By Jason King, Vice President

(Editor’s note: While this article is lengthyand contains some fairly technical aspects,the information provided is SO important(and much misunderstood) in our field.Please take the time to read it all, and edu-cate yourself! Thanks, Elayne Angel)

In our industry there has been consider-able confusion about the grades of steelused for body jewelry. The terms “stain-less steel” and “implant grade steel” areused interchangeably; people argue forand against 316 L, 316 LVM, ASTMF138, etc. To clarify the argument it isbeneficial to understand who created thevarious terms, grades and standards, andwhy they were created. In this article wewill explore the vocabulary of metalgrades and the organizations involved.

The grade of steel that is most common-ly associated with body piercing is theAISI 316 L series. The AISI is theAmerican Iron and Steel Institute. Thisinstitute focuses mainly on the industrialneeds for iron and steel.

On the AISI web site (www.steel.org)their mission statement is posted as fol-lows: “For over a century, NorthAmerican steel producers have left theirday-to-day rivalries behind to work aspartners and members of the AmericanIron and Steel Institute in furthering itsmission to promote steel as the materialof choice and to enhance the competi-tiveness of the North American steelindustry and its member companies.AISI’s overall mission centers aroundcommon goals and a clear vision for thefuture: To provide high-quality, value-added products to a wide array of cus-

tomers; To lead the world in innovationand technology in the production ofsteel; To produce steel in a safe andenvironmentally friendly manner; Toincrease the market for North AmericanSteel in both traditional and innovativeapplications.”

The AISI is comprised of steel manufac-turers and steel users. Consequentlytheir web site headings include subjectslike “Bridge Construction” and“Containers.” There isn’t even a med-ical use subheading. According towww.metalinfo.com the original 316series of steel was produced to meetindustrial needs, especially for papermill machinery, but also for applicationsin marine environments and generalindustry components. 316 L was creat-ed in the 1950s; its carbon content wasreduced from .08% to .03% for bettercorrosion resistance. 316 L has all ofthe properties of 316 but also has supe-rior weld ability. In other words thegrade was improved for industrial useand not for medical applications.

316, 316L and 316 LVMSo what does 316 mean? Think of 316as a recipe for a mixture or “alloy” ofelements, (the natural componentsfound on the Periodic Chart of theElements). It tells a steel producer howmuch of each various element isrequired to yield the principal design

and performance features that aredesired.

*So 316 is the basic recipe of elementsthat form an alloy.*316 L is the recipe with L for low car-bon content.*316 LVM is the recipe with a low car-bon content that has been vacuum melt-ed. (We will discuss the specifics andthe benefits of vacuum melting shortly.)

While 316 L series steel eventuallymade its way into the medical industry,it was not originally intended for use inthe body; it was not specifically formu-lated for biocompatibility. However, itssuperior corrosion resistance character-istics made it suitable in a limited rolefor implant purposes.

ASTM and ISOEnter the ASTM (www.astm.org) andthe ISO (www.iso.ch). Whereas theAISI is a series of “recipe books” andall around iron and steel industry cheer-leaders, the ASTM and ISO are stan-dards organizations. Standards can beseen as documented agreements con-taining technical specifications or otherprecise criteria to be used consistentlyas rules or guidelines, or definitions ofcharacteristics. This is to ensure thatmaterials, products, and processes are fitfor their purpose.

...continued pg. 4

CONTENTS

March, 2003 Issue 24

THE POINTThe Official Newsletter for The Association of Professional Piercers

UNDERSTANDING STEELEverything You Always Wanted to Know About Steel But Were Afraid to Ask

Understanding Steel 1Piercing Marketing 6Developing a Mission Statement 7Classified Ads 7The President’s Corner 8Piercers News of the Weird 9

The Male Nipple Piercing 10Studio Interview 12Product Review 13Medical/Dental Corner 13Legal Update 15Tongue Piercing 16

Call for our monthly special

The PointCopyright ©2002 All rights reserved

APP Board Members

President Bethra SzumskiVice President Jason KingSecretary Crystal SimsTreasurer Paul KingOutreach Coordinator Megg MassInternational Liaison Alicia Cardenas Medical Coordinator Elayne Angel

The Association of Professional Piercers goal isto circulate vital health, safety, and educationalinformation. The Point is copyrighted underFederal Law. Any reproduction of it’s contents is prohibitedunless written permission is obtained.Any material submitted for publication will besubject to editing. The Point cannot guaranteereturn of any such materials unless accompaniedby a stamped, self-addressed envelope.The Point is not responsible for claims made byadvertisers. We reserve the right to reject adver-tising that is unsuitable for our publication.

Editor - Elayne AngelDesign / Layout - Lilia Judd

1-800-888-1APPemail: info@safepiercing.org

3

T-shirts and Bowling shirts

T-shirts can be ordered by phone or fax at (888) 888-1APP or send check or money order to: PMB 286, 5456 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Chamblee, GA 30341

Cost is $15.00 plus $3.00 S/H. Slightly higher cost for size XL

Bowling shirts are $24.95 each and are available in the two styles shown.

ATTENTIONManufacturers and

Businesses

The Point is a quarterly newsletter. It

is the only newsletter dedicated to the

piercing industry. We print 2500

copies of each issue, have a direct

mailing list of over 2000, which con-

sist mainly of piercing, tattoo studios

and health departments. The newslet-

ters are also distributed to potential

members or anyone who is interested.

With the new 3-hole-punch format, it

will continue to be a viable resource

and should be part of your advertising

budget. The POINT can also be

viewed as PDF files on our website,

increasing the visibility of your com-

pany. Nowhere else can you hit the

specialized piercing market.

Advertising Specifications

Type Inches W x H Diagram 1 issue 4 issues

inside front cover

inside back cover

full page

half page-horizon-tal

quarter page

double quartercolumn-vertical

7.25” x 9.75”

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Call 1-888-888-1APP to place your advertisement in The Point.The Point is created on a Mac using QuarkXpress 5.0, and Photoshop 6.0.Acceptable formats for ads are black and white or grayscale jpeg, gif, eps, tiff, pict,pds or PDF files. If you are sending a digital file please include or embed the fonts.Email info@safepiercing.org for details on sending digital files. Camera ready art at600 dpi or better is acceptable if you don’t have a digital file.Mail payment and artwork on CD or Zip to: 5456 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Box 286, Chamblee, GA 30341

4

Understanding Steel ...continued from cover story

Who does the American Society forTesting and Materials International(ASTM) represent?Founded in 1898 as the AmericanChapter of the International Associationfor Testing and Materials and mostrecently as the American Society forTesting and Materials, the ASTM is anot-for-profit organization that providesa global forum for the development andpublication of voluntary consensusstandards for materials, products, sys-tems and services. ASTM standards areaccepted and used in research anddevelopment, product testing, qualitysystems and commercial transactionsaround the globe.

