Recently, we’ve had a spate of customers come in with tales of self-piercings gone wrong. The lady who pierced her tongue…with a paper clip. The girl who let her friend pierce her nostril, but when said friend got the needle half-way through, she had to stop because she was laughing too hard. The guy with the pus-filled lip from his do-it-yourself (DIY) snakebite. The other guy with the really bad “transdermal”. His eyebrow piercing was too short and one of the beads was pulled into the skin. Even as I was writing this blog, a woman walked in with a sewing needle sticking out from her nose, because she couldn’t get the jewelry in (see above photo…) In an effort to stanch the flow of these horror stories, I thought it best to provide guidance to DIY piercing in three easy steps.
Step 1
Don’t.
Step 2
Please don’t.
Step 3
Seriously, don’t. What are you thinking?
Sure, the procedure seems pretty simple. What could be easier than sticking a needle through your flesh? Heck, Mom pierced her own ears with nothing but a straight pin and a piece of potato back when Eisenhower was in office. But then, what you don’t hear about are all the botched jobs, the uneven holes and the infections that resulted from these home piercings.
Body piercing is best left to professionals. A professional piercer has education, the proper equipment and experience. He has understanding of anatomy and the body—where important blood vessels and major nerves lie, and how to avoid hitting them. He knows where to place the piercing so that it’s not only aesthetically pleasing, but also doesn’t interfere with your daily routine. She has the proper equipment ensuring you get a safe and sterile piercing. They have the professionalism and confidence which greatly minimizes the trauma and pain of the experience.
Think of it this way…if you were in need of a root canal, who would you rather have digging around your mouth? A dentist who’s performed the procedure numerous times, or your best friend who read how on the internet just last night? Sure, going to your friend is gonna be a helluva lot cheaper, but those savings are debatable. Most likely you’ll end up at the dentist’s office anyway to have it done right, and to have her fix the mess your friend did to your gums.
Aloha,
Rockin’ Rob