Does it hurt?
Not nearly as much as you might think! In fact, the actual piercing is so brief the worst part is
the anticipation. More often than not people sigh in relief afterwards and say "that was it!?" However,
don't be mistaken, piercing is not a painless experience--pain is just relative to the individual and the pain incurred during
a piercing is nothing that the average person can't handle. Remember: the piercing process only lasts a split second, while
the new addition to your body can be enjoyed as long as you like!
I got pierced two days ago and it still hurts, does that mean I have
an infection!?
For the love of piercing people, please please please don't keep asking me this! I'm just going to
start punching you! Which brings up an applicable point; if I punch you today it will still hurt in two days! A piercing is
an injury to your body (which is why you should be pierced by a professional and not your best friend),
and it should be treated as an injury for aftercare and healing time. You can't even heal a paper cut in two days let alone
a piercing!
Each area of the body has its own unique healing period and process. Oral and oral/facial piercings
tend to heal fastest, while others tend to heal a bit slower. Also, every individual body heals and reacts to piercings in
an individualized manner. Your friend may have tackled an entire bowl of chips and salsa a few days after getting
a tongue piercing (which is NOT recommended) while you, on the other hand, may still be spoon feeding yourself ice cream and
soup after waiting the same amount of time. A general guideline for approximate healing times is as follows:
Ear Lobe - 6 to 8 weeks
Ear Cartilage (Including Tragus)
- 4 months to 1 year.
Eyebrow - 6 to 8 weeks
Nostril
- 2 to 4 months
Nose (Septum) - 6 to 8 weeks
Eye Bridge - 8 to 10 weeks
Tongue - 4 to 6 weeks
Lip - 2 to
3 months
Nipple - 3 to 6 months
Navel - 4 months to 1 year
Can I have sex or play sports while my
piercing is healing?
Treat your piercing like what it is; a wound. Would you play
rough sports or have rough sexual encounters if you were wounded? Would you irritate a wound that is trying to heal? You should
treat your new piercing as gently as possible, at all times, at all costs. This will insure your body is healing your
new piercing at the fastest rate possible. And always remember to wash your hands thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap before
touching your healing piercing.
How soon can I downsize my jewelry?
This time period can vary
from person to person. There are two things to consider; the initial and full healing periods. The initial healing period
is the time when the body creates a nice layer of skin between you and the starter jewelry and your tenderness goes away.
The full healing period is when the new piercing is entirely healed. Now, when deciding how long to wait before changing your
jewelry you have to remember that you don’t want to reopen the wound. This will delay your healing process and require
intense aftercare to prevent possible infection. And when you change your jewelry you are going to irritate your new piercing—no
matter how gentle you are. Our advice is to wait until the piercing is no longer tender (meaning, you can play with your
piercing without experiencing ANY discomfort). At this point you can consider changing your jewelry, which usually ranges
anywhere from 2-4 weeks. However, use as much care as possible when changing your jewelry for the first time! When you purchase Jewelry at the Happy Hippie Shop we will change your jewelry for FREE
and give you 10% Off the price of your initial downsize jewelry--any style!
Why do I have to start with Surgical Steel,
Titanium or Dental Acrylic?
These are the highest quality, most hypoallergenic materials,
i.e. the least likely to result in adverse reactions to the new object in your body. There will be plenty of time
for the fun involved with changing your jewelry to express yourself or reflect your personal style. Just remember, it will
suck if you lose your piercing for sheer lack of patience. Try to enjoy each stage of your new piercing and understand
the better you treat your new holes, the sooner you’ll be able to pimp-out your new piercing.
How long can I leave my jewelry out?
This depends, each piercing has a different life span without
jewelry. Within the first couple of weeks it will close to the point of being uncomfortable to re-insert jewelry in under
30 minutes. If you're still in the first few months of healing you might be able to make it an hour. And if you have had your
piercing longer than a year you're looking at days if not weeks. I have had my eyebrow pierced for 6 years. I left it out
for all of last year and was able to put it back in with minimal discomfort.
Bottom line, if you have to remove your jewelry--get a retainer.
This will prevent any chance of losing the piercing. Retainers are made with clear lucite, flesh colored or clear acrylic
ends, there are many styles of "hideable" accessories. Hiding your piercing for grandma, work, sports or whatever
shouldn't be an issue.
Will the piercing heighten sensitivity
to the pierced area?
Yes. While all piercings will make you more aware of the pierced
area, there are definitely some piercings that heighten sensitivity more than others. Typically, these include the tongue,
nipples, and genitals. As a piercer I have heard everything from “erotic stimulation” to “instant orgasm.”
Now, I cannot guarantee that one of these three types of piercings will make you shudder in sexual or sensual delight; however,
I will say that I have never heard anyone say that one of these three types of piercings did not enhance sensitivity.
My piercing looks phucked up....what should
I do?
There are several different things that can be wrong with your
piercing. Most commonly, you may have an infection or adverse reaction to the jewelry. Please click on the Healing and Aftercare link for our comprehensive suggested aftercare & healing guidelines. If you feel as though
this information is not clarifying your problem, please contact our piercers. If you are in a new location, contact your local
professional piercer or shop. If you still don’t feel satisfied, or if the complications persist, please contact your
personal physician or schedule to see a local doctor.
PLEASE NOTE***
The #1 Problem we see with new piercings is from TOO MUCH TOUCHING!!! People constantly
stand in our shop touching their piercings obviously with delusions that their own hands are sterile --after they
just touched our door-knob--after everyone else touching their piercings also touched our door-knob and gawd only knows what
else! We clean our door-knob as much as possible, but come on people--be smart about your new piercing! Don't touch it
unless you've just washed your hands! Wash your bedding right away, then resume our recommended aftercare procedures.
How long should I wait to start stretching
my new piercing?
It's a good idea to wait at least 3 times as long as the
full healing period before attempting to stretch. This is only a General Rule, so sometimes you can go faster, sometimes slower.
It's always a good idea to let your piercer do the stretching as the right tools for the job make it a lot easier. Patience
is a virtue, stretch at a normal pace...when your body wants you to. (We will not begin stretching until you have
at least completed the initial healing period.)
Can I breast feed with a nipple piercing?
If you are breast feeding or about to start, just wait on a new nipple piercing. Minor infections
are common in new piercings and could easily transfer orally to your babies mouth and throat. For future reference, the piercing
will not block any milk secreting ducts, and jewelry should always be removed from a healed piercing while breast feeding.
Why is my tongue discolored, white or yellow?
This is often caused by too much mouth wash. If you are using mouth wash too frequently and/or it
contains alcohol it can destroy the healthy bacteria in your mouth, making it harder for your piercing to heal. We recommend
you use alcohol-free mouth wash such as ACT, BIOTENE or Tom's ALL Natural. You can also switch to a sea-salt water mixture;
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt to 8 oz. (1 cup) of warm water. Please see our aftercare for more detailed instructions.
Why is my tongue bar discolored?
Most likely this is caused by plaque build up on the bar and can be eliminated by brushing your tongue
bar when brushing your teeth. If the bar is turning black it may be that the manufacturer of the barbell lied to your piercer
about it being pure surgical steel and sold him/her steel plated instead and your stomach acids are eating the plating. Since
a lot of our jewelry is now being manufactured over-seas this has become a big problem in the piercing industry
and makes piercers very angry since it is usually out of our control. I personally went through five different wholesalers
before I found a reputable one. If your piercer is concerned and acts willing to change suppliers and replace the bar
for you don't be too hostile. If they are annoyed by the problem and don't seem to care then you need a new piercer
or place to buy jewelry. As long as you get a new bar in there as soon as possible you are not at any health risk. You just
don't want to leave the lower grade metal being uncovered in your piercing for too long or you may begin to have
adverse reactions to your piercing. Note*** If a barbell price is so low it seems too good to be true it
probably is a plated or low grade metal!