What type of standards does theASTM develop?ASTM develops six principle types offull-consensus standards. They are:Standard Test Method- a definitive pro-cedure for the identification, measure-ment, and evaluation of one or morequalities, characteristics, or propertiesof a materials product, system or ser-vice that produces a test result.

Standard Specification- a precisestatement of a set of requirements to besatisfied by a material, product, system,or service that also indicates the proce-dures for determining whether each ofthe requirements is satisfied.

Standard Practice- a definitive proce-dure for performing one or more specif-ic operations or functions that does notproduce a test result.

Standard Terminology- a documentcomprised of terms, descriptions ofterms, explanations of symbols, abbre-viations, or acronyms.

Standard Guide- a series of options orinstructions that do not recommend aspecific course of action.

Standard Classification- a systematicarrangement or division of materials,products, systems, or services intogroups based on similar characteristicssuch as origin, composition, properties,or use.

Who writes The ASTM standards?Thirty-two thousand (32,000) volunteermembers from more than 100 countriesaround the world write ASTM stan-dards. These members are producers,users, ultimate consumers, and generalinterest parties, such as academia andgovernment representatives. Thesemembers serve on 129 technical com-mittees that are devoted to specificareas of interest and pursue standardiza-tion issues considered necessary bytheir members. Committees are dividedinto smaller entities of subcommitteesand task groups that focus more closelyon particular areas of a committee’sscope. Anyone who is qualified orknowledgeable in the area of a commit-tee’s scope is eligible to become a com-mittee member.

What is the function of the ASTM?ASTM develops standard test methods,specifications, practices, guides, classi-fications, and terminology in 130 areascovering subjects such as metals,paints, plastics, textiles, petroleum, con-struction, energy, the environment, con-sumer products, medical services anddevices, computerized systems, elec-tronics, and many others. ASTMHeadquarters has no technical researchor testing facilities; such work is donevoluntarily by the ASTM memberslocated throughout the world. ASTMstandards promote public health andsafety, and the overall quality of life;contribute to the reliability of materials,products, systems and services; andfacilitate national, regional, and interna-tional commerce.

Is the use of ASTM standardsmandatory?ASTM standards are developed volun-tarily and used voluntarily. Theybecome legally binding only when agovernment body makes them so, orwhen they are cited on a contract.

Does the ASTM grant a seal ofapproval?No. ASTM develops and distributesstandards; the Society does not verifythat products are tested according to astandard. Many manufacturers howev-er, state that a product has been tested

according to an ASTM standard byindicating such information on theproduct label or packaging (in our casethe “mill certificate”).

The printed standards can be purchasedin the Store area of the ASTM web site:www.astm.org.

What is ISO?www.iso.ch

The International Organization forStandardization (ISO) is a worldwidefederation of national standards bodiesfrom some 140 countries, one fromeach country. ISO is a non-governmen-tal organization established in 1947.The mission of ISO is to promote thedevelopment of standardization andrelated activities in the world with aview to facilitating the internationalexchange of goods and services, and todeveloping cooperation in the spheresof intellectual, scientific, technologicaland economic activity. ISO’s workresults in international agreements,which are published as InternationalStandards.

Many people will notice a seeming lackof correlation between the official titlewhen used in full, InternationalOrganization for Standardization, andthe short form, ISO. Shouldn’t theacronym be “IOS”? Yes, if it were anacronym-which it is not. In fact, “ISO”is derived from the Greek word isos,which means “equal.” This is the rootof the prefix “iso-” that occurs on ahost of terms, such as “isometric” (ofequal measure in dimensions).The work of preparing InternationalStandards is normally carried outthrough ISO technical committees.Each member body interested in a sub-ject for whom a technical committeehas been established has the right to berepresented on that committee.International organizations, governmen-tal and non-governmental, in coopera-tion with ISO, also take part in thework.

5

Understanding Steel ...continued from pg. 4

The ASTM and the ISO have nothing to gain from you buy-ing one type of material over the other; consequently theresults of their testing won’t be skewed. Although there aremany ASTM and ISO standards that are relevant to bodypiercing, we are going to focus on the standard specificationsof materials for surgical implant, specifically ASTM F138and the ISO5832-1. Both standards contain information onthe mechanical properties and metallurgical requirements ofimplantable steel, but the easiest standard for piercers to com-pare will be the chemical composition requirements. Thetable below compares the elemental ingredients from each ofthe three standards we have discussed. You will notice thatthe ASTM and ISO compositions are almost identical, and theAISI composition has a lot more leeway.

Chemical Composition Requirements

Now let’s go back to the AISI 316L recipe for a little clarifi-cation. In the body piercing industry, steel jewelry is almostalways made from 316L stock. It is relevant to note that in itspremelted state 316L and 316LVM start out as the same mate-rial. Normally, melting the individual components to createthe steel alloy would be done in the open air. For industrycomponents this is fine, however for implants this can beproblematic. When this procedure is done in the open airthere is less control over potential contaminants in the air, andthere is the possibility of the air itself reacting with the alloy.(Remember, for things to burn, it requires Oxygen, and thebyproduct of burning is Carbon). Consequently 316 L steelrarely meets implant standards (but occasionally can), whichbrings us to 316 LVM. While looking through the AISI infor-mation you will notice that 316LVM is conspicuously miss-ing. That is because 316 L is a large heading with a lot ofvariance. 316 LVM is still made from the 316 L recipe, but ithas been processed in a vacuum, which helps control contam-ination throughout the batch of steel. Consequently, 316LVMwill often meet implant standards (but not always).

It is also important to note that with both 316L and 316LVMthere is a batch-by-batch variance. In other words, the steelproducer will start with exact amounts of each of the elementsfor the alloy every time. However, at the end of each batchthere will be a little variation; some will fall within the ASTMchemical composition requirements for F138 steel and somewon’t.

The question this brings up, is why does a little contaminationmake such a big difference? In simplest terms it is all about asubstance called Chromium Oxide. Chromium Oxide is a bio-compatible layer that forms around a finished piece of jewel-ry. You have always heard that a mirror finish is good, andChromium Oxide is the reason.

When a piece of steel jewelry has a mirror finish you can beconfident that this biocompatible layer of Chromium Oxide ispresent. With less pure steel, or good steel that has been poor-ly finished you will notice that it has a dull surface appear-ance. This dull finish is indicative of a compromisedChromium Oxide layer. The Chromium Oxide layer is impor-tant because of two basic reasons.

