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• AffOCIATION OFPROFEffIONALPIERCERf™

cause too much pressure on the piercing; it willshift around and be forced into a very uncom­fortable position. Usually, the result is that thepiercing becomes crooked, leaving a wake ofugly, desensitizing scar tissue as it moves; itcould also migrate out completely, which is verypainful. If, on the other hand, the hood is toosmall or tight on the clit, the same problems canoccur.

3.) How big is the outer labia? Does thepiercee have large thighs? Do her thighs rubtogether when she walks?These factors can moreoften than not cause the piercing to twist aroundquite uncomfortably(more likely with horizontalplacement), again resulting in rejection, migra­tion, or simply a frustrating, unrelentinglypainful refusal to heal. When doing a consulta­tion for these piercings, it's important to seehow the piercee sits, stands and walks, and howher genitals change and move in all of thesepositions.

4.) Placement! There are some misinformedrumors going around about the placement ofthe triangle piercing. It is NOT a deep c1it hoodpiercing, nor is it a clitoral shaft piercing.Piercing through the shaft or root of the cl it canand will permanently damage those tiny andsensitive nerve endings. Your piercee mightnever be able to experience a clitoral orgasmagain, and possibly lose all feeling in this crucialarea. The appropriate placement of thispiercing can best be found by manually explor­ing the area while examining an anatomical dia­gram. The clitoris is actually a wishbone-shapedmuscle, the two long ends of which hug thepubic bone. The triangle of tissue between the

;::::/:<;~:::::::

I'd like to talk about the issue of female gen­ital piercings- starting with the clitoris and tri­angle. Both of these piercings are very beautiful,and can be erotically stimulating to the wearer.They are also very advanced level piercings andshould not be attempted by anyone but anextremely experienced piercer. There are many,many misconceptions circulating about theproper placement for female piercings.Improper placement has resulted in rejection,migration, scarring, nerve damage, and nervedeath.

Unfortunately, the proper anatomy to placeand heal these beautiful piercings is rare. Only avery small percentage of women are anatomi­cally built to properly accommodate the trianglepiercing, and even fewer are suitable for a c1itpiercing. , have seen women who at first glanceseem to have the right anatomy-a large enoughclit, a well-developed triangle area-but I havethen opted against performing the piercing. Thefollowing are a few considerations that must gointo the decision process when performing a c1itor triangle:

I.) Is the area itself large enough to pierce? Ifthe actual clitoris is not at least '/4" in width andlength (about the size of the tip of your pinky),it's probably not big enough to support theweight and mass of a piece of jewelry. Youshould notice that the vast majority of clitorisesare not that large.

2.) Consider the size and elasticity of the cli­toral hood. Even if the cl it is big enough to sup­port jewelry, what sort of friction might it haveto withstand from the hood? If the hood is reallylarge and completely covers the c1it, this can

519 Castro Street, Box 120San Francisco, CA 94114Volume I, Issue 5

'1:1.!.!.. .•.:.:\ ::L:::?:.::.:.:::...... ..: r/·..il:...... ?••••••:••:.t:.tt:rit:::::r:::.??r:::. :··::.::::::.·•••••• '.::::} :: September 1995

2

three ends is the ONLY place to put a trianglepiercing, and it can be very difficult to locate onmost women.

If the piercing is too high, you will nick Orpierce the shaft of the c1it, causing profusebleeding and nerve damage. If the piercing istoo low, the result is two very silly looking,uncomfortably high inner labia piercings. Tooshallow? The piercee will, in the best scenario,end up with a very deep c1it hood piercing, and,in the worst scenario, will probably go to thehospital with a black and blue, profusely bleed­ing clitoral shaft piercing. Too deep? The piercerwill have effectively stapled the hood and inner

to the outer labia, and I can't imagine thispleasant or healing at all. Improper

placement additionally might cause keloiding,abscesses, scars, pain, and loss of sensation. Youcould also be slapped with a hefty lawsuit, whichin this case you probably deserve.

Proper placement, on the other hand, willgive the piercee many hours of fun, with won­derful waves of pre~sure coming from behindand beneath the clitoris. I've heard it's mind­blowing.

5,) Proper clamping. The hour or more thatyou've spent marking a triangle or clitoris willbe utterly wasted if you aren't clamping thepiercing properly. For the clitoris, this meansonly the lightest of pressure, and avoiding anypart of the hood. For the triangle, this meansclamping only the tissue that you intend topierce, with the shaft of the clitoris held secure­ly out of the way by the forceps.

6.) Does the piercer have the extremelysmooth, professional bedside manner necessaryto perform the piercing? These piercings areintense: They cause intense physical and emo­tional reactions from the piercee. Apiercer whoattempts to perform a clitoris or triangle pierc­ing must be able to maintain a safe environmentfor him/herself as well as thepiercee. While bed­side manner is important for any piercing, itcould not be more critical in such a small, nerve­rich, intimate place where needle sticks or other

accidents could be irreversibly damaging. It'snot likely that a piercer would have a secondchance in the event of a mistake.

I cannot stress enough the importance of thismatter. Both of these piercings are difficult toperform, extremely painful to get, and evenmore so emotionally painful to have to remove ifdone improperly. If you have the slightest frag­ment of doubt as to whether or not the piercingwill be. successful. don't do it!

Personally, I feel that this is not an area thatis open to experimentation. it's not a surfacepiercing, or a navel that might or might nottake. We are talking about the very core of awoman's sexual and spiritual pleasure. This isnot a place where taking chances is acceptable.

Sharon SheinkerGauntlet, los Angeles

Bravo, Sharon! I couldn't agree more. I'verecently caught wind of some "experimental"female genital piercings, my opinion of whichaccords with Sharon's. Many communities havebanned piercing altogether and others arequickly following suit. Who can blame themconsidering the flagrant disregard for clientsafety evidenced by a few irresponsible peoplecalling themselvespiercers.

Take, for example, the "Isabella," colorfullypromoted in issue 17 cf Piercing World magazine.Perhaps best described as a mutated, verticalversion of the triangle, it is being performed inthe U.K. under injectable, probably illegal,anesthetic. Along barbell (plastic is suggested)pierces through the suspensory ligament, sever­al layers of hood, muscle, nerves, veins, andother connective tissue, the actual shaft of theclitoris, and exits dangerously close to the ure­thra. This is similar to having all the equivalentmale anatomy stapled together with one pieceof jewelry. Any responsible piercer should knowthat the shaft of the penis is never, neverpierced.

Just as alarming to me is the "PrincessAlbertina", which forces a ring into the tiny,

ed with the kits will clearly describe the risksassociated with these procedures, especiallywhen they are carried out by untrained people.It is believed that by doing so we could controland perhaps minimize the transmission of dis­ease which would occur from uncontrolled useof body piercing equipment."

What could be more uncontrolled than dis­tributing hundreds of baggies containing nee­dles·to IV Drug users and other young, unskilledpeople? What could be more likely than that theequipment will be used again and again, untilthe needles are filthy and dull, and the piercingsgrossly infected? The only possible result is anepidemic, and a few serious injuries or deathscaused by attempts at dangerous piercings.

I am assuming that a Sharps container is notbeing distributed with each baggie, or an auto­clave, or hard-surface disinfectant, or a manualon how to safely perform piercings. I have noidea how they are going to gauge the needlesappropriately to correspond to appropriate jew­elry sizes. Clearly, no professional piercer wasconsulted as to the appropriate equipment orprocedures required for safe piercing. Thelonger I think about this proposal, the morefaults I find with it. I am particularly concernedthat this move will set a dangerous precedentworldwide. This health department needs toknow that we are a professional industry with aspecific skill that cannot be imitated by anuntrained individual at home. Please, write andexplain that piercing is not a casual sportbetween friends, but a serious, potentially dan­gerous activity which can harm or kill if abused.The money set aside for this project could beused to enforce regulations developed with theassistance of professionals in Australia, or aneducational public-service ad campaign. Makeyour voice heard and make a difference!

