For those of you who don’t know, Angel Bites are a combination of the Monroe and Madonna piercings. Two above your top lip. One on each side.

I always see this piercing as Snakebites’ With the right jewelry, this piercing will really enhance the shape of the top lip.

Angel Bites are a unique and edgy, yet glamorous piercing.

Seeing as this piercing is continuing to grow in popularity, I figured it is time I created an Angel Bites piercing information guide. So you guys know what you’re getting into before you get the piercing done!

Piercing Procedure

Like most body piercings, Angel Bites are done using hollow piercing needles. Never a gun.

Both of the piercings are done in one sitting, like when you get snakebites. A separate needle is used for each of the two piercings.

Before sticking the needle through the skin, the piercer will use a marker to draw dot where the piercings will be. They will then use a clamp to secure the lip in place. This helps make sure the incision is clean and the skin does not get torn.

Once the client is happy with the placement of the piercing, the piercer will stick the needle  through. In a single motion.

If done correctly, the whole process will be over with very quickly. It should not feel much worse than a quick pinch!

Pain Level

There is no definitive way to quantify pain. Everyone feels pain differently. A piercing that is painless to one person may be agonising for someone else!

Generally speaking though, Angel Bites are not the most painful. For comparisons sake, this piercing will hurt a bit more than a bottom lip piercing. This is because the skin is slightly more dense than the bottom lip.

Keep in mind that getting 2 piercings in one sitting causes a bit more pain.

Luckily the pain is over very quickly. So don’t let it put you off!!

What Jewelry Should You Wear?

Labret studs are the most suitable type of jewelry to be worn in the Angel Bites piercing.

You will be wearing a longer bar during the healing process. This allows for swelling, which is normal and rather common.

After you have healed up fully, the longer labret stud is swapped for a shorter, more fitted one.

Rings are occasionally worn in top lip piercings. This is uncommon though. This piercing should be placed lower on the lip if a ring is to be worn. Angel Bites are generally placed too high up for a ring to fit properly.

Make sure to wear high quality jewelry. Many people are sensitive nickel, which can be found in trace amounts even in surgical grade stainless steel.

If your skin is sensitive, go for titanium jewelry!

Aftercare

Whilst your piercing heals, be sure to cleanse it twice or three times daily.

Your best cleansing option would be to use a quality piercing aftercare product. Such as the EasyPiercing Care Kit or H2Ocean’s cleanser.

If you cannot get hold of any piercer aftercare products, use saline solution. You can make your own by stirring a quarter of a teaspoon of rock salt into a cup of hot water. Then allowing it to cool down until it is luke-warm.

Soak a cotton pad in the solution and hold it on both piercings for about five minutes.

Also, make you practice good oral hygiene.

Brush your teeth thoroughly first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Also, brush each time you eat or drink anything other than water! If you smoke, try and keep it to a minimum, and brush after each cigarette.

Use alcohol free mouthwash. You can get specialised mouthwash for piercings.

Avoid oral sex and make-out sessions. Basically you don’t want to get anyone else’s bodily fluids in your mouth.

What Are the Risks?

Due to the fact that Angel Bites are an oral piercing, the risk of infection is slightly higher than it usually would be.

Like I said before, good oral hygiene helps prevent anything nasty happening to your piercing.

There is also a risk of oral damage if placed improperly. This could mean gum erosion or chipped teeth. A good enough reason to go to a professional for this piercing.

Are Your Angel Bites Infected?

Whilst your piercings are healing, you should be on the look out for the following symptoms:

• Redness
• Swelling
• Soreness
• Bleeding
• Foul smelling or off colour discharge

If notice any of these symptoms, see your doctor or piercer as soon as you possibly can. Infection can be serious. It can spread to other parts of the body. There is also a risk of it turning into septicaemia, which can be fatal!

Conclusion

If you want this piercing because you like the way it looks and think it would suit your face, go for it!

If you are thinking of getting it done because everyone else has it; forget it! It will be out of fashion soon anyway. Then you will end up looking like a bit of an idiot!

Always go to professional, look after your piercing well and wear the right jewelry. You will be glad you did when you are left with a unique and edgy piercing.

Embrace your wild side!

Have patience, you want to keep your piercings, right? Self expression should be gratifying. It should not be something you have to tuck away and hide from the world.

Finding employment with someone who can accept you for who you are will be well worth the time and effort. This may seem like an illusive goal. Although, there are certain little tricks you can use to get your foot in the door.

Fortunately we are now in the year 2016. Many of our fellow Earthlings is opening up to pierced and modified individuals. Therefore, you stand a much higher chance of landing yourself a favourable job!

In many work places, the piercing policy is still a grey area. What I mean by this is that some companies only allow certain piercings, often around the ears. Whilst others are banned completely. You may be limited to wearing studs in the piercings you are allowed to have on show.

If you get turned down for a job solely because of your piercings, it was the wrong job for you!

What Jobs Should You Apply For?

Certain areas of work are more inclined to hire pierced individuals. Apply for these jobs. You are far more likely to get employed!