1. Since it is a very biocompatible material, your body willnot react to it as a threat and reject it.

2. Chromium Oxide layer also acts as a barrier between ele-ments within the alloy (Nickel is the big culprit) and yourskin. In other words, the Chromium Oxide Layer preventsleaching of elements in the alloy from the jewelry into thebody. This explains why Nickel reactions are virtually elim-inated when steel meets ASTM F138 standards.

Finally, it is important to note that both the ASTM and theISO agree that no known material (including Titanium) hasever been shown to cause absolutely no adverse reactions inthe human body. However, long-term clinical experienceregarding the use of the materials referred to in the ASTMand the ISO has shown that an acceptable level of biologicalresponse can be expected, when the material is used in appro-priate applications.

To clarify the point of all of this data: Much body jewelry is still being made from inferior materi-als. So, even when a manufacturer tells you that his metal is“high quality” and that it is made from 316L or 316LVMsteel, that does NOT necessarily mean that it is of a suitablequality for use in the body! The real issue for acceptable bio-compatibility is whether it satisfies the ASTM F138 and/orthe ISO5832-1 standards. This is why it is very important torequest mill certificates from your manufacturer. Additionally,remember that a mirror finish on the steel jewelry is vital tomake certain that chromium oxide layer is present to preventmetal reactions.

AISI max % ASTM max % ISO max %

Carbon .03 .03 .03

Manganese 2.0 2.0 2.0

Phosphorous .045 .025 .025

Sulphur .03 .01 .01

Silicon .75 .75 1.0

Chromium 16.0-18.0 17.0-19.0 17.0-19.0

Nickel 10.0-13.0 14.0-15.0 14.0-15.0

Molybdenum 2.0-3.0 2.25-3.0 2.25-3.5

Nitrogen .1 .1 .1

Copper No Standard .5 .5

Iron Balance Balance Balance

6

Piercing Marketing: Benefits vs. Features

When I talk to piercers across thecountry, I am always astounded atthe variety of motivations that drivepiercers and piercing shop owners.Many of these motivators are actual-ly counterproductive to long-termprofessional success. The market-ing concept that is taught in busi-ness schools, greatly simplified,states that if you satisfy the unmetneeds of the market, at a reason-able price, then the market willreward you with success.

Unfortunately, many shop ownersoften fail to make the distinctionbetween “features” and “benefits” intheir quest for success. Featuresdescribe the details of what someproduct or service is, whereas bene-fits illustrate the customer’s percep-tion of a feature. Time or moneyspent on developing features thatare unimportant to the customer isoften wasted. Attempting to domi-nate the market by keeping massivejewelry supplies in stock, cuttingprices too low in a bid to be compet-itive, or taking sterility procedures tothe nth degree are all areas where Ioften see piercing shops failing tomake the distinction between theneeds of the consumers and thedesires of the piercing shop owners.

Every day, I hear countless requestsfrom customers to carry this jewelryor that jewelry. In the past, I went togreat lengths to satisfy the requestsof these customers and ended upwith a massive quantity of high qual-ity, large gauge jewelry made frommany exotic materials. However,my computer tracking softwarerevealed that by doing so, I greatlydecreased my profit from body jew-elry, because I sold primarily thestainless, leaving large quantities ofthe other jewelry stagnant. Itbecame evident that the customerswanted to look at exotic jewelry, but

not buy it due to its’ higher cost.Consequently, I upped my supply oflarge gauge stainless pieces anddiscounted many of the more eso-teric pieces and my profitability wentup without decreasing my foot-counttraffic at all. I had been focusing onthe feature of having a large selec-tion, whereas my customers haddemonstrated they were more inter-ested in the benefit of affordability.

Customers often tell me that a com-petitor carries popular jewelry at acheaper price. I decided to drop myprices to match the competition.Again, I watched my profit dropwithout increasing my volume. Thisdidn’t make sense, so I did somemore research. What I found wasthat my competition did indeed offerthe jewelry cheaper than I did, butthat they virtually never had it instock. So, I was getting the majorityof the business regardless of price.I raised the jewelry prices back to alevel between where they had beenbefore and the lower prices. Now,my customers tell me that eventhough I am a little higher than thecompetition, they don’t bother goingthere, because they know I will havethe jewelry they want in stock. I haddetermined that the feature of lowerprices was less important than thebenefit of knowing a product wouldbe in stock.

Finally, I will address the steps thatwe take to ensure that the customeris pierced in an aseptic environ-ment. There are many situations inthe piercing environment where theamount of benefit received from anexpenditure is less than the previ-ous expenditure of the sameamount. This situation is known as“diminishing return on investment,”and should be avoided exceptwhere dictated by necessity. For

example, our state requires that wehave our autoclaves annually ser-viced. We decided that it was costeffective (and sane) to spore testweekly and to use indicator strips ineach autoclave load as well.Together these choices made a netincrease in expense of approximate-ly $.10, but we considered them tobe indispensable steps in operatinga top notch piercing studio.Conversely, using gentian violet formarking our piercings instead of sin-gle-use surgical markers saves usapproximately $.75 per piercing. Inboth of these examples, we tookinto consideration the customer’sperception of our actions. In thefirst example, the benefit was thecustomer “knows” they are beingpierced in a safe environmentbecause they actually get to seetheir indicator strip on their releaseform. In the second example, wedecided the perceived benefit of thecustomer being able to keep theSkinScribe was negligible since theyexperienced the benefit of having asafe marking for their piercing eitherway; hence the expense was notjustified.

Every market and every shop isunique. The product mixes wedevelop to express our shops are asdiverse as the clients we service.As in the previous examples, anhonest evaluation of our motives willhelp us see when we are makingnon-cost effective choices. Somesuch decisions may be worth it to usfor other reasons, such as aesthet-ics or style. However, by develop-ing the habit of looking for the cus-tomer’s unmet needs, any shop canprosper.

Burton RichiePsychedelic Shack, Florida

7

Developing a Company Mission Statement

In his book “The Seven Habits ofHighly Effective People,” authorSteven R. Covey devotes an entirechapter to the benefits of missionstatements and process of develop-ing them. As a business owner anda person with the desire to be effec-tive, I decided to take his adviceand give it a try. I was so pleasedwith what came of it that I thought Iwould share my experience.

Just as Covey predicted, I found theprocess of developing our missionstatement was as important as thefinished product. My partner and Iinvited everyone to help, regardlessof position or amount of hours onthe schedule. It was an opportunityfor the entire staff to get involved insomething meaningful. As we wroteour mission, we talked about ourvalues and our goals and where wesee ourselves in the future. Wewrote draft after draft and didn’t fin-ish until everyone felt it includedwhat was important to him or her.Having had our mission statementfor over a year now we took theopportunity to review it at our firstmeeting of 2003 (we try to hold astaff meeting once every month.)

