Body Piercing News

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.

Each year in the United States, thousands of body piercing kits are sold.  These kits are purchased from online auction sites such as ebay and amazon.com, ranging in size, price and quality.  Other companies, that specialize in tattoo and body art supplies, offer kits as well with some of these kits (known as starter kits) containing enough materials to do several hundred body piercings.

Besides including sterile piercing needles, sterile tools, and sterile body jewelry, a body piercing kit should always include easy to follow instructions either in written form or streaming videos.  Even if you are an experienced piercer, you should always have this information available to you – not just for the success of the procedure, but for safety reasons as well.  Make sure the body piercing kit you purchase is from a reputable company and that it includes sterile components and how-to information.

Not all body piercing kits are created equal.  In fact, they are not even close.  We took an in-depth look at several companies that offer body piercing kits and supplies and found some startling differences.  The first thing we noted was the amount of companies offering piercing kits that have no experience in body piercing whatsoever.  Such companies are primarily found on ebay or other websites that also sell power tools, clothing, etc.  These sellers thing that they can throw a few things into a bag and call it a piercing kit.  Some kits are actually ear piercing kits with a few piercing needles thrown in.  These are not piercing kits at all, and can be very dangerous to use since they incomplete and are unsterile.

A true body piercing kit offers not only a  sterile needle, sterile tools and skin preparation, but most importantly (and rarely included) is STERILE BODY JEWELRY.  Over 95% of body piercing kits we found for sale did NOT include sterile body jewelry, except for this respected company’s body piercing kits (please click link).  The sad truth is, that even large companies that offer hundreds of types of body art supplies are selling dirty kits, risking you and your clients to potential infection, injury or even death.  Make sure you buy your body art supplies from a company that cares enough to protect you and your clients!

This is Part I of a series dedicated to informing our readers on the various tools and supplies used in body piercing.   Today’s article is dedicated to the single most important tool a body piercer must have; the  needle.  Body piercing needles are made of stainless steel and bevel cut, meaning they are cut at an angle so that there is a rounded, smooth surface tapering to a razor-sharp tip.  Body piercing needles are also  hollow and should always be sterile before using.

Body piercing needles should never be re-used or recycled, the same as tattoo needles.  This is because that besides being considered a bio-hazard (capable of carrying and transferring diseases such as AIDS, Hepatitis, MSRA and other blood-borne diseases) the needles become dull after use.  Always make sure your body piercer or tattoo artist is using new needles that are pre-sterilized and come out of a package.  Never be afraid to ask questions or voice your concerns regarding body piercing supplies with your body artist, as your very life depends on it.

Having the right tools and correct body jewelry is crucial for any body piercing.  Professional body piercers know that not having the correct type of forceps, or correct gauge and type of sterile body jewelry can lead to disasterous results.  As a client, you may not even know if your piercer is using what he or she should be using for your piercing, but there are some things to look for.

First, ask to see everything your piercer is going to use for your piercing before they start.  Most legit body piercers will have no problems showing you not only their credentials but also the sterile condition of the needle, tools, and body jewelry they are going to use.  Secondly, have them explain the process to you so you understand exactly what is going to happen, and make sure they give you comprehensive instructions for aftercare.  If you are self-piercing, make sure you purchase a body piercing kit from a respected supplier, and that the kit includes sterile body jewelry as well as sterile forceps, needles and skin prep materials.

Belly piercing is one of the simplest body piercings to perform, as long as you have the proper tools and sterile body jewelry.  There are two schools of thought as to the position you should be in when having your navel pierced.  Many body piercers prefer their clients to lie down flat on their backs, while others prefer to have them stand.  You can successfully pierce a navel in either position, but standing is preferred to lying down since the skin does change position somewhat when you lie down, and what you want is a perfectly centered piercing while standing.

If you are overweight, or your body weight fluctuates drastically, you may want to re-consider a navel piercing until your weight stabilizes.  This is not to say that only bone-thin people should have one, it’s just common knowledge that weight affects the position and appearance of the piercing.  Also, if you are planning on having a child, it would be much better to wait until after you deliver before getting your belly pierced.  For more information on proper aftercare guidelines or to purchase body piercing supplies or a body piercing kit, click on the link provided in this article.

Body piercing when done by a professional piercer using sterile tools and body jewelry almost always is a safe and practical thing to do, unless you fall into one or more of the following conditions; you faint or bleed easily (or take blood-thinning medication), you are prone to seizures, you are pregnant, or you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

If you are prone to bleeding, fainting, seizures or other drastic physical reactions to trauma (which piercing is), you must mention this to your body piercer, and ideally, avoid getting pierced.  Also, if you are pregnant, you should not have a tattoo or body piercing of any kind during your term as you would be exposing the unborn child to a possible mortal infection.  And while many people feel more ‘courageous’ or claim to feel less pain while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, it is not a good idea to have a body piercing or tattoo done in this state since your judgement is impaired and you risk detrimental side-effects such as excessive bleeding (alcohol thins your blood) and other physical reactions.  Always have your body piercing or tattoo done with both eyes open and with a clear and sober mind.  You’ll be glad you did!

The success of any body piercing depends upon several factors; the first being the expertise of the piercer, followed by the proper utilization of sterile body piercing tools and piercing supplies.  If you are an apprentice body piercer, you should know that having the right tools and proper body piercing supplies is the first step in performing a body piercing successfully.  Many times the complications associated with improper piercings, or infections that follow a piercing are caused by improper techniques, or worse, using tools and body jewelry that has not been properly sterilized.

Finding a company that will supply you with quality (and when needed – sterile) body piercing supplies is crucial to not only the success of your body art career but also to the safety of your customers.  Make sure you purchase your body piercing supplies only from a respected supplier of body piercing supplies that has a clear and thorough sterilization process explained on their web site and who also posts regular spore test results of their autoclaves and sterilization equipment.  After that, the rest is up to you!

The numbers of people choosing to self-pierce at home with body piercing kits is growing every day.  This trend has been noted and followed the last few years and may be a result of several factors; the tough economic times, lack of competent professional piercers, and safer reasonably priced body piercing kits available.

If you are amongst the people that choose to pierce at home, make sure you are careful when choosing the body piercing kit you use.  As anyone that has looked for a piercing kit knows, the types, quality and price of body piercing kits vary widely.  When choosing a body piercing kit, make sure first and foremost that the kit includes sterile body jewelry (most kits offered on ebay and on the web do NOT include sterile body jewelry).  Next, make sure the kit you purchase has the proper tools and jewelry for the type of piercing(s) you wish to complete.  Lastly, look for kits that also include how-to video instructions and aftercare materials so you will not be left in the ‘dark’ on how to carry out the piercing, nor will you be at a loss on how to take care of the piercing to insure you will not get an infection.  Remember, with anything else, you get what you pay for – the cheapest kits are not always the best – use what is actually included to determine what body piercing kit you purchase, and then follow the directions by the word.  Good luck!