Submitter comment: I was scrolling through tumblr and came across this. It’s is one of the worst septums I’ve ever seen, at least placement wise. She said she went to a professional and ‘wanted it that way’. I feel like she’s just saying that because she doesn’t want to go to the trouble of getting it redone, which is ridiculous because it just looks terrible.
What’s awful: The placement, any lower and it would rip through the bottom of her nose, not in the sweet spot at all.
How it can be fixed: Go to a professional with more experience. If it’s not too late perhaps go to the person who did it and ask for money back? It’s really quite awful, or I just can’t stand bad septum piercings.
A gem I found on Reddit. Any takers?
- Petra / BabyPieTattoo
SUBMITTER’S COMMENT: I despise self piercing. She also made a status the day before she did this saying she was “going to get angel bites and they would probably get infected”.
WHAT’S AWFUL: Self piercing with safety pins.
HOW IT CAN BE FIXED: Take them out, don’t put any jewelry in, and sea salt soak those until they heal up.
- At the counter:
Don’t handle your piercings (even if they are healed) as you may spread bacteria to the studio’s common areas thereby endangering both staff and fellow patrons.
Bring worn jewelry in a baggie or other sealed container.
Never place worn jewelry on the counter or display.
- In the restroom:
Don’t handle your piercings (see above).
It is never appropriate to change your jewelry in the restroom or other locations in the studio.
If you want your jewelry changed at the studio, it should be done by one of the piercers, in the piercing room.
- In the piercing room:
Allow your piercer to direct you to an area where personal belongings may be placed BEFORE setting anything down.
Camera flashes can be very distracting during the performance of a piercing.
Check with your piercer before taking pictures.
Turn off your cell phone.
Submitter’s comments: My acquaintance is super into anime. I love Sailor Moon, so this breaks my heart.
What’s awful: Lines look like a drunk person did it. The circles are wonky. This doesn’t even warrant a “you tried” star! (Have at it and add in any thing else you see fit)
How it can be fixed: Stop going to your “Tattoo artist” friend. She’s nice but all of the tattoos she has done were just plain awful. Go to a professional! I doubt there’s anyway to fix this…
Submitter’s comment: This is my brother’s ex (and mother of his son Payton). She posted this picture on facebook a little while ago. Her cousin (who claims he is a “professional” working at a tattoo shop) did the tattoo for only $1! When everyone tried to explain to her that is was a shit tattoo- she and the tattooist got extremely defensive and bragged on and on about how great the work was.
What’s awful: Everything. The lines are wonky and uneven. The letters come too close to the box. It’s just … bleck.
How it can be fixed: Don’t ever get tattoos from a clearly shitty tattoo artist.
From the APP’s Choosing a Piercer brochure
This is meant to be a guideline and to aid you in having a safe piercing experience.
- See their autoclave (sterilizer)
An autoclave is a device that sterilizes the jewelry, tools and equipment necessary to perform your piercing/s by eliminating bacteria and its spores. The most effective units available to studios use a combination of steam and pressure. (”Dry Heat” is NOT considered appropriate for sterilization.) Absolutely no studio should be in operation without this vital piece of equipment!
- Spore test Results
A spore test (biological indicator) is the only way to know that an autoclave is working properly. Biological indicators actually test the autoclave’s ability to kill even the most dangerous & resistant organisms such as HIV, Hepatitis, etc. The studio should keep recent results on file and be willing to show them to you.
- Piercing Set-up
Ask if you can watch them set-up for a piercing and be in the room when they set up for yours. The piercer should first wash and glove their hands. The equipment should be sealed in individual sterilized packages and placed on a tray. The piercer should change gloves if they touch anything in the room other than you and the sterile equipment. All needles should be in individual sterile packages and should be opened while you are present. NEVER let a piercer use a needle on you that was soaked in a liquid. All needles should be disposed of in a sharps container (usually a small red box marked “biohazard”) after they have been used on a single client.
- Do they provide aftercare guidelines?
The aftercare for your piercing should be explained to you and provided in writing. Read this sheet BEFORE you have the piercing done! If it tells you to treat your piercing with harsh soap, ointment, alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide, the studio is not keeping up with industry standards.
For those of you who don’t have an APP member within reach, this can be really helpful.
A piercer doesn’t HAVE to be an APP member to be good, but usually the two overlap.
- Kat
Submitter comment: I saw this while researching piercers in my area. The owner/ piercer seems like a total hack and the jewellery they stock is total rubbish. The girl in this photo was so proud of her piercing, and has it as her cover photo on Facebook. When I left a comment letting her know of the problems with the piercing she was very defensive.
What’s awful: A ridiculously long straight barbell in a nape surface piercing.
How it can be fixed: Have it removed, let it heal, and have it re-pierced by a competent piercer, with appropriate jewellery. (90 degree angle appropriately sized surface bar)
It’s a common misconception that you need plastic in an oral piercing to avoid tooth and gum damage. It’s less about the material and more about the size. Many oral piercings are performed with slightly longer jewelry to account for swelling. Once the swelling has passed the jewelry needs to be downsized
