SURFACE PIERCING
What is surface piercing?
A surface piercing is a piercing where the entrance and exit holes are pierced through the same plane - that is, through a flat area of skin. A piercing on the back of your neck (aka a "nape piercing") is a common surface piercing.
Why are surface piercings rare?
Many piercers are not comfortable doing surface piercings because they are difficult to heal, and most of them reject. Rejection means that the body slowly (or sometimes quickly) pushes them out through the skin, in the same way that the body pushes out a buried splinter. A surface piercing will only heal if it is easier for your body to keep the piercing in than it is to reject it. Since your body is designed to reject foreign objects, a little common sense makes it clear that it's not easy to keep a surface piercing.
What are some of the different ways that surface piercings are done, and what do I need to know about them and their healing?
Tell me about the TRADITIONAL METHOD.
Traditionally, surface piercings were simply done using the same method as regular piercings - with a straight or curved metal bar. This is about the worst way to do a surface piercing, and while a small percentage of people have healed them, they tend to be temporary. The jewelry puts a great deal of pressure on the healing skin above it, and it's inflexibility causes even more stress as the skin moves.
If you do insist on doing a surface piercing using this method, the most important thing about healing it is to know your own body... That is, to have an understanding of the way you heal, and what to do to assist in that healing.The only way you may want to treat this piercing a little differently during healing is that for the first week or so it is a good idea to build up scar tissue to hold the piercing in place. This can be done by the application of Betadine or a similar Poviodine based scrub.
What are some of the different ways that surface piercings are done, and what do I need to know about them and their healing?
Tell me about the SCALPEL METHOD.
In most ways, this is simply a piercing performed with a scalpel rather than a needle, resulting in a larger, yet "cleaner" hole. Even though the pierced hole is quite large, regular gauge jewelry is used. This allows the skin to heal raised around the piercing, but without putting undue pressure on the skin causing migration. It is very important that jewelry not be changed during the healing period. Other than that point, the piercing is healed using the advice above.
What are some of the different ways that surface piercings are done, and what do I need to know about them and their healing?
Tell me about the SCAR OR BRACE METHOD.
This method of surface piercing was briefly flirted with by a few piercers but has not been experimented enough to say much about it. The theory is that it works by using a scar or a small bar-style implant as a brace -- The piercing is made behind this, working on the assumption that the brace will hold the piercing in place.
What are some of the different ways that surface piercings are done, and what do I need to know about them and their healing?
Tell me about the SURFACE BAR METHOD.
Surface Bar piercing is the only method of surface piercing that has, over time, proven itself to be reliable.Piercers using it have claimed as high as a 95% success rate - which is pretty much what one would expect for ANY piercing. It works by using "staple shaped" jewelry - that is, the jewelry goes straight down into the skin, then straight across, and then straight out. The purpose is to avoid any upwards pressure on the skin, leading to migration.
It should be noted that surface bars are shaped specifically for the customer - there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution. The legs of the bar (the part that goes through the skin) need to be sized to reflect to the client's skin:
Too short, and it will reject. Too long, and it will irritate the exit holes.
Because the jewelry is slightly more difficult to clean, it is important that the piercing has an adequate length:gauge ratio to allow proper drainage. Many people find that using titanium jewelry drastically reduces lymph response (meaning far less to drain). Other than that, healing with this jewelry is for the most part trouble free and should be treated as a standard piercing. Salt soaks can also be an excellent method for keeping the piercing healthy.
What are some of the different ways that surface piercings are done, and what do I need to know about them and their healing?
Tell me about the FLEXIBLE BAR METHOD.
Another method of doing surface piercings is to use flexible jewelry. The theory is that because the jewelry flexes and moves freely with the body, it will cause minimal irritation. This is true in part, but there will still be more pressure on the exits than with surface bars. Note also that not all flexible jewelry is created equal. The two most common materials are probably nylon (fishing line) and tygon (teflon tubing). Tygon is drastically more flexible.
CARTILAGE DERMAL PUNCHING
What is a dermal punch?
A dermal punch is like a round needle with no bevel - it's like a sharp, round cookie-cutter for skin. The medical industry uses them to take biopsy samples, but piercers use them to make round piercings which remove an actual piece of skin.
Why is a dermal punch good for cartilage piercing?
First of all, cartilage piercings are very prone to keloiding. Because a dermal punch eliminates the pressure that a piercing puts on the injured tissue, keloiding risks are drastically reduced.
