I wrote this in order to inform the lazy. I was the lazy � I didn't look up any of this information or any of these sites for an extremely long time, and before then it was too late. Many of these sites may be considered easy to find or access. This is true. But when I first discovered BME it was through an experience, and it took me an infinitely long time to discover the rest of the site. Silly, computer illiterate, whatever you want to call it, it happened. And this article's purpose is to help those that were like me - the ignorant, the miss-informed, and the lethargic. I hope it helps.
At A Glance Author broken_wings Contact [email protected] IAM broken_wings When N/A (I realize that this information is on the entire BME site. But for those that have difficulty navigating the site, or merely lack the motivation for the search, I've tried my best to compile a good amount of knowledge into one article.)
For the sake of simplicity, I'm usually using the example of an eyebrow piercing. However, many of these links and suggestions can be applied to any type of piercing. Use your own discretion.
Let's say you want to get your eyebrow pierced, because you think it would look really great. Okay, maybe that's not why you want it � but darn it, you want a piece of metal gracing that hairy arch above your eye. Here's where I come in: I'm going to give you all of the information I wish I had had, before I got any of my piercings. It's always a good idea to do research before you get a piercing, and this informational essay will that a little bit easier for you.
First things first � you need to find a piercing studio. This is the establishment at which you will receive your piercing. Logical, no? Many areas will have a number of studios to choose from, so it's important to know what to look for. Or, on the other hand, these criteria will help you decide if it's worth your while to drive to the next town to get pierced. Perhaps the studio closest to you isn't necessarily the best option � only one way to find out!
First, go to http://www.safepiercing.org/ to search for an APP certified piercer in your area. APP stands for the Association of Professional Piercers. Piercers or studios that are members of this association can only join if they fit the criteria. The terms and conditions ensure that these are safe and clean places to go. These places will have your best interests in mind. GO TO THESE PLACES. (If you can.)
If you can't because there's no APP studio near you, that's okay! There are plenty of studios out there that aren't members that are still pretty darn good. Help yourself out by going to http://www.safepiercing.org/choosePiercer.html. This link is a great source of information in terms of what to look for at a studio, and the qualities and credentials a piercer should have.
So let's say you've chosen a studio, and you've found a piercer that you're comfortable with. You still need to choose which type of jewelry you want. There are many different options to choose from, but as long as you've chosen a good studio � just about anything you get from them will be sufficient.
First off - you want to get internally threaded jewelry (as opposed to externally threaded) if you can. This type of jewelry won't tear up your fresh piercing during the insertion, but either type is pretty much okay. (At least in the smaller gauges.) If you're not sure what internally or externally threaded jewelry is, go to this link: http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Threading. This link will explain the difference.
Jewelry offered to you will usually be surgical stainless steel (SSS). If you're lucky, you can find titanium. Titanium is a good option if you have a metal allergy. (And it's lighter!) But in most cases SSS will be just fine. If you feel that Titanium would be better for you, but the studio doesn't carry it, ask if they can order it in for you � chances are they'll be more than happy to.
Also, if I were you, I'd get a barbell rather than a ring, because rings stick out more and can sometimes get caught on things. But really, either way should be just fine. (Some people can heal anything!)
As for gauges, eyebrow piercings are usually 16ga (1.291mm) or 14ga (1.628mm). And they're easy to take care of � sea salt soaks (1 cup of water to � teaspoon of non-iodized sea salt) twice daily for a minimum of five minutes. Soap is an optional thing, but satin soap is usually recommended if you choose to use it. It's important to keep your new piercing clean so as to ward off infection. It's a good idea to do the soaks and then take a clean q-tip to get rid of any crusties you might have. It's an even better idea to wash the crusties off in the shower! NEVER touch your new piercing with unwashed hands; this will transfer scads of bacteria onto the site!
As far as I know, there aren't really major risks that I can think (other than infection) of pertaining to eyebrow piercings, unless your piercer misses and gouges your eye out. And that probably wouldn't happen. The biggest deal is to make sure that they take the needles and jewelry out of fresh sealed packages and that they wear gloves. The reason that this is so important is that if your piercer reuses needles or gloves, they can transmit bacteria, or worse yet � diseases, like HIV. It's lovely to think that it wouldn't happen to you, but better safe than sorry! (But if you've done research on your studio of choice by using the above links, you really shouldn't have any of these problems!)
Above all, if you go to the studio and you get a bad vibe � feel free to leave. Don't force yourself into something, just because you've wanted it for so long etc. Don't do things you think you might regret, and keep in mind that you usually pay for what you get. The $90 piercing will have higher quality jewelry, and the $10 one may have a higher chance of infection. This is your body, treat it with respect and pay the price you feel it deserves.
If you've come this far, and you still feel the need to seek out more information, take your infinite number of questions that you can think of to http://www.bmezine.com/qod3/ and search them. (Or ask me, via e-mail or iam page and I'll write you an essay of an answer.)