Body Piercing News

Since our launch in May 2010, the Body Piercing News has been enjoyed by many thousands of body art enthusiasts.  As some of you may have noted recently, our site was down for 32 hours due to ‘excessive bandwith usage’.  Basically, what this means as that our popularity has exceeded our bandwith alotment, and therefore, we are facing higher costs to accomodate our valued readers, such as yourself.  In response to this, we have added a “Paypal’ Donation button in the left column of the site, just under the category listings.  So if we have made you laugh, learn or think a bit while meandering our articles, hopefully you might show your appreciation by donating to our cause from time to time.  It’s not required, but it would be immensely appreciated and help us continue bringing  you the most interesting, thought-provoking and strange oddities from the body art world.  Also, please visit our sponsor links, as these also help us to continue with our mission to inform and entertain you at all times.

And of course, we will always answer any and all comments, questions or concerns you have regarding body piercing supplies, kits, body art techniques and all other inquries we receive regarding the wonderful world of body piercing and body art.  Thanks again for making The Body Piercing News such a popular place on the web.  We truly hope you will hear our call for support and take the opportunity to show us your appreciation, no matter the size of the gift.  Thanks again for your time, your interest and your support.

Depending on where you live, it seems that everywhere you look there is a tattoo shop.  Once considered a ‘fad’ in the 60’s and 70’s, tattooing has established itself firmly in the mainstream of societies around the world and is definitely here to stay.

Thanks to the increased awareness brought by recent TV reality shows like ‘L.A. Ink’ and ‘New York Ink’, it seems that everybody wants to get into the business of owning a shop of their own.  The problem is that it takes more than artistic talent to operate a complex business like a tattoo shop and many artists come up short on the necessary requisites.  In Los Angeles county, for example, there seems to be a constant flux of shops going in and going out, and the trend does not seem to be slowing down.

So how (as a customer) are you supposed to know the difference between a quality tattoo shop and a ‘fly-by-night’ operation that may not be there in a week?  For one, you can ask how long the shop has been there.  Secondly, ask to see the shop’s health department permit (if they are legitimate they will have it prominently displayed and not mind if you copy down the permit number for verification).  Third, make sure they are using only sterile body piercing supplies and tattoo supplies with color-changing indicators and proper dates stamped clearly on the packaging.  If the shop you are in has any problems with your questioning, simply leave and find one that is legit.

In many areas of the country, there is a shortage of qualified body piercers.  As with all things, a short supply leads to increased prices.  At the Body Piercing News we have heard of people charging as much as 85 USD for piercings in some areas.

Because of this shortage, more and more people are turning to purchasing body piercing kits and doing the piercings themselves.  Although this is not recommended for many piercings (which are difficult to do by novices), there are many piercings that can be done with a good chance of success at home.  Just make sure the body piercing kit you purchase includes sterile body jewelry, proper skin preparation and how-to instructional videos.  This company offers the best quality sterile body piercing kits we have found along with streaming videos and aftercare guidelines, at the most affordable prices.

The holidays are believed by some to be the worst time to get pierced or tatted.  The reasoning behind this is that having a pink (still healing) piercing or fresh tattoo visible at the holiday dinner table may be the catalyst for ‘prickly’ conversation from relatives.

Although that may be true in some respects (depending upon where you get the body art), it may actually be the best time (economically) to get work done since traditionally many shops are slow at this time of the year.  So if you are thinking about getting that new body piercing and the cat is already out of the bag (that you do such things), you may be able to get rock-bottom deals on getting it done right now.  So treat yourself to that tattoo or body piercing you want and just keep the conversation moving during those long holiday meals

Dedicated Professional Body Piercing Shop

Let’s face it, body piercing is a very personal experience.  Once you’ve worked up the courage to get it done, the next big challenge becomes who/where do you get the piercing from?  If you are not fortunate enough to live in an area where there are dedicated body piercers (that means they ONLY pierce and aren’t inside a tattoo shop), you will undoubtedly be dealing with a tattoo guy/girl.