Although we did not change any-thing, I thought there was some-thing very empowering about sayingit out loud and getting approval fromour current staff. Covey says in hisbook, “Writing or reviewing a mis-sion statement changes youbecause it forces you to thinkthrough your priorities deeply, care-fully, and to align your behavior withyour beliefs.”

Here are a few tips from StephenR. Covey that you can use for writ-ing your own company missionstatement:

1. A mission should includeboth vision and principles. Inother words, what is the companyabout, and how do we go aboutit?

2. A mission should be time-less. It is not a statement ofgoals, but a declaration of whatthe company stands for. While itmay be revised and improved, itshould be written at any giventime as though it will neverchange. It is the changeless corethat you can always go back to

no matter what is happening withthe current situation.

3. Everyone should participatein a meaningful way. Accordingto Covey, one of the fundamentalproblems in organizations is thatpeople are not committed to thedetermination of other people fortheir lives. They simply don’t buyinto it. If the goals of the employ-ees are not in line with where thecompany is going, there will be nocommitment.

4. The process should not berushed. It will take time to devel-op a mission statement thatreflects the shared vision and val-ues of everyone within the com-pany. It is time well spent though,as it creates a great unity andtremendous commitment.

5. If you don’t yet have a missionstatement for your studio, I sug-gest that you put forth the effort tocreate one. It can be meaningfulfor all involved, and is relevant forthe functioning and success ofyour business.

Crystal SimsEvolution Body Piercing, New Mexico

The APP is having a tee shirt designcontest. We know there are a lot oftalented, creative piercers out there,and we need YOUR help!

Submit designs for a new APP teeshirt via digital format (tiff or gif) toinfo@safepiercing.org, or hard copyartwork to:

Association of Professional PiercersPMB 2865456 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.Chamblee, GA 30341

The winner will be featured in an arti-cle in the POINT, will receive$100.00 and, of course, a tee shirt!

ContestNotice

Employment Available

The Psychedelic Shack in Pensacola,FL is hiring tattoo artists and APPpiercers.Medical, vacation, guaranteed salary.Drug-free ONLY800-804-8188

Position available for piercerwith a minimum of 4 years experience anda positive & friendly attitude for a busySouthern California shop. Must be compe-tent in all common piercings. Personaltransportation a must for suburban area.For more info contact: Bryan at Puncture Inc. (909) 981-2877

Classified Ads

Next POINT Release at APPConference

The next issue of THE POINT will bedistributed to each of the hundreds ofpiercers attending the Annual APPConference and Vendor Expo, takingplace in Las Vegas, Nevada. We willbe at the Riviera Hotel from June 2-5,2003.

If you wish to be an advertiser or toplace a classified ad please contact:info@safepiercing.org

8

The PresidentÕs Corner Bethra Szumski

Las Vegas conference planning is wellunder way. As I read the suggestionsmade by attendees I realize that peopleare likely to wonder why some of thechanges they suggest are not institutedor whether we read the feedback at all.

I wrote about the conference location inPOINT #22 but I would like to addresssome of the other comments and sug-gestions here. The following are thecomments (paraphrased) and ourresponses:

Suggestions for improvements:1. The addition of a Body Piercer toanatomy classes to help relate the infor-mation to piercing issues2. More round table discussions3. Banning active cell phones andpagers in the classroom4. Information about the use of medicaldevices such as dermal punches andscalpels (This will address legalityissues)

Class curriculum ideas:1. Jewelry shaping (i.e. nostril screws)2. Basic Techniques (available to non-members)3. Photography and portfolio4. Proper front counter operations5. Anthropology sacred aspects/ indige-nous cultures round table6. Jewelry Inventory7. Public relations/perception issues

These topics and suggestions will all beutilized in the curriculum for the 2003conference! Thank you all for yourthoughtful input; it helps us to meetyour needs.

Many of the suggestions that wereviewed are, in fact, topics that werepresented during the 2002 session.Comments not only give us ideas aboutwhat attendees are interested in but alsohighlight areas of weakness in our dis-semination of information. We will beexpanding course descriptions toinclude more information about contentin the 2003 program to ensure attendeesconnect with the information they areseeking.

The following are suggestions that forvarious reasons can't currently be uti-lized:

Comment: 5 days of classes and lesslunchtimeResponse: There may come a timewhen this will be instituted. However,the current four-day session requires inexcess of 200 man-hours of labor(about 35 volunteers, including theboard) for the event alone. It is noteven possible to calculate the timetaken to plan the conference and copewith the aftermath, i.e. certificates,accounting, etc. At this time an extraday of conference would over-extendthe capacity of the APP. Further, manyattendees would not be able to spare theextra time away from their studios.

Comment: Some of the classes I want-ed to take are held at the same timeResponse: Yes, unfortunately, this willhappen. As many of us often feel in ourstudios, it would be nice to be in twoplaces at once. The best suggestion forconference is to bring more than oneperson from the same studio, or to planon returning the following year toattend the classes you missed. There isno way around this one.

Comment: Why doesn't the APP holdsmaller conferences around the coun-try?Response: Currently there are two rea-sons. The first is that there simply isn'tthe manpower to process registrationand provide the education. The secondis that the Las Vegas conferencedepends largely on our ability to fill thehotel, so a large-scale event is neededto support the conference financially.However, there may come a time whenthis type of outreach will be viable.

Comment: Schedule CPR & First Aidon the same dayResponse: There isn't time in a singleday's sessions to accommodate bothclasses.

Comment: Why can't we view livedemonstrations?

Response: Presenting videotape ofpiercings performed in a sanitary envi-ronment is an excellent educationaltool, violates no local licensing regula-tions, and creates no liability issues forthe APP. Video is our only legal optionfor showing piercings.

Comment: Expo hours (shorter andlonger where both suggested)Response: Expo set-up and break downtimes are primarily dictated by localunion restrictions on labor. Hours ofoperation have been determined withboth the need to provide education andprovide time for shopping in mind.

Comment: Legislation should be dis-cussed state by stateResponse: We did try to do this for acouple of years. Unfortunately lawsvary not only from state to state butalso within individual municipalities.The manpower required to track eachindividual regulation in not currentlyavailable to the APP. The presentationis now geared toward teaching individ-uals to access and respond to the regu-lations that affect them.

Comment: Why aren’t there more ven-dor restrictions?Response: Although the APP reservesthe right to decline vending space forany reason, vendors are rarely declined.Keep in mind that a vendor's presenceat the Expo does not constitute APPendorsement. Quite often theConference and Expo is as much of alearning experience for vendors as forother attendees.