Health Department of Western AustraliaAttn: P Psaila-Savona PO Box 8172 Stirling StPerth, Western Australia 6849

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Rob PetroffInsane Creations

Burton, MIDear APP,Please find enclosed a flyer for some of the

scariest jewelry to hit the market. The balls onthe barbells are misaligned, there is sterling sil­ver and gold-filled something. And don't for­get the "glued beads"! Iwon't even consider.supporting (name deleted) for display or any­thing else. I thought I'd share this flyer witheveryone as a good example of garbage!

Dave RandallsEclipse Body Piercing

Martinsburg, WV

Here are some excerpts from the flyer foryour enterta nment shudder

"... the captive bead can be used on our sur­gical steel, niobium, 14k gold filled, or sterlingsilver... the glued bead can also be used on allmetals of body jewelry... 14k gold filled andsterling silver beads can only be used on 14kgold filled or sterling silver wire because wesolder the beads on... the threads on the shaftare long enough to insure that the stainlessbead does not work itself off.. The noserings... are available in 14k gold filled, sterlingsilver, and niobium... Body jewelry is very popu­lar. This reason alone did not persuade us tomake it because we usually do not followtrends. Our background in handcrafted jewel­ry means we can easily make it. After many ofyour suggestions and requests, we decided togive it a try. You will notice that our prices arequite low. This does not mean that we useinferior materials or craftsmanship. The pricereflects the fact that we make all of our jew­elry. n

-What manufacturer doesn't "make all oftheir jewelry"? Who did they ask for suggestionswhen designing their line? What is a "nosering"? What are they using to "glue" and "sol­der" their beads to the silver and gold filled

rings? Why is their jewelry externally threaded?And, since it is externally threaded, what excusedo they have for the obvious misalignment of

. their barbell beads? Can someone answer thesequestions? Everyone, please look beyond lowcost when purchasing your jewelry. We'd likemore submissions dealing with jewelry quality.Whenever possible, please do not name names.We want to hear about why, not who.

Dear members and supporters of the APP,I believe I've found the perfect gloves for

our industry. They're made from blue nitrilerubber which under most conditions is far morepuncture resistant than latex gloves. Also, theytend to resist viral penetration better thanlatex. They pull on and seat by the cuff, andare extremely elastic. I've also noticedincreased sensitivity compared with latex.They're very lightly powdered with USP cornstarch, and if you have sensitive skin, thismight be another plus. For more information onN-Dex gloves or to find a distributor in yourarea, call The Best Manufacturing Co. at 1-800­241-0323.

Greg DinkinsThe Hole Thing

Kent, OH

PIERCING RITt­CQ~INGTOA

GOYIRN~ENTNEAR~OU

The Health Department of Western Australia,in conjunction with the Western Australia AIDSCouncil, has decided to address contaminationcaused by unskilled piercers utilizing uncleanequipment. Are they planning on regulating earpiercing guns? Think again. Despite protestsfrom APP subscribers, they are going to begindistributing "piercing kits"- baggies containingeverything that these organizations feel appro­priate or necessary to perform a piercing upononeself. Their intentions are good;

"... the information which can be disseminat-

extremely sensitive female urethra and outthrough the hymen. As women are NOT men, anddo not have a man's large, relatively exposedurethra, the area is not sturdy enough to with­stand minor infections or the weight and frictionof a ring. The female urinary tract is less than 2

inches long. An infection of the piercing couldtravel rapidly to the bladder and become quiteserious. This piercing would be not only be veryuncomfortable, but extremely dangerous. I faileven to see the possible erotic benefits, aswomen's pleasure centers are not similar tomen's. Very few women derive any pleasurefrom having their urethra manipulated, whilemany men do.

It comes as no surprise that the apparentinventor of both piercings is a man. While Ibelieve that an informed, skilled piercer is capa­ble of performing well-placed piercings on peo­ple of either gender, Iquestion the ability of anypiercer to develop a new or experimental pierc­ing on anatomy which he or she does not pos­sess. After several years of successful experienceperforming traditional male genital piercings, Iwould never attempt to invent a new one. Maleand female anatomy may be parallel, but farfrom identical.

As skilled or experienced as any piercer maybe (and a piercer who resorts to injectable anes­thetic does not strike me as possessing skill orexperience), one simply cannot ignore the fun­damental limitations of the human body. Thefemale genitals are vulnerable, and the slightestmisstep or infection in this critical area could bepermanently damaging, even fatal. Yet thesepiercings are being done on piercees who, in alllikelihood, have not been informed of the realrisks involved. Has the excitement and beauty ofpiercings blinded us from simple reality? Itwould be shameful for this art to be drivenunderground, as is already happening in manycommunities, because of the irresponsibleactions of a few arrogant hacks.

Piercees, for your safety and the safety ofpiercing, please do not participate in the ever-

escalating quest for the weirdest, the biggest,the newest! While there are certainly a few feasi­ble piercings falling outside of the norm, most ofthe experiments we have seen or heard ofinvolve too many risks of scarring, nerve dam­age, rejection, infections, and abscessing to beworth risking. Any piercing so radical looking isprobably unusual for a very good reason.

There are piercers who claim miraculous skillwith surface to surface and other unusual pierc­ings. Make very sure that such a piercer informsyou completely and realistically of the risksinvolved in any piercing. If any chance of scar­ring, rejection, etc. is even a remote risk, youhave every right to know. To deny risks is irre­sponsible and unethical. If, after discussion, thepiercing you are contemplating just seems toochancy, follow your feelings! Get a second opin­ion, and insure that every piercing is a wonder­ful, successful, and safe experience.

-Michaela Grey(Reprinted by permission of PFIQ)

PIERCING FRIENDL~ DOC-TORI

We've gotten a few responses to our requestfor open-minded MDs, and here are theiraddresses. But I'm sure they can't be the ONLYsupportive medical folks out there! Let us knowif your favorite doctor, nurse, acupuncturist,chiropractor, or other health care worker wantsto have more pierced clientele.

'Elsie FontanellaNurseCedar's Sinai Center for Nurses Research andDevelopmentLos Angeles area(310)855-5000

, Dr. Ward VaughanGynecologist1330 Amherst St.Winchester, VA 22601(703) 662-0711 or (703) 665-0000

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·Dr. Richard NascaOrthopedic/Spine Surgery7241 Hanover ParkwaySuite AlB'Greenbelt, MD 20770(301) 345-8636

• Shenandoah Community Health CenterEast Moler AveMartinsburg, WV(304) 263- 4956

·Shenandoah First Med of InwoodI Sader DriveInwood, WV(304) 229-0600

·Shenandoah Health Services202 Foxcroft AveMartinsburg, WV(304) 267-9440

H4RD IURF4C-EDI/INFEC-T4NT/:IPR4~ OR WIPE/?

The surfaces of your studio must be fre­quently wiped down with a hard-surface disin­fectant, be it Madacide, gluteraldehyde, super­quaternary ammonium compound, or otherbacteriocidal, viruocidal, fungicidal solution.But the best way to apply this disinfectant is aminor point of controversy among profession­als. Many use liquid-saturated towelettes, suchas San i-Wipes. Using these requires that thepiercer change their gloves a few extra times toavoid cross-contamination, and nobody wouldwant to touch the towelettes with bare hands. Aspray form might be easy to apply, but somepiercers worry about one thing: is it possiblethat the spraying action could be sendingbloodborne particles off into the air of yourshop? Is this a risk you feel comfortable taking?

