Piercing

I received this message today:

Hi,
First and foremost I would like to say that you have a good looking and very informative site, which is somewhat hard to come accross in the piercing industry. I saw that on your blog area you answer Q & A's from your readers.

I have many customers that ask me questions about acrylic jewelry and proper ways to clean them. Searching on the internet for a answer to this question seems a little tough and many suggest using a mild soap and towel dry the jewelry.  As a piercer, how do you recommend to sanitize acrylic jewelry?

Thank you! :)
Chris Grucelski

I'm really excited because I've been asked to speak to doctors and nurses at LSU Public Hospital in New Orleans during my upcoming visit there this summer.

On August 3, I'll be doing a lecture with a PowerPoint presentation. The title is "Sociocultural and Healthcare Implications of Body Piercing." It is a kind of stuffy name, but I think it will be very useful to professionals who work in medical settings. It will help them understand who gets pierced and why--and hopefully increase their sensitivity to pierced patients, especially if they have any negative attitudes or preconceived notions about us. I'll also be providing practical information for those who work with pierced patients, especially in the Emergency Room and Operating Room.

It is free to hospital employees, but the public can attend for $10.00. Here's some info including a sign up form.

I'm so thrilled! I just got an email from my fabulous editor, Lisa Westmoreland, at Crossing Press/Random House. She told me that my book has been reprinted for the second time. They are expecting 5000 more copies at the warehouse this month. That's the second reprint since the book came out in May of 2009. The book has been out for just over a year, and alread there have been two reprints! That's great news.

For the first time in over a year, I'll be piercing on the East Coast in PHILADELPHIA!

August 13-17, 2010

I'll be at INFINITE BODY PIERCING, ths studio owned by APP President James Weber:
626 South Fourth St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147

Studio: 215.923.7335

For appointments, email me directly (or use the contact page).

If you would like to be notified when I plan future travels, sign up for my free newsletter in the box at the bottom of the front page here.

       Click to enlarge image

I received this question as a FaceBook Message:

I have a piercing question for you. Can you use a clear retainer to use instead of a nose stud?

Thanks,

Randall

I've answered literally thousands of questions about piercings, but this was the first time I've ever been asked this particular question:

Hi Elayne,

Good morning ! I have a quick question. I am interested in having my navel pierced. I was told by a friend of mine that navel piercing would help reduce the overall belly.

I am really not sure of this & wanted to hear your expert advice. My current waist is 38 inches & if the above said info is true I am definately looking forward to have the piercing done.

Please let me know your thoughts on the same ....

Warm Regards,
Ignatius

My reply:

Hi Ignatius,

If you are asking whether a navel piercing will cause you to lose weight or reduce the dimensions of your abdomen, the answer is no. There's absolutely no reason why a navel piercing would have that effect. Also, navel piercing can make it a little more challenging to be physically active, especially during initial healing, and that certainly wouldn't help with weight loss.

Should you be interested in getting the piercing for aesthetic reasons, here's some practical information from The Piercing Bible:

An article recently appeared in the Huffington Post with the headline: Tongue Piercings Could Lead to Severe Brain Infections. Clearly this was most unfortunate for the individuals who were described in the article (and their families), but these types of extreme complications are very rare. I penned a response and posted it to their site.

This is the latest review that appeared on Amazon.com:

5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect advice before, during and after getting pierced, April 23, 2010
by E. Matsko

Elayne's advice and information is perfect for anyone considering getting a piercing. She tells you everything you need to know before you get pierced. Being able to email her after you have been pierced before reading her book is very profesional of her. She will guide you in the right direction and help you avoid making a mistake. I wish I had read this before getting my first piercing.

 

I'm sorry she didn't read it before getting pierced too....