Posts by Marina Pecorino

Point 74: Piercing Trends as an Opportunity to Educate – Ryan Clark

1 Comment read Issue 74, Public Education, Science & Body Modifications
Daith piercing by Ryan Clark

Ryan Clark HeadshotRyan Clark
Immaculate Body Piercing

No matter what your opinions are on the current trend and associated claims regarding daith piercings, you can’t deny their existence and the impact that trends like these – I’m looking at you, triple forward helix – have on the piercing industry. Perhaps more important to consider, is the way that these trends influence how clients or potential clients perceive us. With the way that information is shared these days – mostly thanks to the prevalence of social media – there is likely always going to be a “new” trendy piercing. To most of us, these piercings will be old hat. They may not (read: hopefully won’t be) touted as some sort of miracle cure for some ailment. Regardless of the circumstances, there is much to be gained from anything that is bringing potential clients into your studio. Being honest and transparent is always going to be more important than making a sale. However, there are many things to take into consideration when you find someone at your counter who likely never expected themselves to end up in a piercing studio.

Daith piercing by Ryan Clark
Daith piercing performed by Ryan Clark

First and foremost, it’s always going to be important to dispel myths. We all know there are many associated with piercings; from not being able to breastfeed after getting nipple piercings to, more recently, daith piercings being a cure for migraines, anxiety, and whatever else the internet has come up with since the writing of this piece. Remember, it is our job as ethical piercers to disseminate information about piercing to our clients and a large part of that is diffusing misinformation, even when doing so means potentially losing a sale. I’d go so far as to say especially when it means potentially losing a sale, because building trust is infinitely better for business than taking someone’s hard-earned money under false pretenses.
Since the current trend centers around daith piercings being the miracle cure for migraines, we can use that as an example. When a client walks in asking about the headache cure, we should be telling them that there’s absolutely no verifiable evidence to support that a daith piercing cures anything other than an unadorned ear. As ethical piercers, these types of misconceptions should be cleared up before talking with the client about doing a piercing. There really isn’t any wiggle room on this, because it’s fact whether we want to accept it or not; any “evidence” that has been seen is purely anecdotal. We should all know that individual experience is irrelevant in relation to things such as cures for medical conditions. Since you can read all about confirmation bias, case studies, and double blind experiments in Jef Saunders’s recent blog about the speculation that daith piercings cure migraines, I won’t delve too deeply into this.

Daith piercing by Jef Saunders
Daith piercing performed Jef Saunders

While there isn’t a whole lot of reason to define what anecdotal evidence is or explain the general lack of scientific consensus to someone who just walked in looking for a piercing, you should be able to if needed. The same way you can explain that a vertical hood piercing isn’t going to cause nerve damage to the clitoris, you should be able to explain that a daith piercing probably isn’t going to cure their migraines. If the client still wants the piercing (and many, if not most will) then you can at least carry on with a clear conscience.

The type of clients who end up in your studio because of trends like these present a unique opportunity. Many of them have preconceived notions about piercing studios, and piercers, that they will find simply aren’t true when visiting studios that meet industry standards. Again, a huge part of our job as piercers is to educate, and these situations often become excellent chances. When your client decides they still want a daith piercing, you get to inform them that they’re not stuck with the poorly-sized curved barbell that they probably saw in whatever article they read. You have the opportunity to inform them that real body jewelry comes in many sizes, styles, and implant grade materials. The term standard, doesn’t really apply; the sky’s the limit now a days with body jewelry designs.

You become an ambassador for the entire piercing industry every time one of these clients walks through your door. While we should all be doing our best to give every client the best experience they can have, these types of people should be given extra consideration. You can teach them about jewelry standards, especially in regards to what to look for when choosing a piercing studio. You can correct misconceptions about allergies to everything except gold, while explaining that you offer a wide selection of jewelry including nickel-free gold, if that’s what they would like. When they ask if you’ll be using a gun (and there is a good chance they will) you have the chance to explain how piercing guns are unsafe. They will inevitably pass this information onto their friends and loved ones who ask about the rad new piercing they got. In turn, this single piercing experience has the potential to save an untold number of people from the bad experience of being pierced by untrained hands.

I think it is sometimes easy for us to lose sight of what we’re really trying to accomplish as piercers. Obviously we are trying to do clean, safe piercings, but that’s only one facet of the job. Many of us are guilty of worrying excessively about the opinions of our peers, yet failing to go above and beyond to impress the people who matter most: our clients. These are the people who are literally giving us a reason to come to work every day. By no means am I saying that you should disregard the opinions of your peers; in a tight-knit industry like ours, they definitely do matter. However, your personal feelings should always take a back seat to the health, safety, and mental-well being of your clients. So when someone is desperately searching for relief, it is unethical to not be upfront about your almost certain inability to provide that relief with a piercing. However, if you take the time to be compassionate and informative in your response, you just might end up with a lifelong client anyway.

Point 74: Online Marketing Strategies – Marina Pecorino

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The Point - Issue 74

Marina Pecorino headshotMarina Pecorino
Managing Editor of Content & Statistics

It’s been a while since I have had the chance to browse the internet for piercing shop websites in my spare time; it’s actually fairly intriguing to me. The design of marketing materials has a lot to say about how each shop is choosing to present itself to (potential) clients.

In Issue 73, I shared some tips and tricks for taking portfolio photographs. In this issue, I’m going to get down to business (excuse the pun #sorrynotsorry) talking about online marketing. These days, it’s so easy to get sucked into the glowing screen in front of you without putting it to use as a powerful marketing tool. I’m hoping this article will help make the time you spend online for business more efficient and effective, so you can get back to posting pictures of cats.

For the sake of “print” space, I’m going to assume that most readers already have a basic grasp of marketing on social media. For those of you that feel there’s more to learn, many social media platforms offer a convenient business resource guide: Facebook Business, Instagram Business, Pinterest Business, and Tumblr Business. Some of them also offer forums and communities where business users can discuss their experiences and ask questions. If you have a question about using a particular feature, there are lots of articles available directed at businesses with how-to guides like this beginner’s guide to hashtags.