There is a product which seems to solve this

problem to some degree. This product is FoamySpray and Wipe Germicidal Cleaner. As thename implies, this super-quat foams upon con­tact with the surface to be cleaned, therebytrapping nasty particles and preventing themfrom flying away. This company also manufac­tures a hospital grade disinfectant and deodor­ant called Combat. Check them out!

KER Supply Co. Inc.2250 Moen AveJoliet, IL 60436(815) 744-2721.

George WakupPhantasy Piercing

Lockport, IL

BR411 J4W PLIERIOf all the tools used to manipulate body

jewelry, the one most likely to damage yourjewelry is the pair of standard pliers used totorque rings. Many piercers are still usingCraftsman type household pliers to bend theirjewelry before insertion. Not only do these pli­ers have serrated ends which will scratch thejewelry (even through surgical gauze tape),they are usually not autoclaveable. It isabsolutely essential that this tool be autoclave­able since it comes into direct contact withblood and other bodily fluids. The only way tomake most of these pliers autoclaveable is tohave them nickel plated by a metalsmith, andeven then, the risk of scratching your jewelryremains. Some piercers will protect their jewelrysomewhat by taping the ends of the pliers. Thistape must be removed before sterilizing the pli­ers, and leaves a sticky adhesive residue whichis difficult to scrub off.

Asolution to ALL of these problems is to usebrass jawed pliers. These pliers have a stainlesssteel frame, and the tips of the pliers are coatedwith brass. This brass is softer than most metalsand so is less likely to scratch jewelry. I person­ally haven't had a problem scratching any jew­elry with these pliers, not even niobium. The

I am writing this letter in response to the let­ter from Erica Skadsen in the last Point.

Let's begin with your first issue- how toproperly sterilize jewelry before insertion. Firstof all, it is my opinion that if it is necessary touse an unused, individually sterilized needle foreach piercing, shouldn't it be necessary to treatthe jewelry meant for insertion in the same way?I feel that in ellery case, the jewelry should beindividually packaged and autoclaved; thisincludes times when you are selling jewelry to beinserted at home in a healed piercing.

What exactly is your point about sellingpiercing needles? Are you trying to tell me thatif Idon't sell.needles to the public, that they willall go out and pierce themselves with safetypins, dirty needles, or some other type of instru­ment? If this is your opinion, what makes youconfident that the needle I sell to such a personwon't be used to pierce themselves and ten oth­ers before finally being thrown away? When Isay throwaway, I remind you that this personwill surely not have a sharps container at home,or wherever else they choose to perform theirpiercings, to properly dispose of this misusedneedle. If you are indiscriminately selling pierc­ing needles, I feel that you should be heldresponsible for any misuse that occurs.

You ask for a definition of "professional".Although according to a dictionary a profes­sional is indeed anyone working at the job, aprofessional should also care about his/her cus­tomers. In my opinion a professional is someonewho practices only the highest level of sterileand ethical practices. This does not includesomeone who sells needles to anyone off thestreet just to make a buck, or someone whopierces minors without parental consent.

You made reference to a chart in a previousissue which included pressure cookers and dryheat sterilizers as well as autoclaves in the list of

reliable methods of sterilization. That chart liststhose forms of sterilization approved by hospi­tals, and does not necessarily reflect the APP'sopinions as to "reliable". The only sterilizationmethod that the APP stands behind is autoclav­ing, and yes, we are 100% sure about that!

The last issue Iwant to address is hair salons.You ask, once again, what is a professional. Iwillagain give you my personal definition. Aprofes­sional is someone practicing only the highestlevel of sterile and ethical practices. Feel ing as Ido, it makes me extremely ill to think of beingpierced in a place where hair and nail filing par­ticles are floating through the air. There is a verygood chance of this material getting into myfresh piercing. You also ask if the hair salon thatalso tattoos is a more legitimate place to bepierced. First of all, tattoos should not be per­formed in a hair salon for the same health rea­sons I gave for piercings. Secondly, the fact thata person tattoos or styles hair is not an indica­tion that they know the first thing about pierc­ing. It has been my experience that roughly 8out of 10 tattoo artists performing piercings havelittle or no clue about the most basic rights andwrongs of piercing, because a good share ofthese artists are too busy tattooing to researchand respect piercing as it deserves. This appliesequally to the hair stylists who want to "addpiercing to their services".

Erica, in reading and rereading your letter, Iam not sure if you are bringing up these issuesbecause you are unclear, or because you thinkothers are unclear about the issues. It is my sug­gestion that if it is you who is unclear on thepoints Ihave addressed, and the many more thatI did not, you should throwaway your needlesand get out of the business; it seems you need tospend some time educating yourself about atopic about which you should know much morethan you seem to.

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be removed with two needle-nose forceps.Hepatitis Bwas reportedly transmitted

through a gun that was being cleaned withhydrogen peroxide between customers. This wasreported in the Danish medical Journal Ugeskr­iaeger on January 7. 1991

other problems, including gun-transmittedinfections, jewelry imbedding. abscesses,keloids. trauma, are reported in the followingartides:

Infection as a consequence of ear piercingGeorge J.• White M.English medical journal Practitioner March

22, 1989Hazards of ear piercing procedures which

transverse cartilage: A report of pseudomonasperichondritis and review of other complica­tions.

Cumberworth V.L.. Hogarth T.B. BritishJournal of Clinical Practice November 1990

Acute pseudomonas perichondritis as asequel to ear piercing

Turkeltaub S.H.. Habal M.B.Ann-Plastic Surgery USA March 1990Ear Piercing ProblemsDr. Ann l. JayBritish Medical Journal August 27. 1977

That's probably enough goriness for now...unless you have some story or photo to sharewith us!

APP DIRECTOR~The need for a trade directory has become

apparent. Twice a year. APP will print a non­commercial directory. including listings of itsmembers and subscribers, piercing-friendlyphysicians, positions sought/positions available.sale of piercing-related implements and prod­ucts (autoclaves, ultrasonic machines,gloves.etc.....:.- NOT jewelry or services!!!) Pleasesend submissions to the Point's box by NovemberI for inclusion in the first edition. If you areunsure about the appropriateness of a submis-

sion, please call (619) 272-1188, (810) 743-8126,(317) 259-1950 or (415) 552-0505. ext 107 to speakwith a board member.

PIERCINC IN/URANCEII NOW AVAILABLE!

Body piercing insurance is now availablethrough Professional Program Insurance Brokers.I have been working with PPIB to develop aninsurance program to specifically meet the needsof the professional piercing industry. This is thefirst of its kind and should prove to be very ben­eficial both for the individual and for the indus­try. Insurance for body piercing includes premis­es and professional liability with rates starting atabout $800.00. Coverage is available for up to$1,000.000. The program is open to professionalpiercers who meet the insurance company'sstandards and guidelines. which are very similarto the minimum basic guidelines any responsiblepiercer should already be following. For informa­tion and application, contact Susan or Carmen at

Professional Program Insurance Brokers1200 Van Ness Ave #200

San Francisco. CA 94109

(415) 885- 133 1

GahdiMastodon Body Piercing

San Diego. CA

THANR~OU!Abelated thanks is due to Mic Beasley and

the Alliance of Professional Tattooists, whosewords of encouragement and advice were sohelpful at the startup of APP.

one scratch occurred when bending a 10 gauge3/8", 18 karat gold ring. I have not, however,had problems bending gold in smaller gauges.

