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[Ballard]

Amusing tidbit: practically every piercing parlor in St. Mark's Place is also a head shop.

I took Dovey and Sam to look at some enormous bongs and hilarious pipes (wiener dog bowl) and they both got pierced on a whim.

His lady finally gave in to her desire for a septum.

[Drill King]

septum piercings are my god damn favorite.

[scarred]

whenever i see those i have a secret desire to pull someone around the room by them

[David_Dovey]

Thanks for setting my misguided ass straight, everybody! Weeee

Also I love that photo of Sam so much. My lady is pretty dang cute, am I right?

[Lines]

She's pretty dang adorable!

[sean]

A+ would steal yr girlfriend

[Lunchbox]

Hey guys I have been thinking about getting a tattoo but so many details are hard to decide on.

For one, I don't know where to get it. I don't want anywhere too visible (for old lady reasons) but I also don't want it to be in a trampy spot. Maybe the back of my leg or something? Sideboob? Shoulderblade?

I know what I want - a teacup - but I don't know what style. I think probably just line art, and I am leaning towards Mr John Allison's Major Teacup design but in his sort of squiggly childlike wobbly lines.

In any case it won't be for a while until I get used to the idea and design.

Thoughts?

[Lines]

About how big are you going to get it? I think it's a really cool idea! I would suggest on your upper arm, but if that's too visible I think it'd work well on your shoulder blade, especially if it's the size of an actual teacup. Safest places are usually on your torso, it seems, if you want to have an easily hidden tattoo.

[Lunchbox]

I would get it pretty small I spose, maybe about 2/3 the size of an actual teacup? That depends on the place though.

Shoulder blade would work okay, especially since I very very rarely wear clothing that would expose it, and I'm sure as I get older I'll wear even less strappy shirts and dresses.

[Jace]

Hey look what happened

[scarred]

o/

[BeoPuppy]

What I'd like to know is why?

Why a square? Why a dinosaurs (?) head?

I mean: they're nicely done and all ... but why?

[Jace]

Box: you're born in a box, you work in a box, you live in a box, and you'll die in a box.
The other is the chapter icon for the Salamanders. For Vulkan and The Emperor!

\o

[A Wet Helmet]

I am taking my daughter to get her first tattoo on Wednesday.   I'm taking her to the same guy who first tattooed me when I was 15, he had just finished his apprenticeship, and was working out of his father's basement. In the intervening 20+ years done a hell of a lot work on me including a full sleeve and half my torso.

When I asked him if he was ready to pop the tattoo cherry on the second generation you could tell he suddenly felt very, very old.

He's also done one of my wife's pieces, so he really is kind of the family artist at this point.   It should be fun bonding.

[Barmymoo]

I'm almost certainly going to get my nose repierced when I'm in Edinburgh but I need some advice! Firstly, can it be repierced in the same place as last time? The cartilage has healed slightly differently (my nose is now a different shape) and it got infected last time, if that helps.

Secondly, last time they used a piercing gun and a really thick-stemmed long stud which looked horrible (it was visible from my nostril and made a huge hole). Is this standard? Can I avoid it?

Thirdly, what kind of care do I need? I'm guessing sea salt soaks from what you've all been saying but anything else?

[Lines]

If they try to use a gun, you should kick them in the face. They should use a needle. And yes, salt soaks and also a gentle, unscented anti-bacterial soap to clean your nose with.

[Gemmwah]

To be honest, I know a couple of people who've had gun and needle nose piercings, and being a member of the latter group I should say that getting your nose pierced with a needle fucking HURTS, but getting it done with a gun in many cases (through word of mouth but seriously that has to count for something) has caused less pain, and less infection than needle nose piercings. Including my ex who had her nose done with a  gun when she was young, then had both nostrils repierced with needles in her 20s. pain.

[Barmymoo]

I've read a lot of places that say using a piercing gun is just a terrible idea, and that the piercing has to be bigger because the gun can't be sharp enough. I can tolerate pain, I think - I give blood regularly, I am always cutting my knees open etc, and if it's for a reason I want, I should be ok. But less likely to get infection with a gun? Really? Why is that?

[Gemmwah]

I have no idea. I don't think it's actually any less likely to get infected, it's just people I know who had it gunned didn't get infections and people who had it needled did? I know that getting any piercing needled is more gentle and the better option always because it causes less trauma to the area, piercing it with a sharp tool instead of a blunt one.

