How do you choose a body piercer?
Determining who is a qualified body piercer and who is not can be quite a difficult task. Look around the piercing studio and see that the place is kept clean and that it has ample lighting. Ask if the piercing studio needs you to sign any type of waiver form or not. Most legit piercers will detail their responsibilities as well as liabilities in the waiver form so that you have prior knowledge about what to expect. Ask the piercer if he/she has undergone any special training for body piercing or is certified in any way.
How long does a piercing take to heal?
Depending on your body part, healing times can vary from a month to several months. If you do get a piercing, make sure you take good care of it afterward – don’t pick or tug at it, keep the area clean with soap (not alcohol), and don’t touch it without washing your hands first. Never use hydrogen peroxide because it can break down newly formed tissue. If you have a mouth piercing, use an antibacterial mouthwash after eating.
If your piercing does not heal correctly or you feel something might be wrong, it’s important to get medical attention. Most importantly, don’t pierce yourself or have a friend do it – make sure it’s done by a professional in a safe, clean environment.
Is a piercing forever or does it close?
No piercing is forever and all piercings are likely to close if left without body jewellery for too long. If you keep any piercing (especially new one) devoid of its jewelry for any length of time, the chances of the piercing closing up are greater than it remaining open.
A certain individual may go without any body jewelry for two weeks on end and still have his piercing remain viable but another person may have his piercing close up on him even if it is left empty for just a few hours. In fact, even on the same person, piercing in different locations may behave very different. Just because you can keep your ear piercing free from earrings for considerable lengths of time does not necessarily mean that your navel piercing will last the same number of days without any jewelry.
Does it matter what metal the body jewelry is made of?
Yes, it matters, and it matters a lot. Your body could be highly sensitive to particular metals and thus it is important that you be aware of what your body jewelry is made up of. Titanium, silver, gold, stainless steel, etc. are the metals that are usually used to make body jewellery. But whatever metal it is, you need to know that in all probability it will be an alloy and have some other metal mixed in it.
What are the cause or piercing migration and rejection?
Here are some of the common reasons that can make a piercing migrate and cause it to be rejected by your body:
- Lack of supporting tissue. For a piercing to be successful, it needs to be done in an area where there is adequate tissue, which can give the piercing much needed support.
- Wrong placement of piercing. The best placement of a piercing is when the jewelry used is absolutely perpendicular to the skin tissue.
- Piercing on minors. The body of a minor is usually in its growing stages and has not developed fully. A piercing on such body may well leave its original placement as the body goes through its natural growing process, this causing it to be rejected.
- Using inappropriate body jewelry : if the size of the jewelry and also the design of the jewelry are not right, this can also lead to the piercing being unsuccessful.
Can everyone get all kinds of body piercing done?
Although in theory it is possible for everyone to get all kinds of body piercings done, practically it seldom happens so. Not everyone is built in the same way and have different body structures. Thus, you could say that not all people are anatomically built to get every kind of piercing.
What does gauge mean in relation to body jewelry?
When talking of body jewelry and piercing, gauge refers to the size of the body jewelry being used. To be specific, gauge size determines the thickness of the width of the jewelry. That portion of the body jewelry which actually goes inside your skin, is measured in guage size. For instance, if you were using a barbell for piercing, then the gauge size would not be the measure of the two balls at the ends of the barbell, but would indicate the thickness of the bar in between two balls.
As the number of the gauge size goes higher, the thickness of the jewelry becomes less. Hence, a barbell of gauge size 12 would be thinner than one that was size 10. 16 gauge size jewelry is considered to be ideal for new piercings.
Is it advisable to get body piercing done with piercing guns?
A piercing gun is meant only for ear and nose piercings and no other type of piercing on any other part of your body. Sterilization is a concern with piercing guns. Thus, as far as possible, it is best to avoid getting any piercing done with a piercing gun.