The pliers come with a rubber coating onthe hand grips, and I have found that this rub­ber coating will withstand many trips throughthe autoclave. Some piercers may wish to runthe autoclave at 250· for 20 to 30 minutes toprolong the eventual disintegration of the rub­ber hand gr.ips. I elected not to change myautoclave settings from their usual 270· at 15minutes. but after months of use the rubberbegan to bubble and split, necessitatingreplacement of the tool. I have gone to greatlengths to find ways to repair the rubber. butsince the tool only costs $10.50. it's really morecost effective just to replace it. This tool isavailable through Dakota Steel, Inc. 1-800-995­

0595·Kent Fazekas

Body AccentsIndianapolis, IN

C/R WRAPWhile we're on the subject of tools. let's talk

about CSR wrap. It's very important that yourautoclaved tools stay protected from the airwhile they await their next use. This means thatyou shouldn't just drop naked tools onto yourautoclave trays. Pliers, files, and other imple­ments need to be wrapped.

Standard paper pouches are often too smalland rip easily. You can't see what's inside,which can be aggravating if you are fond of aparticular tool. They also tend to condensemoisture. which speeds the rusting of thetools.A Peel-Vue pouch, with a plastic window,is expensive, takes up lots of autoclave space,and is a virtual condensation machine. RustCity!

Enter CSR wrap. This specially treated paperis very inexpensive, and can be cut to size. Justwrap it around your tools, label the paper, andautoclave them on the normal wrap cycle. The

paper automatically seals to itself, forming awater repellent shield against bacteria andother airborne material. If your tools are beingproperly stored, these little blue packages willkeep your tools sterile until their next use. CSRwrap (and lots of other great products) is avail­able from Henry Schein. Call them at (800) 851­0400.

ChanceGauntlet, Inc.

San Francisco, CA

4 "WJI.\'t11lIC11In late February I called our US West Direct

yellow pages ad representative and asked whatthe procedure was for getting a heading in thephone directory for Body Piercing. Iwas toldthat it was just lumped under "Ear Piercing" or"Tattooing". I explained that it was a totallydifferent business and I did not feel that it fitunder either of these categories. Iwas then toldthat to request a new heading in the phonedirectory there has to be a written request anddocumentation that separate heading is war­ranted. I composed a letter to US West Directand enclosed various forms of documentation. Isoon received a call that our representative wasforwarding the information to the corporateoffices.

The closing date for all of the review anddocumentation process was set at July II, 1995· Iwas given the phone number of the corporatereviewer. I called and explained the need forthe listing, and gave them a number of namesof establishments which would be interested inusing the proposed heading. On July 10, Iwascalled and told that the heading was approved,and would appear in the 1996 Yellow PagesDirectory for us West Direct. As of August I,

1995. the heading will be available for the fol­lowing states: WA, OR, MN, NM, AI, WY, CO. SD,

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NO, 10, MT, UT, NE, IA. These are the 14 states towhich us West distributes Yellow Pages. I alsoinquired whether this case would influenceother phone book distributors in the rest of thecountry- the answer was YES; it will definitelyopen the door. I strongly encourage businessesto call their phone directory representativesand ask to be listed under the separate headingof Body Piercing. While ending our conversa­tion Iwas told that Tribal Rites in Colorado hadalso been making inquiries into getting thisheading. I want to say thanks to Tribal Rites fortaking the time to work on this important steptowards respect for our industry.

AIDPlayspace LTD

Seattle, WA(Ed- I'd personally like to thank and con­

gratulate AI Dfor being the FIRST person to sendin all of the required paperwork and pho­tographs to qualify for APP business memberstatus!)

pi\\\W m~lJ,I am glad the APP encourages Point readers

to communicate with other piercers in our·area.I chose to take this advice and contact anestablishment that was using jewelry of sub­standard quality.

In one week three different individuals cameto my shop complaining of problems with theirnavel piercings. All three had been pierced atthe same place, a new shop in one of the outly­ing areas of Seattle. Each had jewelry in theirpiercings that was turning black. The silvercaptive bead in each was turning green. Afterremoving the jewelry and and replacing it withjewelry of appropriate quality, I coached eachindividual on what to look for in a professionalpiercer and what questions to ask their nextpiercer, I sent them on their way with properaftercare suggestions. I have since received

phone calls from each of them to say that theyare now healing fine, with no more discomfort.

I chose to call the shop in question andspeak with their piercer. I identified myself andasked if he had time to answer a few questions.I informed him of what was taking place andthat the jewelry he was using was causingproblems in his clients. After a lengthy discus­sion Ifound that he did not know much aboutthe different grades of of surgical stainless steeljewelry, much less that metals such as niobium,titanium, and solid gold are used. I gave him afew jewelry sources to contact so that he couldpurchase quality jewelry. In further discussion Ifound that his experience level as a piercer wasquite limited. He had apprenticed for severalmonths and was an EMT. I suggested theGauntlet Seminars and asked if he intended tokeep piercing after now knowing that there wasa lot more involved in piercing than puttingsilver rings in navels.

WelL .. he will continue to pierce, and thereis nothing I or anyone else can do about it untilregulations of some sort are developed. Ioffered to answer any questions and invitedhim to visit my shop at any time. That's thebest I can do.

I think it was a success story in one area. Hewill now at least be installing quality jewelry (Ireceived confirmation from one of my manu­facturers and he did buy a proper stock of jew­elry). But the other area that is really frighten­ing is that he will continue to pierce with hislimited knowledge. I hope this story encouragesthe professionals out there to contact the prob­lem shops and individuals and make the effortto communicate with them.

AI D.Playspace Ltd.

Seattle, WA

THE TROUBLE WITHEAR GUMt.....

App has received a few very informative sub­missions dealing with the damage caused by

the ubiquitous ear stud guns, and would like toshare some of it with Point readers. Any piercerwho is currently struggling with the board of

health over the local ear gun wielder is encour­aged to share this Point.

Hopefully, these tales of woe will inspire youto photograph and document local examplesfor the APP legislative artillery. Things willunfortunately have to get worse before theyimprove, and only a strong show of support forreasonable health and safety legislation willprevent the severe restriction or illegalization ofpiercing in your area. Help us help you! Andthank you all for continuing to support thiseffort with photographs and testimonies!

paraphrased from:The Capitol

Annapolis, MDThanks to Drew Lewis at PerforationsTaking Fashion a Bit Too Far- June 19, 1995Mark Kaluzenski got two "gold" studs

pierced into his left ear cartilage. Six weekslater, a virulent infection had advanced soseverely that he had to be rushed into emer-:gency surgery, spend a week in the hospital onan IV, and almost lost all or part of his ear.Fortunately, he got away with only a scar. Dr.Gregory Heacock, the doctor who performed the45 minute surgery to remove the infection, saidthat he has similarly treated five or six patients,·most of whom lost a piece of their ear.

paraphrased from:A Submission on Body Piercinga submission to the sub-committee on body

piercin~ of the skin Penetration Act ReviewCommittee, Queensland Health Dept. Cairns,Australia

thanks to Cheyenne Morrison atThe Piercing TempleThe original gun was developed in the 1960s

by Roman Research, a company which simplyaltered the gun already in use for ID-taggingcow's ears. Later, Studex, ) Hewitt, andInverness, among others, modified the originaldesign, adding the familiar spring-loadingfunction.

One woman reported that when she had herears pierced with a gun, blood sprayed every­where- all over her, the gun, the room, and theperson doing the piercing. It probably had hita small blood vessel. There are a lot of anecdo­tal stories to this effect, suggesting that thisoccurs occasionally.

Especially dangerous is the use of the gunsto pierce noses, because a large part of the gunbody must be placed inside the nostril. Thenose harbors many dangerous bacteria, includ­ing staphylococcus aureus, streptococcuspneumoniae, and the potentially fatal beta­haemolytic streptococcus bacterium. Onewoman in Australia, Lynette Rose, had to visit adoctor because the gun had broken the bone inher nose.

One girl in Cairns had been pierced by thelocal tattooist using the gun. The stud wascompletely imbedded in the flesh and had to

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NO, 10, MT, UT, NE, IA. These are the 14 states towhich us West distributes Yellow Pages. I alsoinquired whether this case would influenceother phone book distributors in the rest of thecountry- the answer was YES; it will definitelyopen the door. I strongly encourage businessesto call their phone directory representativesand ask to be listed under the separate headingof Body Piercing. While ending our conversa­tion Iwas told that Tribal Rites in Colorado hadalso been making inquiries into getting thisheading. I want to say thanks to Tribal Rites fortaking the time to work on this important steptowards respect for our industry.

AIDPlayspace LTD

Seattle, WA(Ed- I'd personally like to thank and con­

gratulate AI Dfor being the FIRST person to sendin all of the required paperwork and pho­tographs to qualify for APP business memberstatus!)

pi\\\W m~lJ,I am glad the APP encourages Point readers

to communicate with other piercers in our·area.I chose to take this advice and contact anestablishment that was using jewelry of sub­standard quality.

In one week three different individuals cameto my shop complaining of problems with theirnavel piercings. All three had been pierced atthe same place, a new shop in one of the outly­ing areas of Seattle. Each had jewelry in theirpiercings that was turning black. The silvercaptive bead in each was turning green. Afterremoving the jewelry and and replacing it withjewelry of appropriate quality, I coached eachindividual on what to look for in a professionalpiercer and what questions to ask their nextpiercer, I sent them on their way with properaftercare suggestions. I have since received

phone calls from each of them to say that theyare now healing fine, with no more discomfort.

I chose to call the shop in question andspeak with their piercer. I identified myself andasked if he had time to answer a few questions.I informed him of what was taking place andthat the jewelry he was using was causingproblems in his clients. After a lengthy discus­sion Ifound that he did not know much aboutthe different grades of of surgical stainless steeljewelry, much less that metals such as niobium,titanium, and solid gold are used. I gave him afew jewelry sources to contact so that he couldpurchase quality jewelry. In further discussion Ifound that his experience level as a piercer wasquite limited. He had apprenticed for severalmonths and was an EMT. I suggested theGauntlet Seminars and asked if he intended tokeep piercing after now knowing that there wasa lot more involved in piercing than puttingsilver rings in navels.

WelL .. he will continue to pierce, and thereis nothing I or anyone else can do about it untilregulations of some sort are developed. Ioffered to answer any questions and invitedhim to visit my shop at any time. That's thebest I can do.

I think it was a success story in one area. Hewill now at least be installing quality jewelry (Ireceived confirmation from one of my manu­facturers and he did buy a proper stock of jew­elry). But the other area that is really frighten­ing is that he will continue to pierce with hislimited knowledge. I hope this story encouragesthe professionals out there to contact the prob­lem shops and individuals and make the effortto communicate with them.

AI D.Playspace Ltd.

Seattle, WA

THE TROUBLE WITHEAR GUMt.....

App has received a few very informative sub­missions dealing with the damage caused by

the ubiquitous ear stud guns, and would like toshare some of it with Point readers. Any piercerwho is currently struggling with the board of

health over the local ear gun wielder is encour­aged to share this Point.

Hopefully, these tales of woe will inspire youto photograph and document local examplesfor the APP legislative artillery. Things willunfortunately have to get worse before theyimprove, and only a strong show of support forreasonable health and safety legislation willprevent the severe restriction or illegalization ofpiercing in your area. Help us help you! Andthank you all for continuing to support thiseffort with photographs and testimonies!

paraphrased from:The Capitol

Annapolis, MDThanks to Drew Lewis at PerforationsTaking Fashion a Bit Too Far- June 19, 1995Mark Kaluzenski got two "gold" studs

pierced into his left ear cartilage. Six weekslater, a virulent infection had advanced soseverely that he had to be rushed into emer-:gency surgery, spend a week in the hospital onan IV, and almost lost all or part of his ear.Fortunately, he got away with only a scar. Dr.Gregory Heacock, the doctor who performed the45 minute surgery to remove the infection, saidthat he has similarly treated five or six patients,·most of whom lost a piece of their ear.

paraphrased from:A Submission on Body Piercinga submission to the sub-committee on body

piercin~ of the skin Penetration Act ReviewCommittee, Queensland Health Dept. Cairns,Australia

thanks to Cheyenne Morrison atThe Piercing TempleThe original gun was developed in the 1960s

by Roman Research, a company which simplyaltered the gun already in use for ID-taggingcow's ears. Later, Studex, ) Hewitt, andInverness, among others, modified the originaldesign, adding the familiar spring-loadingfunction.

One woman reported that when she had herears pierced with a gun, blood sprayed every­where- all over her, the gun, the room, and theperson doing the piercing. It probably had hita small blood vessel. There are a lot of anecdo­tal stories to this effect, suggesting that thisoccurs occasionally.

Especially dangerous is the use of the gunsto pierce noses, because a large part of the gunbody must be placed inside the nostril. Thenose harbors many dangerous bacteria, includ­ing staphylococcus aureus, streptococcuspneumoniae, and the potentially fatal beta­haemolytic streptococcus bacterium. Onewoman in Australia, Lynette Rose, had to visit adoctor because the gun had broken the bone inher nose.

One girl in Cairns had been pierced by thelocal tattooist using the gun. The stud wascompletely imbedded in the flesh and had to

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be removed with two needle-nose forceps.Hepatitis Bwas reportedly transmitted

through a gun that was being cleaned withhydrogen peroxide between customers. This wasreported in the Danish medical Journal Ugeskr­iaeger on January 7. 1991

other problems, including gun-transmittedinfections, jewelry imbedding. abscesses,keloids. trauma, are reported in the followingartides:

Infection as a consequence of ear piercingGeorge J.• White M.English medical journal Practitioner March

22, 1989Hazards of ear piercing procedures which

transverse cartilage: A report of pseudomonasperichondritis and review of other complica­tions.

Cumberworth V.L.. Hogarth T.B. BritishJournal of Clinical Practice November 1990

Acute pseudomonas perichondritis as asequel to ear piercing

Turkeltaub S.H.. Habal M.B.Ann-Plastic Surgery USA March 1990Ear Piercing ProblemsDr. Ann l. JayBritish Medical Journal August 27. 1977

That's probably enough goriness for now...unless you have some story or photo to sharewith us!

APP DIRECTOR~The need for a trade directory has become

apparent. Twice a year. APP will print a non­commercial directory. including listings of itsmembers and subscribers, piercing-friendlyphysicians, positions sought/positions available.sale of piercing-related implements and prod­ucts (autoclaves, ultrasonic machines,gloves.etc.....:.- NOT jewelry or services!!!) Pleasesend submissions to the Point's box by NovemberI for inclusion in the first edition. If you areunsure about the appropriateness of a submis-

sion, please call (619) 272-1188, (810) 743-8126,(317) 259-1950 or (415) 552-0505. ext 107 to speakwith a board member.

PIERCINC IN/URANCEII NOW AVAILABLE!

Body piercing insurance is now availablethrough Professional Program Insurance Brokers.I have been working with PPIB to develop aninsurance program to specifically meet the needsof the professional piercing industry. This is thefirst of its kind and should prove to be very ben­eficial both for the individual and for the indus­try. Insurance for body piercing includes premis­es and professional liability with rates starting atabout $800.00. Coverage is available for up to$1,000.000. The program is open to professionalpiercers who meet the insurance company'sstandards and guidelines. which are very similarto the minimum basic guidelines any responsiblepiercer should already be following. For informa­tion and application, contact Susan or Carmen at

Professional Program Insurance Brokers1200 Van Ness Ave #200

San Francisco. CA 94109

(415) 885- 133 1

GahdiMastodon Body Piercing

San Diego. CA

THANR~OU!Abelated thanks is due to Mic Beasley and

the Alliance of Professional Tattooists, whosewords of encouragement and advice were sohelpful at the startup of APP.

one scratch occurred when bending a 10 gauge3/8", 18 karat gold ring. I have not, however,had problems bending gold in smaller gauges.