Like anything else on the internet, a quick search for terms like “Tumblr marketing strategies” or “social media tips for small businesses” will yield innumerable articles with a mix of good and not-so-good information. Here is a small list of my favorite Dos and Don’ts:

  • Humanity—Have a sense of humor and try not to sound mechanical. Clients are less likely to be drawn in by a robotic message. When the media has a personality, clients are more likely to become engaged in the content. Think of those days in the studio when your personality is shining through and your clients are eating it up; the same applies to social media.
  • Diversity—Use a mix of images, videos, and text to share all aspects of your shop with potential and returning clientele. Don’t limit yourself solely to one type of post or one social media platform. Variety in advertising will allow more chances to strike a chord with viewers. Although there is a lot to be said about automation in regards to time management, be careful about repeating the same posts over all your social media platforms. Try to cater the content to the audience and mechanics of the different platforms you’re utilizing.
  • Frequency—Post, share, and interact consistently. It is a valid use of your time to be online at work as long as you are making sure to focus your attention on the business at hand. Dedicate a few minutes of your work day to posting and responding to clients. With certain platforms, like Facebook, you may also choose to dedicate some time to plan and schedule posts for the upcoming week(s), spending an hour or two “in the groove” getting it all out of the way at once.
  • Engagement—Certain types of posts are more likely to get a wider spread of reactions from your audience. Posts with at least one image are more likely to be shared than posts without images. People are more inclined to interact with content that evokes certain emotional responses; awe, laughter, and amusement are the most likely to be shared. Unless you intend to be the epicenter of debate, it is best to stay away from controversial topics, but a well placed poll question or invitation to share a particular post can spread like wildfire. Here are a few bites of food for thought: infographics (graphic depictions of information) and listicles (those clickbait numbered lists everyone loves to hate) are the most widely shared post types. Tuesday is overall the best day to post content.

Hopefully, after reading the points above you have discovered something about social media marketing that you weren’t aware of previously. That means it’s as good a time as any to discuss websites and search engine optimization.

Content diversity in online marketingAlthough websites have the disadvantage of associated cost (web design and development, hosting, domain registration), they have some serious advantages that aren’t as feasible with their no-cost social media counterparts. The main advantage: total control over style and the inner workings. The overall appearance is certainly important if you’re particular about aesthetics, and let’s face it, we’re in the body modification industry; how things look is pretty much our business. More importantly though, total control includes using the elements of web development to make your website easy to find for the clients seeking your services and products; this is essentially the basics of search engine optimization (SEO).

The total number of websites currently on the World Wide Web is mind boggling, and new sites are being added every day. For this reason, search engines need a way to keep track of and catalog what’s available. To do so, search engines send out web crawlers (also known as bots or spiders) to methodically index websites and return information to the search engines about what text and images were found on each website and where those elements were located in the coding. Search engines use this information along with complex algorithms to determine the relevant results for a search, even tailoring the results based on a particular user’s past search history.

Consequently, web developers have learned how to build websites to make pertinent information more available and meaningful for web crawlers, to improve the chance that their site will have a high ranking in relevant searches. Search engines often provide guides on improving SEO, but information about the algorithms used are generally kept secret to reduce exploitation by dishonest developers.

There are now more services available than ever to make web development possible for beginners. Here are a few tips to help you along the way:

  • Be honest with what you’re advertising. Despite what the name would imply, SEO isn’t about catering your website to the search engines, but more about using web development tools to maximize the number of clients that find you by looking for what you’re offering. By implying a level of service or product that the client won’t find upon arrival, you’re bound to end up with frustrated visitors writing bad reviews, rather than lifelong clientele. Therefore, it’s incredibly important to be honest on your site about what your business has to offer; phrase and brand your web presence for the clients you want, but be realistic.
  • Text is important. With the exception of intentionally hidden content (credential information, duplicate content, etc.), all text on a website is indexed by crawlers. Some of this text is seen by viewers, but sites also contain a lot of text that is only visible when looking at the source code. These elements only visible when looking at the coding—like meta tags, keywords, alt text on images—are important tools for developers to provide additional information to be crawled. There are numerous tools online to help you choose text that will attract a broad audience, like this free keyword tool with daily approximations of data, broken down by search engine and demographic information. These types of tools take some of the guesswork out of choosing what text is best to draw the most appropriate audience.
  • Images have become more powerful than ever before. Search engines have evolved to the point that images are now being indexed, allowing users to do a search for particular type of picture, much like searching for a specific set of words or answer to a question. When your smartphone or digital camera creates an image, it assigns the image a generic filename like “IMGfivebazllion.jpg”. Renaming photos with something more descriptive and enticing like “Opal-Rose-Gold-Philtrum-Piercing.jpg” will assist web crawlers in identifying the photograph. Just make sure that the filename you choose accurately describes the image. Web developers also have the ability to add alt text, also known as alternative text, in case the image can’t be loaded. Using descriptive terms in the filename and alt text will improve the chance of your image showing up in a relevant search, but it also allows users to get an idea of the subject matter in the image in cases when the image isn’t visible.
  • Make your site as easy to navigate as possible. A sitemap is essentially a blueprint of your website (generally set up in a hierarchical format), showing where certain types of information are housed on the site. It is common for web developers to make their sitemap—much like a writer composes an outline—before generating site content. Deciding the format and organization ahead of time allows a developer to determine the best layout for a website, so that similar content is together and that important information is easy to find. Once a sitemap is set up, developers essentially have a cheat sheet of which individual pages of a site will need to be built (portfolio, pricing information, aftercare, etc.) and how those individual pages will relate to one another. Properly utilizing internal links, breadcrumbs, and sitemaps will assist search engines in understanding your site’s navigation and help your viewers find what they’re looking for.
  • Duplicate information will bog down viewers and bots. The proper and consistent use of internal links throughout a website can make a huge impact on the user’s experience and ability to navigate the site. Web developers use anchor text (this article is full of anchor text) to link text between pages or to reference outside sources rather than duplicating information. It’s best to use single words or short phrases for anchor text; these words or phrases should provide a preview (or keyword) of what the link will contain. As an example, if a shop wants to include a link to a blank copy of their piercing waiver, it would be best to use the words “piercing waiver” as the anchor text. Avoid using ambiguous anchor text in sentences like “a copy of our piercing waiver can be found here” with the anchor text being “here”.

