Posts tagged elayne angel

Point 85: Back in the Day

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by Elayne Angel

If you were not present, it would be hard to imagine how incredibly different “the field” of body piercing was in the 1980s, when I landed my job as a professional piercer and manager at Gauntlet, Inc.

At the time, piercing was some years away from being an actual industry. As far as we know, there was still just that one specialty studio in the country (and possibly the world)! Body piercing was all but unheard of. Literally—most people had simply never heard of it. The general public thought that women’s earlobes were the only site for such ornamentation, and maybe some noses in exotic, distant lands. Body piercing, when it was perceived at all, was viewed as underground, radical, and exceedingly deviant.

Even the National Tattoo Association (NTA) did not welcome Gauntlet at their conventions. Despite multiple attempts to rent a booth, they refused to offer the simple courtesy of a reply. They felt that piercing was outlandish and would give tattooing a “bad reputation.”

We had a tattoo artist client who used to buy jewelry from Gauntlet and do some piercings on the side. He confided that if his tattoo artist boss knew that he was pierced, and that he was performing piercings on others, he would be fired for being a pervert!

When I first became employed at Gauntlet, the clientele was still primarily gay leathermen (like its owner/founder, Jim Ward himself), and others from the BDSM community. Jim Ward is the person who essentially brought piercing out of the bedroom and dungeon. Initially, “kinky” people who were exploring the limits of their bodies were about the only ones engaging in piercing. We put holes in ears here and there, but mostly we pierced nipples and genitals, and the occasional septum on a willing slave or daring dominant.

At that time, piercing was very much about sex, eroticism, sensation, and enhancement. Piercings were for function, and the aesthetics were somewhat secondary. It used to be more about how a piercing felt than how it looked.

Then piercing got some media attention, including an article in the National Enquirer, with the sensational headline “Bizarre New Fashion Fad Turns Folks into Human Pincushions.” As melodramatic as this tabloid fodder was, it caught the attention of a lot of interested parties. That coverage was definitely responsible for putting tongue piercing before the public eye and its popularity soared afterward! Tongue piercing had not been in the repertoire of usual puncture sites in those days. At. All.

In addition to the National Enquirer piece and other print articles, we got a fair bit of television coverage too, including CNN, After Hours, MTV, French TV, and Japanese TV. An old syndicated news show called Inside Report filmed a noteworthy segment at Gauntlet in the late 1980s. I find it very illustrative of that era.

I’m rockin’ a piercing-purple skirt suit. The blazer’s padded shoulders set off my long curly, dyed-black Mohawk. As I speak there’s a text overlay on the screen reading, HOLE-EE COW!

Me: One of the other new piercings that is getting very popular, and it is rather painless to have done and very erotic: it’s the tongue piercing!

The poofy-haired anchorwoman, clad in a sassy leopard print dress (with massive shoulder pads), opines: “For most people, even getting their ears pierced is a traumatic experience. But imagine having your nipple or your navel pierced?! Body piercing is becoming a booming business, and not just with rock and rollers or radicals. This painful fad is becoming popular even with the yuppie crowd! Inside Report’s Angela Shelly shows us some folks who have more holes in their bodies than Swiss cheese!”

Cut to a Mötley Crüe music video with reporter’s voice-over: “It’s kind of your job when you’re a rock star. You’re supposed to shock people. Like Axl Rose of Guns n’ Roses, Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe, these two have a lot in common. No, not music; nipples! [Cut to close up image of a pierced male nipple with a captive ring.] Both of the rockers have recently gotten their nipples pierced at this shop [image of the Gauntlet storefront] in West Hollywood, California.

“But don’t think piercing is just for the raunchy and famous. A lot of regular people…and a few irregulars are pierced in places you never thought of—take navels.” This as they show a preppy short-haired young man getting his eyebrow pierced, then one of the Gauntlet staff strutting down the street in SM-fashionable leather and chains, sporting septum and navel piercings.

