SOURCE: previous AM posts, and myself.
SUBMITTER’S COMMENT: I don’t think I need to explain what’s awful, lol. Just showing the (huge!) difference between home/friend/self-done piercings, and one done by a professional.
Yes, those bottom two images are both of myself, and yes, my septum really was pierced by Elayne. So was my philtrum :D
Go to a professional! You won’t regret it.
SUBMITTER COMMENT: This chick I used to follow on tumblr is barely 15 years old and has her eye brow pierced. So I asked how she got it done and she said her sister did it for her. She was a bit rude about me warning her of what could happen, obviously people like to stay ignorant. She also plans on getting more piercings done by her sister too, she had a whole list of them asking her followers what she should get next.
Here’s what her, one of her followers, and I said. (me being anonymous)
What’s Awful: unprofessional. piercing at home. UNDER AGE.
How it can be fixed: Don’t pierce at home..
SUBMITTER’S COMMENT: I was browsing through youtube searching for bridge piercings, when I came across a video of this girl in the “Related Videos” part. I was shocked at first, and I got even more shocked when I went through her channel. There are a lot of piercing gun gems including LIP PIERCINGS with a gun. Also, when people try to correct her in the comments she just says “shut the fuck up, you have no idea of what you’re talking about.” or something like that (but she also mentions she had a lot of issues with her nose piercings in another video’s comments, proving that her experience wasn’t pleasing).
WHAT’S AWFUL: Self piercings done with a gun (which can damage your cartilage), in many unsterile environments (germs and bacteria everywhere). She not only does on herself but also does on her friends. Dangerous in so many ways.
HOW IT CAN BE FIXED: Stop piercing with a gun. In unsterile environments. Actually, stop piercing yourself and your friends COMPLETELY until you get a piercing license. Take out the piercings if they show problems and don’t use inadequate jewellery (such as butterfly-ended[?] earrings)
(sorry for any language mistakes, I’m not a native English speaker :/)
SUBMITTER CONTENT:
I’m friends with this girl on facebook, and evidently she pierced her own nostril, by herself, presumably in a bathroom or another area of her house.
What’s Awful: Just look, the needle sticking out of her nose is a clear testament to the fact that self-piercing is always bad. I predict an infection before the night is over.
How it can be fixed: She can take out that god-awful needle and go to a professional, licensed piercer if she wants the thing so bad.
SUBMITTER’S COMMENT: I was searching the ‘dermal’ tag on tumblr when I found this text post:
Piercings, you shall be mine soon.
So I found a site where I can buy dermal anchors and the kit to pierce myself. Hoping to get it after I get my Christmas money. Then hip dermals here I come! Fuck going to have other people do it for me. I like doing it myself.
Eventually I’ll have:
- 2 matching sets of hip dermals
- Dermals in my tattoos (preferably the keyhole one that’s going on the back of my neck)
- Bellybutton! (I’m sooo re-doing that sometime soon)
- Most likely tongue (again)
- Industrials
- Tragus
- Maybe septum? (not sure about that one, it hurts like a bitch)
I’m so excited. :3’
WHAT’S AWFUL: self piercing, self piercing a DERMAL!
HOW IT CAN BE FIXED: Just don’t self pierce! You can’t be stingy with your safety
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MODERATOR’S COMMENT:
Self-piercing horror aside, I’m gonna use this as an opportunity to throw down some more terminology info for y’all.
Please, please, please. Stop calling them “dermals.” And before you say, “PAH THIS IS JUST LIKE THE GAUGES THING WHATEVAR”, hear me out:
The term “dermal” gives the implication that surface anchors are something other than just single-point piercings. It’s actually super abbreviated from “micro-transdermal” (like “transdermal implant”), which classifies them as implants. They are not implants. They are merely single-point piercings, which can be done with a needle just like any other piercing, and do not need to be surgically removed (like implants do). When you call them “dermals”, the legislative types freak out and want to group them in with implants, and they make them illegal. Obviously that’s bad for both piercers and piercees.
Just call ‘em “surface anchors” or “single-point piercings”, mkay?
Hopefully this clears up some other misinformation floating around out there about surface anchors. They are single-point piercings. They are NOT implants. They do NOT need to be performed with a biopsy punch, and they do NOT need to be removed via scalpel or other surgical procedure. I remove surface anchors all the time using nothing more than a tool to hold the top, and tissue massage.