[ackblom12]

Whatever word of mouth may say, guns typically have a high chance of infection. This is lessened by the fact that more modern ones use a disposable cartridge, but it doesn't change the fact you can't properly sterilize the rest of the gun. There is also the fact that the impact a gun uses to shove the needle through cartilage can, in some cases, crack the cartilage. Cracked cartilage can lead to more problems with the piercing due to the extra irritation and have a higher chance of infection. The other problems arise from the kind of places that tend to use piercing guns. the training most places require for gun usage is about 2 weeks and the kind of place that uses a gun is also much less likely to follow proper sanitary practices.

Also keep in mind that re piercing an area tends to be more painful anyways due to scar tissue and the horribly unreliable nature of memory can also play a large part. This is especially true if more than a few years has passed since their last attempt, which it sounds like it has.

If it worked out for folks you know, that's great, but it doesn't change the fact that guns in general should be avoided and I would never ever suggest the use of a gun over a needle. There is a reason why several states in the US and a several places in Europe have banned them entirely, and even the piercing guns company specify that the guns are not approved for use on anything but the ear lobe.

This is a good resource with several linked articles explaining the various reasons why.


Edit - Also May, do you have any specific place in mind? The only real advice there is without having been to the shop is to go to ana ctual piercing shop and to take a look at their portfolio. If they have one online, great, if not, they probably have one at the store itself.

[Drill King]

Fuck I want my new tattoo fuck I wish I could find the artist I want to do it/decide on placement

[Gemmwah]

Steve I know all this I wasn't suggesting she gun it, more that i have drunk wine and can't eloquently word what I actually want to say so i'll shut up now.

[Lines]

The first time I got my ears pierced was with a gun and that was just not a pleasant experience. (It hurt quite a bit and then one kept getting infected, but that was due to a metal allergy and also use of hydrogen peroxide.) When I got them done last time, it really didn't hurt as much, but they were also gauged, so my piercer got rid of as much scar tissue as possible. Also I found out that they weren't even the first time around either, which is lame. Personally, I just feel like people who use needles are more experienced and know how to do it as painlessly as possible.

[calenlass]

The only piercings I have are the one hole in each ear. I got them done with a gun (two guns, simultaneously, actually) at a swanky jewelry shop when I was 12 or so. They never got infected and were healed inside of 6 weeks. I don't think they really ever hurt at all.


Shrug.

[Eris]

I got my ears pierced twice by guns, when I was 5 and when I was 12. They didn't get infected and I can't remember if they hurt or not. But I have known heaps of people who got pierced with a gun and they had a lot of trouble with them, so I think I was just lucky in that respect.


I regards to the nose thing, I would recommend going to a piercer and getting it done with a needle. I had issues with my nose ring where it got infected a lot, so I took it out to let it heal and got it repierced properly after a year or two. The lady who pierced me was really nice, and while I just wanted it where it used to be, she suggested changing the position a bit to help the jewellery sit better. Needles mean the piercer will have more control over where the hole will be, so it will be better in terms of looks. Pain-wise it isn't that bad. There is a very short, sharp pain that makes your eyes water like hell, but then it's over. I don't know if that was because mine was over scar tissue, but I think it is a general thing, as the lady said something along those lines would happen. After that it was just throbby, but nothing bad; I went out to a concert a few hours later. My nose also bled a fair bit, but that is just me; a different piercer was a bit surprised at how red my nose went when she took my stud out to alter it a bit, so it is probably not the norm.

[est]

Also, ears are different in that you pretty much have to try to do something wrong to have them get infected.  Like, I pierced my own ear one time using the definitely unsterilised pin on one of my mum's old brooches and a squash ball at the back for pressure.  Even that didn't get infected.  Other places are far more prone to infection, so you have to be a bit more careful with them.

[Emaline]

I feel like lobe piercings with a gun is ok, not preferred, but ok, because the lobe is just kinda a fleshy bit of skin. Whereas nose, and other parts of your ear are hard cartilage and using a gun, like Ackblom said, can shatter your cartilage. And when use you a gun on those spots you've got a higher chances for lovely things like this http://news.bmezine.com/2006/07/24/gun-piercing/


Also there is this lovely story and picture. http://news.bmezine.com/2003/05/09/piercing-guns-are-blasphemy-the-publishers-ring/


So don't do it! Save your pretty face, and just find someone who will do it with a needle.

