Piercing FAQ
Everything you wanted to know about Piercing
This FAQ about Piercing was compiled and written by Anne Greenblatt with numerous contributions by others.
Part I: Intro
1.1 Summary- This posting contains information about body piercing. ...
- 1.2 Copyright And Dissemination
- Under the Berne Convention, this document is Copyright (c) 2000 ...
Part II: Jewelry
- 2A.1 Metals
- The metals used for body jewelry are chosen for ...
- 2A.1 Gold
- 1 karat = 1/24th of the alloy is pure ...
- 2A.1 Niobium
- Niobium is an elemental metal and is strong yet flexible and is ...
- 2A.1 Platinum
- Platinum and metals in the platinum group such as palladium ...
- 2A.1 Stainless Steel
- Of the many stainless steels available, only 316L and 316LVM ...
- 2A.1 Silver / Sterling Silver
- Sterling silver is 92.5% silver alloyed with copper or some ...
- 2A.1 Titanium
- Titanium is an extremely lightweight, elemental metal. The ...
- 2A.1a Report on Stainless Steel
- by Sean ...
- 2A.2a Report on FDA Approved Acrylic
- by Michael ...
- 2A.3 Organic Materials
- Thanks to Erica Skadsen / Organic for the information contained in ...
- 2A.3a Hardwoods
- Hardwoods are most often used to make plugs for enlarged piercings,...
- 2A.3b Bamboo
- Bamboo is not a wood but a grass. Several thousand different ...
- 2A.3c Ivory, Horn, Antler
- Thanks to Jesse Jarrell
- 2B.1 Jewelry Sizes
- Jewelry is measured by gauge (thickness) and width. Rings are ...
- 2B.1a Gauges And Equivalents
- Most jewelry manufactured in the US is gauged according to the Brown &...
- 2B.2a Basic Jewelry Designs: Captive Bead Ring
- The basic ring design is the captive bead ring or ball closure ring ...
- 2B.2a Basic Jewelry Designs: Bead Ring Or Attached Bead Ring
- The bead ring is similar to the captive bead ring except that the ...
- 2B.2a Basic Jewelry Designs: Seamless Or Beadless Rings
- The names beadless ring and seamless ring are misnomers because ...
- 2B.2a Basic Jewelry Designs: Captive Tube Or Captive Bar Ring
- Instead of a bead, a short, straight or curved tube or solid bar ...
- 2B.2a Basic Jewelry Designs: Screw On Ball Ring
- Screw on ball rings are an alternative to large gauge captive ...
- 2B.2a Basic Jewelry Designs: Barbells
- Straight and curved barbells are measured by the linear width ...
- 2B.2a Basic Jewelry Designs: Gemstone Or Jewel Settings
- Gemstones can be set in metal using either a prong setting or ...
- 2B.2b Piercing-Specific Designs: Jewelry For Enlarged Piercings
- The following designs are intended to maintain the enlarged size ...
- 2B.2b Piercing-Specific Designs: Jewelry For Nipple Piercings
- Nipple Retainer: Comprised of a straight bar worn through ...
- 2B.2b Piercing-Specific Designs: Jewelry For Septum Piercings
- Septum Retainer: A U-shaped piece of metal, either rounded ...
- 2B.2b Piercing-Specific Designs: Prince's Wand
- The Prince's Wand or Urethral Tube can be made to fit either ...
- 2C.1 Facial Piercings: Large Earlobe Piercings
- Please refer to Part 7 of the FAQ for information on ...
- 2C.1 Facial Piercings: Dermal Punch Method for Large Earlobe Piercings
- Dermal punches are designed to remove tissue for biopsy procedures. ...
- 2C.2 Oral Piercings
- The risks of oral piercings include chipped and cracked teeth ...
- 2C.2 Oral Piercings: Madonna / Beauty Mark
- Also called the Marilyn or Chrome Crawford because of the ...
- 2D.1 Navel Piercings
- 4 to 8
- 2D.1a "The Navel Piercing: A Better Alternative"
- by Karen Hurt of Future Primitives, San Francisco, ...
- 2D.1b "Angled Navel Piercings"
- by Elayne Angel of Rings of Desire, New Orleans, ...