Next, they interview a sincere young piercee about her new navel piercing as she is bouncing a toddler on her hip. “It’s a pretty exotic place, I thought; something out of the normal. Not everybody has one.” [Though, of course, some years later, nearly anybody might have one!]

This show actually recorded my very first eyebrow piercing. Once the fixed bead ring was inserted and closed (of course we didn’t have any NeoMetal curves back then), I looked over at the client and said—in all seriousness— “You are a wild man!” Yep, piercing was quite different in those days.

Elayne’s experimental wrist piercing

Soon piercing started to catch on with entertainers, artists, musicians, and others. Being located in Southern California, Gauntlet was well positioned to handle that clientele. In the late 1980s (coinciding with the release of the Re/Search book Modern Primitives), more varied types of people became interested in body art and modification. They wanted to decorate different areas including more ear and facial work, and surface piercings.

Two photos of Joe Ruby of Borneo Joe and Flaming Bones Jewelry. Many of his facial piercings placements were totally pioneering (and wildly attention getting) at the time. It is fantastic to see that he still wears them to this day.

There simply was no existing body of knowledge to draw from to fulfill many of these new requests. So, we moved forward as best we could, applying principles from our stock of “traditional” piercings whenever possible. It was an era of experimentation, informal research, and trial and error. And, yes…there were errors. Some piercings didn’t heal well and left scars. Fortunately, I have no real catastrophes to report (except for the disaster described on page 119 of The Piercing Bible, called “The Worst Piercing Story,” which is about my own cheek piercings).

We were always honest about our experience (or lack thereof) for any atypical requests. But when the customers were up for trying, we did our utmost. It was acceptable to just… attempt something new—nearly anything. We didn’t yet know what the boundaries and possibilities were, so we had to feel for them. We pushed, to find out what worked. Compared to today, there was relatively little expected by our clients, which facilitated this process. If they were willing to ultimately walk away with a scar for the chance at a new piercing, we gave it a go.

The truth is, we did some foolish stuff. And once that initial period of exploration ran its course, I pretty much stuck to the piercings that routinely healed successfully and let go of the rest. I suppose it is ironic that I’m now viewed as a “conservative” piercer, given these origins.

But my current attitude springs from having experimented a lot in my formative years.

Some of our early efforts come to mind.    A number of them turned into very popular piercings; others, not so much.

In the 1970s, the first piercing I’d done on myself (other than an ear) was through a pinch of tissue just below the prominent bone on the outside of my left wrist. I was in high school at the time and was afraid someone would see it and send me to the looney bin, so I kept it in for just a few weeks before abandoning it. After joining the Gauntlet team, I thought it would be fun to reprise this piercing, so I had a colleague hold the forceps while I pushed the needle through. Then they did the jewelry insertion for me: a 14 ga 3⁄8″ gold captive bead ring. I wore it for some months and it healed quite well given the minimal tissue, and the frequent handwashing and glove wearing required by my work. Ultimately, I found it impractical and gave it up.

I also thought it would be neat to have a hand-web piercing, which I’d seen in issue #23 of Jim Ward’s Piercing Fans International Quarterly Magazine (PFIQ). Somehow that settled in too, in spite of the Betadine and water soaks I used to “help it heal.” I had it for several years before it began to migrate and had to be abandoned.

Innovations were tossed around and regularly tried out on the very willing staff. The lower central labret was already somewhat established, but one of my employees (Rebecca L.) got the idea for a midline piercing above her upper lip, and that was the first philtrum piercing I can recall.

Another staffer (piercer Jen D.) wanted her forehead pierced horizontally, as close to the hairline as possible. I didn’t think a ring or straight barbell would work well, and curves were years from becoming readily available. So, I got the bright idea (ha!) to make a flexible “barbell” by filing the seam off of some plastic weed-eater line with a jewelry file. I figured out a creative way to melt and flatten the plastic ends with a lighter to hold some beads on. Amazingly, it healed just fine and she later put in metal jewelry. Jen wore it for years, and to my knowledge, indefinitely.