More importantly, cartilage piercings are very difficult to stretch. Because they are so sensitive to keloiding, any stretching is a very slow and tedious process. A dermal punch allows for the placement of a piercing as large as
0ga in an initial cartilage piercing.
What do I need to know before doing a dermal punch?
Using a small flashlight shone through the ear, you can illuminate all blood vessels. This should be done both from the front and from the back. By doing this you can map out the blood vessels in the skin and cartilage and decide upon the least destructive placement. If you hit large vessels they can bleed almost indefinitely.
How do I best heal a large dermal punch piercing?
Smaller (6ga and below) dermal punches are healed just like normal piercings, but larger ones can be healed a little differently. The jewelry should be worn for the first few days to allow the tissue to seal, but after that, it can be removed. A piercing without jewelry in it heals MUCH faster. However, it is important to make sure the piercing doesn't close - this is especially a risk on inner conch piercing.
EXTREME STRETCHING
Why is stretching in this section of the FAQ?
Stretching can be a lot more extreme than you might think.
Once one stretches past a certain point, tissue is permanently and radically different from its original form.
In addition, it is far more time consuming than anything else in piercing, and requires far more commitment to the art and lifestyle.
When can I start stretching a piercing?
The piercing should be fully healed before you start stretching it. Note that you can get a head-start on the process by beginning the piercing in a large gauge (using a scalpel, dermal punch, or large-gauge needle for the initial piercing).
Tell me more about starting large using a scalpel or large gauge needle.
Contrary to popular belief, a needle does NOT remove tissue - it cuts a curved slit. Assuming that the body part is large enough, there is no real limit as to how large you can start. Given a sufficiently experienced piercer, an initial half-inch lobe heals as quickly as a 14ga lobe.
Scalpels offer larger size holes, but also require more experience to use. For the average piercer, using a 6ga or 4ga nipple is a reasonable upper limit.
Tell me more about starting large using a dermal punch.
The problem (and advantage) with dermal punches is that they REMOVE tissue. When you are stretching, you don't want to remove tissue - unlike when piercing cartilage (as you read above). One thing to know about dermal punches is that when they are used in soft tissue, the jewelry inserted can usually be tapered up to several gauges larger than the punch itself.
How can I stretch a piercing?
It's simple -- You just put bigger and bigger things in your piercing. This can be "professional" jewelry or it can be things you find around the house. You will very quickly learn what materials are appropriate for your body.
Everything from stainless rod to aluminumn bike tubes to knitting needles to wood to plastic bottles progressively wrapped in electrical tape. As you stretch, you will discover what is best as to rate by "listening to your body".
Most people can stretch about one inch per year. Note that generally weights are not the best way to stretch a piercing as they can migrate the piercing and can thin the tissue on the bottom of the piercing. Note that over-stretching can result in tearing, which will usually lead to scar tissue. The biggest problem with this is that it makes further stretching more difficult. Over-stretching can also result in damage to nerves, leading to a loss of feeling in the tissue. However, feeling typically returns in six to twelve months. Damage can also be done to blood vessels, resulting in a loss of circulation, in which case the tissue may die or become significantly weakened.
How far can I stretch a piercing and have it go back to normal?
Most people can go to at least 2ga (1/4") and still have it go back to normal when they take it out, but there really are no guarantees. Don't stretch your ears unless you are certain you'll be ok with it forever. Once the elastic limit of the skin has been passed, or a large amount of additional tissue has been built up, it will not close again totally.However, in some cases the stretched tissue can simply be cut off -- for example, in ear stretching, the lobe can often be cut off and sutured, and once healed looks virtually normal. In addition, plastic surgeons can rebuild a stretched ear.
The tissue around my piercing is getting VERY thin from stretching. What can I do to thicken it?
Whatever you do, stop stretching. The easiest way to thicken the tissue is to dowsize a few sizes, wait a couple of weeks, and then re-stretch. By repeating this process, you can usually drastically increase the size of the tissue.
In addition, choice of jewelry material can have an effect on the tissue thickness (and general health). Many people find the high quality wooden jewelry both thickens the tissue and keeps it healthy (and stink-free).
How can I get rid of the unsightly "lip" around the back of my piercing?
These blowout "lips" commonly appear around earlobe and other stretchings that are stretched quickly. The simple way to get rid of them, if you catch them in time, is to downsize them immediately, and allow it to reabsorb.
Folding or rotating the lip back inside the piercing, will sometimes help it assimilated back into the primary tissue.
