piercing book

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:

I received a message from a concerned piercee who had recently received a triangle piercing:

I was wondering if you could give me some urgent advice. :(

I have had my triangle a week, it has slightly moved/torn forward about 2mm, but I was told to expect this.

But I am more worried about the fact I can see slightly red/shiny bumps coming up around both piercing holes. I am worried that this is scar tissue and that it won't go away? It's been exactly a week now since I've got it done and I am happy with it but I'm afraid if I leave this in that I'll have lumps of scar tissue which will develop and not go away.

My outer labias do cover the jewelry a bit when my legs are closed and I'm afraid this is what will continue the problem. I have only been using sea salt water soaks on my piercing. I am pretty sure that the CBB is titanium as I went to a well respected studio with a well known piercer.

Do I take out the jewelry now before the problem develops?

Thank you,

S.

My reply:

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....

I just spent the last eight days in Las Vegas. Even though I am not a fan of that faux city, I had a really amazing time because I was with my colleagues and friends and that's what counts. It was the 15th Annual Conference and Exposition of the Association of Professional Piercers. I'm a long-time member, and I serve on the Board of Directors as Medical Liaison. It was held at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino, in the newly renovated convention center. That part was great, but unfortunately the rooms in the tower near the center were not yet remodeled. Still, I sure didn't get to spend a lot of time in the hotel room, and the convenience of being near the class rooms and expo floor was great.

The banquet this year was the best ever. It was held in an old-school style Las Vegas theatre, and the theme was a formal masquerade. It was fabulous seeing everyone in their finery. One gal had such an elaborate costume and headdress, it took up an entire suitcase!

While I was there, I attended plenty of meetings (two meetings of the board of directors, a members' meeting, and an international meeting); co-taught four classes (anatomy of the body, oro-facial anatomy, male genital piercing, and one on the history of modern body piercing). I also had a booth in which I was selling (and signing) The Piercing Bible.

I just saw a recent review on Google Books that just about made me blush:

User Review  
To call this book "the definitive guide" is an understatement. This book shall remain the definitive guide for the next hundred years. As a piercee and a piercer I can say with honesty that there is nothing that I know that isn't in this book. Against it's intended use, this book is an invaluable tool for any body piercer to further hone their skills and gain a better understanding of many details that commonly get ignored in the industry.

Everyone considering a body piercing should read this book. Knowledge is power, and knowing better what to expect when walking into a piercing studio will ensure a quality piercing that you can enjoy for the rest of your life. The savvy acquired from reading this book will help you recognize good, clean studios from sub par, inexperienced ones, which could potentially save your life.

Health inspectors in Ontario, Canada purchased 14 copies of The Piercing Bible (through the Association of Professional Piercers) to assist them in regulating body piercing in that province. Upon receiving the package, the health inspector who placed the order sent this message:

 

Our medical officer of health requires us to use evidence informed decision making.

This is a good thing. We ask a lot of questions and strive to make the right decision.

The Piercing Bible will go a long way to help us educate ourselves.

The pamphlets are very nice too.

 

Awesome!

I just received a brief message about tongue piercing:

Hi!
A few days ago I got my tongue pierced and I am still very swollen. What can I do for that?

Thank you, Liz

I received this message today:

Can you tell me the grade of steel I want to purchase for  changing  my PA?  Can you also recommend a site where I can get  good quality jewlery?

Also, I just went from a 4 to a 2.  It is unusual for there to be a little bleeding.  It was very little for a very short period of time.

Eric

My reply:

Any of the materials sold here at Body Circle Designs are excellent: http://www.bodycircle.com/