I received a message from an apprentice piercer asking about jewelry for an ampallang piercing:

Hello Ms. Angel,

My name is F. I am an apprentice piercer and I have a married couple coming in and they both want to get pierced. The Husband (uncircumcised) is adamant on getting an Ampallang, but he wants a hoop for the initial Piercing. I can not find any information online or through other piercers if this is safe. I would really appreciate your advise.

thank you.

Hi F.,

What about your mentor? By definition, if you're an apprentice, you must be studying under an experienced expert, right? What does he or she have to say….? If you do not have anyone to guide you (especially with such advanced piercings) you MUST refuse!

If someone came to me with that request, my response would be, "No, I'm sorry--I won't use a ring for initial jewelry in that area. My experience allows me to be certain that would not be safe or helpful for healing. I can start it using a bar, and after you are fully healed you can explore other jewelry options."

In any case when it comes to dealing with clients, you're in charge. Regardless of how "adamant" somebody is, it is up to you to always stand by your ethics and only do piercings for which you are qualified, and to refuse to participate in any piercings (or jewelry selections) that are a bad idea.

Just say "no." If they say they'll go elsewhere for it--that's fine. You can't be responsible for their bad decisions, but you can be responsible for avoiding making your own. I always tell people, "Any piercer who is wiling to do that does not care about your safety, well-being, or the success of your piercing--only your money. I DO care, which is the reason I'm going to refuse to do anything that is a bad idea."

ALSO, importantly, the initial jewelry MUST fit within his foreskin without excessive distortion to the tissue, and without keeping it retracted. See this blog post on the serious complication that can happen if those critical guidelines aren't followed.

I was wondering, have you read my book, The Piercing Bible--The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing? That would be the first thing you should do if you haven't already read it.

This post contains a number of other resources that might be useful for you.

I wish you the best of luck on your journey. And please remember: PLEASE do not to perform any piercings for which you do not have adequate training.