Here are some of your best options:

• Bar work – Any pub with an alternative theme would love a pierced bar tender.
• Ikea – These guys don’t mind piercing at all.
• Local Piercing studio – Stating the obvious
• Hairdressers – Hairdressers tend to love alternative looking people.
• Cinema – Any job in the entertainment industry.
• Pizza places/delivery – Fast food joints in general don’t mind a few piercings. Nothing too extreme though!
• Fast food – One of the easiest to acquire jobs. Always an option!
• Coffee shops and cafes – Trial and error. You don’t know unless you try.
• Burger joint – Worth a try. Hand in your CV and be confident.
• Certain supermarkets – Another popular starter job which should be fairly easy to get.
• The Body Shop – Allow piercings.
• Book shops – Another one which is worth a shot!
• CEX – I have a few pierced, tattooed and crazy haired friends who have worked in CEX.
• Claire’s Accessories – Claire’s encourage self expression and uniqueness.
• Forever 21 – A modern shop with modern policies.
• H&M – Young and open minded to body modification.
• Hot Topic – Famous for selling anything alternative. Of course they allow piercings!
• High end cosmetics outlets – You’d be surprised!

Job hunting and Interview Tips:

Don’t Hide All of Your Piercings

Here’s a bit of advice for you: tone it down for your interview. Don’t go in looking too extreme.

But…

Don’t hide all of your piercings completely. Present yourself as a pierced person. If they don’t appreciate your look, apply for a different job!

Landing the job with your piercings on show means that you won’t have to go through all the rigmarole of hiding your piercings before work every day.

Believe it or not, your boss will not be impressed with the shock value of suddenly showing up to work one day with all your piercings on display!

Avoid this issue by having a few of your piercings visible for interviews. Piercings are a part of who you are!

Wear the Right Jewelry

Attending a job interview with a bright and fancy industrial bar right across your ear, rings in your lip and an extravagantly decorated plug in each lobe is not gonna get you anywhere!

Replace any rings you are wearing with small studs, barbell or labrets. If you have an industrial piercing, remove the long bar and replace it with two short ones.

If your ears are stretched, wear flesh toned or clear ear plugs.

You will appear much more professional, yet they still see the real you. What a great way to start a new job!

Prove Yourself

We already know that having piercings or tattoos does not affect your ability to work hard and get on with colleagues. Unfortunately, there are many closed minded people who cannot accept this as the truth.

Special effort will be needed to prove how capable you are. Present yourself well, dress sharp, perform well in the interview, be enthusiastic, do your research on the company. Prove that you are a competent, hard-working and friendly person.

Do not put bring unnecessary attention to your piercings during an interview. Not unless the subject is raised by the interviewer.

For example; let’s say you have stretched ears. The interviewer says to you “only plain studs are allowed to be worn in ear piercings”. You response should be “I could wear neutral or skin toned plugs. is that alright?”, or words to that effect. Do not go telling them that you can’t wear studs in your ears because they are stretched. Also, avoid pointing out or asking about any other piercings you have.

List of Companies and Their Piercing Policies

If you would like to know exactly which companies you should be applying for work with, take a look at the Employ Line over at The Modified Mind.

This is extremely useful and takes all the guesswork out of your job hunt!

Find your perfect job here!

Sacrificing Either Certain Piercings or Certain Jobs

Depending on what job you are going for, you may end up having to remove some of your beloved piercings. I personally don’t see how anyone could be happy in such a job. To each their own though!

At the end of the day, it all comes down to your boss’ view on piercings and body mods.

Whatever line of work you wish to go into, I’m sure there must be a company which would allow piercings. Unless you are working with children or elderly. You don’t want to freak anyone out!

Conclusion

It will probably take you multiple attempts to finally get a job you are contented with. Don’t get discouraged though. Be persistent. You will land on your feet!

“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”

The only people who truly fail in life are those who quit before they succeed.

Stick at it, you will see. It will be well worth your time and effort! You will get the best of both worlds; a good job plus you get to keep your piercings.

Any job which forbids piercings will be wrong for you. If you are passionate about self expression and body art you will feel stifled a strict environment like this.

Your life will be complete once you land that job you’ve been working so hard to get!

Help make life easier for pierced people having trouble getting a job. Make some job suggestions by leaving a comment below!

Don’t forget to share this post with your pierced friends!

Thanks for reading!

Hannah – Founder of Pro Piercing Kits.

By reading this post and purchasing this equipment you agree to not hold me responsible for anything which happens to go wrong with this piercing!

Now I’ve said what need to be said, if you’re gonna perform the microdermal piercing yourself regardless, please use the correct equipment!

Luckily for you I have found a top notch dermal piercing kit which comes with everything you need.

I strongly advise against getting one of those cheap dermal kits from Amazon. Having used them before and being thoroughly disappointed with the quality of the equipment.

This kit is the best you will find on the internet. Perfect for professionals and amateurs alike.

Pick up this microdermal piercing kit for with 34% off the original price while the offer lasts!

What You Get With This Kit

Jewelry

This kit comes with 10 4mm dermal tops decorated with clear Cubic Zirconia gems.

You will also receive 10 dermal anchors. One for each dermal top.

These high quality anchors have specially placed holes. The skin grows through the holes whilst the piercing heals. This makes for greater stability and prevents the piercing from sliding about, rejecting or migrating.

The jewelry is made entirely out of 316L Surgical Grade Stainless Steel.

Tools

With this kit you will also receive 10 dermal punches. Yes, you heard me right. 10 dermal punches!

This allows you to safely and hygienically perform 10 microdermal piercings.

As the name suggests, the dermal punch works kind of like a hole punch for the skin. Allowing you to make a clean, perfectly sized incision through the top layers of the skin. The jewelry will sit perfectly in the space you create using this tool!

This awesome kit will also give you two pairs of forceps:

• 1 set of dermal anchor kelly grip forceps
• 1 set of dermal anchor hemostat forceps

Gloves

For that extra bit of hygiene you also get a set of black silicone gloves.

