed. It is worth it to me to pay a little bit of overtime those who are interested). If your POS program does not elry that a client received as a no- in return for a count that is done in a shorter period of have dedicated inventory sheets or if you choose not to charge upsize/downsize/“oops, the time and is more accurate when there are no interrup- use them, you can print an item list and use that to re- piercer grabbed the wrong size/ tions from clients or vendors. cord your count. Many studios use the same inventory color/etc.” An accurate inventory Who will be counting the jewelry and what will they sheets that they would when counting stock items before count at the end of the year allows be counting? In my two person studio, we split the re- placing an order. Blank paper can work as well, although you to properly determine your sponsibility pretty much down the middle. My staff the less detailed the documentation system, the easier it Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), which member counts and records the jewelry in the front can be to overlook or miscount items. directly affects the amount of tax of the studio – everything in the display cases and the Marking items that have already been counted is im- ne of my favorite parts erwise, maybe even a small book, and you will pay. bead totes used to store backstock jewelry. I count and portant. Keeping track of what has and has not been about December is count- I do not want to bore you to death if Planning your end of year inven- record the jewelry in the piercing room, clean room, counted is not as simple as it may seem. For example, ing every little piece of you are not a current or future busi- tory count is the best way to mini- and any potential defective jewelry that has not been I have multiple threaded end options in one display jewelry in my studio for ness owner. If you are interested in mize stress and increase accuracy. replaced yet. Oend of year inventory. For most learning more about the adminis- It is uncommon to have jewelry that should be ex- Inform your staff members in ad- people, that line was read in a sar- trative aspect of piercing, stay tuned vance about inventory planning and cluded from the inventory count, but there are a few castic tone. In my case, it is true and in January for the debut of my blog give them clear and specific instruc- situations where it can happen. Those situations should should have been ended with an ex- “The Business of Piercing” which will be explained in advance. For example, the majority of clamation point and been followed be filled with plenty of information the jewelry I have on display are items that I would sell with a smiley face. While this article on the business side of the industry: if needed, such as jewelry in “body bits” that is switched Jane B. Kendra by photo will probably not have any effect on taxes, accounting, employee relations, out periodically or a threaded end that I would sell if it the enthusiasm you may or may not legalities, financial statements, and all was the last in stock of its color, size, style, etc. How- have while counting your jewelry, the aspects that go into keeping your ever, my anodized captive display has the rings stabi- I do hope to share some tips that business profitable and compliant lized with glue inside of a shadow box. Upon assembly

could make the experience a little with local, state, and federal regula- Marina Pecorino by photo of that display, I knew the rings would never be sold smoother and hopefully more pleas- tions. For now, let’s delve into how in the future and they were re-categorized from Jew- ant for you. to make your end of year inventory elry and Aftercare (COGS) to Displays and Decorations I would love to address why end of count as smooth as possible. (Expense). Another studio I worked at years ago had year inventory is so important and the There are many reasons for need- jewelry on display that was not going to be sold – dis- impact it has on your financial state- ing an accurate count of your inven- continued “collectors’ items” and antiques. Those items ments and taxation. You are spared tory, with the most relatable reason needed to be excluded from the jewelry inventory be- from that info in this particular arti- being that none of us want to pay cause they were not items for resale. cle. It would be a very long article oth- more taxes than we absolutely have

16 THE POINT ISSUE 73 17 photo by Kendra Jane B. ing room. With 6 different places to find one particular item, it can be easy to miscount. Employees need to be aware of what is counted sepa- rately versus together. You need to have consistency be- tween how an item is entered into the POS or otherwise introduced into inventory and how it is counted. For instance, if a double gemmed navel curve was entered into the POS with the top gem and gemmed post being received as a single item, staff members need to consider both components when counting inventory. If there is a gem curved post without a top (usually because indi- vidual gems were out of stock when one was needed), this needs to be documented. Failure to document this would result in an assumption of the whole piece, which would lead to a lower COGS and result in paying tax on an asset you do not actually have. Once you have completed your end of year inventory and extracted the information that you need for filing your taxes, don’t toss the inventory sheets! End of year inventory counts will serve as helpful tools for a variety frame and when following inventory sheets, they are of things including documentation of the actual inven- far apart alphabetically on the sheet. In this case, I have tory count (really useful if you are unlucky enough to used something to mark the rows or particular items be audited), your starting inventory amount for the next that have already been counted; masking tape or little year (which you will use along with your next end of strips of post-it notes have both worked well for me. year inventory and purchase receipts to determine your Sometimes I have drawn a quick diagram of the display COGS next year), and is very helpful when making ad- and what is in it, crossing off pieces as they are counted. justments to desired inventory stock numbers. It may be easier for you to remove the jewelry from the Now is a good time to start preparing for your year displays entirely and replace them later. This provides a end inventory count. Create or update existing inventory perfect opportunity to refresh displays for the new year. sheets, draft a protocol for inventory counting, pick a day The important part is finding a method that will eas- and time for the count and schedule some staff members ily communicate to all staff members what has already specifically for this project, research additional tips and been taken care of. tricks to make your inventory count smoother. Most im- Double counting is suggested to ensure accuracy and portantly, if you don’t want to pay more taxes than you this is when having a POS definitely comes in handy. absolutely have to, start getting your inventory numbers I consider my POS stock numbers to be fairly close to down in the next couple of weeks, which helps get your accurate, with a physical count done to confirm. If the COGS amount up! physical count matches the amount in the POS, I con- sider the single physical count to be fine. If the physical count does not match the amount in the POS, I dou- ble and sometimes triple or even quadruple check the physical count before I alter the amount in the POS. Double-checking is crucial when we have large quan- tities of small items that can be found in many loca-

tions. For example, 14g 2mm threaded flowers in my Marina Pecorino by photo studio can be found in numerous places: a frame that has the more decorative 14g threaded options, in a few display body bits, in the middle of an assembled indus- trial barbell, on the top of some displayed navel curves, in one of the bead totes for backstock items at the front counter, and with flower navel curve posts in the pierc- Megan Naito—photo by Autumn Swisher

18 THE POINT ISSUE 73 19 INITIAL PIERCING JEWELRY: AN AMERICAN TIMELINE MATTE ERICKSON Alpha-Omega Body Piercing

Gauntlet’s first jewelry brochure dated August 15, 1976

Gauntlet paper bag with curved and straight barbells. furt, Germany—early barbells had and Industrial Strength, as well as no countersink. Over the years, Jim countersunk ends on barbells. Ward expanded on this, not only Unfortunately, the ‘90s also manufacturing straight, but also brought us a proliferation of body curved and circular barbells. Other jewelry from Asia and the birth of companies came and went in the be- the “cheap piercing”. ginning, but Gauntlet remained the In 1993 Venus by Maria Tash was staple for many years. brought into the mix. Originally only Whatever Rings ad, Drummer The ‘80s and ‘90s saw a rapid influx making steel and niobium captives, Magazine Issue 66, July, 1983 of jewelry manufacturers. According she moved on to gold designs in 1994. to Shawn Porter (SPC, BME), the In 1995 LeRoi opened its doors in jewelry manufacturer of note was ‘80s spawned companies like Plea- upstate New York and Body Vision Spain’s Custom in Lawton, Okla- surable Piercing, Toucan (for gold), Los Angeles in, of course, Los Ange- homa. It was the jewelry favored by Wildcat in the UK, and Silver An- les, California. early pioneer Sailor Sid. Although chor (formerly Spain’s Custom). 1997 brought us two companies, the quality was acceptable, at least In the late ‘80s, John Donoghue Intrinsic Precision and NeoMetal. n the beginning, there was one Gauntlet is dated August 15, 1976 by the standards of the time, some founded Wildcat, a wholesale manu- Intrinsic was opened in San Fran- main manufacturer: Gauntlet. and includes many styles of jewelry objected to the stiffness of the unan- facturer out of Brighton, UK. During cisco, California and has been the Originally, gold was the pre- we still see in use today such as the nealed rings and chose not to offer the ‘90s they were the largest supplier sleeper of the body jewelry world. dominant material for jewelry aforementioned bead ring. In fact these products to their customers. of body piercing jewelry in Europe. Putting out high quality jewelry, usedI for initial body piercings. Ac- the currently popular septum retain- Spain’s barbells were also externally In 1990, Josh Warner also brought they have flown under the radar cording to Jim Ward (Running the er was also a Gauntlet innovation. threaded. Spain’s Custom advertised us Good Art and their whimsical, until recently. Now they are sought Gauntlet, pg. 35), “There was an In its early days, Gauntlet had in PFIQ until the time Gauntlet be- sometimes over the top advertising. after with a long list of piercers wait- interest in stainless steel as a mate- one short-lived competitor called gan manufacturing and offering In 2002, they rolled out what was to ing for the opportunity to buy their rial for piercing jewelry”, but due Whatever Rings. It was run by a gay stainless steel jewelry of its own in be their fine jewelry line. By 2005, products. NeoMetal, a small compa- to his lack of knowledge or experi- couple who were heavy S/M play- the early 1980s. they rebranded themselves as Good ny from Concord, California, creat- ence with it “every piece was either ers. They operated out of their West Ray Spain, the owner of Spain’s Art HLYWD and ceased production ed something that would eventually gold or silver”. Many people used Hollywood apartment and sought Custom, suffered from back problems of body jewelry. stand the piercing community on its standard earrings, but the sizes were business through ads placed in the which eventually became so severe Some of the manufacturers origi- proverbial ear: threadless jewelry. In limited. These were primarily ring local gay press and Drummer Maga- that he was forced to close his busi- nating in the ‘90s have become sta- February 2004 they moved to Wash- styles—captive bead and fixed bead. zine, a gay BDSM publication. Their ness. Sailor Sid purchased the equip- ples for current piercings today. In ington and the threadless movement There were other individuals mak- jewelry consisted solely of gold ment and began manufacturing jew- 1991, Anatometal, Body Circle, and continued to grow and thrive. ing specialty jewelry, but acquiring abutted rings with no closure. elry under the name Silver Anchor. Industrial Strength were founded. In 1998 Glasswear Studios opened a piece required knowing someone. At the time Gauntlet began busi- Spain’s Custom ad, PFIQ Maga- The internally threaded barbell is 1991 also brought about “implant in Ashland, Oregon offering high The first jewelry catalogue from the ness in 1975, the only stainless steel zine Issue 1, October, 1977 credited to Tattoo Samy from Frank- grade” materials from Anatometal quality glass jewelry.

