Body

What should I know about getting a piercing?

The first question to ask yourself is why get a piercing? There are all sorts of reasons why people get piercings, like:

- For religious or cultural reasons
- To please their partner
- It looks cool
- To enhance sexual feeling
- To show independence, individuality or personal uniqueness
- To express rebellion against family, society, or peers

Piercings can be done on body surfaces (ear lobes, nose, eyebrow, lip, belly button, nipple), in the mouth (lip, tongue), or in the genital area. Each area requires specific jewelry and will take a different amount of time to heal (anywhere from 2 –12 months). Jewelry used for any piercing should be surgical steel, niobium, or titanium. Jewelry made from these metals doesn’t have other metals mixed in with it that may cause an allergic reaction in the body (i.e. 10 or 14 kg gold often has nickel mixed in with it).


There are some huge risks associated with piercing. If you get a piercing under improper conditions, i.e. the piercer using dirty needles and non-sterile equipment, you could be putting yourself at risk for hepatitis B or hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, and a host of other infections. Diseases can spread from person to person through blood, bacteria and viruses left on equipment and then reused on another person without being sterilized. For people with certain conditions like hemorrhagic disorders, it’s just plain dangerous to get a piercing.

Other conditions to think about

It’s really important to tell the piercer of any medical condition you may have. This way the piercer can meet any special needs you may have and prevent any potentially serious complications. Tell the piercer if you have: any allergic reactions to metals; asthma (anxiety may bring on an attack); diabetes (healing may be difficult); fainting (eat something before hand and bring a friend to give you a hand); heart disease; HIV/AIDS; keloids; cancer; epilepsy; or any skin conditions (piercings should not be done on areas affected by a rash, psoriasis, eczema, or on a mole).

Piercing should only be done by a professional piercer. When finding someone to do your piercing, shop around first. Ask your friends who have had good piercing experiences where they had theirs done. Go visit some shops and look at a piercer’s portfolio. If you don’t have a good feel for the person or you’re not comfortable, then leave.

To ensure the piercing shop is clean and safe, ask the piercer:
• If they use single-use, disposable, sterile needles. Stud guns are not good because they can’t be sterilized after each use.
• If they use latex gloves when doing the piercing (if they leave the room or touch other objects, like a phone, they should put on clean gloves)
• If they use sterile equipment
• What kind of jewelry they use (i.e. what kind of metal do they use. Make sure it’s surgical steel, niobium, or titanium and that the jewelry you’ll be pierced with has been sterilized).
• About their experience and knowledge (i.e. how long have they been piercing, where did they learn the skill, etc).

If they answer your questions easily and with no attitude, it’s probably a safe place to get a piercing.

Ask to see:
- The special machine used to sterilize equipment (boiling is not good enough to sterilize equipment); the machine is called an autoclave.
- The equipment packages; there should be black lines on the packages which means that it has been sterilized.

Tips to make the experience better:
- Eat a balanced meal 1 hour before the piercing. This decreases the chance of feeling faint.
- Only get a piercing when you are fit and feeling well. Illness will affect your body’s ability to heal
- Ensure the area to be pierced is clean
- Never get a piercing under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Your body may not heal as quickly and worse yet, you may regret it later.
- And only have a piercing if you want it, don’t be pressured into getting one.

How to take care of piercing?

Infection is another risk of piercings. Follow the after-case instructions given by the piercer to help minimize the risk. As with anything new, you’ll probably want to play with it, finger it and move it around. But don’t… NO REALLY. This will aggravate the fresh piercing and only cause it to take longer to heal. Dirt from your hands can also get in the piercing and cause infection. As much as possible, expose the piercing to air and keep it dry and clean (i.e. sweat can irritate a new piercing).

To lower the risk of infection:
• Follow the after-case instructions given by the piercer
• Don’t play with the piercing
• Keep the piercing dry and clean
• Gently clean the piercing twice a day with a mild, glycerine soap
• Avoid baths, swimming, and hot tubs
• Don’t use rubbing alcohol or peroxide
• With piercings on the face, be careful when applying make-up and hair products as they can easily irritate the piercing and lead to infection.