Wearing gloves whilst performing a piercing helps prevent bacteria from being spread.

Be sure to wear gloves throughout the piercing process.

Once you have your gloves on, do not touch anything else. Once the gloves make contact with anything else they are no longer sterile.

If this happens, sterilize your gloves again by spraying it with piercing aftercare spray. If you cannot access any piercing aftercare products, use a small amount of alcohol. Be sure to let the alcohol evaporate before touching your jewelry or tools.

Why This Particular Kit?

When performing a dermal piercing, it is of utmost importance that you use the correct equipment.

This kit is specially designed for dermal piercing and is pretty intuitive to use.

It is possible to perform a dermal piercing using a standard hollow piercing needle, but only certified piercers should do this. This procedure is complicated!

If this is your first time doing a microdermal, this is the one and only kit for you!

Also, I feel the need to mention that the fact that you get 10 dermal punches and 10 sets of jewelry, means you get 10 chances to practice this piercing. You shouldn’t use any needle or punch more than once as it will go blunt and damage the skin!. You can practice on fake skin which can be purchased online or in the butchers!

How to Use Your Dermal Piercing Kit

First things first, wash hands and sterilize all your equipment. Once this bit is out of the way, follow these instructions very closely:

• Clean your skin using alcohol swabs and mark where you want the piercing with a sharpie pen or skin marker. No skin marker? Use eyeliner! Look in the mirror to make sure you are happy with where the piercer will be positioned.
• Line up the dermal punch with the dot on the skin.
• Take a deep breath and push the tip of the punch into the flesh. Use enough force to penetrate the skin. The hole needs to go through the dermis down to the epidermis.
• Use your fingers to twist the dermal punch a bit. Keeping the tool in the same spot on the skin. This will help you go deeper without going to deep!
• Dont freak out if you see blood. Dermal piercings are known to bleed a fair bit.
• Now use your kelly grip forceps to pick up the anchor.
• Slide the foot of the anchor into the hole, under the skin. Push it in and makes sure both the long and short ends of the anchor are underneath the skin. Only the post/stem should be visible.
• Use your hemostat forceps to hold the anchor in place by the stem. Now screw in the dermal top. Make sure it is tight! Keep in mind “lefty loosey, righty tighty”.

Final Words

Like I said before I do not recommend performing this piercing at home. Self-piercing is dangerous and there are multiple things that can go wrong. For best results please go to a professional!

Please note that it is illegal to use a dermal punch on others in certain countries and states. Please check the laws of your state before purchasing this piercing kit.

You attempt this piercing at your own risk and I am not liable for anything that does happen to go wrong!

For those of you stupid enough to attempt this, best of luck! If you need any extra advice, hit me up in the comments below!

>> Get this Microdermal Piercing Kit for Yourself Over at BodyJewelry.com<<

Luckily there is a myriad of methods you can use to treat these bothersome bumps. Which are medically known as keloids.

This is what you’re going to be learning about today. Even if you don’t currently have this problem, it’s still worth learning about. You never know when a bump is going to start popping up on you or your friend’s helix piercing!

Try some of these methods of treatment. One of them will work for you. I guarantee you!

Salt Water Soak

One of the most versatile solutions to any and every piercing related problems!

Saline solution is powerful stuff. It’s stupidly easy to make. You probably have the two ingredients already.

All you need to do is stir a quarter of a teaspoon of sea salt or rock salt into a glass of warm water.

You then take a cotton pad and soak it in the salty liquid.

Apply the salty liquid to your piercing and the bump and let the salt work its magic!

Not much else needs to be said about this one. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve given you guys these instructions now. It will come in handy though!

Note: If you want to give that little bit of extra care, invest in the EasyPiercing Saline Solution. It is worth your money!

Tea Tree Oil

Pure tea tree oil is a naturally potent anti-bacterial substance. It is often used to treat acne and other forms of mild infection.

If you intend on using this method of treatment, make sure you use 100% pure tea tree oil. Any other ingredients could worsen the problem and may irritate your skin even more!

All you need to do is apply the oil directly to the affected area using a cotton swab (q-tip).

If your skin is sensitive, dilute the oil with water.

Chamomile Salt Soak

Most of us have used chamomile to soothe and relax our body and mind before bed.

Chamomile is a versatile herb. The soothing properties are not limited to the mind and muscles. It is also soothing and calming to the skin.

Simply brew yourself a cup of chamomile. Except you will not be adding a sweetener as you usually would. Instead you will be adding a quarter of a teaspoon of sea salt or rock salt! This will soothe your skin and fight infection as the same time! You will definitely see the benefits.

Apply the brew to your skin using a cotton swab three times a day. You will start to see results within a couple of weeks!

Aspirin

Aspirin is known for its health benefits. It is also said that it can be used to treat keloids.

A simple yet effective treatment you should definitely try!

1. All you need to do is crush up an aspirin tablet. Mix it in with a small amount of water to form a paste.
2. Apply the paste to the bump on your piercing.
3. Then just wash it off using a sea salt soak.

The anti-inflammatory properties of aspirin should have your keloid reducing in size in no time!

Honey

Honey is a powerful antiseptic. Infections don’t stand a chance once you add honey to your arsenal! It is also great for use on sensitive skin due to the fact that it is natural and gentle.

All you need to do here is apply a dab of honey to the bump 3 times a day.

You could even try adding some honey to your chamomile and sea salt brew (see recipe above) for that extra antiseptic kick!

Lemon Juice

Lemons. Natures way of keeping everything fresh!