20 THE POINT ISSUE 73 21 JEWELRY CATALOGS OF THE PAST Early 1990s

1991 Late 1980s

Good Art logo, 1990

1999 brought us Steel Skin, fus- ing implant grade steel and titanium with dental acrylic ends. In February 2007 Steel Skin was sold and moved to Louisville, Kentucky. They even- tually closed in 2010. In 2002 Gorilla Glass opened in Oaxaca, Mexico fusing traditional and modern designs in glass and ob- sidian. While this is by no means a com- plete timeline of body jewelry manu- 1995 facturers, it does however highlight, in my opinion, the top (American) companies that made significant contributions to the body piercing world. While I know this list could be MUCH longer, I chose to focus on the companies that produce(d) jewelry for initial piercings. Authors note: I would like to thank Barry Blanchard, JD Lorenz, Josh Warner, Maria Tash, Sue from Neo- metal and Wickert Beasley for their 1991 1992 prompt responses to my questions on dates. Also I would like to thank the rest of the companies that put a time- line on their websites that made my list much easier to compose.

1999 1992

22 THE POINT ISSUE 73 23 “Essential reading…”* running the gauntlet An Intimate History of the Modern Body Piercing Movement by Jim Ward In this revealing autobiography, Jim Ward, considered by many to be the father of the modern piercing industry, tells the engaging and candid story of discovering his own fascination with body piercing, his founding of Gauntlet, the world’s first body piercing studio, and how he transformed a personal fetish and backroom, amateur pursuit into a respected profession and spearheaded a world-wide social phenomenon. Essential reading for everyone with an interest in body piercing; you, your shop staff, and your customers will treasure this book. for more information and to order a copy of Running the Gauntlet signed especially for you by the author, visit runningthegauntlet-book.com. Also available wholesale and retail at safepiercing.org/publications/ running-the-gauntlet. “Essential reading for* anyone who wants to • Deluxe, large-format hardcover understand how modern body piercing arrived at the place it currently occupies.” • Over 180 pages James Weber, Former President • More than 250 photos, over half of them in color! Association of Professional Piercers www.runningthegauntlet-book.com

OHIO LEGISLATION UPDATE wHOlESAlE ORDERS NOw AvAIlABlE THROugH THE APP! PATRICK McCARTHY* Piercology, Inc. The Body Art Solutions Piercing bible The definiTiVe gUide To sAfe body Piercing by Elayne Angel

This one-of-a-kind comprehensive resource covers everything piercers and piercees or the last three years, the state tions. We have the issue of travelling twice a month, for nine months going need to know about the subject. Piercing pioneer and authority Elayne Angel shares of Ohio has been rewriting its artists being allowed to practice their over all of the changes that needed to her exhaustive knowledge about piercing techniques, jewelry, placements, aftercare, troubleshooting, and more. body art Rules and Regula- craft in different states. It is like this take place. During these meetings, we tions. Beginning in 2013, a in most states, however, some states were able to address many changes ABOuT THE AuTHOR - ELAYnE AnGEL has been a professional piercer for Fnumber of body modification pro- do things a little differently. So make that had occurred in our industry. more than 20 years and has performed over 40,000 piercings. She was awarded the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association of Professional fessionals, health inspectors, medical sure you understand how things When originally written, it was Piercers in 2006 and is a contributing writer for PAIN Magazine. She lives in Mérida, professionals, legal professionals, Ohio work in your state, and any states stated that studios had to sterilize Mexico. Visit www.piercingbible.com for more information. Department of Professional Personnel that you may visit while working. their own tools. In response to the Available for wholesale or retail purchase through the and more, set out with the purpose of evolution of pre-sterilized, disposable APP office: 1 (888) 888-1APP or APP website: www. reworking the outdated rules that had tools, we added the “Pre-Sterile” law, safepiercing.org been put in place 18 years ago. The Many people don’t realize that allowing artists in this state to use pre- $20.00 A portion of the proceeds from each sale goes to the APP. PaPerBack Association of Body Art Profession- when you are dealing with the sterilized items. Up until this point, als was formed for the state of Ohio an artist was breaking the law if they To sell The Piercing Bible in your studio, 6 x 9 Inches to take on this task. The association government and government used pre-sterilized tools. Most states place a “retailer order” with the publisher: Photos & IllustratIons email [email protected] 308 Pages had piercers and tattoo artists from agencies, you are dealing with have requirements that rules and reg- or call 800.733.3000, ext. 86384 the four corners of the state, many of two separate things: rules and ulations be looked at every few years ISBN: 978-1-58091-193-1 which were fellow APP Members. regulations, and laws. so things like this don’t happen. But, Many people don’t realize that as we all know, if things are working when you are dealing with the gov- well they never get changed. So I urge tions would affect their studios and to ask questions. These were the first the years, and why many in our in- ernment and government agencies, Going back 18 years, Ohio had each of you to make sure your state help them understand what changes classes that had been offered to them dustry don’t have a working relation- you are dealing with two separate some of the best body art laws in the stays current with the progress hap- needed to be implemented. strictly covering body art in the ship with their public departments, things: rules and regulations, and nation, with matching rules and reg- pening in our industry. We taught ten classes throughout state of Ohio. We learned that mak- is the simple fact that they don’t laws. These are two totally different ulations. Because of this, many states The rules and regulations were the state over a 6 week period with ing comparisons to the food indus- dress up. Don’t expect to be seen animals. Laws are far more difficult set up their laws similarly to Ohio. written with extensive depth and over three hundred health inspec- try allowed the inspectors to better as a professional if you show up to to change and are usually written to I was fortunate enough to be in- specifications regarding things like tors in attendance. These classes comprehend the information being a meeting dressed in jeans and a t- be intentionally vague. Revisions or volved in writing the laws way back quality of jewelry, detailed instruc- went into great detail regarding in- taught from that industry to ours. shirt. Also, don’t talk down to them; additions to laws must go through then, and this made it a little easier tion on how to sterilize instruments, struction for inspectors. We covered We were asked to record a final class treat them as a peer. Health inspec- the House and Senate in the state to get involved in the changes this aseptic techniques for set-up and topics such as correct procedures for session in a sound studio using the tors are just there to do their job and must be signed by the governor. time. Due to the fact that they were teardown, and even how documen- disinfecting and sterilizing, proper PowerPoint presentation. This prere- and keep the public safe, so if they Rules and regulations go into great previously so well written, the Ohio tation had to be kept. To ensure that aseptic technique for both tattoo- corded session is now used for train- don’t understand everything in our detail and are usually written by a Department of Health (ODH) pretty the health inspectors in the state of ing and piercing, what to look for in ing new inspectors. We were also in- profession, take the time to educate committee. Laws are set for the state much left the rules and regulations Ohio were properly trained on the an exposure control plan, and what vited to teach classes for inspectors them. I think you will find that most level. However, most states allow lo- alone until 2 years ago. Unfortunate- new changes that had taken place, works and doesn’t work regarding at four conferences across the state. inspectors welcome any knowledge cal health departments and munici- ly, due to the lack of evolution, the we held back the roll out of the new aftercare. Information on industry I have maintained a great working you can offer them. palities to go above the state’s laws in rules and regulations had become rules and regulations for six months standards tats was also discussed. relationship with ODH over the last Most states have conferences to the rules and regulation procedures. outdated. and offered training to them regard- We stressed the importance of in- 19 years of working with them. It is teach inspectors, and they are always For this reason, it is so important Overhauling the antiquated laws ing all of the changes. These training spectors observing procedures with- important to remember a few things looking for new classes. So feel free to understand what your local mu- and rules and regulations to reflect classes were not only open to health in the studios to ensure that artists when building and maintaining a to ask your health departments if nicipality requires, because many the incredible amount of advance- inspectors, but also to people in the know what they are doing. working relationship with health de- you might be able to help out and people, including public officials, ment in our industry over that 18 body art industry, free of charge. This The classes were quite success- partments and inspectors. As much teach a class for them. don’t realize the significant differ- year period was no easy task. Our was done so that they could learn ful and the participants enjoyed the as you may not like it, we are in their *Editor’s Note: Pat was also the APP’s ence in laws and rules and regula- committee met, on average, once or how the changes in rules and regula- opportunity to be in an interac- world, so dress accordingly. One of first elected president. tive environment where they could the biggest mistakes I’ve seen over

