Funke88 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Originally posted by angel_b /me puts the fuschia lipgloss away Me puts the boxing gloves away too. I was just trying to get a rise out of you. Sorry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richman Posted January 18, 2004 Author Share Posted January 18, 2004 Anyways, I finally went to Van Schaick's yesterday to get my right ear (helix) pierced. Good bunch of people, and nice environment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jiggiley Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Ive just had my nipple done in Manchester/Leeds Piercing Studio in Leeds (on Saturday), hurt like hell but okay now. Not too far to go but they have certification. Just make sure wherever you go they have the correct certification is the best advice I can give. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel_b Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Hate to burst your bubble, but there is no official certification for body piercers, unless you mean a local authority health inspection one, which the Leeds/Manchester piercing clinic have. While these are still very good certificates to have, all it tells you is that the studio is clean - it doesn't have anything to do with the skill of the piercer, or the quality of jewellery and equipment they are using. There are actually very few local authorities who bother with this kind of thing, which means that this company is free to brag about having "the first official certificate as a skin piercer from Manchester's Department of Environmental Health and Consumer Protection". As a result, there are also lots of excellent piercers out there who won't have such certification. It has been said that the standard of hygiene in the majority of piercing/tattoo studios is better than most hospitals, mainly because they have a lot more to lose. It's a shame more health authorities don't carry out these inspections, as I'm sure it would quickly get rid of some people who really didn't ought to be piercing and also give the good studios a chance to be "officially" recognised. Paper isn't everything folks - I've got an awful lot of certificates and none of them are any bloody good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Doctor Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Angel_b some lovely rhetoric there.... Yes you're right that the certificates are limited, but they do cover areas that are relevant (health & safety, first aid etc). In absence of an overarching regulatory body to monitor all procedures and enforce accountability on all such piercing venues, then isn't the existance of these relevant certificates actually a good thing? You're criticism of the area as a whole is valid, as is your wishful thinking; but to your average lay reader on here, who might be interested in getting a piercing, then I'm sure Jiggiley's comments were actually very pragmatic, and steeped in common sense.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Miguel Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 I suppose that acupuncture is body-piercing of a sort, is it not? It's just that I once knew someone who was into self-acupuncture. One day the police broke into his flat to find him dead on the floor with a javelin straight through his chest. The coroner returned the verdict that he'd died of an overdose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel_b Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Originally posted by Love Doctor You're criticism of the area as a whole is valid, as is your wishful thinking; but to your average lay reader on here, who might be interested in getting a piercing, then I'm sure Jiggiley's comments were actually very pragmatic, and steeped in common sense.... The main point I was trying to get across is that people should not think that a nice certificate on the wall of a studio equals a brilliant studio - it equals a clean studio and there's a big difference between the two. The average lay reader, not knowing too much about piercing could walk in, see all the pretty certificates and think they're safe. A piercing isn't something that should really be taken lightly, and you cannot base the experience on hygiene alone. That's why the OP did a great thing starting this thread - he asked for opinions and advice, which is probably the best way to find a piercer. Case in point was my old piercer back in Doncaster. He had all these great certificates saying he'd done this course, passed this test etc... but the truth is there are no "tests", and when I looked into his "apprenticeship" certificate, I found it was actually a half day training course that any member of the general public could've done if they'd paid the cash. Would you want to hand over some of your most sensitive bits to be stabbed by someone with a half a days training? Now that I know better I wouldn't, and that knowledge certainly explained a few things about the piercings I had done there! I'm urging people to do some research before embarking on a body modification. Unfortunately, I've learned the hard way that walking into the first studio that looks ok isn't the best way to go about things! I agree that local authority health certificates are great - I personally believe that every studio should be inspected regularly, and I also think that the industry needs some form of regulation to maintain standards and protect consumers. There is no real legislation regarding this at all, apart from the fact that it is illegal to tattoo minors. Anyway - after a very long post, I guess what I was trying to say was that the certification mentioned is great, but still no indicator as to the skill or level of training of the piercer which is a very important point. Yes, they might be scrupulously clean, but can they pierce straight? Are they using the correct type and length of jewellery? Are they aware of the metal allergies that many people suffer from? Do they practise cross-contamination control? Is their autoclave tested regularly, and are they willing to display the results? How is their bedside manner? I'm sorry ifor the length of all this and the fact that it probably all seems a bit OTT, but if it helps just one person I'll be happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Doctor Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 As I said, your concerns are true, as are your wishes for the future, but yet again you're missing the point. You're correct in that there is no certificate of professional competence, and also on the mark with saying how do you know how good people are. However, aside from your grand plans for the industry (that as yet haven't been adopted) then there's nothing to go by besides personal reports for the person that wants a piercing. It sounds like your comments are simply trying to deter people from getting any piercing, anywhere. I'm afraid that if people will want to get a piercing, then they'll get one. Of course a potential piercee could walk in to a studio and ask about all the questions you write (autoclave checking, tests for allergies etc), but as you offer no example of acceptable answers that the studios could give, then I'm afraid that the piercer could say anything and get away with it. I think you need to live in the real world. Yes I agree that all those checks should be done, by an as yet inexistant regulatory body. At the moment however, offer people advice that will actually help them to decide WHERE to go and WHAT to look for. If you offer questions that should be asked, then provide learned model answers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel_b Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 Originally posted by Love Doctor It sounds like your comments are simply trying to deter people from getting any piercing, anywhere. I'm afraid that if people will want to get a piercing, then they'll get one. Absolutely not - I am very much pro-piercing. My x-rays (showing multiple piercings) done at Charles Clifford Hospital this morning provided a great source of amusement for all the staff, with one of the tutors even saying he was going to take it to his next lecture! I'm not trying to deter anyone from being pierced at all, and I find hard to see how you deduced that from my previous comments. What I do hold my hands up to though, is trying to deter people from getting *bad* piercings. Of course a potential piercee could walk in to a studio and ask about all the questions you write (autoclave checking, tests for allergies etc), but as you offer no example of acceptable answers that the studios could give, then I'm afraid that the piercer could say anything and get away with it. Also true, but I think that here is where *you* miss *my* point. People should do some research before getting piercings - the information is out there for the taking. Online, there are particularly good resources such as http://www.bmezine.com and http://www.ukbodyart.org, various specialist magazines available in larger newsagents, and of course the good old word of mouth. Having said that, if people are prepared to pay someone to perform what is essentially a medical procedure without knowing anything about it, they really get what they deserve. This happened to me, and is partly why I'm so keen to try and avoid it happening to others. Also, as I said earlier I'm very much pro-piercing and am keen to see the industry grow and become respected, which I don't think it currently is. Body modification has a bad enough image as it is - why should we make it worse by allowing crap studios to continue raking in money from those who don't know better? If people respect their bodies and educate themselves a little, these studios will soon lose a lot of custom. You have some very valid points Lovedoctor, such as my "wishful thinking" regarding legislation of the industry but I think we will now agree to disagree as my posts are becoming longer and longer with each reply! Great debate though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
segasonic Posted January 25, 2004 Share Posted January 25, 2004 I got my tongue done at Van Shaik's, the staff have a great sense of humour and put you well at ease. The piercing itself I didn't even feel, tho it hurt later on and I couldn't eat or speak properly for a week or so. I'd recommend them to anyone. The Oasis centre in Birmingham is good too, although a little far away. I got my eyebrow done there and again would recommend them. Got 4 BCRs in my ear too, but I got those done in the Castle Market about 15 years ago, I doubt the place is still there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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