Not everyone has success with this method, but some people swear by it!

Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a cup. Dilute it with 50% water.

Apply it to your piercing using a q-tip.

Monitor your results over the course of two or three weeks. If you see a difference, keep it up. If not, try something else!

Preventing Bumps!

As with anything else in life, prevention is always better than cure!

Instead of going through all the hassle of treating a keloid bump, why not prevent yourself from getting one altogether?

Wear the Right Jewelry

First off, consider what material your jewelry is made of. Avoid steel. This includes the highest quality surgical grade stainless steel. Stick to titanium as it causes less irritation and is much more suited to use in the skin.

make sure jewelry fits properly. Also, wear the right style of ring or barbell for your piercing. Read more about this here.

Avoid earrings with butterfly backs!

NEVER Get Pierced With a Gun!

Piercing guns unsafe. End of story!

Getting pierced with a gun can shatter cartilage. This is because a gun uses brute force to pierce the skin. This is bound to cause problems down the line. Particularly if you are prone to getting keloids!

Needles are much safer. Any certified piercer who is worthy of getting pierced by will only use needles.

Be Nice to Your Piercing and it Will be Nice to You!

You may think I’m stating the obvious. I’m often shocked by how some people treat their piercings though. Without even realising they are doing anything wrong!

Here’s some tips:

• Do not let the jewelry get caught in clothes or hair.
• Don’t let it get bumped or knocked about.
• Cleanse it thoroughly during the healing period.
• Do not cleanse using alcohol or other strong chemicals.

To Sum Up!

Cartilage piercings are stylish and suit everyone. They make for a unique and fun way of decorating the ear.

Dont let the risk of bumps put you off of getting one done. Keep in mind that keloids can easily be prevented. Also, some people are more prone than others. If you have never had a keloid before, chances are you will never get one.

I hope you found this article helpful!

Do you get keloids on your piercings? If so, how do you treat them and what works best? Join in the conversation below by leaving a comment.

Hence the name!

This piercing is unique and also has a stylish look to it.

Although the nape piercing is a surface piercing which means that it carries a higher rejection rate.

Luckily you can prevent anything of the sort from happening by taking certain precautions.

Such as taking proper care of your piercing whilst it heals. An unclean piercing is an angry piercing!

To help you out, here is a nape piercing aftercare guide to follow.

Cleansing Your Nape Piercing

Cleansing your new nape piercing is essential in getting it to heal without any issues.

Make sure you cleanse your piercing two or three times a day. Using either:

Piercing Aftercare Solution

There are an insane amount of piercing aftercare products on the market.

Most will do a decent job of keeping your piercings clean. My top recommendations would be any EasyPiercing or H2Ocean product.

All you need to do is make sure you thoroughly soak your piercing in the solution. No matter which product it is you’re using. Use a cotton pad rather than a cotton ball. The fibres on cotton balls can get caught in your jewelry.

Saline Solution

If you can’t get your hands on a piercing aftercare product, your next option will be saline solution.

You can easily make this yourself. All you need to do is stir a quarter of teaspoon of rock salt into a glass of warm water.

Table salt is not as potent as rock salt or sea salt. I would not recommend using it. If you have no other option though, you will need at last a teaspoon full of table salt. Otherwise it won’t do a good job of sterilising you piercing at all!

Then soak your piercing in the simple salty solution using a cotton pad.

It can’t get much easier!

More Nape Piercing Care Tips

Besides cleansing your piercing twice or three times daily, there are some other actions you can take to heal up better. There are also certain things you should avoid.

Such as:

• Wear loose clothing around your neck area. You do not want anything getting caught on your jewelry!
• Avoid swimming in public pools. Bacteria and chlorine don’t mix well with fresh piercings.
• Do not fiddle with your jewelry.
• Never touch piercing with unclean hands. Always wash your hands with antibacterial soap first.
• If your hair is long, wear it in a bun. Use clips on stray hairs too. Stray hairs cause serious problems.
• Avoid sleeping on your back.
• Bathe or shower using mild soap.
• Avoid wearing scarves or necklaces.

Troubleshooting

Every time you get a piercing there is a risk of infection. The nape piercing is a surface piercing so it also carries the risk of rejection and migration.

It’s best to prevent problems from arising to start with. You can do this by caring for your piercing properly. Although you should always keep a close eye on your piercing while it heals. No matter how well you are looking after it.

If you do happen to get an infection, it is best to catch it early. That way it won’t spread and end up too serious!

Look for the following symptoms of infection:

• Redness or swelling.
• Severe pain or soreness.
• Ongoing bleeding which lasts more than a few days.
• Unusual coloured or foul smelling discharge.

You should also keep an eye out for signs of migration/rejection:

• Piercing appears to have moved.
• Jewelry sits differently in your skin.
• Jewelry it sticking out further than it used to.
• Skin looks increasingly thin.

Wear the Right Jewelry, Prevent Rejection!

When preventing rejection in surface piercings, one of the main things to consider is your jewelry. Wearing incorrect jewelry only increases the chance of rejection.

Make sure you get the following right:

Gauge size: Piercings of a larger gauge size are less likely to reject. So when you get your piercing done, ask your piercing to go for at least a 14G needle and jewelry.

Surface barbell type: There are a few different types of barbell worn in surface piercings. You need to go for a flat surface bar with 90 degree legs at both ends.

Material: Titanium is the best material for any piercing. Unlike stainless steel, it does not contain nickel. Your  chance of getting a reaction from titanium is very low. Even if you have sensitive skin!

So There You Have it!