24 THE POINT ISSUE 73 25 • Composition—Your photograph is intended to • Color Balance—Using natural spectrum lighting PORTFOLIO PHOTOGRAPHY: TIPS & TRICKS display your superb piercing technique and the is a great start to provide the truest colors for jewelry incredible, high polished jewelry you’ve used, so and the healthiest skin tones for your clients, but col- MARINA PECORINO make sure that these are the main focal point. Frame or correction can be done in post-production with Editor, APP Member collages have become popular and allow you to show most photography processing software and apps, like the piercing from multiple angles. These are a great the ones mentioned earlier. Be careful about color way to show a close up and distant view (with a balance; aim to make your whites as true as possible. smiling, happy client, maybe?), and can be especially Photographs with a greenish or yellowish hue may n the grand scheme, our industry is young, but in useful in displaying symmetrically paired piercings. cause your client to look sickly. A reddish hue may reference to how we display our portfolios there has • Distance and Zoom—When zooming in on your cause your client to look flushed. If your camera been quite a bit of progress throughout our short subject within your digital camera, image quality loss has an option for white balance, set it appropriately history. During the inception of the modern pierc- is irreversible. Therefore you should avoid using the based on your environment or take multiple photos ingI movement, piercers displayed their work selectively digital zoom, which may leave your image looking with the white balance set a few different ways. in printed photographs, which resulted in a lag between pixelated and distorted. It is far better to take a step • Quality of Work—Avoid including angry, bloody, when a piercing was performed and when it was avail- or three closer to your client to take advantage of the or otherwise unappealing piercings; happily healed able to showcase. The range of viewing audience was also natural optics of the lens. If necessary, crop the im- piercings should make up the vast majority of your much smaller as a result of this medium and its reliance age after the fact to get rid of extraneous or distract- portfolio. If you are not pleased with the angle or on a physical print. ing aspects or achieve a closer view. That being said, placement, or if the perspective of the photo makes As the internet became more accessible, shops were be careful not to get “too close”. This can make the it look like something is wonky, choose a different able to use websites to display their collective works. viewer feel uncomfortable and the piercing will lose photo or piercing. Your portfolio does not need to Websites like BMEzine came into being, allowing pierc- some of its impact without the rest of the anatomy as include every piercing you’ve performed or every ers to reach a broader audience, beyond the bounds of a frame of reference. photograph you’ve taken. It should be a selection geography. However, until digital photography became • Focus—If a photograph is out of focus, avoid of your very best work and it should show that the affordable and readily available, this medium was still using it, regardless of how in love with it you may piercings you perform will heal well and elegantly limited by the lag and expense of developing film and be. An out of focus image will not tell the viewer accentuate the anatomy that surrounds them. scanning photographs. much about the health of a piercing or quality of the Modern digital photography has reached a level where jewelry used. Using a shallow depth of field (choose decent digital cameras are built into every smartphone, Source: Dorje Adornments a large aperture close to f/2.8, for the photography and standalone digital cameras are widely available. So- our pockets, purses, and fanny packs every day, but do we geeks in our midst) to blur the background can be cial media allows us to quickly reach an audience around useful if you’re shooting photographs in a visually the world. We hold these sophisticated marketing tools in know how to implement them to their fullest potential? This will be a two part instructional article to help busy environment. If you forgot to use this set- you make the most of these tools. In this first edition, I’ll ting while taking the photograph, post-processing touch on some tricks and tips for shooting portfolio pho- software like Photoshop, Lightroom, Affinity, tographs. In Issue 74, I’ll explain some ways to make sure Exposure, or photography apps on your smartphone those photographs have as broad a reach as possible, us- can accomplish this after the fact as well. If you ing the tools allowed through current social media and have the option, try using a minimalistic or subtle search engine optimization. background, but still aim for some color and texture And now on to the good stuff! I hope that you find when possible. these quick techniques and tricks useful in displaying • Lighting—If you have the environment available to your work to the world. take portfolio photographs outside or close to a win- • Variety—Don’t get drawn into only taking photo- dow, choose a spot that is well-lit by indirect sunlight. graphs of your favorite types of piercings or jewelry Unrestrained direct sunlight can cause harsh shadows styles. Strive to show the full range of options avail- and loss of detail in highlights. If you’re shooting in a able within your studio and the diversity of your windowless room, positioning multiple light sources clientele. Showing a mix of gender, race, age, and with natural spectrum light bulbs can simulate indi- style helps make your portfolio relatable to a broader rect sunlight. If you’re shooting with a DSLR, using a range of your clients and allows your potential client bounce flash directed at a white wall behind you can an opportunity to visualize themselves and their new help evenly illuminate your client and their beauti- or upgraded adornment within your portfolio. ful jewelry. Regardless of your lighting, watch out for unintentional shadows near eyes, noses, and chins. Source: Saint Sabrina’s Source: Cold Steel

26 THE POINT ISSUE 73 27 dozens of clients whose initial piercings may have di- CHILDREN’S EAR PIERCINGS–A TAKE HOME FOR CLIENTS rect contact with a single gun in one day, this is a cause for serious concern. Babies, young children, and others KENDRA JANE B, APRIL THOMAS, with immature or compromised immune systems may & JULIE TAYLOR be at higher risk. Additionally, it has not been documented how often piercing guns malfunction. Some operators report that the earring adapter that holds the jewelry will often not —photo courtesy of Born This of Born Way—photo courtesy we encourage you to share the link to this article and re- release the earring, requiring its removal with pliers. post on every site that questions the safest way to pierce These pliers, which contact contaminated jewelry im- children’s ears. mediately after it has passed through the client’s tissue, What is the APP’s position on ear piercing guns? may be reused on multiple customers without full steril- ization. Few, if any, gun piercing establishments possess It is the position of the Association of Professional the expensive sterilization equipment (steam autoclave Piercers that only sterile disposable equipment is suit- or chemclave) necessary for such a process. able for body piercing, and that only materials which are Piercing guns can cause significant tissue damage. certified as safe for internal implant should be placed inside a fresh or unhealed piercing. We consider any Though slightly pointy in appearance, most ear pierc- procedure that places vulnerable tissue in contact with ing studs are quite dull. Therefore, these instruments either non-sterile equipment or jewelry that is not con- use excessive pressure over a larger surface area in order sidered medically safe for long-term internal wear to be to force the metal shaft through the skin. The effect on sharp surgical needle, which slides smoothly through unsafe. Such procedures place the health of recipients the body is more like a crush injury than a piercing and the tissue and causes less tissue separation. A trained at an unacceptable risk. For this reason, APP Members causes similar tissue damage. Medically, this is referred piercer will also use a post-piercing pressure technique may not use reusable ear piercing guns for any type of to as “blunt force trauma.” At the least, it can result in that minimizes hypertrophic scar formation. piercing procedure. significant pain and swelling for the client, but it also has Cartilage has less blood flow than lobe tissue and a Reusable ear piercing guns can put clients in direct contact the potential to cause scarring and increased incidence correspondingly longer healing time. Therefore infec- of auricular chondritis, a severe tissue disfigurement. with the blood and bodily fluids of previous clients. tions in this area are much more common and can be Occasionally the intense pressure and speed of the much more destructive. The use of non-sterile piercing ost of us receive at least one phone a week— Although they can become contaminated with blood- gun’s spring-loaded mechanism is not sufficient to force equipment and insufficient aftercare has been associated sometimes even a day—from a concerned borne pathogens dozens of times in one day, ear piercing the blunt jewelry through the flesh. In these cases, the with increased incidence of auricular chondritis, a severe parent wanting to know the best option to guns are often not sanitized in a medically recognized earring stud may become lodged part way through the and disfiguring infection in cartilage tissue. This can re- pierce their child’s lobes. We are frequent- way. Plastic ear piercing guns cannot be autoclave ster- client’s ear. The gun operator, who may not be trained sult in deformity and collapse of structural ear tissue, re- lyM seeing that the safe piercing message is reaching the ilized and may not be sufficiently cleaned between use to deal with this possibility, has two options. S/he can quiring antibiotic therapy and extensive reconstructive masses. However, we are still seeing many piercings on multiple clients. Even if the antiseptic wipes used remove the jewelry and repierce the ear, risking contam- surgery to correct. Again, medical literature has docu- done with piercing guns. Whether it is because they are were able to kill all pathogens on contact, simply wip- ination of the gun and surrounding environment with mented many such cases and is available on request. unable to find the information in the places they are ing the external surfaces of the gun with isopropyl alco- blood flow from the original wound. Alternately, the op- The length and design of gun studs is inappropriate hol or other antiseptics does not kill pathogens within visiting or because they are intimidated to visit their lo- erator can attempt to manually force the stud through for healing piercings. cal tattoo or piercing studio to have their questions an- the working parts of the gun. Blood from one client can the client’s flesh, causing excessive trauma to the client swered, parents are using less than favorable methods become aerosolized, becoming airborne in microscopic and risking a needlestick-type injury for the operator. Ear piercing studs are too short for some earlobes and to pierce their children’s lobes. Perhaps they are leery of particles, and contaminate the inside components of the How often such gun malfunction occurs has not been most cartilage. Initially, the pressure of the gun’s mecha- taking their six or seven year old daughter or son into gun. The next client’s tissue and jewelry may come into documented by manufacturers, but some gun operators nism is sufficient to force the pieces to lock over the tis- said studio because of things that have nothing to do contact with these contaminated surfaces. This creates report that it is frequent. sue. However, once they are locked on, the compressed with piercing, such as the music, a worry of profanity the possibility of transmitting bloodborne disease-caus- When used on structural tissue such as cartilage, more tissue cannot return to its normal state. This constriction or inappropriate behaviour, etc. ing microorganisms through such ear piercing, as many serious complications such as auricular chondritis, shat- causes further irritation. At the least, the diminished Within this article, we have presented similar infor- medical studies report. tered cartilage, and excessive scarring are common. Gun air and blood circulation in the compressed tissue can mation in two forms. The first is intended for an audi- As is now well known, the Hepatitis virus can live piercings can result in the separation of subcutaneous lead to prolonged healing, minor complications, and ence with a more complete understanding of piercing for extended periods of time on inanimate surfaces, fascia from cartilage tissue, creating spaces in which flu- scarring. More disturbingly, the pressure of such tight industry jargon and intricacies. The second presentation and could be harbored within a piercing gun for sev- ids collect. This can lead to both temporary swelling and jewelry can result in additional swelling and impaction. has been simplified with our clients in mind. Our inten- eral weeks or more. Hepatitis and common staph infec- permanent lumps of tissue at or near the piercing site. Both piercers and medical personnel have seen stud gun tion was to provide something that you are able to print tions, which could be found on such surfaces, consti- These range from mildly annoying to grossly disfigur- jewelry completely embedded in ear lobes and cartilage and send home. You can choose which presentation is tute a serious public health threat if they are introduced ing, and some require surgery to correct. Incidence can (as well as navels, nostrils and lips), even when pierced most appropriate for your target audience. Either way, into even one reusable piercing gun. Considering the be minimized by having the piercing performed with a “properly” with a gun. This may require the jewelry to be

