Before I continue with my article, I believe some background information is needed. For the past couple of months I have been contemplating a large gauge piercing in my lobes. I decided it will save me some time while gauging my ears up. I ordered a 4 gauge needle along with some other tools, as I had decided to do the piercing myself. When the materials came in, I took my package and went to fine some jewelry and someone to clean my belongings. I bought some nice stainless steel plugs to put in my freshly pierced holes.
At A Glance Author Mike Contact [email protected] IAM somhow_hollow When A week ago Location Ottawa, ON I went to four different tattoo and piercing shops and not one would autoclave my clamps or jewelry. The first shop spewed up some story about it being too much of a liability for them to clean my equipment. It seems they can be charged for knowing someone is piercing themselves and not trying to deter them from it. The next two asked why I wanted a pair or Penningtons cleaned. Only after I told them, they refused. The last agreed to clean my jewelry with the next batch they threw in, which happened to be "soon". When I brought out the package containing my clamps, she reneged. She explained to me how much of a terrible idea that was and that I wouldn't know what to do if I was piercing myself or someone else. She told me that I wouldn't get it straight and it would be awful. With a carefully placed look of aversion , she told me she could clean and package my jewelry for autoclaving but it would take some time and it would cost me 30 bucks (plus tax).
While I understand that self piercing and "basement" piercing takes money out of the artist's and shop keepers' pockets, it is a practice that will happen regardless. As we know, it is only recently that body piercing has moved from the basements to the shops. In the past there weren't "professionals" whom you could contact to perform the piercing. Long before there was jewelry in the parlor windows, people were piercing themselves and friends. I spend a lot of my free time reading and learning about my mods and mods in general, as do many people I know and have contact with. I can honestly say, without reservation or doubt, that I know something about piercing. Not a lot or a little but some. While I understand that anyone can find and order needles and piercing tools and use them, the actions of the shop employees were rude. I think it affected me in such a negative way because of the reaction my words caused. By having sterile needles, new and clean Penningtons and proper jewelry, I feel that I have shown that I am someone who knows the benefits and importance of sterile and proper piercing techniques. Lately I have noticed some bad business practices on the part of these "professional" shops. Treating every customer as an ignorant civilian makes for offended regulars.
I know it is good for "professionals" to be concerned about my piercing ability, but it is not any responsibility of theirs. In the after moments of leaving that last shop, and every shop I visited that night, I felt isolated. Furthermore, I was quite frustrated with the excuses I received. They laughed at my idea and made me feel smaller than them because I wasn't standing on the other side of the counter. Again, this was a rude practice on the part of those shops. I respected their advice and knowledge and they treated me like the unmodded do. This really discouraged me, not from self piercing, but from asking questions and seeking help from those "professionals". I was thinking about this and realized this was a bigger deal than just refusing my business. In discouraging me they have encouraged me to pierce dirty, pierce ignorantly, and stop asking questions. I found not only do I have to prove myself to the unmodded and fight their "minority label", but I have to prove myself to the modified community as well. Before I had a chance to open my mouth, I was treated as an uninformed outsider and it made me upset.
Self piercing, like I mentioned before, will happen regardless of professional action. My mods are important to me, although other's mods are even more important. Because of my public mods, I take every opportunity to be a good citizen and polite individual. The actions and decisions people with public mods make affects the stigmas and stereotypes the rest of us are afflicted by. This is something that we, the publicly modded, know or should. In labeling and shunning me, these professionals have indirectly justified the actions of every boss I have ever had. Until now, I have never experienced a situation like this, but I now know they actually do exist. In a sub-culture affecting as many people as it does, we need to realize that there are strength in numbers. Self piercing may be an obstruct or hassle to your and many businesses but turning your nose up only leads to ignorance. Please try to realize that regardless of your expertise and knowledge some people find the piercing experience more profound than others. There are some people that would rather share an intimate piercing moment with someone they love than with their local piercer. In closing, I would like to state, while piercing may be your profession, that alone does not make you a professional.