Sounds simple, right? It is!

It will be well worth sticking to a strict aftercare routine. You will end up regretting it if you don’t. Believe me!

With sufficient aftercare, your nape piercing should heal up in 3 months up to a year. Healing times vary drastically from person to person.

When you are all healed up are left with a unique and sassy piercing to show off and enjoy!

Would you get a nape piercing? Yes or no? Let me know your answer and why by leaving a comment below.

Don’t forget to share and subscribe (fill in your details on the right!).

Being that this is an oral piercing, it needs to be cared for extra well as the mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria if it is not kept clean.

To help you avert infection, I am about to tell you exactly how to clean a tongue web piercing. You will be learning to best ways to keep your piercing clean and some other tip and tricks to help it heal up quickly, painlessly and problem free!

If you have this particular piercing or if you thinking of getting it, you have made the right decision by visiting this page!

Keeping Your Piercing Clean

When you get a tongue frenulum piercing done, your main priority should be to keep your piercing perfectly clean. Of course, this piercing is inside your mouth and in a bit of an awkward position so the cleansing technique you use might be slightly different than what you’re used to. It’s nice and simple though so don’t worry!

The Cleansing Process

In order to cleanse this piercing you can either use a piercing cleansing mouthwash such as H2Ocean Arctic Blast or Refreshing Lemon or you could use an alcohol free mouthwash, I would recommend Listerine Zero or Corsodyl’s alcohol free mouthwash. If you cannot get hold of anything of the sort, use saline solution, in other words, rock salt dissolved into warm water.

Note: Avoid using salt water if you have a heart condition or have been warned against salt by your doctor.

All you need to do is swish and gargle your chosen mouthwash for 40 to 60 seconds. Make sure to focus particularly on directing that mouthwash right underneath your tongue so that it can thoroughly cleanse the piercing and jewelry.

You may find it a bit awkward at first getting the mouthwash to cleanse under the tongue but you will get the hang of it, after all you will be doing this multiple times a day for a good few weeks!

You should rinse your mouth when you wake up, before you go to bed and after you eat. This should add up to over 4 or 5 times a day.

Focus on Your Dental Hygiene

If you’ve ever had an oral piercing before, you will know that it is very important to keep your mouth super clean. You already know which mouthwashes you should be using (if not, see above) and how you should be using them.

This is all well and good, but on top of this you also need to put that little bit of extra effort into making sure those pearly whites are scrumptiously clean.

For a start, get yourself a brand new toothbrush. Aim to buy a soft bristle one as you need to be gentle whilst your piercing is healing.

When you clean your teeth, make sure you reach every tooth and your gums. You should also brush the top of your tongue. This will help to kill off any bacteria which could be breeding and putting your piercing at risk of a nasty infection!

Tongue Web Piercing Aftercare Do’s and Don’ts

Now here comes the part that a lot of people find hard to deal with!

I don’t know how to tell you this but, whilst your piercing heals, there are certain things you should try to avoid. Luckily I have also got a few tips to help you to heal up faster, so don’t hate me too much for telling you this!

First of all, let me tell you what exactly you should bee doing to help your piercing heal up.

Do:

• Wash your hands thoroughly before touching your piercing or jewelry.
• Use mouthwash to rinse your mouth out every time you eat.
• Keep your mouth as clean as you humanly can.
• Eat well, stay hydrated, exercise frequently and get plenty of sleep. This will help your body heal itself more efficiently.

Don’t:

• Drink alcohol, eat spicy foods or overly hot foods.
• Partake in any long and moist make-out sessions. Having someone else’s saliva in your mouth with while your piercing is trying to heal is not a good idea! (I know it’s harsh. Sorry!)
• Have oral sex. As in, do not give oral sex to someone else.
• Fiddle with your jewelry. As tempting as it may be.
• Smoke anything (cigarettes, marijuana or whatever else you’re into!). If this is something that you simply cannot avoid, may sure you wash your mouth out thoroughly everytime you have a smoke!
• Talk too much. Talking puts a lot of stress on your tongue web.
• Share spoons, knives, forks or anything else with others.

Rejection and Migration

Piercing rejection is when your body recognises the body jewelry as a foreign object and attempts to push it out over time. Migration is simply when your piercing moves from its original position, this is a common sign of rejection.

Some other rejection symptoms to watch out for are as follows:

• Redness and soreness.
• Piercing appears to have moved
• Jewelry hangs differently in the skin.

Rejection could be caused by a number of different things but one of the more common ones is that the frenulum is just not big enough to pierce. If this is the case, your piercer should let you know and you should refrain from getting the piercing done. If you are under 18 your frenulum might still bee growing, so you could come back in a couple of years!

Note: Never attempt this piercing yourself at home. It is extremely dangerous due to the close proximity to the saliva glands. Long term damage can be done!

Luckily there are certain precautions you can take to minimise the risk of your tongue web piercing rejecting. For example:

Tongue Web Piercing Jewelry

To prevent your piercing from rejecting, you need to make sure you are wearing the correct jewelry.

Try and avoid cheap metals as they are known to contain nickel. This includes surgical grade stainless steel. Instead you should wear titanium, BioFlex, BioPlast, gold or silver.

Gauge Size

Jewelry of a larger gauge size is less likely to get rejected by your body.

If you have not got your piercing done yet, make sure you ask your piercer to use a larger gauge needle. 16G or even 14G should be perfect.

If your piercing is done already, make sure to wear the largest gauged jewelry you possibly can, without going to mad and stretching the piercing of course!