As I mentioned before, search engines use complex algorithms to take all of the elements (included the ones listed above) of a website and determine how relevant it is to a user’s search. Unfortunately, there are dishonest web developers who know these tricks and will manipulate them to increase the ranking of their sites, even with searches that may not be relevant. This is precisely why search engine penalties are used to counteract potential misuse. One of these penalties, particularly common for beginners, is known as keyword stuffing. This is when a web developer crams as many keywords into an element as possible. This isn’t generally done maliciously, but in an attempt to reach all possible audiences; I have to admit that I was guilty of this early on. Instead of using “gauge”, “plug” and “stretched lobe jewelry” as keywords for the same entry, it’s best to choose one term that is likely to reach a wide audience, while encouraging appropriate language. It’s also a great idea to diversify terms where possible, only reusing the most important. If a particular site is especially spammy or dishonest, it can even be de-indexed, meaning that it no longer appears in search results. Avoid these penalties by being conscientious during development and do research throughout the process.

The topic of online marketing is certainly not a simple one and is not something that can be learned from a single article. I have tried to provide you with a quick overview, but there is much more to learn, even on the topics introduced here. Throughout this article, I have provided additional resources, but there is far more information available, like this basic website term glossary. We have the advantage of infinite access to instructional websites and tutorials available to explain the basics and more advanced techniques involved in online marketing and web development. Instructional websites like these are where I have collected my knowledge over many years. If all this talk of tutorials has you excited and ready to learn, here’s a great resource of free web dev tutorials. I encourage you to dive in and enjoy the adventure. The greatest feature of a website is that it can be developed over time, starting off simple and small, and building into something full of information, images, and content to make your clients excited to come visit your shop.

Point 74: Tech Tips for the Studio

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The Point - Issue 74

Julie Taylor headshotAprilThomasJulie Taylor & April Thomas
APP Outreach Committee

We don’t use machines to create beautiful piercings, but for most of us, being a piercer involves much more than the installation of jewelry. As our jobs as body piercers become more multi faceted it is now common place to find more efficient and economical ways of doing all of the parts that now make up our job. This is where we can use technology; it can make many of our tasks more efficient and improve workflow; the integration of multiple technological tools can provide even more benefits. In this article we will take a quick look at some of the ways piercers can currently use technology in their studios to improve efficiency.

Point of sale system (POS)
– Create your next order automatically based on custom targets
– See inventory instantly
– Manual counting of each piece is required less often
– See sales in real time from home or away
– Track a variety of statistics, from best sellers to busiest time of day
– Use reporting features to identify business opportunities or trends

Client tracking software (sometimes integrated with POS)
– Set up and maintain client reward program
– Single out groups for marketing (birthdays, top gold purchasers in the last 6 months, all nostril piercings this month, etc)
– Generate contact list for an email newsletter
– Send reminders for check ups and other appointments
– Access sizes, wish lists, dates of services and other details for individual clients
– Commit phone clients by booking and scheduling appointments

Accounting software (also may integrate with POS)
– Track even more statistics
– Have year end figures ready at tax time
– All calculations are done by the software
– Handle payroll

Digital waivers
– Nothing to file or store, saving time and space

CCTV cameras
– Watch business from afar
– Added security

Online appointment booking (sometimes integrated with POS)
– Access schedules from home or away
– Clients can book themselves, reducing phone calls and emails

Social media
– Lower priced or free, targeted, advertising
– Easily respond to clients in a frequently used platform
– Scheduling software allows the streamlining of posts to multiple platforms over multiple days in one session.

Website
– Showcase all your info and portfolios together with aftercare, driving directions, links and more
– Collect data from here to shape marketing efforts
– Digitally book appointments to commit online shoppers
– Integrate with search engines for higher SEO results
– Integrate with social media (provide links between)

Cloud storage & file transfer systems (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc)
– Share photos and documents among team members
– Work on projects from home
– Less (or no) risk of losing work as a result of hardware failure

Google maps
– Show business by name
– Makes clients’ experiences easier
– Reduce calls for directions

Mobile phone
– Take photos to help line up paired piercings, show clients ear or other placements that are hard for them to see, as well as portfolio photos
– Access your portfolio anywhere
– Use software for many of the above tasks while at home or away, including POS, CCTVs, Google, social media, and more (this article was written entirely with the Google Docs application)

Each one of these categories of technology could have an entire issue devoted to it. This quick reference was not meant to provide you with the information to best implement and utilize each of these technologies within your shops and business models. Instead, we hope this quick reference will help readers determine which technologies could make a meaningful impact in their studio. Hopefully this reference guide will allow you to isolate an area or procedure that can be improved upon and give you the tools to begin the research process.

Point 74: Communicating Effectively in the Digital Age – Miro Hernandez

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Miro Hernandez headshotMiro Hernandez
APP Public Relations Director

With the advent of the internet and World Wide Web, times are quickly changing for all. You literally have easy access to the entire world at your fingertips. Long gone are the days of AOL and slow dial-up connections. In fact you don’t even need a computer or a laptop to access your email or the World Wide Web, and it is no longer necessary to hear the screeches and squeals from your modem just to find out “you’ve got mail.” It is all right at your fingertips on your nearest smart device. As the landscape of the World Wide Web started taking shape, turning to the internet for all your questions and needs quickly became the new norm. “Just Google it” is now the answer to any question that is posed and the internet is full of plenty of answers, both good and bad.

Along with the rise of the internet, new and different platforms have risen as a means for businesses to promote themselves. Shelling out hundreds of dollars for an ad in the YellowPages is no longer necessary when you can get free promotion through the internet. When an individual is seeking an establishment that offers a specific type of service, websites like Google, Yelp, and Facebook seem to be their first stop. Do a great job and offer the highest quality of service and people are quick to sing your praises, loud and proud, through digital reviews. However, along with the good comes the bad. If they are quick to be loud and proud with a review of an exceptional service, they’ll be even quicker and louder when the service that is offered does not meet their expectations. Having a strong social media presence has the power to either make or break businesses these days. In the case of a negative review, it is essential to be prepared to respond politely and professionally. You may be faced with a firestorm on social media, lashing out based on an inappropriate comment. Understanding the tool you are using is imperative to the integrity of your business.