An employee from the jewelry division wanted to get an ear cartilage placement that “not everyone has,” so I evaluated his anatomy. I decided to frame the prominent horizontal ridge near his face, toward the upper region of his ear. We called it a “Niler” as his last name was Niles. Later, Erik Dakota would dub this placement a “rook” piercing.

Then there were other inventive things to be done with piercings. I thought it would be cool to have a vampire bite scar on the side of my neck. So, I took a long straight barbell (12 gauge, about 11⁄4″ in length) and while a colleague held the tissue in some forceps, I pierced it myself, and inserted the jewelry. The intention was to leave it in temporarily, and for it to not heal at all well. Somehow, minimal scarring resulted, which is probably for the best.

Believe it or not, I wasn’t the only one to try this “vampire piercing.” Joe Ruby of Borneo Joe/ Flaming Bones jewelry was an early frequent visitor in the studio, and he also got one. Many of his facial piercing placements were totally pioneering (and wildly attention-getting) at the time. It is fantastic to see that he still wears them to this day.

In addition to performing experimental piercings, some of the circumstances surrounding them were unusual as well. I recall a few topless after-hours, invitation-only piercing parties. In fact, my forward helix—the first of its kind, as far as we know—was done at one such event. It was performed by Crystal (now Clayton) Cross, pierced from the interior, into a cork on the front. A small bead ring was the initial jewelry.

Elayne, right, with Crystal (now Clayton) Cross

I also have very fond memories of a “first cleaning” party that took place in my large home shower, only a mile from Gauntlet’s door. About a half a dozen of us bathed together and washed our tender new piercings with Hibiclens surgical scrub. Believe me when I tell you, that harsh soap was actually a big improvement from the agonizing rubbing-alcohol-on-cotton-swabs aftercare method I used for my nipple piercings back in 1981!

Stretching cartilage (or any large gauge hole in that tissue) was also pretty revolutionary at that time; most enlarged piercings at that point were Prince Alberts. For my conch piercing, a 10-gauge matte-finish charcoal ring was selected as the initial jewelry (ever so unwisely). What agony! But it healed, and within nine months I’d somehow stretched it enough to fit in a 4-gauge double-flared eyelet without damaging the tissue.

A memorable and unique man came to Gauntlet in the ‘80s with a number of highly unusual requests for the times. He went by the name Erl Van Aken (RIP), and he got the first bridge piercing, which we dubbed an “Erl.” He also got the first neck surface piercing (nape). He wore both of these for many, many years. Less well known was his foray into axillary piercings. Though he was a very physically active man, Erl thought it would be a good idea to pierce the folds at the front and rear  of his underarm creases. Though I tried to discourage him, Erl was a very persistent and persuasive person. I eventually placed 14ga 5⁄8″ rings there, front and back, bilaterally. Although he didn’t wear those piercings for as long as his others, they healed despite his inventive care regimen: twice daily applications of Bacardi 151 rum!

An adorable and effervescent young gal named Madison was the first to come in requesting a surface piercing at the front of her neck, which we labeled accordingly. We placed a ring in it and she wore the piercing for years, stating that she never had problems with it. Amazing!

I also recall a gent named Chet, who requested a single cheek piercing. He brought in a spent Magnum .357 bullet shell casing, and we had the jewelry department slice off the inscribed back portion of it to make a threaded end for the front of his piercing. Once the project was complete, he thought it looked like he had a bullet in his face. That was creative and…different. (I want to take this opportunity to clarify a common misconception: we did use internally threaded jewelry, even in those early days, for everything 14 gauge and thicker.)

I remember Dr. Jack Ward teaching a class on anatomy for piercers at an APP Conference in the 1990s. He entitled it: “Are We Good or Are We Lucky?” and frankly, I would have to say we were pretty lucky indeed. We didn’t use needles larger than 10 gauge (I still don’t), and generally pierced smaller than that. But we stuck them through some places that could have had less fortunate outcomes. I did a piercing on one of the staff members (Crystal) at the juncture of her face and earlobe, but have since learned that there is an artery present there that is usually quite large. That could have gone badly!