Conclusion

As you can see, a lot goes into taking care of the tongue frenulum piercing. This piercing really does need babying during the healing period, which varies from person to person but usually lasts between 8 and 10 weeks.

Personally, it is not a piercing I would bother with. I  can’t really see the point in it, what with it being hidden and all. To each their own though, I’m not going to stop anyone else from getting this done.What I would like to say is to be safe and clean and please, please don’t do this piercing at home!

I hope you have learnt something from reading this guide. I put quite a bit of time into it (the things I do for you guys!).

Would you get your tongue frenulum pierced or is this a piercing you will be avoiding? Let me know by leaving a comment below.

Hannah – founder of Pro Piercing Kits.

As you are probably aware, the microdermal is a highly unusual piercing. Whereas most piercings go in through one part of the skin and out another, the microdermal is ‘anchored’ under the skin through one hole only.

I believe the main reason people are so confused as to how dermal jewelry is changed is because they were told by their piercer that the only way to remove the dermal anchor safely and without too much scarring is through surgery.

Although this is the case, I would  also like to remind you that there are two parts to the jewelry that is worn in the dermal piercing – the anchor and the top.  It is the anchor which resides underneath your skin permanently and requires surgical removal. The top of the jewelry on the other hand, you can change at home by yourself!

Note: The first time your microdermal jewelry is changed, you should have it done by your piercer. This will make changing it at home easier.

What Will You Need?

Dermal anchors are very tiny and can be quite fiddly to change using just your bare fingers. For this very reason, tools are available for you to buy which will make this task much easier.

Sometimes using your hands can be the most effective way of doing this but it is always helpful to have the right tools nearby. If you have a dermal piercing and plan on changing the top of your jewelry, I would recommend you get your hands on the following equipment:

• Sterile pliers: There are two main types of pliers you can get, either one will be fine. The two types are flat nose or needle nose.

  

  These will come in handy when your dermal top is screwed on real tight and you can’t get it undone with your bare hands.

• Anchor holder: Unscrewing the top can prove very tricky and uncomfortable if the anchor is wiggling about. Luckily you can get a tool specifically designed to hold your anchor still whilst you unscrew the top.
• Forceps: You will probably find that you don’t really need these but they may come in handy if you dermal top is 3mm or smaller and very hard to grip. I have always been able to change by tops without these personally, but everyone is different obviously!

• 

  Rubber gloves: If you plan on using your hands to remove your microdermal top, you will probably find it a lot easier if you wear rubber gloves. This will give your fingers more grip and make it much easier to unscrew your jewelry.

• Saline solution or other cleansing product: Always keep your piercings and jewelry clean!

Check out some of the tools on the right. Any one of these would help in a big way! Click any one of the images to read more about the item and purchase over at Amazon.

What I would suggest you do is have a try at removing your jewelry without any tools (except maybe the rubber gloves). If you really don’t think you can do it, that is a sign that you may need to acquire some of the above mentioned tools. I would recommend you get the pliers and anchor holders.

How to Actually Change the Jewelry

Now let’s get into the actual process of changing your jewelry. This is most likely the reason you are here, I would imagine!

Note: Before you touch your piercing or jewelry, wash your hands thoroughly. You may also want to cleanse your piercing to remove any dead skin cells or crust which may be building up.

Unscrewing your current dermal top:

1. Use either your fingers or your pliers to get a firm grip on the top of your jewelry.
2. To unscrew it you should turn to the left. Remember: Lefty loosey, righty tighty!
3. If it will not budge, do not force it. Leave it for a while, put a damp cloth on it and come back to it in a while.
4. Try using your pliers or forceps if you can’t get it undone using your fingers. You will be able to feel when it is coming loose.
5. If the anchor base is moving about a you are trying to unscrew the top, use anchor holders to keep it still.
6. If you really can’t unscrew it yourself, ask a friend to try. I your friend cannot do it, go to your piercer!

Top tip: Try not to use a mirror if possible, as the fact that your reflection is in reverse can really make things very confusing!

Also, I would suggest that when you do get your jewelry top out, you should cleanse it thoroughly using a saline solution or other cleansing product. You could even boil it (only on metal jewelry such as steel, titanium, silver or gold). Make sure you store your jewelry away safely in a box or something so you do not lose it!

Screwing in Your New Dermal Top:

1. Use a mirror just to help you line up the top of the jewelry with the hole you will be screwing it into.
2. This time you will need to turn the jewelry to the right to tighten it (righty tighty, remember?). You may want to look away or close your eyes to get a feel for whether it is screwing in properly or not.
3. If you are screwing and suddenly cannot go any further, whatever you do, you should not force it. Instead you should unscrew it and start again, the thread probably just got misaligned.
4. If you really cannot get the jewelry to screw in, this could mean that the threads are a bit damaged or just do not align properly to start with due to the way they wee manufactured. In this situation you may want to get a friend to help. If you have a spare top you can put on in the mean time, do this.

Top Tip: Always keep a spare piece of jewelry of the correct gauge size in case you cannot get your new top to screw in at all.

I hope you manage to screw in your dermal top without any of the issues I covered in the above instructions. If you have any other issues, please don’t hesitate to pop me a comment below. I will get back to you as quick as I can (within 24 hours).

Conclusion

Hopefully I did not overcomplicate these instructions too much. I just wanted to be sure that I went over some of the main problems you may come across whilst trying to change microdermal jewelry!

Long story short, if you can’t unscrew it with your fingers, use your pliers or forceps. If that does not work, get a friend to try. If your friend still fails to succeed at unscrewing your jewelry, go back to your piercer. The moral of the post being to never force it as you may irritate or damage your skin!

Like I said before, If you have any issues not mentioned in the post, don’t be shy, just ask away in the comments section and I will be back to you at some point within the next 24 hours. I love hearing from you guys!

Thanks for reading. See ya’s soon!

Hannah – founder of Pro Piercing Kits.

A piercing blowout is a reaction stretched ears may have when you stretch your ears improperly. It results in a flap of sore and unsightly skin hanging from the back of your ear lobe.

What Causes a Piercing Blowout?

A piercing blowout can occur when you are stretching your ears and you try to size up before your ear is fully ready. This causes the skin of your lobe to react in such a way that when you push the taper through, the unhealed skin gets pushed through with it.

To put it simply, the main two reasons you may experience this problem is either a) you did not wait long enough between stretches or b) you skipped too many gauge sizes, so for example you may have jumped from 12G to 6G.

If you suspect that you may have a ear stretching blowout, stick around as I will be giving you some tips to help you correct this problem. The earlier you start treating it, the better it will heal!

How to Treat a Piercing Blowout at Home

In order to help your blown out piercing as quickly and painlessly as possible, you need to follow these tips listed below. You should be able to heal your piercing nearly completely within 3 or 4 weeks.

Downsize Immediately!

As soon as you notice that your piercing has become blown out you need to size right back down. You may even want to shrink two gauges sizes. For example, go from 6G to 8G or even 10G.

The sooner you do this, the better you will heal up. If you leave it too long, your blowout may heal and remain blown out looking permanently. There is really not much you can do if you allow this to happen.

Whether your blowout is fresh or healed, try using the tips below. These tips were all recommended by experts.

Cleanse your piercing thoroughly

A blown out piercing needs to be kept very clean. This will stop it from getting infected and speed up the healing process. You should cleanse twice a day using either of  the following methods.

Use Piercing Aftercare Products

The best way of cleansing any piercing is using a professional piercing aftercare solution. The product you use should be alcohol free and suitable for sensitive skin. You do not want to be using anything too strong a this may worsen the irritation.

If you have had any piercings done professionally, your piercer should have supplied you with a quality aftercare solution. Failing that, they should have at least given you some advice on which product you should be using.

If you do not own any piercing aftercare products, check out the selection on my website by clicking here. Alternately you could buy a complete aftercare set. Check out my #1 recommendation right here.

Use Saline Solution

If you have absolutely no way of getting hold of any piercing aftercare products, use saline solution. This is another highly effective way of keeping your piercings sterile and killing off any bacteria.

To make your own saline solution all you need to do is stir a quarter of a teaspoon of sea salt or rock salt into a glass of luke warm water. If you cannot get hold of rock salt or sea salt, just use half a teaspoon of table salt.

All you need to do is apply the salty water to your piercing. Make sure to thoroughly soak the piercing. You could either dip the piercing in the water directly or use a cotton pad.

Massage the Affected Area

Try massaging your ears daily using oils. The best oils to use would be coconut oil, jojoba oil or vitamin E oil.

Massaging the area will increase blood flow, which helps the body heal. This will also prevent the skin from getting too dry and cracking, which would be very sore and possibly cause even more problems.

Massaging the area may be sore if your blowout is very fresh, but you must persist if you want your piercing to heal up properly. I would suggest you do this up to 3 times a day until you feel the skin has healed up significantly.

What to Avoid

There are certain things you should avoid all together when your piercing is blown out. In fact you should still avoid the following even if your piercing seems perfectly healthy right now, if not you may end up with a blown out piercing!

Avoid the following at all costs:

• Strong chemicals such as alcohol and hydrogen peroxide.
• Ointments and other topical solutions. Unless specifically made for piercings or recommended by a professional piercer.
• Stretching your ear any further before it is healed up completely.
• Waiting too long to treat the problem.
• Touching your piercing with dirty hands.

To Conclude

Follow this guide and within about 3 or 4 weeks your piercing should be back to normal. If not, I would seriously recommend you consult with your piercer or doctor. The only guaranteed way to get rid of a blowout is to have it surgically removed.

Be patient as healing can take time. Make sure you keep the piercing and the skin around the affected area very clean and sterile to prevent any complications such as infection.

If you need any advice or have suggestions for treatment of a piercing blowout, leave a comment below and I will  get back to you as soon as I get a chance!

– Hannah

Founder of Pro Piercing Kits

Seeing as this area of your body is highly sensitive, you need to know how to care for your naughty little piercing.

If you do not look after your genital piercing, you put yourself at risk of infection which could get real nasty and lead to you losing sexual feeling altogether! That’s why I have written this female genital piercing aftercare guide. This article is aimed at women. Don’t worry guys, I will write one for you too.

Cleansing Your Piercing

Needless to say, the most important step for healing your piercing properly is keeping it well cleansed.

The best way of cleansing your genital piercing is in the shower. You should let the water run over your piercing and jewelry to soften any crust or discharge. You can then remove any crust or discharge that has formed using a cotton pad. Try and avoid using a cotton ball, a the fibres can get caught in the jewelry.

The next step can be done whilst you are still in the shower or after you get out. Do whatever is easiest for you.

1. Make your saline solution by mixing a quarter of a teaspoon of sea salt into a cup of luke warm distilled water. Use spring water or even mineral water if you cannot get distilled water.
2. Soak a cotton pad in the saline solution and gently apply it to the piercing and jewelry.
3. Cleanse again using clean running water.
4. Pat the area dry using paper towels or any other disposable type of cloth. Do not use a washcloth or bathroom towels as they harbour bacteria.