[Jimmy the Squid]

Even lobe piercings should be done by a professional piercer with a needle. The gun punches a blunt piece of unsterilised metal through your flesh and is itself a piece of plastic and metal that can't be properly cleaned of blood spray and micro-mist. Basically if anyone who has ever been pierced with that gun has hepatitis or HIV or any other blood-borne pathogen then there is a huge risk of infection. Just because you don't know anyone who hasn't had difficulties doesn't mean that they aren't in a very small and extremely lucky minority.

WHAT IS THE A.P.P. AND POLYMORPH'S POSITION ON STUD GUNS?
It is the position of the Association of Professional Piercers and Polymorph that only sterile disposable equipment is suitable for body piercing, and that only materials which are certified as safe for internal implant should be placed in inside a fresh or unhealed piercing. We consider unsafe any procedure that places vulnerable tissue in contact with either non-sterile equipment or jewellery that is not considered medically safe for long-term internal wear. Such procedures place the health of recipients at an unacceptable risk. For this reason, the APP and Polymorph must strongly recommend that reusable ear piercing guns not be used for any type of piercing procedure.
While piercing guns may seem to be a quick, easy and convenient way of creating holes, they have major drawbacks in terms of sterility, tissue damage and inappropriate jewellery design. These concerns are addressed below.

Reusable ear piercing guns can put clients in direct contact with the blood and body fluids of previous clients.

Although they can become contaminated with blood borne pathogens dozens of times in one day, ear piercing guns are often not sanitized in a medically recognized way. Plastic ear piercing guns cannot be autoclave sterilized and may not be sufficiently cleaned between use on multiple clients. Even if the antiseptic wipes used were able to kill all pathogens on contact, simply wiping the external surfaces of the gun with isopropyl alcohol or other antiseptics does not kill pathogens within the working parts of the gun. Blood from one client can aerosolize, becoming airborne in microscopic particles, and contaminate the inside of the gun. The next client's tissue and jewellery may come into contact with these contaminated surfaces. There is thus a possibility of transmitting blood borne disease-causing micro-organisms through such ear piercing, as many medical studies report.

As is now well known, the Hepatitis virus can live for extended periods of time on inanimate surfaces, and could be harboured within a piercing gun for several weeks or more. Hepatitis and common staph infections, which could be found on such surfaces, constitute a serious public health threat if they are introduced into even one reusable piercing gun. Considering the dozens of clients whose initial piercings may have direct contact with a single gun in one day, this is a cause for serious concern. Babies, young children, and others with immature or compromised immune systems may be at higher risk for contracting such infection.
Additionally, it is not documented how often piercing guns malfunction. Some operators report that the earring adapter that holds the jewellery will often not release the earring, requiring its removal with pliers. These pliers, which contact contaminated jewellery immediately after it has passed through the client's tissue, may be reused on multiple customers without full sterilization. Few, if any, gun piercing establishments possess the expensive sterilization equipment (steam autoclave or chemclave) necessary for such a procedure.

Piercing guns can cause significant tissue damage.

Though slightly pointy in appearance, most ear piercing studs are quite dull. Piercings must therefore be accomplished by using excessive pressure over a larger surface area in order to force the metal shaft through the skin. The effect on the body is more like a crush injury than a piercing and causes similar tissue damage. Medically, this is referred to as "blunt force trauma." At the least, it can result in significant pain and swelling for the client, at the most in scarring and potentially increased incidence of auricular chondritis, a severe tissue disfigurement.

Occasionally the intense pressure and speed of the gun's spring-loaded mechanism is not sufficient to force the blunt jewellery through the flesh. In these cases, the earring stud may become lodged part way through the client's ear. The gun operator, who may not be trained to deal with this possibility, has two options. S/he can remove the jewellery and repierce the ear, risking contamination of the gun and surrounding environment by blood flow from the original wound. Alternately, the operator can attempt to manually force the stud through the client's flesh, causing excessive trauma to the client and risking a needle stick-type injury for the operator. How often such gun malfunction occurs has not been documented by manufacturers, but some gun operators report that it is frequent.