28 THE POINT ISSUE 73 29 cut out surgically, particularly in cases where one or both the serious risks involved in both performing and re- References Cited: sides of the gun stud have disappeared completely be- ceiving gun piercings, and do not instruct staff on how neath the surface of the skin. Such risk is minimal when to deal with situations such as client medical complica- Pediatric Emergency Care. 1999 June 15(3): 189-92. jewelry is custom fit to the anatomy of the client, and tions or gun malfunction. Indeed, surveys conducted Ear-piercing techniques as a cause of auricular chondritis. installed with a needle piercing technique which creates in jewelry stores, beauty parlors, and mall kiosks in More DR, Seidel JS, Bryan PA. less trauma and swelling. Custom fit jewelry should al- England and the US revealed that many employees had International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 1990 March 19(1): 73-6. low sufficient room for swelling and can be downsized to little knowledge of risks or risk management related to Embedded earrings: a complication of the ear-piercing gun. fit snugly on healed tissue. their procedure. Muntz HR, Pa-C DJ, Asher BF. Jewelry that fits too closely also increases the risk of Considering that a large proportion of gun operators’ Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2003 February 111(2): 891-7; discussion 898. infection because it does not allow for thorough clean- clientele are minors or young adults, it is not surpris- Ear reconstruction after auricular chondritis secondary to ear piercing. ing. During normal healing, body fluids containing cel- ing that few gun piercing complications are reported to Margulis A, Bauer BS, Alizadeh K. lular discharge and other products of the healing process medical personnel. Many clients may have been pierced Contact Dermatitis. 1984 Jan; 10(1): 39-41. are excreted from the piercing. But with inappropriate without the knowledge or consent of parents or guard- Nickel release from ear piercing kits and earrings. jewelry, they can become trapped around the fistula. The ians who provide healthcare access. Therefore, the ma- Fischer T, Fregert S, Gruvberger B, Rystedt I. fluid coagulates, becoming sticky and trapping bacte- jority of the infections, scarring and minor complications ria against the skin. Unless thoroughly and frequently may go unreported and untreated. Furthermore, because British Journal of Plastic Surgery. 2002 April 55(3): 194-7. removed, this becomes an invitation for secondary in- of the ease of acquiring a gun piercing and the lack of Piercing the upper ear: a simple infection, a difficult reconstruction. fection. The design of the “butterfly” clasp of most gun awareness of risk, many consumers fail to associate their Cicchetti S, Skillman J, Gault DT. studs can exacerbate this problem. Again, these conse- negative experiences with the piercing gun itself. They Scottish Medical Journal. 2001 February 46(1): 9-10. quences can be avoided with implant-grade jewelry that believe that, since it is quicker and easier to acquire a gun The risks of ear piercing in children. is designed for ease of cleaning and long-term wear. piercing than a manicure, gun piercing must be inher- Macgregor DM. Not all piercing jewelry is safe for prolonged wear. ently risk-free. Often it is only when complications prove American Journal of Infection Control. 2001 August 29(4): 271-4. Most ear piercing studs are not made of materials so severe as to require immediate medical attention that Body piercing as a risk factor for viral hepatitis: an integrative research review. certified by the FDA, ASTM, or ISO as safe for long term the connection is made and gun stud complications get Hayes MO, Harkness GA. reported to medical personnel. implant in the human body. Even when coated in non- Journal Laryngology and Otology. 2001 July 115(7): 519-21. Despite these pronounced risks associated with gun toxic gold plating, materials from underlying alloys can Ear deformity in children following high ear-piercing: current practice, consent issues and legislation. piercing, most areas allow gun operators to perform leach into human tissue through corrosion, scratches Jervis PN, Clifton NJ, Woolford TJ. and surface defects, causing cytotoxicity and allergic piercings without supervision. Recent legislation has be- Cutis. 1994 February 53(2): 82. reaction. Since manufacturing a durable corrosion- gun to prohibit the use of guns on ear cartilage and other Embedded earrings. and defect-free coating for such studs is extremely dif- non-lobe locations, and the state of New Hampshire has Cohen HA, Nussinovitch M, Straussberg R. ficult, medical literature considers only implant grade made all non-sterile equipment illegal, but these changes steel (ASTM F138) and titanium (ASTM F67 and ASTM are not yet nationwide. It is our hope that, with accurate Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology. 2001; 30(5): 311. F136) to be appropriate for piercing jewelry composi- and adequate information, consumers and the legisla- Does mechanical insult to cartilage trigger relapsing polychondritis? tion. Studs made of any other materials, including non- tures will understand and therefore reject the use of gun Alissa H, Kadanoff R, Adams E. implant grade steel (steel not batch certified as ASTM piercing in the interests of the public health. British Journal of Dermatology. 2002 April 146(4): 636-42. F138), should not be used, regardless of the presence of Decrease in nickel sensitization in a Danish schoolgirl population with ears pierced after implementation of a nickel- surface plating. exposure regulation. Misuse of ear piercing guns is extremely common. Jensen CS, Lisby S, Baadsgaard O, Volund A, Menne T. Even though many manufacturers’ instructions and Toxicology In Vitro. 2000 Dec 14(6): 497-504. local regulations prohibit it, some gun operators do not Cytotoxicity due to corrosion of ear piercing studs. stop at piercing only the lobes, and may pierce ear carti- Rogero SO, Higa OZ, Saiki M, Correa OV, Costa I. lage, nostrils, navels, eyebrows, tongues and other body Journal of the American Medical Association. 1974 March 11; 227(10): 1165. parts with the ear stud guns. This is absolutely inappro- Ear piercing and hepatitis. Nonsterile instruments for ear piercing and the subsequent onset of viral hepatitis. priate and very dangerous. Johnson CJ, Anderson H, Spearman J, Madson J. Although gun piercing establishments usually train Journal of the American Medical Association. 1969 March 24; 207(12): 2285. their operators, this training is not standardized and Hepatitis from ear piercing. may amount to merely viewing a video, reading an in- Van Sciver AE. struction booklet, and/or practicing on cosmetic spong- es or other employees. Allegations have been made that Journal of the American Medical Association. 291.8 (2004): 981-985. some establishments do not inform their employees of Outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections caused by commercial piercing of upper ear cartilage. Keene, William E, Amy C Markum, and Mansour Samadpour.

30 THE POINT ISSUE 73 31 several weeks or more. Hepatitis and common staph in- been dispersed into the air contaminating everything A TAKE HOME FOR CLIENTS REGARDING CHILDREN’S EAR PIERCINGS fections, which could be found on such surfaces, consti- around it. Piercing guns are usually made with plastic be reused on multiple customers without full steriliza- tute a serious public health threat if they are introduced and cannot be adequately cleaned and sterilized for re- tion. Few, if any, gun piercing establishments possess the into even one reusable piercing gun. Considering the use. A quick wipe with an antiseptic pad is not effective expensive sterilization equipment necessary for such a dozens of clients whose initial piercings may have direct in removing disease-carrying blood. Although many process. Occasionally the intense pressure and speed of contact with a single gun in one day, this is a cause for manufacturers now make disposable options, these do the gun’s spring-loaded mechanism is not sufficient to serious concern. Babies, young children, and others with not negate concerns regarding possible damage to tissue, force the blunt jewelry through the flesh. In these cases, immature or compromised immune systems may be at a jewlery quality, or inadequate staff training. the earring stud may become lodged part way through higher risk. The Association of Professional Piercers does not sup- the client’s ear. The gun operator, who may not be trained Some will argue that the piercing gun never comes in port the use of piercing guns because the reusable ver- to deal with this possibility, has two options. S/he can contact directly with a customer’s skin, or is sterilized or sions can’t be sterilized using APP approved equipment, remove the jewelry and repierce the ear, risking con- disposed of after a single use. This might be true, but the such as an autoclave. Without proper sterilization, the tamination of the gun and surrounding environment gun operator’s hands do—if they touch the customer’s risk of spreading diseases such as Hepatitis and staph in- by blood flow from the original wound. Alternately, the skin and then touch the gun, the gun is now contami- fections increase. operator can attempt to manually force the stud through nated. When the gun drives the stud through the flesh— The Bottom Line: Professional piercers use a more the client’s flesh, causing excessive trauma to the client whether or not the skin starts to bleed - there is no way modern approach to piercing that’s less traumatic, clean- and risking a needlestick-type injury for the operator. of knowing whether or not tiny particles of blood have er, and more likely to result in a smooth healing process. There may also be a greater likelihood of more serious complications when cartilage or structural tissue such as noses are pierced using a piercing gun. This type of tis- sue (cartilage) has less blood supply than earlobe tissue and therefore a correspondingly longer healing time; this roper technique, sterility, piercing placement, af- means that infection in this area can be more likely and tercare, jewelry material, and style are among the more destructive. many important factors that go into a successful Another common concern is sterilization and asep- piercing. First, let’s look at the technique itself. sis. Any kind of procedure which involves contact with P Piercing guns use pressure to force a pointed object, blood or bodily fluids requires strict adherence to cross- the jewelry, through the skin. While these mechanisms contamination prevention. may seem like a quick, easy, and convenient way of creat- As is now well known, the hepatitis virus can live for ing holes, they can have major drawbacks in terms of tis- extended periods of time on inanimate surfaces, and sue damage, inappropriate jewelry designs, and sterility. could be harbored within a reusable piercing gun for These concerns have been documented in medical litera- ture over the years and provide proof of these concerns. Due to the dull nature of the jewelry used in piercing guns, more damage is caused to the tissue when com- pared to piercings done with quality piercing needles. The effects are similar to a blunt force trauma including significant pain, swelling, scarring, and an increased po- tential for complications. The gun then pinches the back of the jewelry in place snugly against the skin, allowing no way for the new wound to breathe and heal properly. The customer is often told to turn the jewelry, which only further pushes growing bacteria into the wound, increasing the risk of infection and delaying the healing Diagram showing the differences in the the “cutting process considerably. edge” of ear piercing studs used in piercing guns. Additionally, it has not been documented how often The bottom silhouette is a single use hollow needle. piercing guns malfunction. Some operators report that the earring adapter that holds the jewelry often will not Reference: release the earring, requiring its removal with pliers. Ear piercing techniques and their effect on cartilage, These pliers, which contact contaminated jewelry imme- a histologic study Child’s ear piercings by Becky Dill at Cold Steel Piercing. diately after it has passed through the client’s tissue, may M.P.van Wijka,*, J.A.Kummerb, M.Kona Photo by Danielle Greenwood for beckyadorned.tumblr.com

32 THE POINT ISSUE 73 33 LBP UPDATE THE BETO MADRIGAL AWARD Unfortunately Beto took his own queridísimo Ed...!!! Sé que Beto se life last year, Beto had a large role in encuentra feliz de que te entregaran JEF SAUNDERS presented to Ed Chavarria at the LBP Gala the LBP and this new award akin to ...tan merecido reconocimiento..!! Membership Liaison for the Board of Directors the APP’s Josh Prentice volunteer by Beto’s brother Ennio Madrigal Thank you, Luis Garcia, award was to recognize outstand- for an English Translation: Photos by Jef Saunders and Luis Garcia ing volunteer work and contribu- tions to the piercing community. I am very happy and thankful to the LBP for continuing to honor the Spanish Original: he LBP—Asociación Latino- memory of my brother Beto and americana de Body Piercing AC Muy Feliz y agradecido con LBP... the support he gave the body pierc- (Latin American Association of por seguir honrando la memoria ing industry in Latin America. I am Body Piercing) Conference was y el aporte de mi hermano Beto proud that they named the service Theld in Tlaxcala, Mexico at the Trinity ...para con la industria del Body award after my brother, Beto Madri- Vacation Center from November 2-6, Piercing Latinoamericano ... Para gal, and that they will be presenting 2015. This is the third annual official mí es un orgullo que hayan nomb- this award year after year at the LBP LBP Conference, and the second I was rado con el nombre Beto Madrigal gala. This year the award was given lucky enough to participate in. el premio que entregarán año con to the beloved Eduardo Chavarria The LBP Conference has a special año en la gala de Latinoamérica for his hard work and commitment, magic air that surrounds it. While it Body Piercing... Este año le corre- not only to the Latin American body is officially a Spanish speaking con- spondió a nuestro querido Eduardo piercing community, but the indus- ference, piercers from around the Chavarria....recibir este importante try worldwide. Congratulations Ed. globe were in attendance. The remote reconocimiento por su entrega y I know that Beto is happy that you location of the facility means that compromiso para con la industria were honored with this much de- most attendees and speakers arrive del Body Piercing. Felicidades mi served award. via buses provided by the LBP. These bus rides are wonderful, which feels weird to say, but the whole trip from Ana Paula Escalante; she seems to be effortlessly every- Mexico City to the vacation center where, always helping with everything ensuring a great is a wonderful bonding experience. LBP Conference. There were seemingly endless choices My experiences vary from practicing of classes to choose from, but the conference still felt my classes to thoughtful discussions, tightly curated. There were presentations by Bethrah even sing-alongs to ‘80s songs. It fos- Szumski, Autumn Swisher, Nick Wolak, Mauricio Torres, ters a wonderful sense of community Javier Fingazz, Jesus “Sala” Cabanas, Ruben Lew, Danny amongst the speakers and attendees. Yerna, Luis Garcia, Didier Suarez, Erika Gomez, Oscar In terms of setting, this year’s LBP Sandoval, Eduardo Chavarria, Ryan Ouellette, Alejandro Hernandez, Ana Paula Escalante and Matias “Rata” Tafel. was spectacular. The Trinity Vaca- if I didn’t have the means to contrib- I think when one attends a new conference of this tion Center is a wonderful facility, ute in Spanish) so I was fortunate to I think when one attends a new type, they can be tempted to draw comparisons and con- with brick walls and a stunning view have translators assist me. trasts to familiar events they have attended. What I think of the volcanic mountains surround- conference of this type, they can “Disposable Piercing Studios” was is a more honest approach to evaluating any conference ing it. The combination of the re- be tempted to draw comparisons co-instructed by Oscar Sandoval, is to judge it on its own merits and those alone. The LBP mote location, climate (warm days who speaks fluent Spanish and add- and contrasts to familiar events Conference is truly wonderful. The quality of classes are and chilly nights), mountain air and ed quite a bit to the presentation. I they have attended. superb. The facility is wonderful, and the people make the time of year (Día de Muertos) also had the assistance of Ruben Lew this experience extra special. The LBP Conference either made for a unique experience that I and Jesus “Sala” Cabanas. These two intentionally or as a happy accident fosters deep friend- believe all the attendees enjoyed. two separate classes: “Disposable have several projects in the works ships amongst piercers who may have otherwise never Classes were held throughout the Piercing Studios” and “Navel Pierc- geared toward Spanish speaking met. I can’t say enough positive things about the excel- week, and were located in two class- ing: Advanced Fundamentals”. My piercers, and I am looking forward lent job the LBP Board of Directors and their volunteers rooms connected by a courtyard with Spanish is very limited (although the to what they have planned. do. I hope to be a part of LBP Conferences for many a Day of the Dead altar at the center. full immersion allowed me to follow In my “Navel Piercing: Advanced years to come, and I look forward to seeing so many LBP This year I was thrilled to present along with many conversations, even Fundamentals” class I was joined by attendees at the APP Conference next year.