The pliers come with a rubber coating onthe hand grips, and I have found that this rub­ber coating will withstand many trips throughthe autoclave. Some piercers may wish to runthe autoclave at 250· for 20 to 30 minutes toprolong the eventual disintegration of the rub­ber hand gr.ips. I elected not to change myautoclave settings from their usual 270· at 15minutes. but after months of use the rubberbegan to bubble and split, necessitatingreplacement of the tool. I have gone to greatlengths to find ways to repair the rubber. butsince the tool only costs $10.50. it's really morecost effective just to replace it. This tool isavailable through Dakota Steel, Inc. 1-800-995­

0595·Kent Fazekas

Body AccentsIndianapolis, IN

C/R WRAPWhile we're on the subject of tools. let's talk

about CSR wrap. It's very important that yourautoclaved tools stay protected from the airwhile they await their next use. This means thatyou shouldn't just drop naked tools onto yourautoclave trays. Pliers, files, and other imple­ments need to be wrapped.

Standard paper pouches are often too smalland rip easily. You can't see what's inside,which can be aggravating if you are fond of aparticular tool. They also tend to condensemoisture. which speeds the rusting of thetools.A Peel-Vue pouch, with a plastic window,is expensive, takes up lots of autoclave space,and is a virtual condensation machine. RustCity!

Enter CSR wrap. This specially treated paperis very inexpensive, and can be cut to size. Justwrap it around your tools, label the paper, andautoclave them on the normal wrap cycle. The

paper automatically seals to itself, forming awater repellent shield against bacteria andother airborne material. If your tools are beingproperly stored, these little blue packages willkeep your tools sterile until their next use. CSRwrap (and lots of other great products) is avail­able from Henry Schein. Call them at (800) 851­0400.

ChanceGauntlet, Inc.

San Francisco, CA

4 "WJI.\'t11lIC11In late February I called our US West Direct

yellow pages ad representative and asked whatthe procedure was for getting a heading in thephone directory for Body Piercing. Iwas toldthat it was just lumped under "Ear Piercing" or"Tattooing". I explained that it was a totallydifferent business and I did not feel that it fitunder either of these categories. Iwas then toldthat to request a new heading in the phonedirectory there has to be a written request anddocumentation that separate heading is war­ranted. I composed a letter to US West Directand enclosed various forms of documentation. Isoon received a call that our representative wasforwarding the information to the corporateoffices.

The closing date for all of the review anddocumentation process was set at July II, 1995· Iwas given the phone number of the corporatereviewer. I called and explained the need forthe listing, and gave them a number of namesof establishments which would be interested inusing the proposed heading. On July 10, Iwascalled and told that the heading was approved,and would appear in the 1996 Yellow PagesDirectory for us West Direct. As of August I,

1995. the heading will be available for the fol­lowing states: WA, OR, MN, NM, AI, WY, CO. SD,

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·Dr. Richard NascaOrthopedic/Spine Surgery7241 Hanover ParkwaySuite AlB'Greenbelt, MD 20770(301) 345-8636

• Shenandoah Community Health CenterEast Moler AveMartinsburg, WV(304) 263- 4956

·Shenandoah First Med of InwoodI Sader DriveInwood, WV(304) 229-0600

·Shenandoah Health Services202 Foxcroft AveMartinsburg, WV(304) 267-9440

H4RD IURF4C-EDI/INFEC-T4NT/:IPR4~ OR WIPE/?

The surfaces of your studio must be fre­quently wiped down with a hard-surface disin­fectant, be it Madacide, gluteraldehyde, super­quaternary ammonium compound, or otherbacteriocidal, viruocidal, fungicidal solution.But the best way to apply this disinfectant is aminor point of controversy among profession­als. Many use liquid-saturated towelettes, suchas San i-Wipes. Using these requires that thepiercer change their gloves a few extra times toavoid cross-contamination, and nobody wouldwant to touch the towelettes with bare hands. Aspray form might be easy to apply, but somepiercers worry about one thing: is it possiblethat the spraying action could be sendingbloodborne particles off into the air of yourshop? Is this a risk you feel comfortable taking?

There is a product which seems to solve this

problem to some degree. This product is FoamySpray and Wipe Germicidal Cleaner. As thename implies, this super-quat foams upon con­tact with the surface to be cleaned, therebytrapping nasty particles and preventing themfrom flying away. This company also manufac­tures a hospital grade disinfectant and deodor­ant called Combat. Check them out!

KER Supply Co. Inc.2250 Moen AveJoliet, IL 60436(815) 744-2721.

George WakupPhantasy Piercing

Lockport, IL

BR411 J4W PLIERIOf all the tools used to manipulate body

jewelry, the one most likely to damage yourjewelry is the pair of standard pliers used totorque rings. Many piercers are still usingCraftsman type household pliers to bend theirjewelry before insertion. Not only do these pli­ers have serrated ends which will scratch thejewelry (even through surgical gauze tape),they are usually not autoclaveable. It isabsolutely essential that this tool be autoclave­able since it comes into direct contact withblood and other bodily fluids. The only way tomake most of these pliers autoclaveable is tohave them nickel plated by a metalsmith, andeven then, the risk of scratching your jewelryremains. Some piercers will protect their jewelrysomewhat by taping the ends of the pliers. Thistape must be removed before sterilizing the pli­ers, and leaves a sticky adhesive residue whichis difficult to scrub off.

Asolution to ALL of these problems is to usebrass jawed pliers. These pliers have a stainlesssteel frame, and the tips of the pliers are coatedwith brass. This brass is softer than most metalsand so is less likely to scratch jewelry. I person­ally haven't had a problem scratching any jew­elry with these pliers, not even niobium. The

I am writing this letter in response to the let­ter from Erica Skadsen in the last Point.

Let's begin with your first issue- how toproperly sterilize jewelry before insertion. Firstof all, it is my opinion that if it is necessary touse an unused, individually sterilized needle foreach piercing, shouldn't it be necessary to treatthe jewelry meant for insertion in the same way?I feel that in ellery case, the jewelry should beindividually packaged and autoclaved; thisincludes times when you are selling jewelry to beinserted at home in a healed piercing.

What exactly is your point about sellingpiercing needles? Are you trying to tell me thatif Idon't sell.needles to the public, that they willall go out and pierce themselves with safetypins, dirty needles, or some other type of instru­ment? If this is your opinion, what makes youconfident that the needle I sell to such a personwon't be used to pierce themselves and ten oth­ers before finally being thrown away? When Isay throwaway, I remind you that this personwill surely not have a sharps container at home,or wherever else they choose to perform theirpiercings, to properly dispose of this misusedneedle. If you are indiscriminately selling pierc­ing needles, I feel that you should be heldresponsible for any misuse that occurs.

You ask for a definition of "professional".Although according to a dictionary a profes­sional is indeed anyone working at the job, aprofessional should also care about his/her cus­tomers. In my opinion a professional is someonewho practices only the highest level of sterileand ethical practices. This does not includesomeone who sells needles to anyone off thestreet just to make a buck, or someone whopierces minors without parental consent.

