By Amanda Badger

Las Vegas is not for everyone. It’s bright lights, crowded streets, casinos, and bars are meant for folks who enjoy the “nightlife.” (For me, the “nightlife” usually consists of seeing how far I can get into the Lord of the Rings movie series before falling asleep—i.e., I’m not exactly a party person.) Vegas is also well known for its fabulous shows. I know that many people also go to Vegas for the shows, however, I plan on returning every year for something I find truly special. Once a year, for one week, Las Vegas plays host to a ragtag crew of shiny, sparkling weirdos with a bad case of collective insomnia. A group of people who dedicate their lives to the happiness and empowerment of their clients, who spend large chunks of their hard-earned money learning how to provide the safest, cleanest studios (which require even larger chunks of hard-earned money), and who do their best to accept others for exactly who they are; this is the group of people that attend the annual Association of Professional Piercers Conference.

I had known about the annual APP Conference for several years before I actually made the decision to go. When I realized that anyone in the industry was eligible to attend, I ended up working between sixty and eighty hours a week for more than three months just to save the money. Some days I was working from 5:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. As difficult as that seemed, I know now that it was absolutely worth every single minute.

Waiting to board the plane to Las Vegas was the most nerve-wracking thing I’ve ever experienced. I’ve hung from hooks and, scarier than that, I’ve thrown hooks in backs, arms, and abdomens, but sitting in the airport waiting for my plane to board, I was more terrified than I’ve ever been before. There I was, going to a Conference where I knew fewer than ten people, having landed an internship at a shop a month and a half earlier…I didn’t feel like I deserved to attend.

On Monday I was very nervous, and quite sick—too sick to care about my nerves actually, which worked out nicely. On the way to my very first class I spotted someone with blue hair, a matching shirt, and a nervous excitement that matched my own. We got to talking and pretty much latched onto each other. While sitting in class, we were joined by a third first-timer from Slovenia, which I’d never even heard of. These were my Conference buddies. If it weren’t for these two I would have had a pretty lonely week. I’m so thankful that we were all bold enough to reach out to each other and so amazed that we were all outgoing enough to respond positively. I can be kind of a loner in large groups, but the fact that I was doing almost the opposite in this situation adds to the pile of proof I’m collecting for myself that this is, in fact, my passion.

Once I had joined that small group of awkward Conference virgins, everything seemed a lot less scary. The classes were amazing. People warned that some of the basic or introductory courses might put me to sleep, but I found them extremely informative and helpful. The “Preventing Cross-Contamination” workshop was phenomenal—with four instructors, all from different areas—I knew this was not something I could learn as in-depth anywhere else, and the minute I stepped into Fakir’s “Making Effective Piercing Rituals” presentation, I started to cry. (The room had been smudged with white sage, and Fakir’s partner Cleo was cleansing each person as they walked in. This is something we used to do before our suspension meets, and the smell of the sage brought so many beautiful memories to mind.)

I took two anatomy courses taught by Elayne Angel, one co-taught by Dr. Jack Ward and the other by Betsy Reynolds. I really enjoyed the perspective of these medical professionals and was admittedly surprised to learn how long they’d been supporters of our community. It’s always seemed to me that the body modification world is on its own, so it was very illuminating to see people with little-to-no modifications at our Conference helping us to better our industry and further our knowledge.

Honestly, the only thing I was left wanting was more (and longer) classes. Despite my feelings about Las Vegas, I would have stayed there indefinitely if there were more classes to be taken. I also would have sacrificed a weeks worth of sleep for the chance to learn more. However, instead of night classes I got the opportunity to meet tons of people: people I’ve Facebook-stalked, people I’ve never seen before, people from all over the world! I couldn’t believe how welcoming everyone was, and from apprentices to piercing icons, every single person I spoke with was kind and happy to be there.

I have to admit, I was a bit uncomfortable when people asked the “How long have you been piercing” question—to which I would reply “Oh, I’m not a piercer, I’m an intern.” The majority of reactions went something like this: blank stare, “What’s an intern?” I was left feeling a bit like I was at the bottom of the food chain, but it’s a food chain I definitely feel lucky to be part of.

I also came to find that many current piercers did not have a formal apprenticeship, much less an enjoyable one. The more I heard stories about the start of people’s careers, the more I realized how lucky I am for the chance to go about this the way I’d like. I’m working in a studio that meets the environmental criteria set forth by the APP, and I was able to attend an APP Conference before even beginning an apprenticeship. I feel so unbelievably thankful to have all of these pieces fitting together so nicely. I don’t believe the journey to a successful piercing career is easy, nor should it be. That being said, due to this experience I now realize that I, unlike so many others, have the resources to create the career I want for myself with relatively little strife, which is priceless. I plan to be a volunteer at next year’s Conference and to become a member of the organization as soon as possible so I can do more to support it and—hopefully—help it to grow and thrive.

My first and lasting impression of this event is that it is something entirely unique. As far as I know, no other industry has professionals who are so willing to share their knowledge with one another for the betterment of the community as a whole. The APP and the various instructors don’t participate in this Conference for fame or notoriety, they do it for the safety and security of clients everywhere. These piercers truly cherish their clientele, and they prove that every year through their attendance to and participation in the APP Conference, among other things. Not many people understand what it takes to be a professional piercer; it takes hard work, dedication and, oftentimes, sacrifice. I’m slowly learning the specifics of that dedication, and I hope someday I will be able to prove myself worthy of the title of “piercer.”