34 THE POINT ISSUE 73 35 LBP ASOCIACIÓN LATINOAMERICANA DE BODY PIERCING AC (Latin American Association of Body Piercing) CONFERENCE—2015

36 THE POINT ISSUE 73 37 wrong”. In my opinion: that’s lazy. Pretending the com- mous underground circle... It is such a big ring that the RINGS ARE NOT THE DEVIL plex is actually simple doesn’t really benefit anyone. The curvature is barely noticeable. This plays into our size piercing community needs to allow itself to admit what selection, and influences our decision if a ring is appro- JEF SAUNDERS many piercers already know: sometimes rings in fresh priate at all. Membership Liaison for the Board of Directors piercings are okay. What’s worse, and this is a very un- popular opinion: sometimes rings are the better option for fresh piercings. Anyone who started piercing in the 1990’s or earlier is thinking “duh”, but many of our younger colleagues are Editor’s Note: This article is reprinted from a May 22, 2015 I want to address the challenges and benefits of pierc- scandalized by this notion. blog post on Confessions of a Piercing Nerd. ing with rings, and compare and contrast them with barbells and curved barbells. Much of this will seem rudimentary, but it will give us the basis on which to address the shades of grey involved in jewelry selection. Spelling the basics out will hopefully lead us toward tackling bigger issues. As a piercer, there are opportunities to draw a clear line in the sand between “correct” and “incorrect”. I can very easily point to sterile jewelry as a necessity, and un- sterilized jewelry as unsafe.

(For what it’s worth… we were wrong about plenty in the 90’s.) Rings are curvy. Any excuse for a Large Hadron Collider photo is a good excuse. Let’s take a piece of tissue, for example: an ear lobe. This particular ear lobe is 3/16" ( ~4.75mm) thick. In general, the curvature of a ring is irritating to the tissue unless it is at he main focus of my blog is to discuss the very ba- least double the thickness of the tissue in diameter. (I love sics of body piercing. There are people who write that Imperial measurements actually are helpful here) 3/16" beautifully about health and safety issues. There of tissue requires at least 3/8" diameter rings. Any smaller in are websites and Tumblr pages with superb pho- diameter is irritating to the tissue, because the curvature Ttos of jewelry and piercings. That isn’t this blog. I’m the of the ring is too small. guy that writes about nostril piercings for the better part Every good piercer has a really bad piercer within a 15 of two years. If this blog were a basketball coach, it would minute drive from them. It’s a law of nature, I suppose. have you running lay-up drills all day long. Those good piercers tend to see a lot of nipple piercings from that bad piercer with small rings in them. Those Separating issues in body piercing as “yes or no” ques- nipples are irritated and, in many cases, the jewelry is tions simplifies our jobs. Piercers are constantly weigh- growing out. Why? Bad piercers have an almost uncanny ing lots of different variables: placement, materials, skin ability of putting exactly the wrong sized rings in nip- prep, technique, and so on. We crave simple answers be- ples. I don’t know why, but 14g 7/16" rings in nipples (re- cause there are enough complicating factors in our work gardless of the size of the nipple) is the calling card of the already. local bad piercing studio. The curvature of rings that size Bear with me. Obviously, rings have a curvature. usually is not a problem for small male nipples. Larger To put it bluntly: Piercers really like “always” and How curvy they are depends on the diameter of the “never”... we hate “sometimes”. nipples (usually female) can’t handle rings that size. They ring. Maybe you’ve never considered that. The smaller put pressure on the channel of the piercing, which causes Unfortunately, piercers often try to force the square the diameter of the ring, the more curve a piercing has irritation and migration. Any excuse for a Larry Bird photo is a good excuse. peg of a complicated idea into the round hole of “right or to contend with. The Large Hadron Collider is an enor- Too Deep, Too Small

38 THE POINT ISSUE 73 39 and they draw far-reaching conclu- Thin gauge jewelry acts like a cheese Wrong. with a barbell, a ring can help us dis- sions based on them. cutter in piercings, especially when cover the natural balance of the tis- Rings have a natural balance that it’s curved, even if the diameter is sue. Using a ring as a tool is usually The gauge of the ring you pierce correct. We are making straight barbells do not. referred to as using a “Size/Place- with matters a LOT. channels through tissue with our Let’s imagine, for a moment, that ment Ring” or SPR for short. I have a Thin rings are irritating to tis- piercing needles. Rings put pressure we aren’t piercing a conch or a lobe, lot to say about those… but that’s for sue. Thin rings have a “sharpness” to on the center of the piercing chan- but rather a 1/4" piece of cardboard. another blog. them. Often times our clients want nel and on the entrance and exit. You have your choice of jewel- We see balance issues happen with both thin jewelry and small diame- The thinner the ring, the “sharper” ry, but you have to do two things. ear cartilage piercings of all kinds. If ter. Should they choose to ignore our it is. This irritates the channel, usu- First, you have to pierce the card- the client isn’t committed to down- advice and change their jewelry to ally resulting in irritation bumps board as if it will swell. Secondly, sizing their jewelry after the initial something inappropriate anyway... and problematic healing. the cardboard is going to be taken swelling process, barbells and flat- We get to see how the combination This nostril desperately needed to on a long, off road car ride after backs often drift. of small diameter and thin gauge you pierce it, and you will mea- Many piercers have good ways rings can ruin good piercings. sure how damaged the hole you’ve made is after the trip. (Photo source: http://commons.wi- In the bad old days of body pierc- ing, the truly worst shops would try Because the barbell can shift for- kimedia.org/wiki/File:Nipple_pierc- ward or back, and end up having a ing_ring.jpg) to buy as little jewelry as possible. If they could buy two hundred 14 heavy side, the cardboard is more Let’s take a nipple that measures gauge 7/16" rings at a discount, they damaged by a barbell style than an 3/8" across for example. The small- were putting 14 gauge 7/16" rings in as appropriately sized ring. est diameter ring you could con- many piercings as possible. Rings, when placed appropriately, ceive of putting in that piercing is What’s frustrating about this ap- 3/4" (~19mm). More likely that nip- proach is that their results were not ple would need 7/8inch (~22mm) or always as terrible as you’d imagine. larger, and no client wants a door Those awful piercer’s female nipple knocker on their breast. Also, rings piercings were complete disasters, be started with straight jewelry be extremely irritating, as the ring that diameter cause other problems sure. But in the rare case they talked acts like a lever and puts pressure di- Rings and barbells can BOTH get (more on that later). someone into a nostril or helix pierc- rectly on the healing channel of the If you are reading this blog and ing with one of these rings, the re- caught, hooked or pressed on, and piercing. aren’t sure if you are the culprit, sults were, for better or worse, a sur- that motion can irritate a piercing or This is especially true on female there’s an easy test. When you put prisingly healed piercing. cause it to drift. nipple piercings, and you are prob- ably familiar with what happens with rings in nipples, do they stick straight Aesthetically, a ring that size in an Rings get a bad rap for this, but it rings on larger breasted clients. All out at first (instead of hanging natu- average nostril piercing is a pretty isn’t totally undeserved. the pressure from her bra forces the rally with gravity)? Those rings are bad look. On the other hand, the Firstly, rings naturally push up on ring towards the surface of her nip- distribute gravity evenly. There isn’t far too small, or you are piercing in gauge is thick enough that the cur- the center of a piercing channel and ple, and it can result in the piercing a heavy side like there can be with a the areola, or both. Stop it. vature of the ring isn’t too irritating. press down on the sides. This means migrating through the nipple. barbell. Nipple piercings have taught Add to that the diameter of the ring if you pierce with a ring that is ever So checkmate, right? Rings are bad. In addition, even when piercing good piercers that barbells are bet- is so big, thin nostril tissue hardly so slightly too small, the channel ter, because properly sized rings are recognizes that the jewelry is curved. heals with a curve in it which also aesthetically displeasing (and can These shops weren’t doing aestheti- causes the piercing to appear lower of preventing this barbell drift. cause additional problems). Bar- cally sound, safe, or well thought than it really is. Larger gauges can mediate the bod- bells genuinely are the best choice... out work. Despite all that they fell Secondly, all piercings get pressed ies willingness to let barbell styles On nipples. ass-backwards into a situation that against or slept on. We can lecture drift. Large disk flatbacks for initial Good piercers, unfortunately, have worked out more often than we our clients all day long, but let’s be piercings seem to be a safer bet than developed a false binary from these would like to admit. honest: sometimes trying to avoid small disks or balls. I’m fond of Lex- experiences. That being rings=bad, The opposite side of this example sleeping on a piercing isn’t success- ci Elizabeth’s technique of pushing barbells=good. Many don’t make the is 20 gauge rings. I love the look ful. Everyone has woken up sleeping flatback jewelry forward, letting the connections as to why rings don’t of 20 gauge rings in healed nostril directly on their healing piercing at flatback absorb and distribute the work well in this particular instance, piercings. I don’t start with them, some point. In the case of a conch gravity of the jewelry. The disk con- but barbells do. They see the results, though. They are simply too thin. piercing healing with a ring, this can stantly distributing the pressure on