Cleaning

It’s a good idea to gently clean the piercing twice a day with a mild, glycerin soap (wash your hands first!). Rinse and dry it completely. Don’t use a bath towel ‘cause it’s a haeven for bacteria. Instead, use a clean, fresh cotton ball.

Things to avoid:
• Baths, swimming, and hot tubs as these are full of bacteria that can cause infection. Take showers to keep it clean.
• Don’t use rubbing alcohol or peroxide to clean the piercing because these can dry it out and kill all the good bacteria that helps healing (with tongue piercings, avoid mouthwash with alcohol it in).
• With facial piercings, be careful when applying make-up and hair products as they can easily irritate the piercing and lead to infection.

See you doctor if:
• You think that your piercing has become infected (persistent, increasing or unusual swelling; extensive redness; pain; or bleeding)
• You think you may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C.

What should I know about getting a tattoo?

The first question to ask yourself is why get a tattoo? There are all sorts of reasons why people get tattoos, like:

• To show independence, individuality and personal uniqueness
• It’s an expression of what’s really important to them
• It’s a cool form of art

But it’s important to remember that unlike a bad haircut or unfortunate fashion fad, tattoos are permanent; it’s going to be there when you’re 65. So careful thought is a must when considering what to get and where to put it.

Keep in mind:

• Is this something you will want in 5,10, or even 20 years? Getting rid of a tattoo you no longer like can be painful, expensive and difficult to do.
• Is design something meaningful to you that you won’t get bored of or out grow? Spend a few months or even years collecting images you like, thinking about what’s right for you, and finding an artist whose work you like.
• Do you want it visible with casual clothing (i.e. on your arm) or do you want it more concealed and private?
• How are you with pain? Tattoos on some locations are more painful than others… generally speaking the more fleshy the part, the more bearable the pain. Tattooing on bone like an ankle, wrist or ribs can be quite painful.
• Exposure to sunlight or tanning salons can cause the tattoo to fade over time. Using suntan lotion or sun block will help protect it.


Because tattooing is dealing with bodily fluids (i.e. your blood) there are some huge risks that you should be aware of. If tattoos are given under improper conditions, like an artist using dirty needles and unclean or non-sterile equipment, you are putting yourself at risk for hepatitis B or hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, and a host of other infections. People with medical conditions such as hemophilia or those taking certain medications are at greater risk of infections and complications due to their condition (i.e. because they may bleed more). Some people develop allergic reactions to the pigments used. It’s a good idea to talk to a health care professional (doctor or nurse) first to make sure you don’t have any health condition that would increase the risk of harmful effects. The good news is if you are healthy and get a tattoo under proper, sterile conditions, tattoos are reasonably safe.

What to Look For?

To ensure the tattoo shop is clean and safe, ask the artist:

- If they use single-use, disposable, sterile needles
- If they use latex gloves when doing the tattoo
- If they use disposable ink cups for tattoo colours (so the ink used on you hasn’t been used on somebody else)
- If they use sterile equipment
- About their experience and knowledge (i.e. how long have they been tattooing, where did they learn the art, etc).

If they answer your questions easily and with no attitude, it’s probably a safe place to get a tattoo.


To ensure the tattoo shop is clean and safe, you should look for proof of sterile conditions.
- The special machine used to sterilize equipment (boiling is not good enough to sterilize equipment); the machine is called an autoclave.
- The equipment packages; there should be black lines on the packages which means that it has been sterilized

Some tips for making the experience better:

- Eat a balanced meal before hand. Some tattoos can take hours and once you start, there’s no stopping so having a full belly will make it easier to sit for long periods of time and make you feel less stressed.
- Wear comfortable clothing. You may want to have stretchy clothes that allow for easy access with minimal exposure and that don’t bind or chafe after the act. Also, pick something you don’t mind getting stained with ink or blood.

How to take care of tattoos:

Professional tattooists will give clear after-care instructions to help prevent infection. Consult your physician if:

• You think that your tattoo has become infected (persistent, increasing or unusual swelling; extensive redness; pain; or bleeding)
• You think you may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C.

Extra

If you want to learn more, you can go to these websites: