Recently someone asked me about what it was really like back in the “good ol’ days,” when I first started piercing professionally in the 1980s. Reflecting on the ensuing discussion, I am reminded of how truly new our industry is in the scope of history, yet how far it has come since that time.

Think about it: Body piercing is so young that there are still many areas without any legislation on the subject. One must study and practice for hundreds or even thousands of hours to qualify for a license to cut hair in the United States, but in plenty of locations you can pierce the body without any training or oversight whatsoever. This is because our fledgling field and the agencies regulating it are still getting their footing and figuring it all out—but it really doesn’t make sense. I expect that piercing laws will become the norm in the coming years—and the APP is actively assisting body artists and lawmakers to see that only appropriate legislation is enacted—but it simply hasn’t been prevalent long enough for this to have happened yet.

It is hard to appreciate the widespread acceptance of piercing in modern culture if you don’t know how misunderstood and ostracized it once was not so long ago. Any piercing other than the ears (or sometimes a nostril) was a rarity, and was considered disturbing and aberrant.

For young people today, piercing has always been around. They grew up with it as an ordinary and unremarkable part of the world—just like computers and the internet. It can be difficult to imagine a reality in which these were uncommon, or didn’t even exist. I have a number of clear memories that can help to clarify what a different world it was where piercing was concerned.

Imagine this: In 1981, even though I was legally an adult, my gynecologist broke the ostensibly sacred pact of doctor-patient confidentiality to call my parents and tell them that my nipples were pierced! Why? Because they thought I might need to be institutionalized for harming myself. Piercing was so foreign then there was grave concern for my mental and physical health—over something that has become commonplace today.

One of my other favorite illustrative accounts from that era is how easily I was able to convince people that my tongue piercing was an acupuncture stud for weight control. No one doubted me, since tongue piercings were unheard of at that time, and they couldn’t fathom the idea of doing it for fun. The public had not yet been exposed to body piercings, and when I began my career nipples were by far the most prevalent spot to adorn. It was several years before the navel outshined all the other pierceable body parts put together.

One of the biggest challenges I experienced in my early years working at Gauntlet (the first piercing specialty business in the world, founded in 1975) was that I couldn’t procure enough steel body jewelry to satisfy the fastgrowing demand for piercings. There was just a single supplier for it then, so the quantity of manufacturers now making body jewelry is astonishing. There is an overabundance of the stuff, really—especially if you include the mountains of cheap junk that are being produced, mostly overseas.

I can still remember the moment I saw the first steel 18 gauge 3/8” fixed bead ring. Up until that point, all of the small rings Gauntlet produced were white or yellow gold. It was novel and, well, adorable. I knew with that first glimpse I needed to put it somewhere on my body. I came up with the idea of a horizontal eyebrow piercing, which I’d never seen before. It actually healed well (even with the small ring for initial jewelry), and I had it for many years. I only removed it to get my eyebrows tattooed, and didn’t reinsert it afterward. Now this was before curved bars were available. Imagine doing navel, eyebrow, and other body piercings without curved bars as a jewelry option! Yes, it really was quite primordial in a way, but the world of piercing was just starting to evolve.

I feel like I should be recounting these historic tales from a rocking chair on a porch, my head crowned with gray hair. Yes, I am an “old-timer” in this industry—somewhat ironic since I’m just one notch into my fifth decade of life and by no means elderly. I’m the next generation down from our industry’s founders Jim Ward, Fakir Musafar, and Doug Malloy. (If you want to learn all about the formation of Gauntlet and the launching of our industry, read Jim Ward’s amazing memoir, Running the Gauntlet, available at safepiercing.org.)

Since its humble origins, thousands upon thousands of people worldwide have joined the ranks of “professional piercers”—but I do use the term loosely. Some are hacks who cast a shadow over the whole field, but others have advanced it to an art, melded with science and practiced with fervor and expertise. President’s Corner ElaynE angEl APP President Yucatán, Mexico one of my other favorite illustrative accounts from that era is how easily I was able to convince people that my tongue piercing was an acupuncture stud for weight control.

High-tech materials and production methods have made body jewelry available that approaches true perfection. Innovations in design have brought countless new styles to the market. Now there is even a profusion of aftercare products specifically designed for our customers. (I shudder when I recall the instructions for care of my new nipple piercings: apply rubbing alcohol liberally and rotate the rings. Ouch!)