First and foremost, it is absolutely imperative to understand, that once it goes out into the World Wide Web, it has been put out for all eyes to see and will become a permanent part of the recorded history, even if you delete it. The most common fallacy that I see and hear repeatedly is “but it’s my personal page. I’m free to do as I please with it.” While this is technically true, personal page or not, there is no disclaimer to let viewers know this. It is not shrouded by a safety web or warnings. By using your “personal” page as a means to promote yourself and your business, you are providing your viewers with a direct reflection of who you are and the nature of your business. In essence, the internet has made us our own bosses and masters of our own domain.

A perfect example of your personal page not being so personal and the rather serious ramifications that can result is the infamous screencap. How many times have you witnessed, in a public or private forum, a screencap of an image taken from a “personal” page or a “private” forum, used against someone maliciously? Not so personal or private anymore, huh?

Many of us, at one point or another in our life, have been told there are three things that you don’t talk about: religion, politics, and money. While this may not hold as much weight these days as in days of yore, there is still something to be taken from this. Personally, I think that freedom of speech is a wonderful thing, and having the privilege and ability to speak on topics that we are passionate about is what defines us. That being said, there is absolutely a time and place for this to happen, and a social media outlet used to promote a business is not the place to do so.

These days, we live in a society where people are very easily offended and feelings can get hurt. I’m a firm believer that the greatest thing the internet has given us is “butt-hurt”. That “friend” you thought was really cool and understood “where you’re coming from” may take offense to your thoughts and feelings on a particular topic that you may have felt was a non-issue. Not only have you lost a friend, but that person could’ve been your biggest supporter. The person that was initially quick to sing your praises is now telling the world how horrible of a person you are and telling others to no longer frequent your establishment, possibly over something as benign as not seeing eye to eye on whether New York style pizza is better than Chicago style pizza. Simple rule of thumb: if the topic has potential to offend and you can’t handle yourself in a manner that goes hand in hand with how you want your business to be perceived, don’t post it.

In Don Miguel Ruiz’s bestseller, The Four Agreements, one of the agreements was “be impeccable with your word.” While the meaning of this can be open to interpretation, I will apply it in a manner that is in line with what has been brought up thus far. When we are communicating with individuals directly in person (verbal communication), there are many things we can pick up on indirectly through the individual’s nonverbal communication: body language, eye contact, voice inflection, pause and timing, etc. The phrase “you’re not saying anything, but you’re telling me everything” will always come to mind when I think of the importance of nonverbal communication. At this point, if you haven’t caught on yet, you’re probably asking yourself what this has to do with internet etiquette and being impeccable with your word. It has absolutely everything to do with it! These nonverbal identifiers can not be translated through text on a screen. An individual reading your words and seeing your emojis has to infer the tone of the message you are trying to convey. It can be difficult to distinguish whether you are being serious, malicious, sarcastic, or genuinely concerned. The overall message is often left open and subject to interpretation by whomever’s eyes are reading it. This is where it is of utter importance to be clear and concise with the point you are trying to make; in other words, be impeccable with your word.

While I make no claims to be an expert in the field of internet communication, this is all based off of my personal observations and thoughts on the subject matter. My background is in speech communications with an emphasis on interpersonal communication. So naturally, communication, and the lack thereof, is something that I feel very strongly about. If you are touting and claiming yourself to be a professional, do so in a manner that is according to and in line with your claims in all aspects of your life, even the internet. Some people may say that the internet is not real life and should therefore not be taken too seriously. However, when it has the potential to impact your way of life, the internet should absolutely be taken seriously.

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Point 74: From the Editor – Marina Pecorino

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The Point - Issue 74

Marina Pecorino headshotMarina Pecorino
Managing Editor of Content & Statistics

I initially struggled to come up with direction for this editorial, partly because I feel that I’m somewhat of an outsider. I’m connected to the industry, obviously, but for now, I live my days in corporate America. On an issue geared toward technology in the industry, my brain immediately jumped to marketing, as this was one of my primary business roles during my time as a piercer. Honestly though, I think the biggest impact technology has for me currently is allowing me to connect so easily with all of you.

Throughout my life, I’ve found it difficult to stay in touch with friends when there is physical distance; I have great intentions, but my follow through can be lacking. Social media allows communication with my distant friends to become seamlessly integrated into my day-to-day life. I can now feel connected and do my introverted “lurk and like” while allowing people I care about to do the same.

Recently, I was trying to explain to my partner how supportive and appreciative the volunteer family is, even though many of us have only met in person a handful of times, if that. We’re not a daily face to face interaction in each other’s lives, but we still feel like family. I believe this to be true throughout the body modification community, which is one of the things I love most about having chosen this path. In many ways, my continued involvement in the industry is made possible because of the technology we have at our disposal.

It amazes me to realize that, as a result of my involvement with this industry, I’ve developed friendships with awe-inspiring people all over the world. Unfortunately, the last year seems to have dealt a lot of hard blows to our community. Having friends that span the far reaches of the globe can be extremely tough when someone is going through a particularly hard experience, and all I want to do is give them a hug. Technology makes connecting over these vast distances a little less difficult and allows us to show our support, even when physical proximity isn’t possible.

I have to admit that this editorial started out as a quick comment in the APP volunteers group, while curled up in bed. I only got a few words in, when I suddenly realized that what I wanted to express is my appreciation for the chance to feel so close, despite being so far away. What started as a quick comment, ended up evolving into a rough draft for an editorial. It’s pretty incredible what you can create with technology.

Point 73: BMXnet – Nicole Holmes

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Nicole Holmes
Blue Lotus Piercing, APP Member*

September 3 through 6 of this year, I was fortunate enough to attend my fourth BMX Conference, which was held in the small but beautiful city of Essen, Germany. The conference was coordinated by the charismatic Stefan Schomowski and his team of trusted helpers and volunteers. As much as I always enjoy this conference, I must admit that just visiting Essen is lovely too: scattered city water fountains, the shopping district, and great food. It is honestly the highlight of my piercing year. Each year I arrive earlier and leave a little later.