- 2D.2 Nipple Piercings
- 4 to 8
- 2D.2a Female Nipple Piercings
- Female nipple piercings should be made at the base of the nipple ...
- 2D.2b Male Nipple Piercings
- Because most men have very small or flat nipples, the piercing ...
- 2D.2c Nipple Piercings And Breastfeeding
- Most piercers maintain that nipple piercings are unlikely to ...
- 2D.3 Surface And Unusual Piercings
- Many piercers do not perform the following piercings because of ...
- 2E.1 Female Genital Piercings
- All of the female genital piercings are highly anatomy-dependent. ...
- 2E.1 Clitoris Piercing
- 4 to 6
- 2E.1 Fourchette
- 4 to 6
- 2E.1 Inner Labia
- 4 to 6
- 2E.1 Outer Labia
- 4 to 6
- 2E.1 Triangle Piercing
- 4 to 6
- 2E.1 Christina
- 4 to 6
- 2E.1 Isabella
- This piercing was first documented in Issue #17 of Piercing ...
- 2E.1 Princess Albertina
- Another relatively new and experimental piercing documented in ...
- 2E.2 Male Genital Piercings
- The Prince Albert, Ampallang and Apadravya piercings usually bleed ...
- 2E.2 Ampallang
- 6 to 10 months; may require a year or more to completely ...
- 2E.2 Apadravya
- 6 to 10 months; may require a year or more to completely ...
- 2E.2 Dydoe
- 2 to 4
- 2E.2 Foreskin
- 2 to 4
- 2E.2 Frenum
- 2 to 4
- 2E.2 Guiche
- 4 to 6
- 2E.2 Scrotum / Hafada
- 4 to 6
- 2e.3 Genital Piercings And Sexual Activity
- Genital piercings are intended to enhance sensation for the ...
- 2E.4 Genital Piercings And Pregnancy
- In the interest of safety for the mother and child, jewelry should ...
Part III: Getting A New Piercing
- 3.1 What To Look For In A Piercer
- Consider first visiting the studio without intending to get pierced ...
- 3.2 Assessing Anatomy And Selecting Jewelry
- Because everyone is built differently, not everyone is ...
- 3.3 Ear Piercing Gun
- The piercing gun or piercing implement was originally intended to ...
- 3.3 Single-Use Disposable Needles
- Piercing needles are hollow, lancet-point needles, beveled ...
- 3.4 Basic Piercing Procedure: Prep
- The area to be pierced should be cleansed using a surgical scrub....
- 3.4 Basic Piercing Procedure: Tools
- Most piercers use forceps to hold the area to be pierced. ...
- 3.6 Anesthetics
- In the United States topical anesthetics are only available ...
- 3.7 Are You Under 18?
- Many states now have laws restricting or prohibiting piercing minors....
- 3.8 Does It Hurt?
- Most people experience some level of discomfort or pain during ...
- 3.9 Making Your Experience More Comfortable
- Get plenty of rest the night before. Eat a good meal and drink ...
- 3.10 Piercing Kits And Doing It Yourself
- Piercing kits have many disadvantages. Most kits do not ...
Part IV: Professional Piercers
- 4A.1 Professional Organizations
- ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL PIERCERS, PO Box 90987, San Diego,...
- 4A.2 Piercing Instruction
- AMERICAN BODY ART ...
Part V: Care Of New Piercings
- 5.1 Skin Cleansers, Wound Cleansers, And Soaps
- Skin cleansers are designed to aid in the physical removal of ...
- 5.2 Antiseptic Products
- Antiseptics and disinfectants are chemicals designed to kill ...
- 5.3 Other Products
- Other
- 5.4 Products To Avoid
- Antibiotic And Medicated ...
- 5.5 Essential Oils
- Many people have found essential oils beneficial to healing ...
- 5.6 Aftercare For Facial Piercings
- Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap before ...
- 5.7 Aftercare For Oral Piercings
- Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap before ...
- 5.8 Aftercare For Body Piercings
- Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap before ...
- 5.9 Aftercare For Genital Piercings
- Genital piercings often bleed between 12 to 24 hours depending on ...