40 THE POINT ISSUE 73 41 the back of the ear can cause a sore client through accordingly. Rings are often times the better op- if their nose is thin enough to handle Scapha piercings are thicker than spot on especially sensitive skinned it. I prefer the thickness of the nose helix piercings. Because of this, they Rings can accommodate for more tion for piercings. people, though. to be just less than half the diameter heal and look better with flatbacks. Septums and Prince Albert pierc- We are left with a quandary in swelling than a barbell can. of the ring (5/32" thick, 3/8" ring). I ings. Not a lot in common, is there? We’ve all been there: we perform a discuss thicker gauges and larger di- Well, both heal really well with piercing with an appropriate amount of ameters. If his understanding of the rings and circular barbells. This space for swelling, and the client throws risks lines up with complimentary tends to be true of very, very thin tis- a curveball at us. They swell. Lots. anatomy, we can pierce with a ring. sue. Thin tissue easily tolerates the In the best case scenario, they get If a client comes in with a very thick curvature of the ring, but also seems back to us and we accommodate with nostril, I rule rings out and explain to benefit from the natural balance longer jewelry (at their expense? At that no ring I put in would be appro- of a ring. ours? What’s the ethical choice in priate for their particular anatomy. In my experience with Prince Al- this instance?) Not my best Illustrator work. Give bert piercings, they really seem to The red indicates swollen, angry You need to understand the tissue me a break. do poorly if they are started with you are piercing, and why a jewelry mitted to a jewelry style. If the cli- anything but ring shaped jewelry. style is appropriate Curved barbells are a popular op- ent wants a ring, then they should Helix piercings, on the other tion once healed, but seem to irritate I have addressed this quite a bit this situation. Do we pierce with be pierced for a ring: and if rings are hand, can (and will) heal very well fresh Prince Albert piercings. In this in my nostril blog, but I’ll broaden a ring, and cause the client to heal a bit tougher to heal, so be it. with rings. rare instance, it seems like curved things a bit. with all the problems that come This is my wife’s ear. I barbells aren’t curved enough. When I started piercing, all pierc- with rings, just because the ring Septums with straight barbells ings around the edge of the ear that distributes its’ weight load so well? or (yuck) curved barbells suffer for weren’t ear lobe piercings were called Or do we pierce with a flatback, ask looking silly, and also having that “ear cartilage” or “ear rim” piercings. our client to keep it pushed forward balance beam issue. Round jewelry Over time, the term “helix” became (which they hate) and come in for (or the hybrid retainer) are the op- popular for ear rim piercings. I pre- downsizing regularly... Hoping they tion for Septums. fer this term, because it brought to actually do follow up? light another distinction. The helix is tissue. Not barbecue sauce. What the client wants as a finished the thin, curvy edge of the ear, the scapha is the thick, ear “flat”. Scapha product can sometimes dictate jew- Appropriately sized rings seldom and helix piercings behave different- elry selection. have this problem. Why? The tissue can actually double in size before Pictured above: significantly more ly because they are different. We know from experience a lot de- the amount of room on the ring is fun than a septum with a straight They need to be pierced with thick pends on the end result we are hoping exhausted. The likelihood of that barbell. started the rook piercings with enough rings that have large enough for. Occasionally a piercer will make 5 happening unless accompanied by 18g ⁄16" captive bead rings, and Inner labia piercings have a tenden- diameter, but they also need to be the mistake of piercing an industrial 1 she has since swapped to 18g ⁄4" genuine infection is very small. with rings initially, only to switch to cy to stretch as they heal. Barbells in pierced through thin helix tissue. gold seam rings (shown here) Ok maybe it looks more like bar- a barbell later. Because rings have this inner labia will cause excess stretching Barbells pierced in the same location natural balance, they settle into place Attempts to pierce so that both and even fall out when the hole is big as rings on helix piercings tend to and end up having the wrong angle styles of jewelry are appropriate can enough to fit the barbell ball through. “see-saw” and drift. for the intended barbell. be successful, but are often failures. Again, inner labia skin is very thin, We also see this distinction on the In contrast, if you pierce a conch We are essentially stuck between and it seems like very thin tissue like forward helix. For years, I pierced with a barbell, hoping to put a ring in a rock and a hard place. There isn’t this does well with rings. these with rings with excellent re- after the fact, many times the barbell a glaringly right or wrong answer in My guess is, if you are reading this sults. When I tried to put barbells in shifts and the ring you wanted to put my estimation. Much of the respon- blog, the idea that you should pierce a these piercings, even when healed... in pulls forward or back. sibility falls on the client. What do septum with a ring isn’t astonishing. Disaster. Piercing the forward he- Let’s take a look at rook pierc- they want to wear? Do they under- So how does this discussion help? lix with a ring necessitates a paral- ings: The traditional rook place- stand the responsibility they are tak- I think we can apply this knowl- lel angle to the head. Flatbacks, on ment for a curved barbell is a little ing on with either option? I believe edge to other piercings that can, ahem, the other hand, are pierced nearly higher, and a little shallower, than it’s essential to really consider all of sometimes heal very well with rings. (Illustration source: Wikipedia http:// perpendicular. This is an in-depth When a client of mine wants a the placement for rings. In this in- the options and consequences with becue sauce. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_ear#/ discussion to have with a client, and stance, it is silly to be overly com- an open mind and then guide your ring in his or her nose, I check to see media/File:Gray904.png) they often don’t understand how

42 THE POINT ISSUE 73 43 their initial jewelry choice drasti- cally affects the finished product. The economics of jewelry selection FINE BODY JEWELRY Occasionally clients will pick jew- elry, not based on what they like, or what will heal best, but rather on what is cheapest. Rings involve much less work to produce, and are considerably less expensive than flat- backs or barbells that are appropriate for the same piercing. Welcome to the new Leroi.com As piercers, we know why this is the case and why this decision needs to be made based on the long term consequences, not the price. I think this has unfairly biased us piercers against rings. It really tries our patience to see a client make the wrong decision, get a piercing at an angle that will only lookSHOP good for rings, and then puts in a bar- bell months later that looks wrong. When a piercing that looks off leaves - Wholesale customers only the shop, even if it isn’t our fault, we feel like our reputation is dinged. - Fully secure e-commerce site The “barbells only” philosophyONLINE Conclusion(?) from this blog entry is piercers got us past this discussion. We think throwing rings in any fresh piercing There are no easy answers. I wish we know our clients are picking just to stick it to popular opinion. there were, but there aren’t. It would - Products added daily rings for all the wrong reasons. Forc- Rather, I’d like to see piercers put on be nice to put a chart up that said ing them to start with barbells means their critical thinking caps and really “Always/Sometimes/Never” with we don’t have to explain to them the suss out for themselves where and - Shop 24/7 a list of every piercing underneath complicated details and differences when a ring might be a good deci- 24/7it. I actually considered it for a mo- between these jewelry options and sion. I’m looking forward to further ment, but I don’t think it could really the resulting placement issues. Al- discussion and a better understand- be considered accurate. The truth is, though this genuinely makes our ing of the topic in years to come. many of these decisions are a case jobs easier, I’m not sure it makes us by case situation, informed by our Rings Are Not The Devil by Jef Saun- better piercers. I believe being a bet- experience, the client’s anatomy and ders is licensed under a Creative Com- ter piercer is actually the more im- their wishes in the future. mons Attribution-NonCommercial- portant goal. ShareAlike 4.0 International License. What I wouldn’t want to result GAUGES

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www.Leroi.com Phone: 1.888.298.7766 Fax: 315.402.2136 lesser extent, due to their proximity to where most high THE UKAPP, A PRELUDE end piercing supplies are manufactured. In England, if a piercer orders jewelry they have to pay approxi- RYAN OUELLETTE mately 20% extra to import it into their country, and Precision Body Arts that is on top of already significant international ship- ping costs. Imagine waiting even longer and paying even more. How many US piercers, barely keeping internally threaded and threadless jewelry in stock, would implode at that added challenge? There are almost no native com- even made the mistake of assuming panies manufacturing body jewelry in the EU or the “good piercing” is all about the jew- UK at this time. Many have moved production to Asia elry. Now in an era of social media, to lessen costs. Those companies left manufacturing in these perceptions are more impor- the EU and UK offer little to no internally threaded jew- tant than ever. Anyone can get nice elry, hand polishing, or products made from materials jewelry, install it in a new or healed the Association of Professional Piercers would classify as piercing, and take a picture. That Braun introcan cannula (catheter needles) acceptable for initial piercing. does not make them a good piercer, Needles are another obstacle. How many American or a true professional. In my opinion piercers are aware of the differences between “blade the sign of a professional is continu- needles” or “cannulas”? There is a simple reason why; ing to learn and evolve and to strive you would never need to. Any American piercer can to give our clients the best work pos- buy needles made specifically for body piercing, in sible. That doesn’t mean you start varying qualities. Again, in the EU and UK there is out doing exactly what you want. little to no access to what we would consider “pierc- For most piercers it is a struggle and The UKAPP held its first ever meetup not long ago. So many great you are constantly working towards and new faces turned up, and I think we can all say we had an awe- a goal that, in turn as you progress, some day. changes over time. n September of 2015 I traveled working this group of piercers is. I have met piercers in almost a to Birmingham, England for I travel, what many would con- dozen different countries around the the first seminars of the newly sider, a fair amount for a full time world and I see the same challenges formed United Kingdom As- piercer. Not as much as some, but that piercers in the US face: “my cus- “Blade Needle” by Industrial Strength, LLC sociationI of Professional Piercers much more than others. I try to do tomers won’t pay X for good quality Images courtesy of Brian Skellie (UKAPP). When I got home and sat as much of that travel outside of my jewelry”, “my boss won’t invest in quality”, “there are no educational down to write about my experience home country (the United States) as ing needles” without importing them. In most of Eu- opportunities in my area”. These are I found myself thinking more about possible. I like to see new countries rope there are fewer restrictions on medical devices so all obstacles that a piercer can over- wider-reaching industry issues and cities, and while I’m travelling I it is very common for piercers to use medical catheter come with time, persistence, educa- which affect not only the UK, but like to meet other piercers and learn needles and biopsy punches to perform body piercings. tion, and a flexible budget. However, Europe as a whole. My intention was how they practice our craft in their They call what American piercers use a “blade” needle there is another aspect that I think to give a little perspective as to why respective areas. When I meet pierc- to distinguish it from the more common cannula nee- US piercers take for granted: access there are so few APP Members over- ers from Europe the conversation al- dles they are using. Since they don’t have the same ac- to supplies. In the European Union seas compared here in North Amer- ways ends up being about the APP. I cess to blade needles many of their techniques are built (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK), ica. Once I started I discovered there hear quite a few issues voiced when on a foundation of using the cannula sheath for jewelry piercers have an additional chal- was much more to the issue than I the topic comes up, not necessarily transfers. If you are unfamiliar with a cannula it is a lenge. As an example, if you want to could properly cover in a single ar- with the organization, but more so in plastic sheath covering the needle that can slide off and order Neometal, Anatometal, BVLA, ticle, so I have decided to make this how our Members talk about other be used as a catheter. If you have had IV fluids in your or most other US made jewelry, not a two part piece. Hopefully it will regions or parts of the world being arm or hand at the hospital. That little tube going into only do you have to deal with long give you an idea of the challenges “behind” when it comes to piercing. your vein or artery is a cannula. The application is to wait times, but also increased ship- European piercers face if they want There is the perception that APP pierce through the tissue, once the needle and sheath ping costs, delays with customs, and to meet APP membership standards, Members imply a piercer who does exit you can slide out the needle leaving the cannula in substantial import taxes. Canadian and in turn hopefully it will show not use the best jewelry available is place. You can then insert jewelry (internal or exter- and Latin American piercers face The photographer Aiden Johnson with Hika Kierke- you just how impressive and hard being unprofessional. I myself have nal) into the sheath and back it through the piercing. In these challenges as well, but to a nupp and Charlie Remy LeBeau outside the venue.