The venue for BMX is partly the reason I return year after year; the Unperfekthaus is truly a spectacle to behold. As an artist’s village nestled within the city, it really doesn’t disappoint. It is such an inspiration to sit for lunch, walk the corridors, or climb the stairs. Every wall is hand painted, covered in collage, or decorated with a sculpture of sorts. When this venue is full (on registration day, capacity is reached long before breakfast) the atmosphere becomes energized. With so many like-minded people gathering from around the world, BMX embodies a special sense of purpose and community.

I remember my first BMX in 2012. I didn’t know anyone there personally. I was sitting outside alone having coffee at the ungodly hour of 8:00am just because I was excited. The first person that sat by me grew to be the first of many conference friends. Each year BMX expands and there are new faces, new friends to be had. I find it so easy to talk to people during the event. This is another reason I keep attending.

I have attended many seminars, day events, and conventions, but none compare to BMX. There are no similar conferences or events where I live in the North of England. My last large scale, piercing specific event was the 2002 APP Conference & Exposition in Amsterdam. However, 2002 was more than a decade ago and so much has changed. There has been so much grown in the industry since then, I feel a comparison would be irrelevant.

What I can say with certainty is that BMX is not like anything I could have imagined. This year marked the 9th annual conference and it really demonstrated the team’s experience. From the smooth running operation of things to the flow from class to class, the grouping of the lectures was natural and it never felt rushed. Although I feel there was never enough time to visit the expo to do some shopping!

Classes covered topics such as hygiene in the studio, creating sacred space, earlobe reconstruction, and magnet removal. BMX is as it always has been, an umbrella of many topics, not solely piercing based subjects. Tattooing and other modifications are also covered. Many attendees expressed their fondness for this scope of subjects.

I personally feel I absorbed the most this year from the roundtables. These communal discussions based on topics such as “Ethics” led by Samppa Von Cyborg, covering the delicate issue of recording and posting video clips on the internet when you may unwittingly represent the whole industry. In another of this year’s fascinating roundtables, titled “Implantable Technology,” Tim Cannon brought his prototype silicone implant containing LED lights capable of being switched on and off by the users already-implanted magnet. There were even some attendees who were so passionate about the topics that they were willing to hold roundtables at all hours of the day or night. That is a perfect example of the freeform and flexible nature that is BMX.

After classes on both Friday and Saturday, there were striking and eclectic shows from Coco, Superfly, Squid O, and Pain Solution which enchanted the late night crowd with a manifestation of freakshow/sideshow entertainment. This was followed by the annual prize draw raffle.

Overall the whole adventure of BMX was undeniably a special triumph of our industry and community. After discussing this year’s efforts with many other attendees, both new and old, I feel the response was very heartwarming. Everyone that learned and loved at BMX promised to return the following year, myself included.

*Nicole Holmes is one of the newest APP Members in the UK.

Point 73: UKAPP, A Prelude – Ryan Ouellette

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RyanOuelletteRyan Ouellette
Precision Body Arts

In September of 2015 I traveled to Birmingham, England for the first seminars of the newly formed United Kingdom Association of Professional Piercers (UKAPP). When I got home and sat down to write about my experience I found myself thinking more about wider-reaching industry issues which affect not only the UK, but Europe as a whole. My intention was to give a little perspective as to why there are so few APP Members overseas compared here in North America. Once I started I discovered there was much more to the issue than I could properly cover in a single article, so I have decided to make this a two part piece. Hopefully it will give you an idea of the challenges European piercers face if they want to meet APP membership standards, and in turn hopefully it will show you just how impressive and hard working this group of piercers is.

I travel, what many would consider, a fair amount for a full time piercer. Not as much as some, but much more than others. I try to do as much of that travel outside of my home country (the United States) as possible. I like to see new countries and cities, and while I’m travelling I like to meet other piercers and learn how they practice our craft in their respective areas. When I meet piercers from Europe the conversation always ends up being about the APP. I hear quite a few issues voiced when the topic comes up, not necessarily with the organization, but more so in how our Members talk about other regions or parts of the world being “behind” when it comes to piercing. There is the perception that APP Members imply a piercer who does not use the best jewelry available is being unprofessional. I myself have even made the mistake of assuming “good piercing” is all about the jewelry. Now in an era of social media, these perceptions are more important than ever. Anyone can get nice jewelry, install it in a new or healed piercing, and take a picture. That does not make them a good piercer, or a true professional. In my opinion the sign of a professional is continuing to learn and evolve and to strive to give our clients the best work possible. That doesn’t mean you start out doing exactly what you want. For most piercers it is a struggle and you are constantly working towards a goal that, in turn as you progress, changes over time.

I have met piercers in almost a dozen different countries around the world and I see the same challenges that piercers in the US face: “my customers won’t pay X for good quality jewelry”, “my boss won’t invest in quality”, “there are no educational opportunities in my area”. These are all obstacles that a piercer can overcome with time, persistence, education, and a flexible budget. However, there is another aspect that I think US piercers take for granted: access to supplies. In the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK), piercers have an additional challenge. As an example, if you want to order Neometal, Anatometal, BVLA, or most other US made jewelry, not only do you have to deal with long wait times, but also increased shipping costs, delays with customs, and substantial import taxes. Canadian and Latin American piercers face these challenges as well, but to a lesser extent, due to their proximity to where most high end piercing supplies are manufactured. In England, if a piercer orders jewelry they have to pay approximately 20% extra to import it into their country, and that is on top of already significant international shipping costs. Imagine waiting even longer and paying even more. How many US piercers, barely keeping internally threaded and threadless jewelry in stock, would implode at that added challenge? There are almost no native companies manufacturing body jewelry in the EU or the UK at this time. Many have moved production to Asia to lessen costs. Those companies left manufacturing in the EU and UK offer little to no internally threaded jewelry, hand polishing, or products made from materials the Association of Professional Piercers would classify as acceptable for initial piercing.

