Safety

Don’t take unnecessary risks!
Prompted by the mail I get every day, I decided to publish a rough and ready guide to body piercing safety. More correctly a guide of what to look for when getting a piercing, the following is by no means exhaustive, it’s just a few basic suggestions to help you on your way. You may think that I’m being a bit “uptight” about all this, but when it comes to your well being, I believe you can’t be too careful!!!

  1. Choose a reputable (well established) body piercer, who only “does” body piercing.
  2. Ensure (ASK!!!) that the piercing studio meets (exceeds) local health authority standards.
  3. The piercer should belong to the association of professional piercers.
  4. A competent piercer will always use brand new needles, no exceptions!!!
  5. The piercer should have first-aid training.
  6. Use your personal judgment, does the studio look clean?
  7. The above applies to the staff, too.
  8. Studio’s that care about your well being, will issue aftercare guides, READ THEM & TAKE HEED!
  9. Well established studio’s will (normally) have a portfolio of their work, it may be on the Web also!
  10. Above all, use your common sense (if you don’t have any, ask someone that has) and if your not sure about any aspect, ASK!

I make no apologies for suggesting you only use a full time piercer, would you let your local wrecking yard fix your computer? Always ask if your not sure about any aspect of the procedure, a professional piercer will be happy to allay your fears.
Hygiene is utmost and any piercing studio should be spotless, both in the waiting area and the actual piercing room, surfaces should be treated with an antibacterial cleanser on a regular basis, in fact, cleanliness akin to an operating theater is not asking too much, in my view!

Disposable gloves should be worn by the piercer before any contact with you, and if the piercer comes into any non-sterile item, the gloves should be changed.
Used needles should be disposed of in a ‘Sharp safe’ container (a yellow container with red lid, normally) which is clearly marked as such.

These are just a few suggestions on piercing safety, you can find some really comprehensive guides at B.M.E or the A.P.P Website if you wish to find out more.
Piercing is fun and spiritually empowering and needn’t be dangerous / risky if you follow the basic rules, after all you wouldn’t dream of crossing a busy street, without looking first, would you???

Happy piercing,
Stu.