- 5.10 Herbal Hot Compress Recipe
- Provided by Michaela Grey, formerly of Gauntlet and the Association ...
Part VI: The Healing Process & Healing Problems
- 6.1 The Healing Process
- General Wound Healing ...
- 6.2 Abandoning A Piercing
- Whether or not the piercing completely closes depends on the age ...
- 6.2a Reopening or Repiercing an Abandoned Piercing
- An abandoned piercing that has only shrunk or partially grown ...
- 6.2a Healing Problems: Dry Skin
- Over-cleaning the piercing, failure to thoroughly rinse the ...
- 6.2b Healing Problems: Prolonged Healing
- Prolonged healing is indicated by failure of the piercing to ...
- 6.2c Healing Problems: Follicular Cysts
- Follicular cysts may affect both new and healed piercings. They ...
- 6.2d Healing Problems: Infections
- The most frequent causes of infection is touching the piercing or ...
- 6.2e Healing Problems: Hypergranulation
- During the proliferation phase of healing, granulation tissue ...
- 6.3 Scars
- Any penetration of the skin will result in a scar. Scar tissue ...
- 6.4 Piercing Migration And Rejection
- Occasionally a piercing migrates towards the surface of the skin ...
- 6.5 Metal Sensitivities
- The metals used for body jewelry are chosen for ...
Part VII: Healed Piercings
- 7.1 Changing Jewelry
- After a piercing is healed jewelry may be changed as desired. The ...
- 7.2 Stretching Piercings
- Only well-healed piercings should be stretched. Stretching too soon ...
- 7.3 Bondage Play
- Strenuous bondage play using chains, restraints, and weights ...
- 7.4a Retaining Piercings During Surgery
- Most hospitals' policies require that patients remove all ...
- 7.6 Piercings And Common Medical Procedures
- Finding a piercing-knowledgeable doctor is more difficult than ...
- 7.7 Body Jewelry And Metal Detectors
- Security metal detectors are used to detect certain types of ...
- 7.8 Piercings And Employment
- Several readers of rec.arts.bodyart have been suspended or ...
Part VIII: Historical Information
- 8.1b Titrings, a Bit of History
- by D. W. ...
- 8.2 The Apadravya In The Kama Sutra
- From the unexpurgated printing of the Kama Sutra printed in 1963 ...
- 8.3 History Of Late 20th Century Body Piercing
- In the US, Doug Malloy, along with Jim Ward and Fakir and, in England,...
Part IX: Resource List
- 9b.4 Places Of Interest
- NEW YORK BODY ARCHIVE, #9 Ninth Ave., 2nd Floor, South of 13th St....
Part X: Personal Experiences
- 10A.1 Tongue Pierce
- by Harry Ugol
- 10A.4 Eyelet Piercing
- by Julian Hurt ...
- 10A.5 Ritual Nipple Piercing (Male)
- by Phaedrus, edited by Anne Greenblatt ...
- 10A.6 Niebuhr Piercing
- by Denise
- 10B.1 Triangle Piercing by Susan 1994
- I got my Triangle piercing done by Raelyn Gallina in mid-...
- 10B.2 Vertical Clitoral Hood Piercing by Erika Ferguson
- Piercing performed by Morganna at Inkporium Tattoos in Lansing,...
- 10B.3 Ampallang Piercing by
- So I happened to be in New Orleans for the first time this weekend,...
- 10B.4 Foreskin and Septum Piercings
- by Pierre Honeyman
- 10B.5 Frenum with Intact Foreskin
- by Clive Neil
- 10B.6 Ampallang Piercing #2
- by Adam
- 10C.3 Bead Implants
- The author writes:
- 10C.6 Double Ring Wedding Ceremony
- by Calyxa Omphalos
- 10D.1 Inner Labia Piercing
- by Laura Bryannan
- 10D.2 Fourchette Piercing
- by Julie Nicholson
- 10D.4 Childbirth with Clitoral Hood Piercing
- by Samantha
Part XI: Jewelry Manufacturers
- 11A.2 Distributors Of Jewelry In All Metals
- This may include surgical steel, niobium, titanium, gold, acrylic,...
- 11C.2 Jewelry Manufacturing Suppliers
- Providing raw materials and equipment for body ...
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