Piercing procedure
There is no "Industry Standard" for piercing and there are as many different ways to pierce as there are piercers. All piercers use different techniques and tend to stick to a method that they feel comfortable with. There is no right way or wrong way, but some methods cause more tissue damage than others and extend healing times.There are small differences between piercings, too. Some piercings need to be done freehand, some need a special technique that involves right angled piercing and some are done using tissue holding forceps (we'll call these clamps just to make it simple). The methods we use have been found to cause as little damage as possible in order that your piercing can heal quickly.
Cannula or Blade ?
There has been a lot of discussion recently about which method of piercing is the best - Cannula or Blade (piercing needle).
Piercing with a cannula is the 'European' method. Piercing with a blade (piercing needle) is the 'American' method. The proponents of each method will, usually, tell you that the way they do their piercing is the best method. The truth is - It doesn't make any difference whatsoever to the piercing as long as the blade or cannula used is high quality.
Those who use piercing blades will tell you that the blades are sharper than cannulas, therefore cause less damage and make piercings easier to heal. That is only true when you compare a good blade with a poor cannula. If you compare a good cannula with a good blade there is no difference. I know - I've tried both. The converse is also true - A good cannula is far better than a poor blade.
Many of the piercers in Britain use either "Venflon" or "Medicut" cannulas. In my experience these are really poor quality. The edges are single bevelled and the plastic sleeve is cut off just above the bevel of the needle, leaving an edge that causes quite a nip when the piercing is made. Many of the cannulas kink or buckle during the piercing and cause even more damage when the jewellery is pulled through. Using these poor quality, cheap cannulas causes pain. High quality cannulas, such as "Braun Introcan" are tri-bevelled (just like blades), are seriously sharp (just like blades) and have a cannula that is tapered towards the needle bevel so there is no edge that causes pain.
Many American Piercers are trying cannula piercing because there is less risk of needlestick injury and less trauma inserting jewellery. When a piercing blade is used the jewellery is pushed into the piercing behind the blade. The blade is about 1.5 inches long and has to be pushed all the way through to insert the jewellery. When using a cannula, the distance you have to push to insert the jewellery can be as little as 1/4 of an inch. The sharp is removed as soon as the piercing is made, reducing the risk of needlestick injury considerably. It's pure common sense - If there's a sharp around when you're doing the fiddly things, there's a chance you're going to catch it.
Surface piercing is a lot better using cannulas. The needle can be pulled into the cannula to create a pocket under the skin without cutting into the tissues underneath. There has been a shift towards using dermal punches and tapers in America because blades cause damage that can make a surface piercing migrate. Microdermal placement is easier using a good blade or a cannula needle with the cannula removed. Uvula piercing is far easier using a cannula rather than a blade.
It's surprising how many piercers in the UK are trying blade piercing because they assume it's better. It's also surprising how many piercers in the States are trying cannula piercing for the same reason.
The simple fact is : There is no discernable difference between a good blade and a good cannula. All piercers use a method which suits them and their style of piercing. Some piercers use both methods and there are pros and cons on both sides.
Our procedure
This description is a simplified version of our piercing procedure and there may be differences between this procedure and the procedure we actually use, depending on the piercing and your anatomy. It is intended merely as a guide. The procedure we use will be explained to you in full before we do your piercing.
Skin Preparation
Your skin will usually be cleaned using isopropyl alcohol to remove make-up, fake tan or dirt. Some areas of the body can react badly to alcohol, in which case we will use a mild detergent instead.
Your skin will be marked with a special antiseptic called "Gentian Violet" using a sterilised cocktail stick as a pen. This serves four purposes
- It marks your skin for accuracy of piercing.
- It kills organisms that are present on your skin on contact.
- It cleans the piercing as the piercing is made.
- It then keeps the piercing clean for up to 2 weeks.
(In the case of navel and nipple piercing, when this is used in conjunction with a special dressing called an occlusive dressing, your piercing looks after itself for the first 3 days. This means that whilst your piercing goes through the very important first stage of the healing process, you don't even touch or clean it ! Surface piercings remain untouched for 3 weeks, just changing the dressing each week)
Piercing procedure
Once the marks are checked for accuracy your skin will usually be held very lightly in a pair of custom made clamps. DON'T PANIC. The clamps most people are used to are called Duval Clamps. These are vicious, toothed clamps that are clicked down to cut off blood supply so that you feel less from the piercing. WE DO NOT USE DUVAL CLAMPS. The clamps we use are sourced specifically for the job of piercing. They do not click down and cause NO SURROUNDING DAMAGE. The sensation from the clamps is like being held lightly between finger and thumb. Some piercings have to be made without the use of clamps, such as surface piercings, most cartillage piercings, microdermal anchors and the PA.
The piercing is made using an intravenous cannula, which is a very sharp needle surrounded by a plastic sleeve, similar to those used in hospitals for drips. The ones that we use are imported from Germany and have a specially designed cannula that tapers down to reduce the nip that is usually felt. The piercing takes about 1/8th of a second. The needle is removed a split second after the piercing is made and thrown into a medical sharps bin immediately to reduce the danger of sharps injuries to both you and me. This leaves the tube, or cannula, behind.
The cannula is cut in half to allow removal of the clamps, when clamps are used. This also ensures that it CANNOT BE REUSED. Once the clamps are removed, the cannula is usually used to guide the jewellery through the piercing. (In the case of microdermal anchors the whole of the needle and the cannula are removed to allow insertion of the anchor.) The cannula is then thrown into a medical sharps bin for incineration.
Once the jewellery is inserted it is checked to make sure it's straight and the area is cleaned with gauze if neccessary. A transparent dressing will be placed over those piercings that require it (Navels, Nipples, Microdermal anchors and Surface Piercings.) Some of the intimate piercings are covered with fabric dressings and occasionally the use of a panty liner is required (mainly for female intimates).
Helping you through it
To ensure that you are at your most relaxed at the time of your piercing, we may need to use one of a number of special relaxation techniques ranging from just wiggling your toes to deep relaxation, depending how anxious you are at the time. It's a good idea to be honest about how you feel so that we can tailor the procedure to your needs. If you follow the guidance we give and allow us to do our job the way it needs to be done you will have a remarkable experience and will be really surprised at how easy it all is.