A special thanks to the people who pro-vided the following requests/comments:Naked flash dancingA class on turning off cell phones

Please keep those comments and sug-gestions coming.

Bethra Szumski, APP President

9

Piercer’s News of the Weird

The diagnosis is....I had a navel piercing appointment witha nice girl accompanied by her mother.I was curious to see her navel - every-one is special, a lot need some adjust-ments, I love it...

But what was this? I had never seenthis before! She had a big red skin dis-order around her navel! What is this? Isit a risk to pierce? Does she have itsomewhere else on her body? Is it afungal desease? I had to ask her aboutit! Her mother replied smiling: Don'tworry - she only cleaned her navel toomuch before we came!

Lots of greetings,MaryAnn, Onemore Piercing,Switzerland

A Lot of ‘splainingI was doing a navel piercing and aftermarking asked the customer to take alook at the mirror before the piercing.

She said that she could see two marksand asked which one I would use. Iexplained that I would use both, thejewelry going in through one and com-ing out through the other. She said sheonly wanted one hole, and I tried toexplain that this is not possible becausethen there would be no piercing. Shewas thinking about her earlobes, whereshe could only see one hole in thefront, and I spent ages explaining howthis works, showing pictures and myown piercing and after I thought thatshe finally understood, she says "Okay,but I can let theother hole close up later, if I decide thatI only want one, right?" Oh, please...

So I had to start again, and I almostdidn't do the piercing at all, beingafraid that she still wouldn't get it andend up not liking the piercing. But itended well, she loved it and is stillhappy, but it took me a loooot ofexplaining...

Katja NurminenValhalla Tattoo & BodypiercingPitkakatu 5165100 VaasaFinlandandyvalhalla@hotmail.com

The Know-It-All NursesI had some customers come in to getpierced who are Registered Nurses.They had quite a lot of attitude aboutknowing everything about everything.When we went into the piercing room,one of them made a fast bee-linedirectly for the big, red, clearly-markedbiohazard can and promptly ploppedher purse down on top of it before Icould stop her.

I said, “That is the biohazard can. Youneed to take your purse off of it, stepaway from there, and wipe down withthis germicidal wipe.” She replied,“But why? That is where I do mypaperwork at the hospital.”

Bryan CivelloRings of Desire, New Orleans

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10

History of Piercing: The Male Nipple Piercing by Paul King

Dear Readers,

It may seem odd at first glance that Ihave chosen to separate the history ofnipple piercing, a shared anatomicalpiercing, into two sections. The reasonis twofold. Until modern times, malesand females within a single culturehave not shared this custom, so the arti-cles work best divided by gender, andalso because of the volume of informa-tion on this topic.

First of all, Roman Centurions didNOT have their nipples pierced. Overthe years it has been my great delight(and fortune) to enjoy many long dis-cussions with Jim Ward, Founder ofGauntlet, PFIQ and long-time friend ofRichard Simonton AKA Doug Malloy.Doug Malloy is commonly referred toas the Grandfather of Modern Bodypiercing, and Jim Ward and FakirMusafar as the Fathers of our profes-sion. 1

Jim has told me the genesis behindthis urban myth. It appears that Doug’sonly evidence of the Romans havingpierced nipples was a photograph of abaroque statue from Versailles. In thephoto the statue is wearing a breastplatewith rings for attaching a cape. WhenJim conveyed his doubts about Doug’srather stretched conclusions, Dougreplied, “Well it makes a good story…”

Here is what we know to be fact: TheKarankawa Native Americans, anomadic peoples previously inhabitedthe Gulf Coast of Texas until their anni-hilation by a Texan force in 1858.Apparently they “pierced the nipples ofeach breast and the lower lip with smallpieces of cane.” That they could healthese piercings is particularly impres-sive since they “smeared their bodieswith a mixture of dirt and alligator orshark grease” to thwart mosquitoes.2

Both American and British sailorshave passed on legends of getting

pierced as an initiation for having tra-versed an important latitude or longi-tude, (i.e. Tropics of Cancer andCapricorn, or the International DateLine, etc.). There is enough folkloreand photos to substantiate the old talesof “sailors with pierced nipples addinglinks each time the sailor crossed theequator”.3 However, the adding of linksseems to be a lesser known practice.Additionally, there exists an abundanceof sailor stories for earlobe piercing.Since the turn of the century, Sailorssuch as Le Captain Ringman or TheGreat Omi, heavily tattooed andpierced, would sometimes reenter main-land society as sideshow human oddi-ties.

The 1950’s and 60’s were a time forself-exploration and sowed the seeds ofthe modern day Body Modification andS/M communities. Men such as FakirMusafar (Roland Loomis) and JimWard compelled to pierce their ownnipples, bravely figured out their proce-dures in an information vacuum.4

Let’s count our blessings that timeshave changed!

1Doug encouraged and supported Jim to open thefirst professional body piercing shop in theWestern world. He also introduced Jim and Fakir.Jim and Fakir's collaborations in PFIQ left us alegacy of stories and pictures from the early daysof modern piercing.2The Handbook of Texas Online, by Carol A.Lipscomb at www.tsha.utekas.edu, her bibliogra-phy: Albert Gatschet, The Karankawa Indians, theCoast People of Texas, (1891), WilliamNewcomb, The Indians of Texas, (1961), RichardSchaedel, The Karankawa of the Texas GulfCoast, (1949)3 PFIQ (Piercing Fans International Quarterly #21)4 Fakir pierced his nipples in 1956, Jim Ward in1968

My usual disclaimer: I am not an anthro-pologist. From time to time there will beerrors. Please be understanding andforthcoming if you have any informationyou would like to share.

Paul KingC/o Cold Steel USA610 22nd St #101San Francisco, CA 94107

Photo credit: "Wait till you see my next trick"circa 1890, The Hulton Deutsch Collection Ltd.

photo credit: unknown man from the BernardKobel. Collection of Clearwater, Florida.

Photo credit: unknown man in beret from theBernard Kobel Collection of Clearwater, Florida.Taken early to mid 20th century.The HeavilyTattooed Men and Women collection is nowowned by Spider Webb.

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12

Studio Interview ~ Alicia Cardenas and Mike Nickels of Twisted Sol

How did you get started in this business? Both Michael and I started out in a streetshop in 1993, working for a woman whodidn’t share our philosophy or perspective.So we struck out on our own.

What is your business philosophy? To have an innovative, clean workspaceconducive for like-minded individuals whoare dedicated to creating and maintaining astudio where people from all walks of lifecan feel comfortable getting body art done.

