by Monica Sabin, Membership Liaison

Membership Committee

• Monica Sabin, Membership Liaison*
• Pablo Perelmuter, Membership Coordinator*
• W. Barron
• Sabrina Egan**
• Vivi Madero**
• Johnny Velez
• Cody Vaughn

* New position

** Incoming committee member

APP Membership Corner (Series 1)

Now that we’ve returned home after the 2019 APP Annual Conference and Exposition, are you feeling inspired to join the growing number of industry professionals becoming Members of the Association of Professional Piercers?

We have membership types¹ for piercers, counter staff, jewelry specialists, business owners, and many more!

We would like to offer some tips to help you through the application process, including some of the common questions we receive!

• Shoot your 360° studio walk through video horizontally—or you will have to reshoot 🙁
  • Videos that are shot side-to-side (rather than upand-down) provide an easier and more comprehensive viewing of the studio.
  • Generally this results in higher quality footage that makes the little details easier to see.
• Before starting the application, use the Membership Requirements²as a checklist to gather all necessary documents.
  • Each application is specific to the membership type. During the application process, the applicant will be prompted for each item on this checklist, so preparing everything in advance will make the application process much more streamlined.
  • It can be handy to have all your documents organized in a folder on your computer. It will make life easier when it comes time to upload all your documents, since they’ll all be in one place!
    • This is especially helpful in situations of multiple applicants (coworkers) applying for the same studio!
  • Personal Criteria apply to all piercing membership types: Business and Associate Piercer.
  • Environmental Criteria apply to the studio location where the applicant will hold membership. Items under this heading will be required on all Business and Associate (Piercer and Non-Piercer) membership applications.

• Renewal/resubmission of studio environmental criteria is required at least every two years if a Member joins the staff or if significant changes are made in the studio.
• Print out the ‘Video Walkthrough’ section and carry it around with you while shooting your membership video! Everything we  are looking for is listed there, both requirements and suggestions. This will keep you from missing any areas or items, as missing items can cause a delay in application processing
• Complete your application in one sitting
  • Neither yourself, the Membership Committee, or our Administrators will be able to access a partially completed application!
• We want you to become a member!
  • We are our own worst critics. Many applicants tell us they fear rejection or harsh judgement. Our committee members work with every applicant directly and discreetly with any requirements or suggestions in order to help them achieve membership.
  • Every committee member is an active industry professional, working in studios. Many of us have been where you are and have all worked hard to obtain APP membership, just like you.
  • Think about it more like a mentorship, if anything!
• Want to gain membership by the time your business opens or to attend our events as a Member? Plan ahead!
  • Application review and decision turn-around time can be upwards of 6 to 8 weeks, although the committee tries to keep that time as low as possible.
  • Pay attention to deadlines!

There are deadlines for obtaining membership for certain events such as our annual Camp APP: Members’ Retreat and our annual APP Conference and Exposition.

• Research your jewelry companies and ask for mill or material certificates
  • There has been an influx of jewelry distributors or manufacturers using  non-conforming  titanium and making claims to meet APP minimum jewelry standards. Buyer beware! You can read more about this in Issue 87³ of The Point: Journal of Body Piercing.

• Mill certificates are typically many pages and are updated as often as a manufacturer obtains new material stock.
• If you are provided with a one page mill certificate that is some years old, there may be an issue!
• When in doubt, reach out to a Membership Committee volunteer or email members@safepiercing.org.

• Checks & Balances
  • Committee members can not review applications for applicants that work in their own area.
  • Acceptances and Declinations are based off a set of fixed, publically available criteria known as our Membership Requirement.This means there is no room for personal biases to keep someone from gaining membership.
  • In all cases, applicants are notified of additional suggestions from the committee to increase health and safety in the studio.

If you have questions, someone may have already asked it in the APP Future Members⁴ forum. Of course, you’re also always welcomed to contact the Membership Committee by emailing members@safepiercing.org.

1. “Membership Types,” Association of Professional Piercers, accessed August 7, 2019, https://www.safepiercing.org/membership_types.php
2. “Membership Requirements,” Association of Professional Piercers, accessed August 7, 2019, https://www.safepiercing.org/membership_requirements.php
3. “Issue 87,” The Point: Journal of Body Piercing, Association of Professional Piercers, published Summer 2019, https://www.safepiercing.org/docs/The_Point Journal_of_Body_Piercing-Issue87-Summer2019.pdf
4. “APP Future Members,” Groups, Facebook, accessed August 7, 2019, https://www.facebook.com/groups/APPfuturemembers/