You made reference to a chart in a previousissue which included pressure cookers and dryheat sterilizers as well as autoclaves in the list of

reliable methods of sterilization. That chart liststhose forms of sterilization approved by hospi­tals, and does not necessarily reflect the APP'sopinions as to "reliable". The only sterilizationmethod that the APP stands behind is autoclav­ing, and yes, we are 100% sure about that!

The last issue Iwant to address is hair salons.You ask, once again, what is a professional. Iwillagain give you my personal definition. Aprofes­sional is someone practicing only the highestlevel of sterile and ethical practices. Feel ing as Ido, it makes me extremely ill to think of beingpierced in a place where hair and nail filing par­ticles are floating through the air. There is a verygood chance of this material getting into myfresh piercing. You also ask if the hair salon thatalso tattoos is a more legitimate place to bepierced. First of all, tattoos should not be per­formed in a hair salon for the same health rea­sons I gave for piercings. Secondly, the fact thata person tattoos or styles hair is not an indica­tion that they know the first thing about pierc­ing. It has been my experience that roughly 8out of 10 tattoo artists performing piercings havelittle or no clue about the most basic rights andwrongs of piercing, because a good share ofthese artists are too busy tattooing to researchand respect piercing as it deserves. This appliesequally to the hair stylists who want to "addpiercing to their services".

Erica, in reading and rereading your letter, Iam not sure if you are bringing up these issuesbecause you are unclear, or because you thinkothers are unclear about the issues. It is my sug­gestion that if it is you who is unclear on thepoints Ihave addressed, and the many more thatI did not, you should throwaway your needlesand get out of the business; it seems you need tospend some time educating yourself about atopic about which you should know much morethan you seem to.

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Rob PetroffInsane Creations

Burton, MIDear APP,Please find enclosed a flyer for some of the

scariest jewelry to hit the market. The balls onthe barbells are misaligned, there is sterling sil­ver and gold-filled something. And don't for­get the "glued beads"! Iwon't even consider.supporting (name deleted) for display or any­thing else. I thought I'd share this flyer witheveryone as a good example of garbage!

Dave RandallsEclipse Body Piercing

Martinsburg, WV

Here are some excerpts from the flyer foryour enterta nment shudder

"... the captive bead can be used on our sur­gical steel, niobium, 14k gold filled, or sterlingsilver... the glued bead can also be used on allmetals of body jewelry... 14k gold filled andsterling silver beads can only be used on 14kgold filled or sterling silver wire because wesolder the beads on... the threads on the shaftare long enough to insure that the stainlessbead does not work itself off.. The noserings... are available in 14k gold filled, sterlingsilver, and niobium... Body jewelry is very popu­lar. This reason alone did not persuade us tomake it because we usually do not followtrends. Our background in handcrafted jewel­ry means we can easily make it. After many ofyour suggestions and requests, we decided togive it a try. You will notice that our prices arequite low. This does not mean that we useinferior materials or craftsmanship. The pricereflects the fact that we make all of our jew­elry. n

-What manufacturer doesn't "make all oftheir jewelry"? Who did they ask for suggestionswhen designing their line? What is a "nosering"? What are they using to "glue" and "sol­der" their beads to the silver and gold filled

rings? Why is their jewelry externally threaded?And, since it is externally threaded, what excusedo they have for the obvious misalignment of

. their barbell beads? Can someone answer thesequestions? Everyone, please look beyond lowcost when purchasing your jewelry. We'd likemore submissions dealing with jewelry quality.Whenever possible, please do not name names.We want to hear about why, not who.

Dear members and supporters of the APP,I believe I've found the perfect gloves for

our industry. They're made from blue nitrilerubber which under most conditions is far morepuncture resistant than latex gloves. Also, theytend to resist viral penetration better thanlatex. They pull on and seat by the cuff, andare extremely elastic. I've also noticedincreased sensitivity compared with latex.They're very lightly powdered with USP cornstarch, and if you have sensitive skin, thismight be another plus. For more information onN-Dex gloves or to find a distributor in yourarea, call The Best Manufacturing Co. at 1-800­241-0323.

Greg DinkinsThe Hole Thing

Kent, OH

PIERCING RITt­CQ~INGTOA

GOYIRN~ENTNEAR~OU

The Health Department of Western Australia,in conjunction with the Western Australia AIDSCouncil, has decided to address contaminationcaused by unskilled piercers utilizing uncleanequipment. Are they planning on regulating earpiercing guns? Think again. Despite protestsfrom APP subscribers, they are going to begindistributing "piercing kits"- baggies containingeverything that these organizations feel appro­priate or necessary to perform a piercing upononeself. Their intentions are good;

"... the information which can be disseminat-

extremely sensitive female urethra and outthrough the hymen. As women are NOT men, anddo not have a man's large, relatively exposedurethra, the area is not sturdy enough to with­stand minor infections or the weight and frictionof a ring. The female urinary tract is less than 2

inches long. An infection of the piercing couldtravel rapidly to the bladder and become quiteserious. This piercing would be not only be veryuncomfortable, but extremely dangerous. I faileven to see the possible erotic benefits, aswomen's pleasure centers are not similar tomen's. Very few women derive any pleasurefrom having their urethra manipulated, whilemany men do.

It comes as no surprise that the apparentinventor of both piercings is a man. While Ibelieve that an informed, skilled piercer is capa­ble of performing well-placed piercings on peo­ple of either gender, Iquestion the ability of anypiercer to develop a new or experimental pierc­ing on anatomy which he or she does not pos­sess. After several years of successful experienceperforming traditional male genital piercings, Iwould never attempt to invent a new one. Maleand female anatomy may be parallel, but farfrom identical.

As skilled or experienced as any piercer maybe (and a piercer who resorts to injectable anes­thetic does not strike me as possessing skill orexperience), one simply cannot ignore the fun­damental limitations of the human body. Thefemale genitals are vulnerable, and the slightestmisstep or infection in this critical area could bepermanently damaging, even fatal. Yet thesepiercings are being done on piercees who, in alllikelihood, have not been informed of the realrisks involved. Has the excitement and beauty ofpiercings blinded us from simple reality? Itwould be shameful for this art to be drivenunderground, as is already happening in manycommunities, because of the irresponsibleactions of a few arrogant hacks.

Piercees, for your safety and the safety ofpiercing, please do not participate in the ever-

escalating quest for the weirdest, the biggest,the newest! While there are certainly a few feasi­ble piercings falling outside of the norm, most ofthe experiments we have seen or heard ofinvolve too many risks of scarring, nerve dam­age, rejection, infections, and abscessing to beworth risking. Any piercing so radical looking isprobably unusual for a very good reason.

There are piercers who claim miraculous skillwith surface to surface and other unusual pierc­ings. Make very sure that such a piercer informsyou completely and realistically of the risksinvolved in any piercing. If any chance of scar­ring, rejection, etc. is even a remote risk, youhave every right to know. To deny risks is irre­sponsible and unethical. If, after discussion, thepiercing you are contemplating just seems toochancy, follow your feelings! Get a second opin­ion, and insure that every piercing is a wonder­ful, successful, and safe experience.

-Michaela Grey(Reprinted by permission of PFIQ)

PIERCING FRIENDL~ DOC-TORI

We've gotten a few responses to our requestfor open-minded MDs, and here are theiraddresses. But I'm sure they can't be the ONLYsupportive medical folks out there! Let us knowif your favorite doctor, nurse, acupuncturist,chiropractor, or other health care worker wantsto have more pierced clientele.

'Elsie FontanellaNurseCedar's Sinai Center for Nurses Research andDevelopmentLos Angeles area(310)855-5000

, Dr. Ward VaughanGynecologist1330 Amherst St.Winchester, VA 22601(703) 662-0711 or (703) 665-0000

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three ends is the ONLY place to put a trianglepiercing, and it can be very difficult to locate onmost women.