When I wasn’t at the shop or at home, I was out proselytizing about the joys of piercing to anyone who would listen. They often heard my message, as I made countless “converts.” My passion and enthusiasm were boundless, and the role of educator/liaison was one I undertook zealously. I still do….

During that period, the energy was electric, palpable, and intense, and it was evident that the era was somehow significant. My memories of that extraordinary time are incredibly fond, but frankly I’m relieved that my experimenting days are behind me. I’m so grateful to have been there, and happy to have returned to my roots, specializing in the piercings that were Gauntlet’s original stock in trade.

Disclaimer: This article is intended to accurately describe my personal recollections and professional experiences from many years ago. It is my sincere intention to be truthful, though we all know that human memory is sometimes fallible. Any errors are my own (and are inadvertent). Also, it is not my aim to seek credit for any particular piercings—just to relate some early history as I remember it.

Point 82: Elayne Angel

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Thank you for celebrating the women of the piercing industry with us. We know that there are many more influential women that have greatly shaped our role in the industry. We hope that you will join us in Issue 85: Our History and Where We Came From. (winter, 2018) where we will look at some more of the most influential pioneers of our industry, such as Elayne Angel, Jim Ward, and Fakir

Point #64: President’s Award – Sarah Wooten

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Elayne Angel_high resBy Elayne Angel

One of my favorite things about serving as APP President is that I have the “job” of bestowing an annual award. There aren’t any formal or established criteria for me to follow, and in some ways that makes it even harder to reach a decision on the winner. That said, when I came up with the idea of naming this individual, I knew it was absolutely the right choice.

I wanted to make it clear during my brief speech at the banquet that it shouldn’t only be the super-sparkly, outgoing, attention-getting folks (such as myself) who are noticed. I wanted to recognize someone who is hardworking and highly participatory, but in a quieter, more behind-the-scenes way than some of us.

This person studied photography at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1992-93. They have been a professional piercer since 1998 and an APP member since 1999. This piercer worked in a studio as an employee for eight years, until 2006 when that business closed. They opened their own studio in 2007. This person is incredibly devoted, dedicated, consistent, and cares deeply about doing quality work.

This recipient has served admirably on the Conference Committee since it formed in 2008; she also volunteered at our annual events before that. She handles a task that is surely one of the most daunting and difficult with grace and compassion: She wrangles all of us speakers and our handouts and PowerPoint presentations so they are ready for Conference. Her patience and diligence are beyond measure. I’m a little embarrassed to admit she’s even had to goad me at times to extract my presentation materials.

Not only is this woman a wonderful piercer, a respected colleague, and a fantastic employer, she is also an amazing mother. She has aptly been described as “The APP’s best kept secret.” This woman has earned my deepest respect and is so deserving of recognition for her efforts on behalf of the industry and this organization.

Sarah WootenMy selection for the 2013 recipient of the President’s Award is Sarah Wooten.

Thank you so much Sarah for all that you do. You earned this award so quietly and gently, yet thoroughly. Congratulations!

Preferring to make receiving the award a positive and pleasant experience, I did not require her to address the audience at the banquet. I am aware that this woman of many talents does not have public speaking high on her list of favorite things to do. So instead I suggested that she write something for The Point and here it is:

“I am feeling honored, humbled, and a little overwhelmed with having been chosen to receive the 2013 APP President’s Award. I like to joke around that I have some sort of obsession with volunteering, but the truth of the matter is that it’s one of the most rewarding aspects of having a career in this industry. I strongly believe that the APP has done an immeasurable amount of good for piercers, both for our industry and for our community. To me, the ability to give back by donating my time and energy in such a direct way is really gratifying. Being a part of the Conference Committee allows me to work closely with people I respect and admire, and to help create this wonderful educational event that benefits fellow piercers. I had no idea in advance just how much hard work goes into each year’s Conference, but the result makes the effort more than worth it.