Needles are another obstacle. How many American piercers are aware of the differences between “blade needles” or “cannulas”? There is a simple reason why; you would never need to. Any American piercer can buy needles made specifically for body piercing, in varying qualities. Again, in the EU and UK there is little to no access to what we would consider “piercing needles” without importing them. In most of Europe there are fewer restrictions on medical devices so it is very common for piercers to use medical catheter needles and biopsy punches to perform body piercings. They call what American piercers use a “blade” needle to distinguish it from the more common cannula needles they are using. Since they don’t have the same access to blade needles many of their techniques are built on a foundation of using the cannula sheath for jewelry transfers. If you are unfamiliar with a cannula it is a plastic sheath covering the needle that can slide off and be used as a catheter. If you have had IV fluids in your arm or hand at the hospital. That little tube going into your vein or artery is a cannula. The application is to pierce through the tissue, once the needle and sheath exit you can slide out the needle leaving the cannula in place. You can then insert jewelry (internal or external) into the sheath and back it through the piercing. In theory this covers external threading during insertion so many European and British piercers see it as negating the risk of using external threading. Whether is does or does not could be another whole article.¹

I hope by now you can see where the different mindsets come from between US and Europe counterparts. Imagine all those obstacles, and a piercer without those obstacles calling you lazy or sloppy because you do not have the means to overcome said obstacles. It would be frustrating, it might even make you apprehensive to strive to reach the goals that same piercer holds as being a minimum standard. One of the most common complaints I hear about the APP is that membership is geared almost entirely to piercers in the United States. While it is true that the vast majority of APP Members are operating in the US, I have met APP Members all over the world: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Mexico, England, and more. If APP membership is not an easy goal to achieve in a specific region, another option to improve standards is to create a local organization such as the APTPI (Italy), LBP (Mexico, Central, and South America) and the newly formed UKAPP. The point of these other organizations is not to have lower standards, but to have standards geared towards their specific region. For instance, if jewelry concerns are not the main obstacle, the organization can instead focus on other safety issues such as sterilization, studio layout, and training.

Every Fall I travel to Essen, Germany to teach seminars at the BMXnet (Body Modification Exchange Network) Conference. I’ve met some fantastic piercers from all over Europe there. At the 2014 event I spent quite a while talking with a British piercer named Nici Holmes. We talked about many of the points mentioned above. Specifically, we discussed how it is very challenging to be a piercer who wants to offer quality, especially when the items that go into a “quality” piercing need to be imported from another continent. We talked about how many of the best piercers in the UK could not meet membership standards set forth by the Association of Professional Piercers. One of the concerns she voiced: most, if not all, of the jewelry that meets APP standard is based on ASTM material standards, which has led to some confusion as it previously stood for the AMERICAN Society for Testing and Materials.² The APP jewelry standards were revised in 2009 and currently include both ASTM and ISO designations. Much of Europe is moving away from allowing steel as an acceptable material for body jewelry due to nickel content, but at the same time Europe widely allows the use of G23 grade titanium, which is an industrial grade, rather than an implant grade material. G23 Ti has been used as an alternative to nickel containing alloys and its safety has not been addressed, as regulations focused on eliminating nickel as an allergen, not on validation of a material for safe healing and prolonged wear.

Nici talked about how she wanted to start a dialog with other British, Irish, and Scottish piercers to try to form a new group. At first I thought the intention was just to have some casual meetings and discuss industry issues. Apparently the idea caught on and soon after, with the help of a crowdfunding campaign, there was a new nonprofit formed to focus on safe body piercing in the United Kingdom. One of their first acts was to host a central meet. In the next issue of The Point I plan to elaborate on what was accomplished at their first meeting.

¹The plastic sheath is easily damaged which in turn can damage tissue. Also, the blade length is significantly shorter, limiting or preventing many of the bevel theories modern freehand piercers are so fond of.
²The ASTM has focused on international trade since the 1970’s. In 2001 it was rebranded as ASTM International, and is used globally in more than 140 countries.

Point 73: Ohio Legislation Update – Patrick McCarthy

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Patrick McCarthy*
Piercology, Inc., Body Art Solutions

For the last three years, the state of Ohio has been rewriting its body art Rules and Regulations. Beginning in 2013, a number of body modification professionals, health inspectors, medical professionals, legal professionals, Ohio Department of Professional Personnel and more, set out with the purpose of reworking the outdated rules that had been put in place 18 years ago. The Association of Body Art Professionals was formed for the state of Ohio to take on this task. The association had piercers and tattoo artists from the four corners of the state, many of which were fellow APP Members.

Many people don’t realize that when you are dealing with the government and government agencies, you are dealing with two separate things: rules and regulations, and laws. These are two totally different animals. Laws are far more difficult to change and are usually written to be intentionally vague. Revisions or additions to laws must go through the House and Senate in the state and must be signed by the governor. Rules and regulations go into great detail and are usually written by a committee. Laws are set for the state level. However, most states allow local health departments and municipalities to go above the state’s laws in the rules and regulation procedures. For this reason, it is so important to understand what your local municipality requires, because many people, including public officials, don’t realize the significant difference in laws and rules and regulations. We have the issue of travelling artists being allowed to practice their craft in different states. It is like this in most states, however, some states do things a little differently. So make sure you understand how things work in your state, and any states that you may visit while working.

Going back 18 years, Ohio had some of the best body art laws in the nation, with matching rules and regulations. Because of this, many states set up their laws similarly to Ohio. I was fortunate enough to be involved in writing the laws way back then, and this made it a little easier to get involved in the changes this time. Due to the fact that they were previously so well written, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) pretty much left the rules and regulations alone until 2 years ago. Unfortunately, due to the lack of evolution, the rules and regulations had become outdated.

Overhauling the antiquated laws and rules and regulations to reflect the incredible amount of advancement in our industry over that 18 year period was no easy task. Our committee met, on average, once or twice a month, for nine months going over all of the changes that needed to take place. During these meetings, we were able to address many changes that had occurred in our industry.

When originally written, it was stated that studios had to sterilize their own tools. In response to the evolution of pre-sterilized, disposable tools, we added the “Pre-Sterile” law, allowing artists in this state to use presterilized items. Up until this point, an artist was breaking the law if they used pre-sterilized tools. Most states have requirements that rules and regulations be looked at every few years so things like this don’t happen. But, as we all know, if things are working well they never get changed. So I urge each of you to make sure your state stays current with the progress happening in our industry.