If the piercing is too high, you will nick Orpierce the shaft of the c1it, causing profusebleeding and nerve damage. If the piercing istoo low, the result is two very silly looking,uncomfortably high inner labia piercings. Tooshallow? The piercee will, in the best scenario,end up with a very deep c1it hood piercing, and,in the worst scenario, will probably go to thehospital with a black and blue, profusely bleed­ing clitoral shaft piercing. Too deep? The piercerwill have effectively stapled the hood and inner

to the outer labia, and I can't imagine thispleasant or healing at all. Improper

placement additionally might cause keloiding,abscesses, scars, pain, and loss of sensation. Youcould also be slapped with a hefty lawsuit, whichin this case you probably deserve.

Proper placement, on the other hand, willgive the piercee many hours of fun, with won­derful waves of pre~sure coming from behindand beneath the clitoris. I've heard it's mind­blowing.

5,) Proper clamping. The hour or more thatyou've spent marking a triangle or clitoris willbe utterly wasted if you aren't clamping thepiercing properly. For the clitoris, this meansonly the lightest of pressure, and avoiding anypart of the hood. For the triangle, this meansclamping only the tissue that you intend topierce, with the shaft of the clitoris held secure­ly out of the way by the forceps.

6.) Does the piercer have the extremelysmooth, professional bedside manner necessaryto perform the piercing? These piercings areintense: They cause intense physical and emo­tional reactions from the piercee. Apiercer whoattempts to perform a clitoris or triangle pierc­ing must be able to maintain a safe environmentfor him/herself as well as thepiercee. While bed­side manner is important for any piercing, itcould not be more critical in such a small, nerve­rich, intimate place where needle sticks or other

accidents could be irreversibly damaging. It'snot likely that a piercer would have a secondchance in the event of a mistake.

I cannot stress enough the importance of thismatter. Both of these piercings are difficult toperform, extremely painful to get, and evenmore so emotionally painful to have to remove ifdone improperly. If you have the slightest frag­ment of doubt as to whether or not the piercingwill be. successful. don't do it!

Personally, I feel that this is not an area thatis open to experimentation. it's not a surfacepiercing, or a navel that might or might nottake. We are talking about the very core of awoman's sexual and spiritual pleasure. This isnot a place where taking chances is acceptable.

Sharon SheinkerGauntlet, los Angeles

Bravo, Sharon! I couldn't agree more. I'verecently caught wind of some "experimental"female genital piercings, my opinion of whichaccords with Sharon's. Many communities havebanned piercing altogether and others arequickly following suit. Who can blame themconsidering the flagrant disregard for clientsafety evidenced by a few irresponsible peoplecalling themselvespiercers.

Take, for example, the "Isabella," colorfullypromoted in issue 17 cf Piercing World magazine.Perhaps best described as a mutated, verticalversion of the triangle, it is being performed inthe U.K. under injectable, probably illegal,anesthetic. Along barbell (plastic is suggested)pierces through the suspensory ligament, sever­al layers of hood, muscle, nerves, veins, andother connective tissue, the actual shaft of theclitoris, and exits dangerously close to the ure­thra. This is similar to having all the equivalentmale anatomy stapled together with one pieceof jewelry. Any responsible piercer should knowthat the shaft of the penis is never, neverpierced.

Just as alarming to me is the "PrincessAlbertina", which forces a ring into the tiny,

ed with the kits will clearly describe the risksassociated with these procedures, especiallywhen they are carried out by untrained people.It is believed that by doing so we could controland perhaps minimize the transmission of dis­ease which would occur from uncontrolled useof body piercing equipment."

What could be more uncontrolled than dis­tributing hundreds of baggies containing nee­dles·to IV Drug users and other young, unskilledpeople? What could be more likely than that theequipment will be used again and again, untilthe needles are filthy and dull, and the piercingsgrossly infected? The only possible result is anepidemic, and a few serious injuries or deathscaused by attempts at dangerous piercings.

I am assuming that a Sharps container is notbeing distributed with each baggie, or an auto­clave, or hard-surface disinfectant, or a manualon how to safely perform piercings. I have noidea how they are going to gauge the needlesappropriately to correspond to appropriate jew­elry sizes. Clearly, no professional piercer wasconsulted as to the appropriate equipment orprocedures required for safe piercing. Thelonger I think about this proposal, the morefaults I find with it. I am particularly concernedthat this move will set a dangerous precedentworldwide. This health department needs toknow that we are a professional industry with aspecific skill that cannot be imitated by anuntrained individual at home. Please, write andexplain that piercing is not a casual sportbetween friends, but a serious, potentially dan­gerous activity which can harm or kill if abused.The money set aside for this project could beused to enforce regulations developed with theassistance of professionals in Australia, or aneducational public-service ad campaign. Makeyour voice heard and make a difference!

Health Department of Western AustraliaAttn: P Psaila-Savona PO Box 8172 Stirling StPerth, Western Australia 6849

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cause too much pressure on the piercing; it willshift around and be forced into a very uncom­fortable position. Usually, the result is that thepiercing becomes crooked, leaving a wake ofugly, desensitizing scar tissue as it moves; itcould also migrate out completely, which is verypainful. If, on the other hand, the hood is toosmall or tight on the clit, the same problems canoccur.

3.) How big is the outer labia? Does thepiercee have large thighs? Do her thighs rubtogether when she walks?These factors can moreoften than not cause the piercing to twist aroundquite uncomfortably(more likely with horizontalplacement), again resulting in rejection, migra­tion, or simply a frustrating, unrelentinglypainful refusal to heal. When doing a consulta­tion for these piercings, it's important to seehow the piercee sits, stands and walks, and howher genitals change and move in all of thesepositions.

4.) Placement! There are some misinformedrumors going around about the placement ofthe triangle piercing. It is NOT a deep c1it hoodpiercing, nor is it a clitoral shaft piercing.Piercing through the shaft or root of the cl it canand will permanently damage those tiny andsensitive nerve endings. Your piercee mightnever be able to experience a clitoral orgasmagain, and possibly lose all feeling in this crucialarea. The appropriate placement of thispiercing can best be found by manually explor­ing the area while examining an anatomical dia­gram. The clitoris is actually a wishbone-shapedmuscle, the two long ends of which hug thepubic bone. The triangle of tissue between the

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I'd like to talk about the issue of female gen­ital piercings- starting with the clitoris and tri­angle. Both of these piercings are very beautiful,and can be erotically stimulating to the wearer.They are also very advanced level piercings andshould not be attempted by anyone but anextremely experienced piercer. There are many,many misconceptions circulating about theproper placement for female piercings.Improper placement has resulted in rejection,migration, scarring, nerve damage, and nervedeath.

Unfortunately, the proper anatomy to placeand heal these beautiful piercings is rare. Only avery small percentage of women are anatomi­cally built to properly accommodate the trianglepiercing, and even fewer are suitable for a c1itpiercing. , have seen women who at first glanceseem to have the right anatomy-a large enoughclit, a well-developed triangle area-but I havethen opted against performing the piercing. Thefollowing are a few considerations that must gointo the decision process when performing a c1itor triangle:

I.) Is the area itself large enough to pierce? Ifthe actual clitoris is not at least '/4" in width andlength (about the size of the tip of your pinky),it's probably not big enough to support theweight and mass of a piece of jewelry. Youshould notice that the vast majority of clitorisesare not that large.

2.) Consider the size and elasticity of the cli­toral hood. Even if the cl it is big enough to sup­port jewelry, what sort of friction might it haveto withstand from the hood? If the hood is reallylarge and completely covers the c1it, this can

519 Castro Street, Box 120San Francisco, CA 94114Volume I, Issue 5

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