I’m incredibly thankful for the recognition. It makes me want to work harder and to do more. I’d also like to take this opportunity to encourage others to consider volunteering in some capacity. There are so many different ways to reach out and give something back, and I promise you’ll be glad that you did.”

Well said, Sarah!

Point #60: President’s Award Winner: Steve Joyner

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Steve Joyner

One of the things I looked forward to most when I first took my leadership position with the organization was that I would have the pleasure of presenting the President’s Award. As a prior recipient (in 2006), I knew what a great honor it was to receive this recognition. I began to consider a deserving candidate. One name stuck with me: Steve Joyner, my esteemed colleague and friend. Mr. Joyner is a long-time, major contributor to the APP mission of disseminating safe piercing information. He has served admirably as an advocate and representative of our industry for many years and in numerous situations. He’s been a body piercer for a quarter century, and a member of the APP for sixteen of those years. Steve has been a mentor to many and often has worked behind the scenes. His presence and expertise has proved instrumental in many situations. As an instructor, he’s taught classes about suspension and body piercing at APP Conferences, BMXnet (in Germany), and other conferences throughout the world. He’s also founder, director, and executive producer of the suspension performance troupe, Constructs of Ritual Evolution (CoRE). I had the pleasure of serving with him for a three-year term on the Board of Directors when he was vice president of the organization. He founded the Legislation Committee during that term. He has continued to serve on that committee, and on both the Membership Committee and the Executive Committee. In working with legislation, he has helped with body art regulations for at least twenty-five states and five different countries. More recently, he’s been involved in assisting the legislators and Health Departments in California on the regulations for that state. Congratulations to the 2012 recipient of the President’s Award, Mr. Steve Joyner, and thank you for your dedicated service!

Point #61: BMXnet 2012 Review – Essen, Germany October 12-14, 2012

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By Elayne Angel

The sixth annual Body Modification Exchange Network (BMXnet) Conference in Essen, Germany October 12-14, 2012 was well attended by piercers, tattooists, and body modification artists from around Europe and beyond. Given its great distance from the US, there was a strong representation of American speakers present including Jim Ward, James Weber, Bethra Szumski, Brian Skellie, Ryan Ouellette, Steve Haworth, Paul King, Allen Falkner, and myself. There was also a “Sponsors Expo” featuring vendors of body jewelry and supplies for piercing, tattooing, body modification, and suspension, with merchants coming from as far away as Mexico to participate.

Photo by Rolf Buchholz

The eclectic and wonderful venue, for this years festivities, Unperfekehaus (imperfect house) is a large converted Franciscan nunnery in the heart of Essen. Now it is a combination artist’s colony/gallery, hotel, and  a restaurant/internet coffeehouse. It contains five floors of artists’ studios, plus meeting rooms, performance spaces, and more. The hotel rooms share common bathrooms, a full kitchen, and also a sauna, which was put to good use in the evenings. There is free wireless Internet throughout.

A vast buffet was available in the restaurant 12 hours a day to keep the conference-goers fed, and coffee, cappuccino, and tea were free flowing to keep us warm. Unlimited sodas, juices, and sparkling water drinks were also provided to the participants in this welcoming establishment with the “all you can eat and drink” BMX package deal.

There is no way to impart how incredibly cool the setting was if you weren’t there to enjoy and experience it, and even the best photos won’t do it justice. (One example being the large open space on the upper level had a huge skylight in the ceiling.) Some of the vendors were housed in this area, and others were set up on two of the floors below, which were surrounded by artists’ workshops.

Photo by Rolf Buchholz

Each studio is open to the visiting public and has a plaque out front explaining the individual’s background and artistic philosophy. Costume and jewelry designers, sculptors, and painters shared their colorful creations in the series of connected buildings which form the Unperfekehaus. Artworks of all types (much of it for sale) lined the halls and walls, as well as the studio spaces, lending a festive and creative vibe to the scene. Three separate dining rooms and several other public spaces provided plenty of opportunities for hanging out and socializing.  A rounded alcove filled with comfortable pillows and surrounded by psychedelic paintings was a popular retreat. A well-equipped theater complete with lighting and stage was the location for some classes, suspensions, and the entertainment in the evenings.

