Tattoo & Piercing

Commodified Bodies- Societies Entitlement toward Modified Individuals There is a saying in the modification community that has been echoed for years. “You buy the ticket, you ride the ride.” As visibly modified individuals, we often deal with unwanted attention. It is the nature of looking so different and unique. People come up to ask questions about tattoos, piercings, hair color, and clothing. The general population is deeply curious about modifications and having them is seen as an open invitation to ask about them. Sometimes people will grab your arm for a closer look at tattoo or touch your stretched ears […]

Can Piercings Cure As long as I’ve been piercing, I’ve had clients asking me if piercings could cure different ailments. Will a daith cure my migraines? Does a flat fix anxiety? Will a tongue piercing make me loose weight? And there’s some history to this belief, archeologists believe early tattoos and piercing were thought to have medical purposes. Otzi the iceman had tattoos for his arthritis and ear piercings they said could prevent madness from demons. As long as we’ve been modifying our bodies, we’ve wondered if this process could cure or help with different ailments. Unfortunately, I’m here to […]

Cold Weather and Piercings As I sit to write this, the first real snow of the season here is settling outside. It’s that time of year- where the world is transformed with beautiful, frosty flakes and enchanted with ice. Winter! Personally, I loathe the cold, but I can admire the beauty of snow and winter landscapes. However, if you have lots of piercings or stretched ears, winter can bring its own set of challenges and considerations. So, lets look at how cold wether can effect your piercings! Fresh Piercings For many, winter is months long and often overlaps with timing […]

Cash and Accessibility in the Piercing Industry When we as an industry discuss what makes a studio good we often focus on safety and hygiene. Proper sterilization protocol, high quality jewelry, good piercers. All of these things are important factors that effect the overall quality of a studio. But a lesser discussed factor is a studios accessibility. Studios exist to serve our clients and our communities. And there are a number of factors that make our services more or less accessible to those we serve. Piercing, like many other service industries, can at times struggle with accessibility. We have talked […]

Can Piercings Paralyze? A Look at this Common Myth “I heard that if this piercing is done wrong, it will paralyze you!” I hear this all too often working as a body piercer. About pretty much every piercing we offer, someone somewhere has been told it will paralyze them. It’s a genuine fear many clients have, and today I would like to address the truth behind this myth! First, let’s look at what paralysis actually is. It’s the loss of ability to move certain body parts, because something has disrupted their connection to your brain. Essentially, your brain needs to […]

Climate and Piercings There are many factors that go into your piercing healing correctly. Placement, jewelry, aftercare. These are often things that most folks consider. Something you often don’t is climate. Ever travel and notice your previously happy healing piercing is all grumpy? Or, conversely ever have a problematic piercing that magically becomes happy while traveling? And on a larger scale, ever notice a difference in how you heal after you move? Maybe healing is suddenly harder or easier. That’s because the climate of the area you are in absolutely plays a role in how piercings heal. How humid, dry, […]

Cheeks 101- A Brief Overview As both a piercer and someone with cheek piercings, I get asked about these all the time! They are cute, attract a lot of attention, and everyone is curious how they work and how they heal. But, these are also piercings that can be a large commitment, and decidedly aren’t for everyone. So, here’s a little guide to these adorable, unique piercings. The first step with cheek piercings is getting them. These are not simple piercings however, and should only be done by a piercer with experience in this area. How they are placed is […]

Cleaning Healed Piercings Theres a ton of discussion about how to keep a healing piercing clean, and with good reason. It’s crucial to be cleaning correctly with a healing piercing to ensure it heals correctly. But what about once that piercing is healed. How do you keep it clean then? Well, lets talk about that! I already have an article (here) about keeping your jewelry clean. But what about the piercings themselves? You do not need to remove jewelry Let’s start by addressing a common misconception. You don’t need to remove jewelry to clean your piercing, and especially not if […]