This is a perfect example of what many states are doing to regulate body piercing.  They are regulating (certifying) the piercing establishment, not the individual.  Here is what the law states – According to the new law, tattoo and body piercing facilities must fulfill health and safety requirements, such as sterilization and sanitation techniques, to receive certification.

As you can see they are not certifying the “piercing knowledge or skill” of any individual piercer, just the sterilization techniques practiced in the piercing shop.  This is basically universal in most states – THEY DO NOT CERTIFY THE INDIVIDUAL’S BODY PIERCING KNOWLEDGE OR SKILL OF BODY PIERCING.  This is why learning the art, skill and techniques of body piercing are so important.

As body piercers, why do we insist on supplying jewelry for each piercing, instead of allowing people to bring their own jewelry off the street to be pierced with?

If I have pierced someone before and they bring in the jewelry that I pierced them with, and they want to use that jewelry, I generally will allow that. As long as the jewelry is not scratched or altered.

If I use their jewelry I used previously to pierce them with . . .  I charge them $5 to re-sterilize the jewelry in a Statum (Flash Sterilizer) before the piercing, and then charge the regular piercing fee less jewelry.

This is the only case where I will allow people to bring in jewelry for their piercing.

WHY NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO BRING JEWELRY IN TO BE PIERCED WITH OFF THE STREET?

1. It is seldom appropriate for the piercing (length, gauge, metal composition, etc).

2. It is generally used by someone else and is scratched and not sterile.

3. A “GOOD” piercer uses special tools, needles, and various shortcuts to make a piercing smooth and comfortable. Therefore the tools and jewelry must be compatible to complete a successful and comfortable piercing. This is the reason many people have a good piercing experience with a piercer that uses compatible tools and jewelry, while other people have a bad experience with a piercer that struggles with a piercing because he uses incompatible tools, needles and jewelry. The Piercee pays the price ultimately by experiencing a very uncomfortable piercing and one that may not last.

4. Economics – generally it takes the entire piercing fee to pay for the operation of your piercing business, therefore, the profit and income for the piercer is found in the margin between the costs and retail charge for the jewelry.

5. Many people believe the piercer is responsible for the jewelry they insert into a piercing . . . in that case it is highly irresponsible to allow people to bring in jewelry for you to pierce them from the outside. The Piercer may end up paying a very high price in the end if the jewelry was substandard.

Since I pierce in Arizona, the first question many people have is can I go swimming after the piercing.  Best answer is NO!  However, you must deal with reality.  Cancer patients swear they will smoke until their last breath, so we deal with that type of mentality in body piercing too . . . people will do what they will do.

Your personal family swimming pool that is protected with proper chemicals is the least objectionable body of water for your fresh piercing.  If people want some protection they can use a non water-permeable wound protection such as Tegaderm or Clean Seals available at  drugstores.  These are clear waterproof bandages you can put over your piercing to provide some degree of protection from the water.

Cleaning after being in the pool with your piercing can be helpful, but realistically is is not likely to be effective in preventing potential infection.  Dirty water of rivers and lakes is not recommended for a healing piercing.  Try to avoid bodies of water with children . . . they have a hard time leaving the pool for bathroom breaks.

How to keep your body piercing out of trouble!

There is something about adorning oneself that can become addictive. From jewelry to shoes and even tattoos.  It has to do with adding that little extra touch that either gives you individuality, shows personality or frankly, just looks great! On a physiological level the addictive nature all stems from the same thing. When you shop, or get a piercing or tattoo, natural endorphins or feel good chemicals are released into your body, and because it makes us happy—we keep going back for more.

Welcome To Your Next Obsession is our company motto at Body Creations.  That why training is so important to give your clients the best experience you can give.  If you do they will come back on a regular basis and bring their friends.

In the quest for the perfect beach body and to fit into that teeny, weeny bikini you may have come across EA Sports Active. This is a game that can be played with the Nintendo Wii and can even incorporate the Wii balance board from Wii Fit.

The most potentially harmful flaw for people using EA Sports Active and Nintendo Wii is to those people with Body Piercings.

Many women, especially when in the comfort and privacy of their own home, exercise with just a sports bra on. If you happen to have a navel piercing, I would advise against this. EA Active Sports involves a lot of holding the Wii remote in one hand and the nunchuk in the other. You are then expected to punch, kick and dance like you’re in a 60’s nightclub, all the while with the cord connecting the remote and nunchuk flailing wildly about your abdomen.

So far there are no reports of any navel piercings being ripped out due to EA Sports Active use, but would you really like to be the first? Make sure to keep navel piercings covered or remove them entirely during EA Sports Active use.

The second, and probably more likely to be a cause for alarm for both pierced men and women, is that the cord also poses a danger to facial piercings.

Exercises such as shoulder presses, dance and basketball require you to lift the remote and nunchuk up over the head, and in the case of the latter two, requires a very quick motion to do it. I, personally, nearly had my lip ring ripped out during a basketball shooting exercise, which is what prompted me to write this and inform others of this little known danger.

Lip ring problems can easily be solved by using a captive bead ring, which will have no opening or cap for the cord to get stuck on.

Septum piercings can also cause a big risk, but can be solved with a septum retainer flipped up into the nostrils.

Eyebrow piercings, anti-eyebrow piercings and other facial surface piercings may be kept safer if a bandage is placed over them during exercise.

I am passing this on to you because it definitely works, and we could all
use a little more calmness in our lives…    after a long day at the body piercing studio.
By following simple advice heard on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find
inner peace. Dr Phil proclaimed, ‘The way to achieve inner peace is to
finish all the things you have started and have never finished.’

So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn’t
finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a
bottle of Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream, a package of
Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the
cheesecake, some Doritos, and a box of chocolates. You have no idea how
freaking good I feel right now!

Feel free to pass this on to those whom you think might be in need of inner peace….

Statements can be attacked.  Questions cannot be attacked.

It is just that simple.  As body piercers, when we make statements there is always someone who wants to challenge your statement, ant that puts you on the defensive.  When you are on the defensive you are not in a strong,  positive position to influence the person to do the piercing or have them take you suggestions about a problem piercing.

Questions are open-ended, therefore they are difficult to be attacked.  Asking questions puts you on the offensive and in control.  Questions make the other person respond.

A question can be asked in such a way as so it does not need an answer, but gets the point across.  For instance, you suspect a person is using too much sea salt and drying ou the tissue around their piercing.  Instead of making a statement, “You are using too much sea salt.”  You could ask a question like this.  Could it be that you are using too much sea salt and drying out your skin?

There are questions and there are questions.

Here is what I mean.  It is better to ask questions than make statements.  It is better to ask a more indirect question than a direct question.  For instance, you see an irritated navel and suspect sthe person is sleeping on the piercing and severly irritating it.  Instead of asking the question, “Are you sleeping on your stomach?”  Ask the question.  “Is it possible you could be sleeping on your stomach at night and maybe not realizing it?”

You have asked the same question, but the latter question puts you on the side of the piercee.  It makes the piercee feel better that you are on their side, yet you are still in control and has said nothing that they can attack.

Using these tactics will help you build your body piercing business successfully.  These concepts will also help your body piercing training for counter people and your body piercers.

As body piercers, how many times have we been asked, “Does it hurt”?  We are asked that question every day over the phone or in the piercing room.

People really know that it’s got to hurt some, so the real reason people ask that question is to get some reassurance that everything will be OK!

When people ask me if it hurts, my answser is “Nobody Complains About It” and just leave it at that . . . don’t say anymore about the issue.  I have discovered over the years people accept that answer and generally say, “Oh . . . Oh OK” and the never bring the issue up again.  If others are not complaining about it, it must be OK.

A  strong  relationship . . . makes a more positive piercing experience. Everything evolves from the relationship between the body piercer and the piercee. The piercee’s “warm and fuzzy” experience depends upon the piercers ability make the piercee feel comfortable.

The piercer must create an atmosphere of professionalism. It that atmosphere is recognized by the piercee, then, a relationship begins and both people have a good chance of developing a long term business relationship.

As a body piercer, we must develop a feeling of comfort and confidence with the piercee. In many cases this must be done in 30 seconds or less . . . the time it takes a potential piercee to process your attitude, appearance, and professionalism . . . therefore giving the piercee the mental approval to business with you and let you stick a needle in them.

Success for a body piercer is determined by the lasting relationships between the piercer and the piercee. To operate a successful body piercing business you must retain between 60 to 80 percent repeat and referral business. That means developing positive relationships with your clients is a must to maintain a long term body piercing business.