Why did you choose this business overanother type of business?This business has allowed us the freedomsnecessary to evolve as individuals and as aconscious community of free thinkers andtruth seekers.

How do you go about implementing newideas and approaches in your business? Set the new laws and follow up. Do it inthe name of survival and everyone will lis-ten.

What motivates you to succeed besidesthe desire to make money?Changing the future by creative momentumand commitment to educating the commu-nity on the historical relevance of tattooand piercing, and how it relates to spiritual-ity.

What have been the most important keysto your success?Loving what you do and who you do itwith.

What is your company’s greatest chal-lenge?Learning to take time off and enjoy oneanother.

What contributions to the community(charitable or otherwise) are you mostproud of?Art n Sol, is our community space andstore next door. We use it to promote localvisual artists, poets, musicians and otherconsciously aware community activists.

In what area of your business do youinvest the most energy?Presentation of the studio and customercomfort.

How will you continue to succeed in thismarket? By not being afraid to evolve with thechanging times.

What words of wisdom would you offerto someone starting their own business?If you do it, do it for what you can con-tribute to the industry not what you can getout of it.

What’s your favorite saying or quota-tion? "Seek not to be like the masters, seek whatthe master sought" -Zen saying

What do you look for in prospectiveemployees? We never have prospective employeesbecause no one ever quits. We have a say-ing at Twisted Sol because we havebecome a family. "There is only one wayout of Twisted Sol and it's death."

What inspires you?The people hand poking and piercing eachother with sharpened bamboo all over theworld that use mud to heal wounds. Andour committed crazy crew at Twisted Sol.

What are your or your company’s great-est assets? Love and sincerity.

Anything else you would like to add?Although we are proud to be of this cul-ture, we are not proud of our country’sinvolvement in the genocide of indigenouspeople around the world. We stronglypreach that freedom is given by the hand ofGod, not government.

Interview By Crystal Sims

Twisted Sol

1405 Ogden Street

Denver, Colorado 80211

(303) 832 1311

www.twistedsol.com

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Product Review

With the intense amount of surfacedisinfecting we do in our daily work,using a pump (or aerosol) withspray such as Madacide or similarhard-surface disinfectant can dosignificant damage to the respirato-ry systems of those who work inthe studio, and to your clientele. Ifyou can smell it, you are breathingit into your lungs. And if it’sdesigned to kill bacteria, fungus,and virus, just imagine what it doesto the delicate lining of your throatand respiratory systems.

Each and every and spray bottle inthe studio (the spreader of all air-borne offenders) can be removedand replaced with a Nalgene bottle.For those of you who aren’t familiarwith this liquid dispenser, it is anautoclavable bottle that issqueezed to dispense the contentsthrough a small curved spout at thetop, in a steady stream of liquid.The bottle itself is autoclavable, butthe top is not. It is now commonlyused in the tattoo industry in placeof spray bottles. The use of thistype of bottle eliminates any microspray from the disinfectant process.It allows more of the product to godirectly to the job and not into theair that we breathe.

A downfall of the Nalgene bottle isthat it takes longer to saturate apaper towel used for wiping, andgives your hand quite a workout.Autoclave the bottles when you firstget them, which makes the bottlesofter and less difficult to squeeze.Also, a little trick is to clip off the tipof the spout to allow for a betterflow of the contents.

The benefits are that you eliminateoverwhelming, dangerous, smellyfumes and over-spray. You preventdisinfectant spray from (ricochetingoff potentially contaminated sur-faces and) getting into your lungs.

Although changing from spray bot-tles is a bit of a transition, it hasmade a world of difference in mystudio. It is clearly a benefit to thehealth of the people working here,and to the clientele. If you chooseto stay with spray bottles, remem-ber spraying into a paper towel ismuch safer than spraying directlyon a possibly contaminated sur-face. With the Nalgene bottles youcan get the paper towel as saturat-ed as needed to leave a nice coatof disinfectant.

If you’d like to purchase these bot-tles they can be found through:Eikon Device (613) 384-4688 or My Med Source (888) 755-9370.

Alicia Cardenas,Twisted Sol,Colorado

Nalgene Bottles

The Medical / DentalCorner

Prophylaxis of OralAntibiotics

The American Heart Associationprovides the recommendations forthe dental profession as to whenantibiotic premedication is neces-sary or advisable prior to receivingcertain dental work.

Currently, the recommendationsare undergoing much revision dueto the increased risk of developingbacterial resistance to antibiotics.

When I give my courses to thedental community, I implore theattendees to put together a 'factsheet' available in the receptionarea regarding oral/facial pierc-ings--at the top of the factoids is astatement that encourages poten-tial piercees to be premedicatedprior to piercing IF they are havingto take antibiotics prior to dentalwork.

Betsy Reynolds

So, if your clients are advised totake antibiotics before dental work,you should suggest they consulttheir physician for a prescriptionprior to body piercing.

Likewise, consulting a doctor isappropriate if your client disclosesa medical condition that concernsyou for either health and safety ofclient during the piercing proce-dure, or the likelihood of difficultyduring healing. It is reasonable foryou to request that the client bringa note from a doctor in such casesbefore proceeding with a piercing.

We all know the instant gratifica-tion many of our clients desire, butwhen health is at stake, it is impor-tant to put that first. If someone istruly serious about wanting to bepierced, they will comply with yourwishes and respect you for yourconcern and professionalism.

14

The APP needs your help to support our mission of disseminating of vital health, safety and education information to piercers, piercees, medical professionals and the general public.Your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law because we are a Non-profit corporation.

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YOU choose where your dollars will be spent:

❏ AL D Scholarship Fund❏ Legislation Outreach❏ Educational Outreach❏ Wherever it is most needed

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APP Website Updated

Check out the APP website athttp://www.safepiercing.org to see what'snew. We've updated the layout, and addeda variety of features such as a job board and PDF's of several back issues of "ThePoint" newsletter.

Please feel free to contact us if you haveany input, feedback or suggestions about it.

And if you like how it looks, and how itworks, let us know too.By the way, our site was redesigned bynone other than Jim Ward himself!

Birth Announcement

Born: 7-21-02 Mayan Grace Perlingieri, first child of Blake and Leah Perlingieri.

Congratulations to the happy parents!

15

Legal Update

This is a follow up to the articleprinted in POINT 23 about piercerswho perform other procedures andwere arrested for practicing medi-cine without a license.

The APP is an organization dedicat-ed to health, safety and educationspecifically related to body piercing.We do not offer advice or informa-tion on other forms of body art.However, piercers who do performother procedures should be awarethat this matter has come to theattention of authorities and that legalaction could result from such activi-ties.