The rules and regulations were written with extensive depth and specifications regarding things like quality of jewelry, detailed instruction on how to sterilize instruments, aseptic techniques for set-up and teardown, and even how documentation had to be kept. To ensure that the health inspectors in the state of Ohio were properly trained on the new changes that had taken place, we held back the roll out of the new rules and regulations for six months and offered training to them regarding all of the changes. These training classes were not only open to health inspectors, but also to people in the body art industry, free of charge. This was done so that they could learn how the changes in rules and regulations would affect their studios and to help them understand what changes needed to be implemented.

We taught ten classes throughout the state over a 6 week period with over three hundred health inspectors in attendance. These classes went into great detail regarding instruction for inspectors. We covered topics such as correct procedures for disinfecting and sterilizing, proper aseptic technique for both tattooing and piercing, what to look for in an exposure control plan, and what works and doesn’t work regarding aftercare. Information on industry standards tats was also discussed. We stressed the importance of inspectors observing procedures within the studios to ensure that artists know what they are doing.

The classes were quite successful and the participants enjoyed the opportunity to be in an interactive environment where they could ask questions. These were the first classes that had been offered to them strictly covering body art in the state of Ohio. We learned that making comparisons to the food industry allowed the inspectors to better comprehend the information being taught from that industry to ours. We were asked to record a final class session in a sound studio using the PowerPoint presentation. This prerecorded session is now used for training new inspectors. We were also invited to teach classes for inspectors at four conferences across the state.

I have maintained a great working relationship with ODH over the last 19 years of working with them. It is important to remember a few things when building and maintaining a working relationship with health departments and inspectors. As much as you may not like it, we are in their world, so dress accordingly. One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen over the years, and why many in our industry don’t have a working relationship with their public departments, is the simple fact that they don’t dress up. Don’t expect to be seen as a professional if you show up to a meeting dressed in jeans and a tshirt. Also, don’t talk down to them; treat them as a peer. Health inspectors are just there to do their job and keep the public safe, so if they don’t understand everything in our profession, take the time to educate them. I think you will find that most inspectors welcome any knowledge you can offer them.

Most states have conferences to teach inspectors, and they are always looking for new classes. So feel free to ask your health departments if you might be able to help out and teach a class for them.

*Editor’s Note: Pat was also the APP’s first elected president.

Point 73: Initial Piercing Jewelry: An American Timeline – Matte Erickson

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Matte Erickson headshotMatte Erickson
Alpha-Omega Body Piercing

In the beginning, there was one main manufacturer: Gauntlet. Originally, gold was the predominant material for jewelry used for initial body piercings. According to Jim Ward (Running the Gauntlet, pg. 35), “There was an interest in stainless steel as a material for piercing jewelry”, but due to his lack of knowledge or experience with it “every piece was either gold or silver”. Many people used standard earrings, but the sizes were limited. These were primarily ring styles—captive bead and fixed bead. There were other individuals making specialty jewelry, but acquiring a piece required knowing someone. The first jewelry catalogue from the Gauntlet is dated August 15, 1976 and includes many styles of jewelry we still see in use today such as the aforementioned bead ring. In fact the currently popular septum retainer was also a Gauntlet innovation.

In its early days, Gauntlet had one short-lived competitor called Whatever Rings. It was run by a gay couple who were heavy S/M players. They operated out of their West Hollywood apartment and sought business through ads placed in the local gay press and Drummer Magazine, a gay BDSM publication. Their jewelry consisted solely of gold abutted rings with no closure. At the time Gauntlet began business in 1975, the only stainless steel jewelry manufacturer of note was Spain’s Custom in Lawton, Oklahoma. It was the jewelry favored by early pioneer Sailor Sid. Although the quality was acceptable, at least by the standards of the time, some objected to the stiffness of the unannealed rings and chose not to offer these products to their customers. Spain’s barbells were also externally threaded. Spain’s Custom advertised in PFIQ until the time Gauntlet began manufacturing and offering stainless steel jewelry of its own in the early 1980s.

Ray Spain, the owner of Spain’s Custom, suffered from back problems which eventually became so severe that he was forced to close his business. Sailor Sid purchased the equipment and began manufacturing jewelry under the name Silver Anchor.

gauntlet large guage curved barbell

The internally threaded barbell is credited to Tattoo Samy from Frankfurt, Germany—early barbells had no countersink. Over the years, Jim Ward expanded on this, not only manufacturing straight, but also curved and circular barbells. Other companies came and went in the beginning, but Gauntlet remained the staple for many years.

The ‘80s and ‘90s saw a rapid influx of jewelry manufacturers. According to Shawn Porter (SPC, BME), the ‘80s spawned companies like Pleasurable Piercing, Toucan (for gold), Wildcat in the UK, and Silver Anchor (formerly Spain’s Custom).

In the late ‘80s, John Donoghue founded Wildcat, a wholesale manufacturer out of Brighton, UK. During the ‘90s they were the largest supplier of body piercing jewelry in Europe.

In 1990, Josh Warner also brought us Good Art and their whimsical, sometimes over the top advertising. In 2002, they rolled out what was to be their fine jewelry line. By 2005, they rebranded themselves as Good Art HLYWD and ceased production of body jewelry.The Point Issue 73 - Jewelry Catalogs of the Past

Some of the manufacturers originating in the ‘90s have become staples for current piercings today. In 1991, Anatometal, Body Circle, and Industrial Strength were founded. 1991 also brought about “implant grade” materials from Anatometal and Industrial Strength, as well as countersunk ends on barbells.

Unfortunately, the ‘90s also brought us a proliferation of body jewelry from Asia and the birth of the “cheap piercing”.

In 1993 Venus by Maria Tash was brought into the mix. Originally only making steel and niobium captives, she moved on to gold designs in 1994.

In 1995 LeRoi opened its doors in upstate New York and Body Vision Los Angeles in, of course, Los Angeles, California.