When used on structural tissue such as cartilage, more serious complications such as auricular chondritis, shattered cartilage and excessive scarring are common. Gun piercings can result in the separation of subcutaneous fascia from cartilage tissue, creating spaces in which fluids collect. This can lead to both temporary swelling and permanent lumps of tissue at or near the piercing site. These range from mildly annoying to grossly disfiguring, and some require surgery to correct. Incidence can be minimized by having the piercing performed with a sharp surgical needle, which slides smoothly through the tissue and causes less tissue separation. A trained piercer will also use a post-piercing pressure technique that minimizes hypertrophic scar formation.

Cartilage has less blood flow than lobe tissue and a correspondingly longer healing time. Therefore infections in this area are much more common and can be much more destructive. The use of non-sterile piercing equipment and insufficient aftercare has been associated with increased incidence of auricular Chondritis, a severe and disfiguring infection in cartilage tissue. This can result in deformity and collapse of structural ear tissue, requiring antibiotic therapy and extensive reconstructive surgery to correct. Again, medical literature has documented many such cases and is available on request.

The length and design of gun studs is inappropriate for healing piercings.

Ear piercing studs are too short for some earlobes and most cartilage. Initially, the pressure of the gun's mechanism is sufficient to force the pieces to lock over the tissue. However, once they are locked on, the compressed tissue cannot return to its normal state, is constricted and further irritated. At the least, the diminished air and blood circulation in the compressed tissue can lead to prolonged healing, minor complications and scarring. More disturbingly, the pressure of such tight jewellery can result in additional swelling and impaction. Both piercers and medical personnel have seen stud gun jewellery completely embedded in ear lobes and cartilage (as well as navels, nostrils and lips), even when pierced "properly" with a gun. This may require the jewellery to be cut out surgically, particularly in cases where one or both sides of the gun stud have disappeared completely beneath the surface of the skin. Such consequences are minimal when jewellery is custom fit to the client, allows sufficient room for swelling, and is installed with a needle piercing technique which creates less trauma and swelling.

Jewellery that fits too closely also increases the risk of infection because it does not allow for thorough cleaning. During normal healing, body fluids containing cellular discharge and other products of the healing process are excreted from the piercing. But with inappropriate jewellery, they can become trapped around the hole. The fluid coagulates, becoming sticky and trapping bacteria against the skin. Unless thoroughly and frequently removed, this becomes an invitation to secondary infection. The design of the "butterfly" clasp of most gun studs can exacerbate this problem. Again, these consequences can be avoided with implant-grade jewellery that is designed for ease of cleaning and long-term wear.

A further note on ear piercing studs:

Most ear piercing studs are not made of materials certified by the FDA or ASTM as safe for long term implant in the human body. Even when coated in non-toxic gold plating, materials from underlying alloys can leach into human tissue through corrosion, scratches and surface defects, causing cytotoxicity and allergic reaction. Since manufacturing a durable corrosion- and defect-free coating for such studs is extremely difficult, medical literature considers only implant grade (ASTM F-138) steel and titanium to be appropriate for piercing stud composition. Studs made of any other materials, including non-implant grade steel (steel not batch certified as ASTM F-138), should not be used, regardless of the presence of surface plating.

Misuse of ear piercing guns is extremely common.

Even though many manufacturers' instructions and local regulations prohibit it, some gun piercers do not stop at piercing only the lobes, and may pierce ear cartilage, nostrils, navels, eyebrows, tongues and other body parts with the ear stud guns. This is absolutely inappropriate and very dangerous.

Although gun piercing establishments usually train their operators, this training is not standardized and may amount to merely viewing a video, reading an instruction booklet, and/or practicing on cosmetic sponges or other employees. Allegations have been made that some establishments do not inform their employees of the serious risks involved in both performing and receiving gun piercings, and do not instruct staff on how to deal with situations such as client medical complications or gun malfunction. Indeed, surveys conducted in jewellery stores, beauty parlours and mall kiosks in England and the US revealed that many employees had little knowledge of risks or risk management related to their procedure.

Considering that a large proportion of gun piercers' clientele are minors or young adults, it is not surprising that few gun piercing complications are reported to medical personnel. Many clients may have been pierced without the knowledge or consent of parents or guardians who provide healthcare access. Therefore, the majority of the infections, scarring and minor complications may go unreported and untreated. Furthermore, because of the ease of acquiring a gun piercing and the lack of awareness of risk, many consumers fail to associate their negative experiences with the stud gun itself. They believe that, since it is quicker and easier to acquire a gun piercing than a manicure, gun piercing must be inherently risk-free. Often it is only when complications prove so severe as to require immediate medical attention that the connection is made and gun stud complications get reported to medical personnel.