46 THE POINT ISSUE 73 47 need to be imported from another continent. We talked about how many of the best piercers in the UK could not meet membership stan- dards set forth by the Association of Professional Piercers. One of the concerns she voiced: most, if not all, of the jewelry that meets APP stan- dard is based on ASTM material standards, which has led to some confusion as it previously stood for the AMERICAN Society for Test- ing and Materials2 The APP jewelry standards were revised in 2009 and currently include both ASTM and ISO designations. Much of Europe Ryan Ouellette during his seminar. Photo by Aiden Johnson is moving away from allowing steel as an acceptable material for body theory this covers external thread- goal to achieve in a specific region, jewelry due to nickel content, but ing during insertion so many Eu- another option to improve standards at the same time Europe widely al- ropean and British piercers see it as is to create a local organization such lows the use of G23 grade titanium, negating the risk of using external as the APTPI (Italy), LBP (Mexico, which is an industrial grade, rather threading. Whether is does or does Central, and South America) and than an implant grade material. not could be another whole article.1 the newly formed UKAPP. The point G23 Ti has been used as an alterna- I hope by now you can see where of these other organizations is not tive to nickel containing alloys and the different mindsets come from to have lower standards, but to have its safety has not been addressed, as between US and Europe counter- standards geared towards their spe- regulations focused on eliminating parts. Imagine all those obstacles, cific region. For instance, if jewelry nickel as an allergen, not on valida- and a piercer without those obstacles concerns are not the main obstacle, tion of a material for safe healing calling you lazy or sloppy because the organization can instead focus and prolonged wear. you do not have the means to over- on other safety issues such as steril- Nici talked about how she wanted come said obstacles. It would be ization, studio layout, and training. to start a dialog with other British, frustrating, it might even make you Every Fall I travel to Essen, Irish, and Scottish piercers to try to apprehensive to strive to reach the Germany to teach seminars at the form a new group. At first I thought goals that same piercer holds as be- BMXnet (Body Modification Ex- the intention was just to have some ing a minimum standard. One of change Network) Conference. I’ve casual meetings and discuss industry the most common complaints I hear met some fantastic piercers from all issues. Apparently the idea caught about the APP is that membership over Europe there. At the 2014 event on and soon after, with the help of is geared almost entirely to pierc- I spent quite a while talking with a a crowdfunding campaign, there ers in the United States. While it is British piercer named Nici Holmes. was a new nonprofit formed to focus true that the vast majority of APP We talked about many of the points on safe body piercing in the United Members are operating in the US, mentioned above. Specifically, we Kingdom. One of their first acts was I have met APP Members all over discussed how it is very challenging to host a central meet. In the next is- the world: Sweden, Norway, Den- to be a piercer who wants to offer sue of The Point I plan to elaborate mark, Mexico, England, and more. quality, especially when the items on what was accomplished at their If APP membership is not an easy that go into a “quality” piercing first meeting.

1The plastic sheath is easily damaged which in turn can damage tissue. Also, the blade length is significantly shorter, limiting or preventing many of the bevel theories modern freehand piercers are so fond of. 2TheASTM has focused on international trade since the 1970’s. In 2001 it was rebranded as ASTM International, and is used globally in more than 140 countries. Vicky Ticky Williams—photo by Autumn Swisher

48 THE POINT ISSUE 73 49 just because I was excited. The first Classes covered topics such as hy- BMXnet person that sat by me grew to be the giene in the studio, creating sacred first of many conference friends. space, earlobe reconstruction, and NICOLE HOLMES Each year BMX expands and there magnet removal. BMX is as it al- Blue Lotus Piercing, APP Member* are new faces, new friends to be had. ways has been, an umbrella of many photos by Aiden Johnson I find it so easy to talk to people dur- topics, not solely piercing based ing the event. This is another reason subjects. Tattooing and other modi- I keep attending. fications are also covered. Many at- I have attended many seminars, tendees expressed their fondness for day events, and conventions, but this scope of subjects. none compare to BMX. There are I personally feel I absorbed the no similar conferences or events most this year from the roundtables. where I live in the North of England. These communal discussions based My last large scale, piercing specific on topics such as “Ethics” led by event was the 2002 APP Conference Samppa Von Cyborg, covering the & Exposition in Amsterdam. How- delicate issue of recording and post- ever, 2002 was more than a decade ing video clips on the internet when ago and so much has changed. There you may unwittingly represent the has been so much grown in the in- whole industry. In another of this dustry since then, I feel a compari- year’s fascinating roundtables, titled son would be irrelevant. “Implantable Technology,” Tim Can- What I can say with certainty is non brought his prototype silicone that BMX is not like anything I could implant containing LED lights ca- have imagined. This year marked the pable of being switched on and off by 9th annual conference and it really the users already-implanted magnet. demonstrated the team’s experience. There were even some attendees who eclectic shows from Coco, Superfly, From the smooth running opera- were so passionate about the topics Squid O, and Pain Solution which tion of things to the flow from class that they were willing to hold round- enchanted the late night crowd with a to class, the grouping of the lectures tables at all hours of the day or night. manifestation of freakshow/sideshow was natural and it never felt rushed. That is a perfect example of the free- entertainment. This was followed by Although I feel there was never form and flexible nature that is BMX. the annual prize draw raffle. enough time to visit the expo to do After classes on both Friday and Overall the whole adventure of some shopping! Saturday, there were striking and eptember 3 through 6 of this Unperfekthaus is truly a spectacle to BMX was undeniably a special tri- year, I was fortunate enough behold. As an artist’s village nestled umph of our industry and com- to attend my fourth BMX within the city, it really doesn’t dis- munity. After discussing this year’s Conference, which was held appoint. It is such an inspiration to efforts with many other attendees, Sin the small but beautiful city of Es- sit for lunch, walk the corridors, or both new and old, I feel the re- sen, Germany. The conference was climb the stairs. Every wall is hand sponse was very heartwarming. coordinated by the charismatic Ste- painted, covered in collage, or deco- Everyone that learned and loved at fan Schomowski and his team of rated with a sculpture of sorts. When BMX promised to return the fol- trusted helpers and volunteers. As this venue is full (on registration lowing year, myself included. much as I always enjoy this confer- day, capacity is reached long before ence, I must admit that just visiting breakfast) the atmosphere becomes *Nicole Holmes is one of the newest APP Essen is lovely too: scattered city energized. With so many like-mind- members in the UK. water fountains, the shopping dis- ed people gathering from around trict, and great food. It is honestly the world, BMX embodies a special Photos left to right: Class; Marita the highlight of my piercing year. sense of purpose and community. Wikström piercing Anna Garvey Each year I arrive earlier and leave I remember my first BMX in 2012. for suspension; UK piercer gather- a little later. I didn’t know anyone there personal- ing at the end of BMXnet; Anna The venue for BMX is partly the ly. I was sitting outside alone having Garvey with Aiden Johnson just reason I return year after year; the coffee at the ungodly hour of 8:00am before suspension

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54 THE POINT