The Piercing Urge Training

So How is YOUR Fistula?

A new page about one of the biggest misconceptions concerning the healing of a new piercing.

Healing Part 2

Can I Tell You a Secret????

Stitting here feeling pretty chuffed about how the new site is coming together and thought I would say a BIG thank you to everyone who has supported the NEW website AND Facebook page in their early stages of development.

 

So...once we get to 500 fans on Facebook....there will be a really nice discount available on our training products - but ONLY to the first 500 fans. To become a fan you must click on the "Like" button for the page - not just this post. 

 

There will be a major promotion going out next week to the other 7000 folks on my list - so if you are already reading this - you have a head start!

 

Tell anyone you know who is interested in learning how to pierce about the new website - and the supporting Facebook page - and there will be a GREAT special available for YOU!!!

 

 

 

 

Possible $6600 Fine For Piercers

I had an interesting situation occur in the studio this week that I believe is worth sharing with ALL body piercers - current AND future.

A young guy came into the studio for a tongue piercing, and when he was asked for his proof of age document e.g learners permit etc, he said he didn't have any - but that he was definitely 18years old.

He looked pretty young, so I said I would need to call his parents to get proof of his age. We joked around about how we knew all the tricks in the book regarding lying about age etc, and that it was now really important since the legislation had changed regarding piercing people under the age of 16 years.

He looked confused and said "16? I thought I needed to be 18 to have this done". I explained that the legal age for "non intimate" piercing was now 16 years. He said "Oh - well then yes - here is my Learner's permit". He was 17 yrs old.

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Now that the Age of Consent legislation has changed, it is an offence to pierce anyone under the age of 16yrs without parental consent for non-intimate piercings - Piercer penalty $2200. The penalty for an intimate piercing on someone under 18yrs - for the Piercer - is $6600!!!

The Age of Consent Legislation for body piercing changed in Victoria in 2009. It is now an offence for the Piercer AND the studio to do any "intimate piercings" on anyone under the age of 18 yrs.

The moral of the story - BE CAREFUL if you are piercing in Victoria, Australia - and KNOW what the regulations are for your area.

"Sexual Assult on a Minor"......on MY record.....I don't think so!

To see more check out this page on Age of Consent.

All About NIPPLES!

Nipple piercing is one of the most popular piercings being done in the modern day piercing world.

If you would like to learn more about nipple piercing to ensure your clients get the best possible result - then check out this info page here at The Piercing Urge Training Center:

http://www.thepiercingurge-training.com/nipple-piercing-info.html

The Piercee's Bill of Rights

The most respected body-piercing organisation in the world is The Association of Professional Piercers (APP). They do a lot of ongoing work for the industry, and currently hold an annual conference in Las Vegas.

They also have some great resources. Find them at http://www.safepiercing.org 

 

They created this:

These rights are the minimum standards YOUR clients are entitled to each and every time they are pierced.

 

Piercings and Travel

If a client comes to you and asks about getting a piercing done - and then tells you they are planning a holiday - there are some things to consider.

The questions to ask are:

Where are they going?

Will they have access to clean water?

Whenever we travel we put our body into a foreign environment. The bacteria that is present in our normal day to day living environment is something that our own immune system is familiar with, and protects us from each and every day. It is usually only when something different e.g a flu bug, comes along that our immune system goes into overdrive to try and fight it off.

When we travel, the "normal day to day" bacteria changes, and puts an additional strain on what our immune system needs to do to keep us well.

If we then have a fresh piercing to heal on top of processing this new environment, the result may be an infected piercing. A healthy immune system can still only stretch so far.

Access to good medical care around the world varies - and can be expensive.

My advice would be for a client to allow as much time as possible between a fresh piercing and International travel. A minimum of one month if they are travelling to a country with clean water, and a minimum of three months if not.

Bottled water is recommended to use when administering aftercare whilst travelling.

If your client has threaded jewellery, advise them to carry a spare ball with them during their travels. There are differences in threading styles - and between manufacturers - that may make it difficult to find a compatible replacement ball.

Having a piercing done while travelling:

Not usually a good idea. There have been many clients we have seen who have had piercings done in countries that have less than ideal health regulations. The minimum bad result can be a piercing that is infected from the beginning - and the maximum bad result will be a disease that you didn't count on.