There is a hard ring of skin forming on the top and/or bottom of my tongue
piercing?
The bump that appears to be scar tissue is just that, scar tissue. This is not too uncommon. It is
usually caused from mechanical stress or too much movement. We suggest getting your barbell downsized to fit your tongue
or switch to dental acrylic and that alone should alleviate the irritation.
I purchased a colored titanium ball/barbell for my tongue, but all the
color rubbed off - is this cheap metal?
Your ball or bar was colored through a process called anodizing which through electrical current puts
a very thin layer of color on the surface of the metal. This style jewelry is in fact very high quality, but unfortunately
does not react well to stomach acid, which dissolves the color. You will have better luck retaining color using this type
of jewelry in other piercings.
What does puss mean?
A clear, white or pinkish puss like liquid is normal while healing. A darker tinted puss such
as dark yellow, green or even blue-ish can indicate a bacterial infection. If following our rigorous aftercare regime
for 3-5 days after noticing the puss does not relieve the problem please come see us in person or see a health care professional.
My piercing is very red and seems to be pushing out....why is this happening?
The piercing industry refers to this as migration or rejection. Rejection is usually caused by "back
pressure" often caused by using straight bars, or simply the body refusing to accept the piercing or metal. Many people think
this is somehow the piercers fault, but this just isn't the case. Rings can get knocked around quite a bit and that irritation
can also cause rejection. In fact, any piercing, if it received enough trauma, can be rejected. Infection and allergy/sensitivity
are also types of irritation and can lead to rejection. Some piercings will "migrate" to a more comfortable setting without
being rejected. Eyebrows that are pierced too deeply will often migrate to a more comfortable position and stop. This is common
with Guiches, Frenums, Eyebrows and even Navels. You can tell a piercing is rejecting when the skin is bright pink and sometimes
tender for an extended period of time despite following recommended aftercare religiously. The holes begin to get closer together
leaving a thin scar in their wake. This can happen extremely quickly or over a long period of time. Migration can happen
to a brand new piercing or one that is 5 years old.
Some piercers will recommend a curved bar over a straight to relieve back pressure. But I personally
have had my eyebrow pierced for 6 years with a straight bar and have had no migration. I have also noticed in customers where
we have switched for a curved rather than a straight it very rarely stops the migration.
PLEASE NOTE*** Migration is especially common in navel
piercings on girls who are over-weight. Female navels naturally curve inward which puts a lot of pressure
on the navel piercing when sitting down, especially more if you are over-weight. If you are thinking about getting a navel
piercing as your inspiration to lose weight think about buying a cute navel bar instead and hold on to it as your inspiration.
I have also noticed mild makeup allergies will cause eyebrow piercings to migrate. If you tend to
get itchy eyes after applying makeup you will want to switch brands and keep all makeup off the piercing while it is
healing either way.
***Please remember migration is more than likely not your piercers fault! Some people just don't handle
piercings well.
Do piercings leave scars or open holes?
As long as there is no complications during the healing process, and/or obscene amounts of scar tissue
(which is extremely rare) the piercing will close. It may leave the remnants of discoloration, but that too will fade over
time.
To help your old piercing heal properly you should: Massage the tissue while you're in the
shower letting very hot water run over it, which will help break up the scar tissue, stimulating new skin growth. Try
dabbing a small amount of Vitamin E oil on the piercing once a day before you go to sleep.
Why are piercing guns so bad, they have been around so long they must
work great, right???
WRONG! Time and experience are shedding new light on the terrible practice of piercing
gun piercings and we urge you to heed the warnings....Getting pierced with a piercing-gun is very unhealthy for your body.
A piercing-gun inflicts blunt trauma force to the body (sort of like trying to punch a hole through your arm with a small
nail gun) which increases the chance for infection considerably and creates a very unpleasant healing process. ALL piercings
should be performed with a hollow, surgical steel, tri-bevel or quad-bevel piercing needle. This will alleviate the problem
of "blowout" (having a volcano-like build-up of flesh around the exit hole of your piercing) and decrease chances for infection.