Press ReleaseSource: Medical Board of California

Medical Board of CaliforniaArrests Santa Clarita Resident forUnlicensed Practice of Medicine

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESSWIRE)--Dec. 23, 2002--The MedicalBoard of California's Operation SafeMedicine (OSM), in conjunction withthe Federal Bureau of Investigation,served a search warrant onDecember 19, 2002 at the SantaClarita residence of an unlicensedperson, Todd Cameron Bertrang, foragreeing to perform female circumci-sions. The procedure is an extreme-ly painful, traumatizing mutilation offemales that leaves them perma-nently disfigured. He also performsa similar procedure on males. Hewas charged with violating Businessand Professions Code section 2053,a felony, by risking great bodilyharm, serious injury or death bypracticing medicine without alicense. Bertrang was arrested andbooked into Santa Clarita LosAngeles Sheriff's Department andwill appear in court on January 21,2003.

The Medical Board of California con-tinues to analyze evidence obtainedduring the execution of the searchwarrant. The Board's Chief ofEnforcement Dave Thornton said,

"The mission of the Medical Board isconsumer protection. Stopping theunlicensed practice of medicine inCalifornia is a high priority with theMedical Board. We encourage any-one with information regarding addi-tional victims of Todd Bertrang, orany other criminal activity connectedto Bertrang, to contact the MedicalBoard's Cerritos Office at (562) 860-2819."

The case was referred to theMedical Board by a physician fromNorthern California who receivedinformation that Bertrang was per-forming clitoridectomies on womenin Southern California. The FBI, whohad received a similar complaint,also was investigating Bertrang. Ajoint investigation with the FBIresulted in a search warrant beingobtained for the Santa Clarita resi-dence, along with an arrest warrantfor Bertrang. The investigation hasrevealed that Bertrang attractedpotential patients through Web sitesand may have performed variousunlicensed procedures that includemale and female circumcisions athis residence since 1997. These areprocedures that can result in seriousinjury to patients who are not in amedical setting.

This arrest is the tenth in 2002 byinvestigators of Operation SafeMedicine, a special unit of theMedical Board composed of trainedinvestigators who seek to protect asignificant portion of the populationby reducing access to individualswho are unlicensed and a danger tothe public when they attempt med-ical treatment. OSM commenced inJanuary 2001, and works closelywith local and federal law enforce-ment agencies. The staff of investi-gators target the known areas wherethe unlicensed practice of medicineflourishes in Orange County and thegreater Los Angeles area. Theinvestigators also work other areasof the state as needed and providetraining to other Medical Boardenforcement staff in how to spot and

respond to suspected illegal prac-tices.

OSM is part of the Medical Board'sefforts to steer consumers awayfrom unlicensed practitioners, whosetreatment of patients has resulted inharm and even death in SouthernCalifornia. The Board encouragesthe public to confirm they are receiv-ing healthcare from licensed individ-uals by calling its ConsumerInformation Line at (916) 263-2382or visiting its Web site atwww.medbd.ca.gov.

The Medical Board of California isthe state agency responsible forlicensing and regulating physiciansin this state. -------------------------------------------------Contact:

Medical Board of CaliforniaDave Thornton, 916/263-2389

-------------------------------------------------Source: Medical Board of California

Tongue Piercing Procedure-One PerspectiveEditorial Disclaimer: This articledoes not represent the views of theAPP. Any opinions, thoughts orideas expressed herein are those ofthe author alone.

I have done literally many hundredsif not thousands of tongue piercings.I am considered (by Jim Ward, him-self known as the Father of ModernBody Piercing) to be the individualresponsible for the popularity of thetongue piercing. I still have 5 in myown tongue after well over adecade! The first one was placedthere, by Jim Ward himself in thelate 1980’s. Therefore, I feel quali-fied to share my procedure with thehope that some ideas, hints or tipsmay be helpful in your own practice.

This is NOT a “how-to” article; it is

an editorial, intended for piercerswho are already trained profession-als. This is in no way a completediscussion of the topic, but merelyreviews specifically how tonguepiercing is done in my studio. Therewill be many variations on thisamong APP member Piercers, andeven wider variation among non-members. Other methods are alsovalid and they are only “wrong” ifthere is danger to the piercer orpiercee, or if the results are not asintended by the piercer and/orpiercee.

To prepare, we suggest the pierceeeat a good meal with some proteinand carbs approximately one to twohours before coming in for anypiercing. That way the blood sugaris up and the client is less likely to

feel unwell afterwards. And followinga tongue piercing, eating is possiblebut a bit slower going at first, to besure. No drugs or alcohol, of course!

It is wise to have the client avoidtaking aspirin or drinking an excessof coffee (caffeine) or liquor for atleast a day or two before the pierc-ing to minimize the potential forexcess bleeding. Those takingaspirin daily would be wise to cease5-7 days before the piercing.

First, of course, is the filling out ofthe required-by-law release form.We also use an extra form as perstudio policy that is specifically oninformed consent for oral piercings--see below.

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Informed ConsentTongue/Labret/Oral Piercings

I have been informed prior to the piercing that:

If the piercee has any history of sensitive gums or problems with the adjacent teeth, oral piercing placement is inad-visable.

Even when the piercing is optimally placed with perfect-fitting jewelry there can be some erosion of the gums and/ordamage to the teeth.

If the piercee bites down on the jewelry it could harm their teeth, piercing, and/or jewelry.

Any piercing can bleed.

I understand the risks stated above and I hereby release Rings of Desire, Inc., its officers, directors, shareholders,employees, agents, heirs and assigns, from all manner of liabilities, claims, actions,and demands, in law or in equi-ty, which I or my heirs have or might have now or hereafter by reason of complying with my request to be pierced.

Signature___________________________ Date____________________

The first step in the procedure iscleansing the area by having theclient rinse the mouth for 60 sec-onds with an antimicrobial or germi-cidal oral rinse. They are directednot to touch the face or mouth withdirty fingers from that point until thehealing time is complete.

Next, after examining the anatomyin question, is the marking of a doton both the top and bottom of thetongue for the placement of the

piercing. This is accomplishedusing a very small amount ofGentian Violet, an anti fungal liquid,applied with a sterile toothpick. Theplacement depends, of course, onthe client’s anatomy, along with theirneeds and preferences. To optimizeplacement for them, I often ask thepiercee if they are particularly con-cerned about concealment, or if theythink there is any chance they mightwant to wear more than one tonguepiercing in the future.

It is standard practice to place thepiercing on the midline, a little fur-ther forward on the bottom than onthe top of the tongue. This will allowthe jewelry to rest back, away fromthe teeth (this is also where most ofthe speech sounds are made) andwhere there is more room for thejewelry towards the concavity of thehard palate.