- Hayley
EDIT: Wow, I’ve already gotten one response from another piercer saying you definitely CAN NOT remove surface anchors without cutting them out, and one person implying you can’t do surface anchors with a needle. The entire reason they were invented was to provide a piercing-friendly alternative to heavier modifications like transdermal implants, so that piercers can do them without the use of medical devices like biopsy punches! Punches are illegal on a federal level in the US, so I’m not sure why people think we’re all lawbreakers?
I’m going to try to put together a FAQ about surface anchors, until then here is a picture of some long-healed surface anchors from my shop done with the needle method:
I’ve personally removed tons of surface anchors without cutting tissue, including three from my own body. And I’ll point out that they were Industrial Strength surface anchors, since the piercer who messaged me said if I can remove them without cutting them, I’m using shit jewelry.
(SOURCE)
SUBMITTER’S COMMENT: I underlined what’s awful. Pierced himself with a nail, tried to sterilize the nail with disinfectant, and he’s actually allowed to pierce other people despite not having the knowledge about the risks and why certain precautions need to be taken.
HOW IT CAN BE FIXED: Taking them out, letting them heal, getting it done by a trusted professional instead if you’re the person getting the piercing. If you’re a friend of the person, then it can be fixed by politely letting them know the dangers of what they’ve done. - After all, who’s going to listen if you run in guns blazing and offend them right off the bat?
An extra of what’s wrong, his tattoo’s don’t look that credible with the wonky lines and dodgy colouring. That can also be fixed with the above.
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MODERATOR’S COMMENT:
I bolded part of this submission, because I think it’s good advice to anyone trying to educate others about body modification (well, anything in general).
- Hayley
(SOURCE)(SOURCE)(SOURCE)
SUBMITTER’S COMMENT: A girl just posted this on facebook. The caption for the photo was “All late but I pierced my smiley again (:”
WHAT’S AWFUL: Everything about this. She did it herself. She wasn’t clean about it, clearly. The fact that she’s done this more than once. And is that a tooth pick?
HOW IT CAN BE FIXED: Please PLEASE go to a professional.
Source: http://www.alternativelooks.com/2012/05/20/infected-lip-piercing/
Submitter s comment: Just thought I would share with you a picture of a infected lip piercing. I have had many friends get infections just like this, 4/5 were home done jobs. One of the girls even had to go to the hospital because she removed the jewelry and the infection started to spread and made her lip swell to x3 its normal size.
How it can be fixed: Always get pierced by a professional with sterile equipment in a sanitary environment. Always follow aftercare procedures down to the T, and if you do get a infection don’t remove the jewelry and consult a doctor.
Sorry, I couldn’t post this as a video for some reason. There was no ‘Submit’ button…
Submitter’s Comment: Okay, so I was lurking YouTube with the phrase ‘septum piercing’ since I’m getting one in a few days. During my hunt, I uncovered this… I just… I’m utterly shocked.
What’s Awful: Well, in this video specifically, he shows off some tools he ordered online to pierce his own septum. That should be awful enough, however, MY DEAR SWEET GOD… Check the comments. This kid confirms that he is TWELVE YEARS OLD. And that was ten months ago… So maybe he is thirteen now. Even so, I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. Where are this kid’s parents?! He has snakebites and lobes stretched big enough to fit his pinky through. All of his videos seem to be mod based (I didn’t watch them all). I just find this so terrifying. I mean, I really know nothing in regards to body modification laws, and since they vary from place to place, who knows… Even with this kid planning on piercing his own septum, it is possible that all of his current piercings were done by a professional. Still, considering he is TWELVE, I’m doubtful… And even then, I don’t think a twelve year old — at the very least — should be stretching his ears. After a certain size (which I am pretty sure he has exceeded), those won’t shrink back down. A kid his age does not have the mental capacity (and I can back this up with research) to make these sorts of decisions because his ability to think in the long term and foresee consequences will not yet have been developed. This is a psychological fact. The aforementioned self-piercing aside, potentially permanent mods need to be left up to people who are psychologically capable of making these kinds of decisions. I just… Wow.
How It Can Be Fixed: I don’t know… I mean, I can’t see the state of his lobes or piercings. It is possible everything is fine and perfectly healthy. Still, I’d recommend that the kid downsize his lobes until he is old enough to make that kind of decision. Furthermore, he needs to be educated in how dangerous self-piercing is so that he doesn’t try that anymore. Oh, and his parents need to be seriously questioned for their judgement.