The wide array of courses, roundtables, demonstrations, and workshops included advanced body modification topics not in the curriculum at APP conferences such as Ear Reconstruction, Flesh Stapling, Wound Suturing, Advanced Scarification, Tongue Splitting, and Electrocautery and Laser Branding. More standard subjects were covered such as Jewelry Design, Anodizing, Sterilization and Instrument Management for Piercing, Stretching, Aseptic Technique, Troubleshooting and Scars, and Surface Piercings.

Photo by Rolf Buchholz

James Weber presented “A History of Body Piercing US Periodicals: from PFIQ to The Point,” which was a great precursor to Jim Ward’s talk later in the day, Gauntlet and the Evolution of the Modern Body Modification Movement. Many of the conference-goers were very excited to have their photos taken with the “Granddaddy of the Modern Piercing Movement” and have him sign their copies of his book, Running the Gauntlet. Paul King shared his knowledge with a fascinating presentation on the Piercing Rituals of the Plains Native Americans.
Offerings for tattoo artists included Hand-poking Tattoos, Automatic Sketching, Tattoo Machine Tuning, Lasers and the Tattoo Industry, and Sterilization and Instrument Management for Tattooing. Some classes were suited to all of the attending professionals, such as Marketing and Managing Difficult Clients.

Photo by Rolf Buchholz

As the conference progressed additional sessions called “barcamps” were scheduled into the times and spaces allotted for them. Once planned, they were announced via a bulletin board in the entryway. This permitted a useful spontaneity for new topics to be covered, or more in-depth discussions held on subjects of greater interest. I was asked to do a barcamp session of my Safe and Effective Female Genital Piercing course with a German translator present.
This allowed the students who were not fluent enough in English to understand the entire content of my class. Jim Ward, Paul King, and I also gathered for a showing of  “A Social History of Body Piercing,” an MTV documentary in which we all appeared.

In addition to the numerous educational courses, there was plenty of entertainment in the evenings. Fetish-pinup-glamor model and burlesque performer Courtney Crave graced the stage on both Friday and Saturday nights. The first evening she played doctor with a teddy bear to Weird Al Yankovic’s song, “Like a Surgeon” and eviscerated the stuffed animal to find it filled with sex toys.

Photo by Rolf Buchholz

Coco Katsura gave a dramatic performance as a flying ninja suspended from hooks while brandishing a flaming sword. And finally, in the Superfly Suspension Show, two young men, hanging one from the other, swung around the stage at length with contented expressions on their modified faces. On Saturday night, Courtney performed her  “Sympathy for the Devil” floor routine to the Guns ‘n Roses cover of the tune. It was a dark and sexy show full of back bends and contortion work. CoRE staged their Embers of the Lotus suspension performance, and SchmerzMöbel (the “Pain Furniture Performance Crew”) created their Living Harp for the audience as a lyrical finale for the evening’s festivities.

There was widespread accord among the repeat attendees that this was best BMXnet gathering ever. Warm thanks and hearty congratulations to Stephan Stresik and his crew for hosting a truly wonderful event!

Point #60 From the Editor: Elayne Angel

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By Elayne Angel

The Point has gone through quite a number of changes since it was first launched as an undated newsletter in the mid 1990s. At that stage, it was little more than a half-dozen photocopied pages stapled together. I’ve personally been involved with this periodical for over a decade. I’ve authored numerous articles, served as editor from issues #17-32 (2001-2004), and co-editor with James Weber from issues #46-55 (2009-2011).