However, this doesn't always work. The more advanced way to get rid of them is to physically remove them. One method that has been met with good success is tightly tying off the lip (using a tunnel as a backing) and allowing the tissue to die, and then removing it.
Why is cold weather harmful to stretched piercings?
Severely stretched tissue has drastically reduced blood-flow. If the piercing is facial (generally ear), and you live in a cold climate, you can have problems in the winter. If the jewelry is hollow, and cold air is blowing through it, the tissue can freeze very quickly.
UVULA PIERCING
What is a uvula piercing?
The uvula is the little "punching bag" you see at the start of the throat. The piercing is usually done with a captive bead or fixed bead ring in 14ga (although 16ga and 12ga have been used successfully). Circular barbells and straight barbells can also be used. The piercing is almost always done across the uvula, but front-to-back piercings are not unheard of.
Didn't someone get killed having that piercing done?
No. When Jon Cobb first did this piercing, an urban legend being spread by several members of large, "respected" piercing studios that a street kid died from having a needle jammed into the side of their throat attempting this piercing, but that is not true. Several other variations of this urban legend have since surfaced. It is likely that the rumor was spread to discredit piercers attempting this difficult piercing.
Doesn't a uvula piercing get in the way or make you sick all the time?
Surprisingly not. (However, in some cases the piercing may impair fellatio). For most people, the uvula has very little feeling at all -- It's the surrounding tissue that controls the gag reflex. To test this, look in a mirror, and touch your own uvula with a cotton swab or end of a toothbrush, making sure not to touch anything else.
Is doing the piercing (procedure) dangerous?
Not if done by an expert piercer, with a strong emphasis on the word "expert". With planning and steady hands this piercing can be performed with an acceptably minimum level of risk. It is also very important that the piercee (rather than the piercer) be an expert -- They need to be able to be calm through any problems (difficulty in follow-through, etc.), and avoid gagging at all costs. Assuming that the piercee can remain still, a properly planned procedure bears little risk. However, if the piercee gags violently, it could be possible to drop the needle or the jewelry, or pierce the side of the throat. With adequate "dry runs" the chances of this can be reduced to a minimum.
Is having the piercing dangerous?
No. Contrary to posts made by members of "official" "professional" associations and "respected" piercing studios,there is no serious risk to having a uvula piercing. As far as damage to the uvula itself, remember that the uvula is not uncommonly removed in some anti-snoring surgery. As far as the risk of inhaling the jewelry, if this was a real risk, it would have become apparent with tongue piercings (which come undone on a semi-regular basis). Remember that the uvula contracts and changes shape a great deal during swallowing motions. If the piercing comes out, it is then that is when it will (on swallowing rather than breathing).
How is a uvula piercing done?
In most cases the piercing is done with a hollow needle (a normal piercing needle) in a standard clamp and pierce fashion, with slight modifications to tools and procedure for safety. In other cases the piercing has been done using a solid (suture) needle. The most difficult part about the piercing procedure tends to be the follow-through, as the uvula grips anything passing through it. Also, it is important that the piercing be placed as high up as possible on the uvula since migration can be a serious problem. Finally, the piercee may wish to rinse and gargle with an oral xylocaine to numb the inside of the mouth and hopefully eliminate all gag reflex.
MERGING PIERCINGS AND SCALPELLING PIERCINGS FOR SIZE INCREASE
What do you mean by "Merging Piercings"?
You can turn two piercings into one by cutting between them, either in a straight line, or by removing a rectangle of tissue.
What do you mean by "Scalpelling Piercings"?
Making a small scalpel cut out from one corner of the piercing enlarges a piercing. The advantage to this method over regular stretching is it gives precise control over which tissue is thinned out. In addition, it allows for a slight relocation of a piercing.
What is involved in their healing?
Not a whole lot. They heal very quickly.
DEEP PIERCINGS
What is deep piercing?
A deep piercing is a piercing that passes through a significant (well over an inch) length or depth of tissue.
Due to this depth certain difficulties arise in procedure, healing, and jewelry selection. Also, deep piercings can pass through tissue types different than in normal, more shallow piercings, resulting in several new issues.
What are some of the risks related to deep piercing? Because of the depth of the piercing, knowledge of all relevant anatomy and potential anatomy is very important. A very important thing to remember when looking in an anatomy text is that everyone's body is quite different, and it's not as simple as reading a map. Also, the deeper one goes, the greater the risk of hitting something (nerves, arteries, etc.) vital. In many deep piercings it is not as simple as shining a light through the tissue to figure out the subcutaneous structures, and other methods need to be used.
