By Elayne Angel

Conference is fast approaching, and my three-year term of service as President of the APP will soon be over. Memories of the events throughout this time period are swirling in my mind—long meetings, countless emails and phone calls, hard work, tons of fun, and a whirlwind of busy days and nights. I will be stepping down from my fourth Board, marking the end of my 12th year as a Director. Whew.

The next time you read this column (and/or see the video) you will find the words of a new President, which is very exciting. Though I do feel a tad melancholy, I’m willing to admit that I’m also somewhat relieved to be passing along my title and the responsibilities of the position. I’m incredibly thankful for having had the opportunity to serve the organization during all of these years. It truly has been an honor and a privilege.

The forthcoming changes in personnel on the Board will result in a wonderful combination of new faces, ideas, and perspectives, balanced with seasoned Directors who have the benefit of long experience with the APP. I’m so looking forward to seeing them in action. And I’m not planning to run off and hide. I will be around and available to support and assist the new Board and the organization in whatever ways I can—as always. I need not hold a title in order to help (nor should you).

Looking over the eons of my APP involvement I began to wonder, “Wow, where did that drive and stamina come from?” Then I thought about all of the years I’ve worked as a piercer, right back to the 1980s, and I became aware that this longevity has been made possible by a very specific emotion: passion. I still feel genuinely passionate about piercing.

I’m referring not only to my work in the industry, but also the piercings I wear, which have provided me with immense enjoyment over these decades. My own piercings have been liberating, gratifying, and perhaps just shy of magical. They have allowed me to know, celebrate, and enhance my body—and my sex life. My piercings have helped me to become my true and best self. They have caused me to face my fears, stand up for myself, and develop independence and self-confidence. Piercing has changed and shaped my life into something special and unique. I’m living an existence I never could have imagined as a child.

Seriously, if piercing didn’t exist, who would I be right now? Certainly not the self I am today. The truth of the matter is, I LOVE piercings—having and performing them.  I am deeply appreciative for the fact that I still adore what I do. I feel like the luckiest person on earth.

I have maintained my enthusiasm for this profession over such an extended period by focusing on the many aspects that are in the “plus column” and looking right past the negatives. Are there parts of the job that are tedious and boring? Sure—but every occupation has those. Does it take a lot of patience and energy to deal with indecisive or fearful clients? You bet. But I find that it is worth putting up with that stuff for the bigger rewards.

I concentrate on the fact that what I do, what we piercers do, has the ability to actually improve self-esteem, self-image, and quality of life for our clients. There aren’t all that many careers out there with such potential, and precious few that don’t require a greater investment of resources such as money, time, and formal education.

I’ve experienced the thrill of seeing a customer literally jumping up and down in front of the mirror shouting, “I’m transformed!” Even if we don’t get to witness such obvious confirmations on a regular basis, I remain aware that with this work it is possible.

Regardless of whether a piercee has a profound motivation for getting pierced or not, you have the opportunity to have a positive and affirming impact on that individual. Through your own attitude and the way you facilitate the experience, piercings can be made to feel significant and meaningful to both you and your clients.

I also dodge monotony by continuing to challenge myself. I apply myself totally to each and every perforation I make, focusing on making this one the smoothest, gentlest, and quickest—the most perfect piercing I’ve ever done. By continually working toward these goals, I avoid the potentially deadly pitfalls of stagnation and inertia, and I propose that you do the same.

That old saying, “Life isn’t a dress rehearsal” is apt. This is your life, so get with it and get into what you’re doing. Seek out that passion, embrace it tightly, and don’t let go. If you’re not feeling it, if you’re terminally burnt out and have nothing left to give, allow yourself to go and do something else. Not all of us will be “lifers” in this trade, and that’s okay. But if you cherish piercing as I do, take comfort in the knowledge that it is possible to experience enduring passion and joy in this calling. And be grateful for it; I sure am!