The first such problem is the risk of contracting disease. Most guns have plastic parts which cannot be properly sterilized,
giving rise to the possibility of spreading bacterial infections, such as those suffered recently by a group of people here
in Oregon after getting pierced at a mall. Or more serious blood-borne diseases such as Hepatitis B and C, which are very
resilient and can remain on contaminated parts for up to 10 days! I can't even imagine how many people could have been pierced
with the same gun in 10 days time. And I don't care how thoroughly they CLAIM the gun is cleaned--there is NO KNOWN
chemical to kill Hep C.
The second problem has to do with the shape and composition of the jewelry itself and
the force applied by it to the earlobe (or any body part), making healing difficult. These guns were first manufactured to
tag livestock, and inflict unnecessary blunt trauma to the tissue. The studs used by the guns have clasps which trap bacteria
and which, when combined with the too-short post used by the jewelry, compress the tissue. This does not allow for any swelling,
makes cleaning the site difficult, and reduces the availability of oxygen to the wound. In addition, the metal used for most
of the gunned jewelry is of inferior quality and may inhibit healing by causing contact dermatitis or nickel allergies.
The
best and safest option for any piercing, including earlobes, is to patronize a professional body piercer. Only professional
piercers have the proper training to perform safe piercings, unlike the poorly trained usually teenage clerks piercing
people in malls. Professional piercers observe proper sterile procedures, use a single-use, hollow needle which does not damage
tissue, and good quality body jewelry made specifically for safe and speedy healing.
Why do different piercers give different
advise?
Body piercing is the same as any other industry. One doctor will recommend a treatment for certain ailment
whereas another doctor will recommend something entirely different. Granted, we're not doctors, but the piercing profession
started the same way the medical profession did many many years ago; which is through apprenticeship under someone who already
knows how to pierce and feels confident enough in their ability through years of experience to pass down their knowledge.
We give advise based on our own personal experience and common sense. Some piercers have more experience than others and some
have more common sense. If you're having a problem with a piercing and you don't like the advise your piercer is giving you
consult another piercer or someone who has had a lot of piercings. And remember the tattoo and piercing industry is very competetive.
Just because one piercer bashes another piercers method doesn't make either one right or wrong, just different, so go with
the advise from the person you were most impressed with, or that simply works best for you!
What is the strangest piercing we have ever seen?
Trouble-Shooting Problems:
Small Bump Near the Piercing?
Most commonly referred to as a keloid. Keloids are raised, reddish nodules that develop at the site
of an injury. After a wound has occurred to the skin both skin cells and connective tissue cells (fibroblasts) begin multiplying
to repair the damage. A scar is made up of 'connective tissue', gristle-like fibers deposited in the skin by the fibroblasts
to hold the wound closed. With keloids, the fibroblasts continue to multiply even after the wound is filled in. Thus keloids
project above the surface of the skin and form large mounds of scar tissue.
Keloids may form on any part of the body,
although the upper chest, facial and ear piercings are especially prone to keloid formation. Symptoms include pigmentation
of the skin, itchiness, redness, unusual sensations and pain.
It is estimated that keloids occur in about 10% of people.
While most people never form keloids, others develop them after minor injuries, such as piercings, even insect bites or pimples.
Men and women are equally affected.
Hot sea-salt soaks will help relieve the effects of a small keloid and take care of it quickly, usually
within 7-10 days.
Is the skin tight and shiny? Is there a rash? Does the rash seem to "flow"
downward? Does the piercing seem moist or wet constantly?
"Yes" to these could indicate a chemical reaction. Simply stop using your cleaning agent and try saline
(sea-salt) soaks. Results should be almost instant.
HELP HELP HELP Aliens are climbing out of my piercing....what should
I do?
No matter how much valuable information you may find on the Internet, there is no substitute for a
visual diagnosis--which can be given best by your local piercer. If you still feel uncomfortable, please visit your physician.
Keep in mind though, some doctors are knowledgeable about piercings and some are not.