How can I help a deep piercing heal?
It is important that a deep piercing is able to drain. That means that any fluids and secretions inside the healing piercing must be able to escape. To aid this, the piercing must be of sufficient gauge in relation to it's ength. In most deep piercings, this means an utter minimum of 10ga, but in many cases 8ga or even 6ga and larger. Salt soaks also help a great deal.
How risky is under-the-collarbone piercing?
Under-the-collarbone, and other piercings that actually travel INSIDE the body carry the additional and very significant risk that they can carry an infection deep inside the body. The layers of skin and muscle over your inner body are powerful defense mechanisms against infection. Bypassing them via a piercing puts you at greatly increased risk.
POCKETING
What is pocketing?
The easiest way to describe it is that pocketing is anti-piercing. In piercing, the middle of the jewelry is under the skin and the ends are exposed. In pocketing, the ends of the jewelry are under the skin, and middle is exposed. Small "pockets" hold the jewelry in place.
What kind of jewelry is used for pocketing?
The jewelry is generally just a custom curved bar with rounded ends (no beads or anything, just a smooth end). It is extremely important that the jewelry be perfectly fitted to the skin. Other people have suggested that "inverse surface bars" may be more appropriate, but the basic model is the same.
Don't almost all pocketings reject?
Yes, almost all of them do - they have a similar rejection rate to traditional surface piercings. Placement is extremely important. Depending on the way the skin moves, the pocketing could actually fall out of you stretch wrong.
TRANSDERMAL IMPLANTS
What is a transdermal implant?
A transdermal implant falls somewhere between a single-hole pocketing and an implant. The simplest way to describe it is as a labret, with the flat part under the skin - the end effect is that of a spike that appears to be screwed right into the body.
Is it really just a labret?
No. A labret will reject. Successful healing requires proper jewelry, which more closely resembles a flattened pretzel or figure eight with a bar coming out a ninety degrees. The holes are there for skin to grow through, anchoring the jewelry. Making this jewelry requires advanced machining facilities or titanium casting access.
How is it put under the skin?
It is placed as an implant and then the bar is exposed using a dermal punch. Performing this procedure requires both advanced tools and techniques, and the experience to be able to use them.
HAND WEB PIERCING
What is a hand web piercing?
A hand web piercing is a piercing done through the webbing between the fingers. It's most commonly done between the thumb and forefinger, but any webbing can be pierced.
Is a hand web a dangerous piercing?
Not at all. Perhaps the only additional risk is that your hands come in contact with more foreign bacteria than any other part of your body. Additional care needs to be taken to keep everything clean. As well as regular cleaning, salt soaks are essential.
What can I do to minimize rejection?
Fist of all, placement is essential. An experienced piercer will place the jewelry so that it moves minimally and irritates the exit holes as little as possible. In addition, you may find that taping the surrounding fingers reduces the stresses that everyday movements put on the exit holes.
T-BAR PIERCINGS
What is a t-bar piercing?
A t-bar piercing is a piercing with three or more exit holes and a single piece of jewelry. The jewelry "branches" inside the body. Most commonly it is a barbell in the shape of a "T", but it also be a barbell in the shape of an X, or ring with a barbell that screws into it at a ninety degree angle.
How is a t-bar piercing done?
Generally a normal straight-line (two-exit hole) piercing is done and healed. Then, a third hole is made and the custom jewelry is inserted.
HORIZONTAL TONGUE PIERCING
What is a horizontal tongue piercing?
A horizontal tongue piercing is exactly what it sounds like - a piercing done across the tongue (from ear to ear), rather than vertically.
Does a horizontal tongue piercing affect speech or anything else?
Yes, if a horizontal tongue piercing is not done properly, it will cripple the piercee's ability to speak. In addition, there are serious tooth-chipping risks due to the edgeward nature of the beads.
What jewelry should be used?
To minimize detrimental effects on the speech, flexible jewelry, preferrably tygon, should be used. Flat or teflon/nylon beads should also be considered to minimize potential tooth damage.
What placement is best?
To determine the best possible placement, observe the movement of the tongue during speech. In most people, there
is a specific bend point - by avoiding a placement that will hinder this, speech damage can be minimized.
EYELID PIERCINGS
You've got to be joking. Eyelid piercing?
No, I'm not joking. The were done, and the guy is fine. I insert this here simply to illustrate that piercing is a very wide world that is still evolving.
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