You should do this twice daily for the entire healing period of your piercing. This can vary between different piercings, ask your piercer if you are not sure how long your piercing should take to heal.

More Genital Piercing Aftercare Tips

To help the healing process go much smoother, on top of cleansing twice a day, you should follow these tips:

• Always wash your hands before touching your piercing. Use anti-bacterial soap to ensure that you kill off most of the bacteria present.
• Wear clean underwear and use clean bed sheets.
• Take showers instead of baths for the first two weeks. When you sit in the bath you are exposing your piercing to dirt and harsh soap.
• Do not let any bodily fluid make contact with your piercing. This includes saliva and semen. If you make sexual contact, even with a longterm partner, use a condom!
• Do not use any harsh chemicals such as alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on your piercing. You should also avoid ointments, astringents and creams.

Is Your Piercing Infected?

Whenever you get a piercing, you should always monitor it closely during the healing period.

It is normal to experience some pain, swelling and redness but if you notice these symptoms worsening or persisting for more than a week, you may have an infection.

Watch out for the following symptoms:

• Excessive bleeding
• Severe swelling, pain or redness
• Foul smelling or unusual coloured discharge

What to do

If you notice any one of these symptoms, you should make an appointment with your doctor or your piercer as soon as possible.

In the meantime, take extra good care when cleansing your piercing. Try using a mild anti-bacterial soap, which should be alcohol free.

To Summarize

The genitals are a very sensitive part of the body, so if you happen to get a piercing there, you need to take very good care of it.

As long as you go to a reputable piercer and follow a good aftercare routine, you should experience no problems with your new piercing. Then once you are all healed, you will be able to enjoy this naughty little piercing.

This would be a great little surprise for your partner (if they are into that kind of thing).

I hope you found this article helpful.

Get yourself some beautiful jewelry for your naughty piercings:

With the rising popularity of body piercing there is always demand for certified piercers. Your pay will be well above average and you will meet lots of cool people who share your passion for body modification and self expression. It’s no wonder so many people are looking to get into this line of work!

One of the biggest obstacles you will face in your journey to becoming a piercer is knowing how to find a piercing apprenticeship.

This doesn’t have to be as difficult as you may imagine it to be. Plus, if you know this is the right job for you, it will be well worth it!

1. Stand Out From the Crowd

When you find a piercing apprenticeship to apply for (the easy bit, just ask around locally) you will not be the only person applying. The competition may be fierce and you will need to stand out to your potential mentor!

Ask yourself, what separates you from everyone else? Ask your friends  or family if you really can’t think of anything.

Everyone has their good points, you just need to find yours and really learn to show case them in situations where it is called for, such as when you are speaking to your potential mentor.

2. Be Polite and Respectful

You may assume that it will be okay to swear and act silly around a piercing studio, and if you are there just to get inked or pierce, this is fine (within reason of course). Although if you ever intend to work in piercing, you’d better watch your mouth.

You really don’t wanna give the piercing community a bad impression on yourself before you’ve even got the job! You have have to put on a completely fake act and pretend to be someone you are not, but if you have a vulgar sense of humour or a dirty mind, just tone it right down.

It may sound like I’m stating the obvious to some of you, but seriously make sure you know where to draw the line between being yourself and being an *$$hole!

3. Know Your Stuff and Do Your Reading

Knowledge is power. I order to get into a piercing apprenticeship, you do not need to have any real experience in piercing. In fact you don’t even need to know how to pierce!

Although, to help you stand out from other applicants, you should do a bit of reading to prepare yourself and prove how interested you are in this job! Hit up the library or the internet and do some research on bloodborne pathogens, sterilization, all the different piercings and basic human anatomy.

You could even go as far as taking a course in bloodborne pathogens and first aid from the Red Cross! This would really give you a much better chance and set you apart from others. This way they know you are serious and you know  what you want in life.

4. Show Enthusiasm but Don’t be Big Headed

Having knowledge is great, but this doesn’t give you an excuse to ‘blow your own trumpet’. What I mean is don’t be a know-it-all.

Of course you can use your knowledge to prove you have done your reading but keep this in mind: “Say it, don’t spray it”.

Share some of your knowledge with your potential mentor and tell them why it was important for you to read up on these subjects. This is a great way of really proving that you are sincere.

5. Be a Loyal Customer

You should already be showing up at your desired piecing studio frequently to get piercings done. Whilst you get pierced, get to know the other piercers there and let them know how passionate you are about body piercing.

Ask questions, observe the processes and give good tips. Your goal is to get them to like your presence in their studio.

Like I said before, just be yourself and don’t be a show off. Act natural and it should go well for you.

6. Persistence is the Key

Go around visiting all the reputable piercing studios you can and be sure to leave your name, contact number and even your email address with each one.

As  a follow up to your visit, you should phone them up and then pay them another visit. It’s best not to do this all in one day – you may seem desperate, which is never a good thing!

When you find the studio you would like to work in, you should let them know you feel this way and tell them why.

Conclusion

The main things you need to remember here are to be your true self, be polite and respectful, grow your piercing knowledge and keep trying!

If being a piercer is really what you want to do, it really will be worth all the effort you put in. When you want something in life you’ve just  got to go for it and not stop until you get it!

Well, thanks for reading and I really hope you found this article helpful. Good luck with your journey to becoming a piercer!

Don’t forget to share this with a friend of yours who would like to get into piercing!