I’m incredibly thrilled that this “wild and crazy” fringe activity I engaged in back in the 1970s and 80s has become, more-or-less, normal thing to do, and I’m proud to have played a role in that. At the same time, I must admit I have a particular disappointment about the subsequent generations of piercers who are working today.

As the nascent business of piercing began to spread and mature, I expected that piercers would join their industry’s professional organization as an ordinary matter of course. I envisioned piercers becoming members of the APP as a natural part of working in the field, the way professional librarians join the American Library Association. And so I address this message to the piercers who are not (yet) members of the Association of Professional Piercers:

Obviously you’re acquainted with the APP because you’re reading this publication. But in case you are unfamiliar with our precise nature and purpose, I’d like to clarify it and elaborate a bit. We are an international non-profit health, safety, and education organization. The APP is the professional organization for those in the piercing industry. We are a respected and reliable resource that has set the standards for the industry.

Piercers who are “Professional Business Members” uphold a safety agreement that encompasses minimum standards for using quality jewelry, maintaining cleanliness, and behaving professionally. They meet certain personal criteria, such as training with certification in First Aid, CPR, and bloodborne pathogens exposure. Their studios must also pass specific environmental requirements, such as having a separate sterilization room and a spore-tested autoclave.

I can’t help but wonder, and want to ask any piercer who is not a member of the APP, “Why not? Do you fail to come up to the organization’s standards, are you unfamiliar with your industry’s professional association, or are you apathetic?” All of those are poor qualities in a piercer.

Since the publication of my book The Piercing Bible, the number of consumers seeking APP members has skyrocketed, as the public is becoming more educated about what constitutes a competent, qualified piercer. If for no other reason than an increase in business, I’d think more piercers would want to become members.

Perhaps you believe some of the rumors and misconceptions I’ve heard about the organization; I would like to debunk them. We are a group of very diverse piercers who are passionate and caring about our work; we are not an elitist clique! If you place importance on what you do, join up. If you don’t feel that being safe, hygienic, and doing a good job are important, please find another field of endeavor.

The APP is not the piercing police. We do not dictate which piercings our members do, what particular aftercare they are to suggest, or whether our members also practice other forms of body art (where they are allowed by law).

The organization is run by volunteers who are elected by the members. If you are dissatisfied with aspects of how the APP operates, you can join, get involved, and change things if enough other members agree with your perspective. That’s what I did.

Below is some of what the APP does:

• Provides information to consumers, piercers, health inspectors, medical and dental professionals, legislators, and anyone who wants to learn about safe body piercing.
• Hosts an amazing annual educational conference for piercers (and you do not have to be a member to attend).
• Offers piercers, legislators, and the public support and assistance in drafting appropriate legislation for the industry.
• Disseminates educational and informational materials, including numerous brochures and a Health and Safety Procedure Manual for piercers.
• Attends health-related conferences and body art conventions to share information.
• Conveys information and professional opinions to the media when requested and in response to erroneous articles and press about body piercing.
• Presents lectures to students, health care professionals, and other groups.
• Publishes The Point, which is dedicated to sharing piercing-related news and information.
• Staffs an email and phone response system for individuals with questions regarding piercing.
• Maintains a comprehensive website with information for anyone with questions about body piercing, safepiercing.org.

Among other things, the APP website contains a complete list of current members (you will be on there after becoming a member piercer), a section on getting pierced, FAQs, our brochures and publications, legislative links to all states, applications for membership, a job board, links, and more.

In other words, the APP shares information and works to help make piercing safe and keep it legal. I frequently hear that piercers (or their studios) aren’t “ready” to join. The good news is that when you apply, the membership committee will work with you by making suggestions on how you can bring yourself and your studio up to minimum standards.

We genuinely do not want to keep piercers out; we welcome you into our community of caring professionals. If you have questions, please contact me at president@safepiercing. org, or our Membership Liaison, Sarvas Berry, at members@safepiercing.org.

As I observe and hopefully foster the next phase of development in the body piercing industry, it would be a dream come true to see more piercers take pride in their work and elevate themselves professionally by joining the Association of Professional Piercers.