I'm a piercer from Montreal and have been piercing for almost 7 years now. This article I'm writing, is about my experience in prison and how kept I my piercing's from closing up and free from infection.
At A Glance Author OneStar Contact [email protected] When A month ago Artist Me Studio Originally mine but, not important to this article Location Montreal Three weeks ago, I was driving my nephew to court. On our way out of town, the local police intercepted me because of my muffler. Long story short, there happened to be a warrant out on me because of approximately $2000 worth of unpaid traffic/parking tickets. While sitting in the "cop-shop" waiting for the calculation of my warrants, I started to think about the outcome...Will I pay the $2000 or will I just do a few days?
Since they usually make you hand over your jewelry, I then began to worry about my piercing's. Obviously my more recent piercing's, would most likely close up over an extended period of time. So, just incase, I took out a few barbells, flat-backs and several captive-bead-rings. I stashed some in my shoes, in the waistband of my jeans and a few in the fly of my long johns (long thermal underwear). I couldn't hide them all and besides, the cops that brought me in, would find it funny that all my jewelry had disappeared. Since my ears and nose where the most obvious, I left them in.
Finally after a few hours at the "cop-shop", I got brought to the Detention center. It was another several hours before I was stripped searched, given my sheets, my little brown bag of goodies and brought to my range. After talking it over with the wife, I decided to stay the five days, instead of paying the $2000. I was happy that I'd stashed a few key pieces of jewelry, so, I proceeded to put them back in. A good 6 hours had gone by since I'd taken out my jewelry and a few were giving me problems. I used hot compress's to make it easier to insert.
Since some of my jewelry hadn't been stashed in the most sterile of places, I had no choice to clean them somewhat, before putting them in. It doesn't take a genius to know that there are no autoclaves, metricide or anti-bacterial soap behind bars. Using my 7 years of piercing experience and thinking back to my sterilization course, I was able to find a few things.
I started by making a candle with butter, I cut a string from a mop head and used it as my wick. I then cup open a Coke can that a fellow inmate gave me and after washing it out properly, I started to boil my jewelry in water.
A day or so later, I started to notice that my right nipple looked a little red and swollen. This could've been from the soap used to clean my clothes, from not rinsing well enough in the shower or even from being irritated when I put them in. So once again, I brought out the candle, the coke can and proceeded to boil water. Once cooled, I added salt to the water, mixed it well and poured it over my nipple . I did this twice a day, for several days and it worked! I managed to get through my three weeks without losing one piercing or getting a serious infection.
As a professional piercer with my own business, I have to tell you to never get pierced or tattooed inside; But, if you're in a situation like I was in or you're hellbent on getting tattooed, be smart about it. Look around for what is at your disposal, no matter what detention center, state pen or prison you're in, you can always get your hands on the objects I used. You might have to make a deal with someone but let me tell you, it's well worth it.
For my ears, I used caps from shampoo bottles, pegs from the crib game and even cut out the teeth from a comb (or brush). Everything I used, I took the time to clean it properly though.
If you must get a tattoo while inside, don't be so blinded by your desire to prove something to the other inmates, that you overlook your own safety. Build the gun yourself, keep it for you and don't let anyone else use it. Make your own ink, don't use leftover's...If you don't know how, ask someone. Inmates have been making ink for years and before them, Native Americans. Your carelessness could lead to a death sentence, if you know what I mean (hepatitis C, Aids, etc...). By being smart and taking the time to think things out, I got through it, safely. I hope that my experiences over the past 3 weeks can be help to others. One lesson I learned, pay my damn tickets!
OneStar