1997 brought us two companies, Intrinsic Precision and NeoMetal. Intrinsic was opened in San Francisco, California and has been the sleeper of the body jewelry world. Putting out high quality jewelry, they have flown under the radar until recently. Now they are sought after with a long list of piercers waiting for the opportunity to buy their products. NeoMetal, a small company from Concord, California, created something that would eventually stand the piercing community on its proverbial ear: threadless jewelry. In February 2004 they moved to Washington and the threadless movement continued to grow and thrive.

In 1998 Glasswear Studios opened in Ashland, Oregon offering high quality glass jewelry.

1999 brought us Steel Skin, fusing implant grade steel and titanium with dental acrylic ends. In February 2007 Steel Skin was sold and moved to Louisville, Kentucky. They eventually closed in 2010.

In 2002 Gorilla Glass opened in Oaxaca, Mexico fusing traditional and modern designs in glass and obsidian.

While this is by no means a complete timeline of body jewelry manufacturers, it does however highlight, in my opinion, the top (American) companies that made significant contributions to the body piercing world. While I know this list could be MUCH longer, I chose to focus on the companies that produce(d) jewelry for initial piercings.

Authors note: I would like to thank Barry Blanchard, JD Lorenz, Josh Warner, Maria Tash, Sue from Neometal and Wickert Beasley for their prompt responses to my questions on dates. Also I would like to thank the rest of the companies that put a timeline on their websites that made my list much easier to compose.

Point 73: Portfolio Photography: Tips & Tricks – Marina Pecorino

1 Comment read Issue 73, Social Media & Safe Piercing, Technology

Point-70-From-the-Editor-Marina-0.jpgMarina Pecorino
Managing Editor of Content & Statistics

In the grand scheme, our industry is young, but in reference to how we display our portfolios there has been quite a bit of progress throughout our short history. During the inception of the modern piercing movement, piercers displayed their work selectively in printed photographs, which resulted in a lag between when a piercing was performed and when it was available to showcase. The range of viewing audience was also much smaller as a result of this medium and its reliance on a physical print.

As the internet became more accessible, shops were able to use websites to display their collective works. Websites like BMEzine came into being, allowing piercers to reach a broader audience, beyond the bounds of geography. However, until digital photography became affordable and readily available, this medium was still limited by the lag and expense of developing film and scanning photographs.

Source: Saint Sabrina's
Source: Saint Sabrina’s

Modern digital photography has reached a level where decent digital cameras are built into every smartphone, and standalone digital cameras are widely available. Social media allows us to quickly reach an audience around the world. We hold these sophisticated marketing tools in our pockets, purses, and fanny packs every day, but do we know how to implement them to their fullest potential?

This will be a two part instructional article to help you make the most of these tools. In this first edition, I’ll touch on some tricks and tips for shooting portfolio photographs. In Issue 74, I’ll explain some ways to make sure those photographs have as broad a reach as possible, using the tools allowed through current social media and search engine optimization.

And now on to the good stuff! I hope that you find these quick techniques and tricks useful in displaying your work to the world.

Source: Dorje Adornments
Source: Dorje Adornments

• Variety—Don’t get drawn into only taking photographs of your favorite types of piercings or jewelry styles. Strive to show the full range of options available within your studio and the diversity of your clientele. Showing a mix of gender, race, age, and style helps make your portfolio relatable to a broader range of your clients and allows your potential client an opportunity to visualize themselves and their new or upgraded adornment within your portfolio.

• Composition—Your photograph is intended to display your superb piercing technique and the incredible, high polished jewelry you’ve used, so make sure that these are the main focal point. Frame collages have become popular and allow you to show the piercing from multiple angles. These are a great way to show a close up and distant view (with a smiling, happy client, maybe?), and can be especially useful in displaying symmetrically paired piercings.

• Distance and Zoom—When zooming in on your subject within your digital camera, image quality loss is irreversible. Therefore you should avoid using the digital zoom, which may leave your image looking pixelated and distorted. It is far better to take a step or three closer to your client to take advantage of the natural optics of the lens. If necessary, crop the image after the fact to get rid of extraneous or distracting aspects or achieve a closer view. That being said, be careful not to get “too close”. This can make the viewer feel uncomfortable and the piercing will lose some of its impact without the rest of the anatomy as a frame of reference.

• Focus—If a photograph is out of focus, avoid using it, regardless of how in love with it you may be. An out of focus image will not tell the viewer much about the health of a piercing or quality of the jewelry used. Using a shallow depth of field (choose a large aperture close to f/2.8, for the photography geeks in our midst) to blur the background can be useful if you’re shooting photographs in a visually busy environment. If you forgot to use this setting while taking the photograph, post-processing software like Photoshop, Lightroom, Affinity, Exposure, or photography apps on your smartphone can accomplish this after the fact as well. If you have the option, try using a minimalistic or subtle background, but still aim for some color and texture when possible.

• Lighting—If you have the environment available to take portfolio photographs outside or close to a window, choose a spot that is well-lit by indirect sunlight. Unrestrained direct sunlight can cause harsh shadows and loss of detail in highlights. If you’re shooting in a windowless room, positioning multiple light sources with natural spectrum light bulbs can simulate indirect sunlight. If you’re shooting with a DSLR, using a bounce flash directed at a white wall behind you can help evenly illuminate your client and their beautiful jewelry. Regardless of your lighting, watch out for unintentional shadows near eyes, noses, and chins.

• Color Balance—Using natural spectrum lighting is a great start to provide the truest colors for jewelry and the healthiest skin tones for your clients, but color correction can be done in post-production with most photography processing software and apps, like the ones mentioned earlier. Be careful about color balance; aim to make your whites as true as possible. Photographs with a greenish or yellowish hue may cause your client to look sickly. A reddish hue may cause your client to look flushed. If your camera has an option for white balance, set it appropriately based on your environment or take multiple photos with the white balance set a few different ways.

• Quality of Work—Avoid including angry, bloody, or otherwise unappealing piercings; happily healed piercings should make up the vast majority of your portfolio. If you are not pleased with the angle or placement, or if the perspective of the photo makes it look like something is wonky, choose a different photo or piercing. Your portfolio does not need to include every piercing you’ve performed or every photograph you’ve taken. It should be a selection of your very best work and it should show that the piercings you perform will heal well and elegantly accentuate the anatomy that surrounds them.

Source: Cold Steel
Source: Cold Steel