James did a truly commendable job during his years at the copy desk. Taking the helm in 2005, he brought issues #33-59 into print, and the most obvious and sweeping changes took place during his tenure. He transformed the publication from a black-and-white newsletter into a full-fledged, glossy journal with color covers, a full-color online version (starting with issue #46/47), and a full-color print version (starting with issue #55).

After devoting countless hours to overseeing twenty-six colorful and informative magazines, James has now retired from the position—and he is surely deserving of some rest. There’s currently an ad out for a new editor, but as of this writing, the vacancy has yet to be filled. So here I am, jumping back in–briefly–to bring to fruition this issue, #60, the last in our quarterly print schedule.

Our grandest makeover in quite some time is forthcoming: The Point is becoming an online publication. We are putting the final touches on the technology that readers will use to access our digital content. Don’t despair if you prefer traditional ink and paper; we do plan to produce an annual Best of The Point print edition.

It’s been a great run, and I know that a tremendous amount of useful piercing-related information has been widely circulated as a result of the efforts of everyone who has contributed. There have been multitudes: a pack of proofreaders and assistants, scores of writers, an assortment of graphic designers, and the hardworking volunteers and staffers who have mailed out piles of publications. The Point has been a true collaboration, and it will continue to use a teamwork approach. In fact, you are invited to participate. Content submissions are open to members and nonmembers alike, and really anyone who has relevant material to share with the piercing community.

We have had our current and back issues posted and available online for free download in .PDF format for quite some time now (thanks to additional volunteer work). The figures show that digital viewing has vastly surpassed our print circulation. I am confident that going forward we will be able to do an even better job by making use of the latest technology, and employing the immediacy and enormous scope of the internet. More timely and extensive sharing and facilitated networking bring increased opportunities for exposure. We will also be able to have richer content with more photos, slideshows, and videos. Then there’s clickable ads, which are undoubtedly more effective than print ads for our advertisers, and easier to use for our readers.

Let’s not disregard the desirable detail that this is an eco-friendly move. Sadly, the piercing profession is not even a pale shade of “green” because we must use so many disposable and non-recyclable items. Therefore, I feel it is important that piercers be as conscientious as we can in other areas of our lives to protect the environment.

Since we’re saving money by eliminating substantial quarterly printing and postage costs, the Board of Directors has decided that the online Point will be free to everyone who wishes to view it! After all, the core mission of the organization is to disseminate information.

If you have issues remaining on your Point subscription you have a few choices: 

  1. You can donate the balance to our non-profit educational organization, which is preferred by our treasurer and deeply appreciated by the association.
  2. You can let it ride and apply your balance to the annual print issue. (The actual cost will be determined when the project is undertaken.)
  3. You could use the balance as a credit toward other APP merchandise.
  4. You can request a refund of your subscription balance if need be.

We all know that the Internet has become the hub from which most personal and commercial interactions across the globe now take place. The web has affected the way we do nearly everything, including live, work, and play. Technology is not just changing how we furnish The Point, it is actually affecting the topics we cover in the magazine.

Just two issues back, in The Point #58, my President’s Corner article addressed the problem of online videos showing bad piercings, and I made an appeal for readers to inundate the web with videos of safe and skillfully done piercings. In that same issue there was an article penned by Bethra Szumski about the online photo sharing site, Pinterest, and the impact it had on the popularity of the triple forward helix piercing. Now, a host of articles in this current issue make it abundantly clear that the writing is on the wall, or rather, on the web:

Internet Posting Etiquette cautions us to think before we post; Social Media for Piercers discusses pros and cons of a number of the common websites we use in our online marketing, and Making Safe Piercing Viral is a dialogue with several savvy piercers who provide suggestions for achieving good metrics in reach, share of voice, engagement, and more. To round it out, we have a piece on the legal risks of performing adult piercings on minors and also a legislation update. And naturally, since this is the post-Conference issue, we have coverage of our absolutely astounding annual affair.

Feel the silky smooth pages, inhale the distinctive aroma of ink on paper, and revel in this historical moment, knowing that you are currently reading the final quarterly print issue of The Point. Look for us online.