By Elayne Angel

I bounded out of bed this morning excited to finally have the time to record my  “President’s Corner” video, having finished the current round of edits on the forthcoming update of the APP Procedure Manual. Imagine my shock and dismay when I looked in the mirror to find that my entire face was hugely blown up with red burned-looking patches of tissue under both eyes and in my nasolabial folds. (One of my eyes was all but swollen shut!) My best guess is that I’m having an allergic reaction to a facial moisturizer that I’ve used for quite some time with no other such incidents, and the doctor I visited thought the same. Unfortunately, this means no video recording for me today…

But this episode did remind me of a problem I experienced while guest piercing a few months back. When I travel, I generally make use of the supplies provided by each studio, requesting only that my glove size (XS) be “on hand.” I had never had any problems with sensitivities or allergies before, so I was very surprised when the backs of my hands swelled up with an itchy and painful red rash. The gloves I wore were nitrile, which according to several sources (i.e., Ambitex University and the National Safety Council) is less apt to cause a reaction than latex, which I have used for decades without issues. On my final day I grimaced in pain each time I changed gloves and washed my hands. The residual effects—including inflammation, soreness, and itching—lasted over a week and were followed by flaking and peeling. It was not pleasant or pretty, and it was kind of scary. What if all types of medical gloves suddenly caused such a reaction?

Granted, my appointment book has been extraordinarily full lately, which is wonderful. I usually pierce one client after the next throughout my workday; so, I wash my hands and wear gloves in a continuous cycle for many hours, day after day, but piercers in very busy studios frequently do the same.

When the problem occurred, I didn’t know whether it was the soap I was using to wash my hands or the gloves themselves. So the next time I worked, I used the same soap and changed up the gloves to chloroprene, and thankfully didn’t have any problems. It became clear that nitrile was the culprit, even though I had worn it successfully in the past. Many piercers are aware that long and/or frequent exposure to a substance can lead to sensitivities, which is one of the reasons latex allergies are so prevalent in the medical and dental fields. (Editor’s note: In fact, another article in this issue—by Kendra Jane—tackles allergies as well. Click here to read more.)

In any case, one takeaway lesson for today is this: situations can change and flexibility is needed.

So, on to the topic I planned to cover in the video:

The Association recently received a plea for help in a message from a piercer in Louisiana who was distressed to learn that as of March 7, 2013, the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners has issued a formal opinion outlawing surface anchors (the preferred terminology of the Association of Professional Piercers). It was provided in response to an inquiry from one of the Health Inspectors at the Food and Drug Unit, which is responsible for regulating body artists in the state. The letter from the Medical Board states, “…the practice known as ‘dermal anchoring’ or ‘dermal piercing’ is a medical procedure [emphasis added] in that placement would be underneath the epidermis layer of the skin.”

The piercer who sent us the correspondence mentioned that after speaking with Mr. Warren, the Health Inspector for her area who requested the ruling, she believed the practice was decreed a medical procedure because the State Board was informed that these piercings were all being performed with biopsy punches. In the state of Louisiana, piercers are prohibited from using such punches.

The APP will be sending a letter to the Executive Director of the Medical Board who signed the ruling, and also to the Health Inspector to let them know that surface anchors can be done with ordinary piercing needles and that biopsy punches need not be used—and that the organization does not consider this form of body adornment to be outside the realm of ordinary body piercings. We will also explain that other body piercings routinely traverse this same tissue. Further, we will be sharing our formal position statement with them:

What is the APP Position on Surface Anchors? (Also referred to as Single-Point Piercings, Dermal Anchors, Microdermals, and other names.)

In a surface anchor piercing procedure, a tiny ornament is inserted into a single opening that is formed in the tissue with the same tools that are used for body piercing. This opening is the entrance as well as the exit. When properly performed by a skilled practitioner, surface anchor piercing is no more risky than an ordinary body piercing and takes no longer to perform or to heal. They are considered to be body piercings by the Association of Professional Piercers.

Surface anchor piercings are similar to “surface piercings,” which are done on flat areas of the body, but successful placement options are greatly expanded. Surface anchor piercings are a viable alternative to standard surface piercings as they appear to be easier to heal and not as subject extensive scarring. Any residual scarring is apt to be limited due to the tiny size of the jewelry.

Surface Anchor piercings are much less invasive to insert and remove, and should not be confused with subdermal or transdermal implants, which are more extreme forms of body art that do not fall within the scope of the Association of Professional Piercers.

We hold out hope that our support will be able to get the ban overturned in the state of Louisiana, which is where  I ran my own studio, Rings of Desire, for over a dozen years before Hurricane Katrina hit. But that’s a different story…

In early 2000, I personally assisted the legislators for that state in promulgating the original body art regulations. At that time, they were quite amenable to input from professionals in the community. Hopefully they still are, and the decision will be reversed once they have additional information. The APP has had success in the past getting such a ban overturned in the state of New Jersey. But there is no guarantee, so once again the theme may recur: sometimes situations change and adaptability is necessary.