Despite these pronounced risks associated with gun piercing, most areas allow gun piercers to operate without supervision. Recent legislation has begun to prohibit the use of guns on ear cartilage and other non-lobe locations, and the state of New Hampshire has made all non-sterile equipment illegal, but these changes are not yet nationwide. It is our hope that, with accurate and adequate information, consumers and the legislatures will understand and reject the risks of gun piercing in the interests of the public health.
References Cited Below*

[Emaline]

Yeah, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I would ever advise someone to use a gun, but if they super had their heart set on it, or had already done it, I wouldn't berate them for it, if it was earlobes. Anywhere else, I'd just freak out.


But I had mine pierced with guns years and years ago, I've got them up to 1/2 an inch now, and have little to no problems with them.

[Barmymoo]

I had my ears done with guns and they were fine; I think a bit infected but it wasn't a problem. I just want to get my nose right because it looked awful last time and I want to look nice this summer! Also I don't want a massive hole, just a needle hole will be much better.

[Drill King]

New stick and poke? Yessss. Little tattoos are bomb.

[Gemmwah]

2 nipple piercings for £26 on friday? perhaps...

[Ballard]

Niiiiiice. Do it.

[ackblom12]

That is a fantastic deal. If you think you can deal with the healing, I say go for it.

[Jimmy the Squid]

Flew down to Melbourne today to get a sketch of my arms done! Met the tattooist and she is the nicest person! Really can't wait for october to get this started. I decided that instead of full-sleeves I'm going to leave about 2.5inches of wrist bare for when I'm wearing a collared/button-down shirt and need to reach for something so that it won't bug the conservatives.

[Lines]

I am now sporting a pair of lime green 8g plugs. The stretch was very easy, as I think the double flares I was wearing are slightly larger than 10g, so with some vitamin E oil, the taper slid right in. Woo!

[jodizzle]

I am getting shading done on my Alice on Saturday!  EEEEEE!

[scarred]

2 nipple piercings for £26 on friday? perhaps...

be prepared to wear only dark shirts for like 2 weeks

one of my friends made that mistake, she was not happy about it.

[Lines]

I love how I never lost my o-rings on my 10g plugs, but I lose both of my 8g ones in one night. Luckily I have extras...

Gemm, yeah you'll have to wear dark shirts for a while, but you might as well get both at the same time!

[David_Dovey]

I have basically ignored my ears for the past few days and they have gotten immeasurably better.

Fuckin' bodies, how do they work?

[Drill King]

You were probably being too harsh with them.

Also, why on earth would she have to wear only dark shirts for a while? That was not a thing that I had to do when I had mine done.

[scarred]

bloody nerps

anywho I think I got design down for me tat, pretty stoked. gonna have a consult soon.

[Emaline]

Yeah. I never had that problem either. Bleeding was never an issue for me.

[Drill King]

Even if you're bleeding it's usually only like, the tiniest tiny little bit. Also unless you're really small chested you generally want to wear something in between your chest and your shirt.

[scarred]

I feel like the last thing anyone would want to wear after a nipple piercing is a bra

[Emaline]

Why? A bra shouldn't be so incredibly tight that its causing your fresh nipple piercings any drama. In fact, I slept in my bra to keep my nipples calm and in place.

[ackblom12]

Man, I would have killed for a bra of some sort when I got mine done. There is little worse than constant rubbing of the t-shirt on freshly pierced nipples.

[Lines]

I feel like the last thing anyone would want to wear after a nipple piercing is a bra

If you had boobs, you would know that sometimes it is actually more comfortable to wear a bra than to not. (Especially when you don't want things bouncing around, like when running for instance.) If you've got a good one, it doesn't really feel like you're wearing anything. Now I do not have pierced nipples, but I think a bra would be a lesser evil than a shirt rubbing on fresh piercings.

Also stop talking about nipple piercings! You're making me want to get some and I can't!

[Lunchbox]

I would like nipple piercings also but I don't heal well! (Also my boyfriend would kill me, he is not a piercing lover.)

I had a bellybutton piercing once.
Now I just have an ugly hole in my tummy.

[scarred]

eh, everybody has one of those already