Now don’t get me wrong, this is not an issue of competence (in most cases) but personal preference.  The problem with tattoo shops (and tat artists) is that the shop is usually located in a bad part of town and employs ‘unique’ body artists that are usually difficult to deal with when they find out you aren’t spending 500 on a tattoo.  No matter where you go to get it done make sure the person doing your body piercing is qualified, licensed and registered with the local health department.  If these credentials are not clearly posted in plain sight (as required by law), leave immediately and find a place that does obey the law.  You may spend a few more dollars for a legitimate body piercing, but it beats getting an infection (or worse) by someone that is not qualified to work as a body piercer.

Many people are looking to get a body piercing, but are not entirely comfortable with the idea of going to a tattoo shop to get it done, or are unwilling to pay the price for a professional body piercing.  Although most body piercings should be performed by a professional body piercer, there are many individuals that are choosing to pierce themselves and purchase body piercing kits online.

There are primarily two major differences between body piercing kits sold online; they either include forceps (or not, in which case they are considered ‘free-hand’ kits), or they include sterile body jewelry (or not, which if not sterilized, can cause major infections).  Make sure the body piercing kit you purchase includes sterile body jewelry and the proper skin preparation materials.  We found the best body piercing kits anywhere include sterile body jewelry and streaming how-to videos, as long as printable aftercare instructions.  Click on the link to see these safe and complete body piercing kits.

Sterile Body Piercing Kit

If you are in the market for body piercing supplies or just a body piercing kit, you have to decide which of the many sellers to purchase from.  More importantly than the seller, is that you choose a kit that has sterile body jewelry.  This is because while most kits include sterile needles and prep materials, an alarmingly low percentage of them do not include sterilized body jewelry.

Why is this crucial component neglected?  Mainly it is due to the cost and time involved in sterilizing body jewelry.  To properly sterilize body jewelry to FDA standards, an autoclave or sterilizer must be used, which cost between 800 and 5,000 USD to buy.  The bottom line is this; if a seller of body piercing supplies or body piercing kits is worth their salt, they will include not only sterile body jewelry but also comprehensive aftercare information and how-to videos to access for amateurs to have the best chance of success.  We found this company (click on link) to have the best quality body piercing kits at the best prices, with 100% True Free Shipping on all orders, without an order minimum.

Once you have found a body piercing kit that includes sterile body jewelry, and sterile one-time use needles, tools and skin preparation, make sure the kit includes proper aftercare guidelines.  Many novice home piercers purchase piercing kits from inferior sellers that either do not include sterile body jewelry, instructions or aftercare guidelines.

Don’t suffer through longer healing times or an infection because the body piercing kit you bought does not include aftercare guidelines.  Before you buy, compare and shop carefully so you don’t get stuck with having to guess what to do after the piercing has been done.  For more information on complete quality sterile body piercing kits click on the link provided.

A body piercing kit should always include the correct needles, tools, skin preparation materials and body jewelry needed to perform any given piercing.  Some kits are sold as single piercing kits and have only enough materials to do a single piercing, while other kits have enough needles, jewelry and supplies to perform multiple piercings.

A general rule of thumb is not to buy more piercings than you need.  Not only is it extra money to over buy on piercing supplies, but sterilized items should be used within the suggested time (according to their sterilization dates which should be stamped on the sterile pouch itself).  The most important thing to make sure of is that the body piercing kit you buy includes STERILE BODY JEWELRY that comes in a dated, sterile pouch.  If you are not sure if the kit you are buying includes pre-sterilized body jewelry, ask the seller, or find a kit that does.  Don’t risk injury to yourself or your clients by using dirty body jewelry.

Sterile Body Piercing Kit

When it comes to choosing the right supplier for body piercing kits and supplies, the most important consideration is this: Is it sterile?  You may assume that the companies that offer body piercing kits all provide  the same quality materials in their kits and that they are all sterilized to health department standards.  This could not be further from the truth.

Professional body art technicians that contribute to the Body Piercing News were asked to look at the different companies offering body piercing kits and supplies and found that the vast majority do NOT include sterile body jewelry in their kits!  Kits that do not offer pre-sterilized body jewelry were prevalent on auction sites (such as ebay and amazon.com), as well as on independent web sites.  These kits should be avoided at all cost!  Using un-sterile (dirty) body jewelry inside a fresh piercing will lead to at best, delayed healing times, and at worst, infection, injury or even death.  Make sure the body piercing kit you choose has sterile body jewelry included.  If you are not sure if the body jewelry offered is sterilized or not, ask before you buy.