Sometimes it can be good to get a piercing as a memento of a trip - but consider that once you come home you will no longer have easy access to your piercer from an aftercare viewpoint.

Getting pierced in your home town - or at least in your own country - is the preferred choice. The Piercer's reputation is also often known too - as opposed to just "blind trust that they know what they are doing".

So if you have access to a good piercing studio where you live - get your piercing done at home.

Will my jewellery set off the metal detectors?

Rarely. Single piercings like a navel piercing for example - no. If your client has a large amount of heavy gauge jewellery in a small area - e.g genital piercings - possibly. But even then - unusual unless they are entering into a very high security country.

If metal detectors went off these days everytime someone with a piercing went through, the wait to board a plane would be FOREVER!

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So the main point here is to give a new piercing the best possible start in life - plan to give it time to heal BEFORE travelling. That way your client can enjoy their trip without having to worry.

 

5 Important Tips

When first starting out as a Piercer, things can be a bit nerve wracking. So much to remember while you are trying to appear totally in control of what you're about to do.

After all - we only need ONE nervous person in the room at a time right?

So there are a few things we can do to help make things easier on ourselves while we are learning:

1. Make sure you are not rushed - even if the client is trying to rush you, take your time


2. Lay out all the things you will need in the order you will be using them - this will help to trigger your memory of what comes next


3. Only have a maximum of two extra people in the room with you and your client - and only then if they are calm and supportive


4. Ensure your hair and clothing will not be distracting you - before you enter the piercing cublicle. Not only is touching your hair or clothes wrong after you have gloved - it makes you look flustered and unprofessional


5. Review the notes on how to do this piercing while you are waiting for your client to arrive so the proceedure is fresh in your mind

If you still find yourself shaking, remove your gloves and take a few moments to chat with the client while you calm yourself. There is no time limit to a successful body piercing - and a happy client :)

 

 

Piercing Emergencies

I believe anyone who has ever had piercings has experienced a time when "something" has happened - ball fell off etc - and they wished they had a Piercer "on call" to get some advice.

If you can add any tips and tricks to this list - please do - afterall - your idea just may help someone out of a pickle one day!

Here are some of my ideas to get you started :)

http://www.thepiercingurge-training.com/emergencies-and-panic-stations.html

 

If I had a dollar....

For everytime I have been asked "How long does it take to heal", I would be a rich woman indeed!

Fact is that it all depends on your definition of "heal".

I wrote a post about this to try and provide an answer for you.

http://www.thepiercingurge-training.com/has-it-healed.html

Hope you all have a wonderful long weekend :)

 

Latex Allergy

This is an allergy that can enter into the world of a body piercer:

Piercer

• When starting out as a Piercer, dermatitis from frequent handwashing can result. This is often thought to be an allergy to latex - but often isn't. With regular use of a hand moisturizer - sorbolene is good for fast absorption - it will usually settle down.
• Switching to powder-free gloves sometimes helps too. It can be an allergy to the powder in gloves and not the latex itself.
• If you actually do have a latex allergy then Nitrile gloves are a good alternative

Side Note: Latex allergy seems far more common in the USA when compared to Australia. Nevertheless - an allergy can develop over time - but not always. I have been using latex for 20 years without consequence. However if you suspect you may have a latex allergy please see your physician for testing.

 

Piercee

• If a client lists a latex allergy on their consent form, then the safest option is to use Nitrile gloves or another alternative. Nitrile gloves are often better - than say vinyl - as they still provide good fit and comfort.
• If you don't have an alternative - then only use gloves for the actual piercing and really try to reduce the amount you touch the person. This is a LAST resort option if your client only has a mild allergy! To avoid having to do this - stock nitrile gloves in your size as a backup just in case. A person with a severe allergy should not have latex around them at all - and for that matter - may even react by being in a studio that uses latex gloves.
• An interesting piece of information from OSHA:

"Latex allergy is also associated with allergies to certain foods especially avocado, potato, banana, tomato, chestnuts, kiwi fruit, and papaya. People with spina bifida are also at increased risk for latex allergy."

 

So even when people put odd things like "allergic to avocado" on their consent form - it may be more important than most folks would think.