...continued on pg. 17

17

There is a point past the center ofthe tongue that I seldom place asingle piercing, though I may go thatfar back for multiple tongue pierc-ings. The jewelry will not be anyless visible (a concern for many) butit will be more likely to swell consid-erably, and won’t be as much funonce healed. So, when people tryto convince me to put it way farback, I offer guidance about this,and they are always ultimatelypleased with the placement I sug-gest. It can go far back enough tobe hardly visible, but still in a spotwhere it will be fun. Concealmentjewelry such as clear or tongue col-ored balls and discs that go on themetal bars are very effective. Clearacrylic posts in small gauges arenot advised, however, as they aretoo brittle to be safe.

I have noted in my interactions withother piercers that there is consider-able debate about whether it is safeor appropriate to pierce along themidline of the tongue on the under-side. The answer is YES! It is fine.Just so long as your placement is infront of the attachment of the lingualfrenulum. It is not wise to try topierce through the that portion ofthe anatomy where it is webbed.Where it is merely a little cord-like,the body will push the piercing everso slightly off to one side. But it isfine to pierce along the midline.The arteries and nerves are off tothe sides (usually quite visible underthe tongue.) So, midline placementis safest in any case.

The length for the bar post is deter-mined by measuring the tongueafter it is marked. For optimal jew-elry fit, it is important to measurethe tongue when it is essentially atrest in the mouth. Even though thetongue may be very slim when it ispushed out of the mouth, it canbecome considerably thicker in itsusual neutral position within themouth. So once the marks are inplace we have the piercee keep thetongue at rest inside the mouth andsimply drop the jaw open. You needto glimpse both the top and bottomdots for the “resting” tongue thick-ness and add onto that for the start-ing jewelry length.

We add some length (commonlyabout 3/16” to 1/4” extra) to allowfor the usual amount of swelling.There should be enough room tojust accommodate the initialswelling. Extra length beyond thatcan be a liability, getting in the way,and making speech and eatingmore difficult than necessary. Westock barbell posts by the 1/16”(rather than the 1/4”) to get the bestfit. It is common that 13/16” is pre-cisely what’s needed but othersmight put in a slightly too short 3/4”or a little bit too long 7/8” instead.Anyone automatically using a “stan-dard” size post length for alltongues is doing their clients a hugedisservice. Anatomy varies consid-erably, so a custom fit is appropri-ate.

We then open the contents of thesterile jewelry packets onto the ster-ile field and change gloves (as thegloves have handled the non-sterileoutside packaging of the sterile jew-elry.) We assemble the jewelry tomake sure both balls go on properly,and pass it through the jaws of theforceps to be sure the jewelry fitsthrough. Then we unscrew the bot-tom ball (usually 3/16” or 4 mm asthere is less room for larger ballsunderneath the tongue) and put awire “snip” down inside the hollowpost. We then put the remaining

part of the “snip” into the back endof the sterile, disposable piercingneedle. So we have essentially“connected” the jewelry to the nee-dle.

We ask that the client try to pushtheir tongue out like a puppy dog;long and limp and floppy. Theyshould try to push from the back ofthe tongue, keeping the tip of thetongue loose. This makes it consid-erably easier, since the more mus-cular contraction they put into stick-ing the tongue out, the more difficultit is to manipulate into the forceps.

Next we dry the tongue with sterilegauze, and gently apply forceps.We line up the dots that have beenmarked on the top and the bottomof the tongue, keeping the forcepsjust snug enough to secure the tis-sue in place. We apply the forcepsso that the dots are towards theback edge within the opening. Thisway the tool need not be placed anyfurther into the mouth than isabsolutely necessary, (as it would ifyou placed the dots in the center ofthe opening of the forceps.) Thishelps with client comfort by avoidingplacing the clamp too far into the lin-gual frenulum underneath thetongue.

Using the same gauge needle andjewelry (most commonly 14 ga or 12ga) we push through the tissue fromthe top into a cork on the underside,and the jewelry is inserted directlyas the piercing is completed. Wescrew the bottom ball on and thenrelease the tongue from the forceps.Generally it is so quick they don’teven have a chance to drool! I’vepierced with people watching whoreported, “I was watching and Imissed it!”

We advise they follow the industrystandard care guidelines as sug-gested by the APP (see them on theweb site at www.safepiercing.org).

...continued on pg. 18

Tongue Piercing Procedure ...continued from page 16

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We also suggest that they down-size to a shorter bar as soon as theswelling is down. The extra lengthis only desirable when it is neededto accommodate the swelling. Thepost can be downsized by a profes-sional as soon as the initialswelling is down; possibly as soonas a week or two. If the client isplanning to change the jewelrythemselves I would suggest theywait the initial four week healingtime.

We strongly urge them to wear abar shorter than the starting one,both for comfort and for the safetyof the oral structures. Dental pro-fessionals have found that long-term wear of an overly long bar canresult in bone density loss, chippingof teeth and recession damage tothe gums. Therefore the shorterpost is highly advised. In order tofacilitate our clients getting andwearing the shorter post we offerthis downsize policy:

Read this ! Tongue Barbell Downsize Policy Read This !

On piercings such as the tongue which have a tendency to swell during initial healing, we will insert a bar-bell that has some extra length on the post for your safety and comfort. Once your piercing has healed

you may find that the barbell post looks or feels too long.

When you purchase a new barbell (post and two balls) at Rings of Desire and have us insert it into a newtongue piercing you can return here after the piercing is healed, and/or the swelling has subsided (mini-

mum of 2 weeks-maximum of 8 weeks) and present:this paper, along with your register receipt,

and we will provide you with a shorter replacement post (of the same gauge as your initial jewelry) for$10.00. * You get to keep the original post. There is no charge for us to help you insert the shorter post.

Out-of-towners may purchase their shorter post at the time of the piercing, if they so desire.

This policy does not apply to balls.

* for 14 gauge. Cost is $11.00 for 12 gauge, and $12.00 for 10 gauge.

Tongue Piercing Procedure ...continued from page 17

Final disclaimer: Reading this and/or incorporating any aspect of my procedure into your practice does not consti-tute APP training, nor does it mean that you have apprenticed to me nor been trained by me. Feel free to take any-thing that works and leave the rest.

Safe piercing.

Elayne Angel, New Orleans

Ready to go, with forceps andcork in one hand; needle andjewelry together in the other.

The completed piercing

Association of Professional PiercersThe PointPMB 286 5456 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.Chamblee, GA 30341

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDALB NM

PERMIT 494

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