Jonathan is a piercer in South Carolina, we met in 2023 when we both received the Legacy Scholarship for the APP. We talked prior to this year’s conference about growing up in the church, falling in love with piercing and the experience of volunteering in Vegas.You can find his work here.
Gemma: I wanted to talk a bit about your background
Jonathan: So I’m actually from Vermont, which is a state much more north than South Carolina where I am now. I moved to South Carolina when I was 16 and it was a big difference because Vermont’s a much more liberal state. South Carolina is the Bible Belt, much more conservative. I’ve been living here since 2004.
G: What was it like growing up in Vermont?
Jonathan at APP 2023, photographed by John Balk
J: I’ve always been a weird kid but I grew up in what they called an independent fundamental Baptist church which is very conservative. Girls couldn’t wear pants, they had to wear skirts. No tattoos, no piercings. I couldn’t have facial hair. I wasn’t allowed to listen to any of the music I like to listen to. They made Harry Potter evil. They made Pokemon evil. If it wasn’t written by a Christian, it was evil.
I liked Pokemon. I liked Anime, I liked metal music. I liked pop punk music, but I really wasn’t allowed to be open about it. I always had to hide it and only talk to certain people about what I enjoyed. I couldn’t talk to my parents, couldn’t really talk to my brothers because they’d get me in trouble so I used to hide it. I used to listen to the radio, and then when I could get a CD, I’d burn CDs. I always wanted to go to concerts, but I definitely couldn’t go until I was much older.
Because I wasn’t allowed to listen to the music I enjoyed, I used to sneak it through video games. There’d be bands like The Offspring and Bad Religion on the game soundtrack and I’d get to listen to it through there.
G: What was your first exposure to body modification?
J: I remember going to the mall and seeing people with septum rings, I think that’s probably my first real memory of body mods but I never really noticed until I was much older. For me, piercing was definitely not a possibility until I was 18. My parents always told me that tattoos and piercings would mean getting kicked out of the house. So I didn’t play with that, I very much didn’t want to be homeless.
I got my first piercing at 26. I really wanted an industrial piercing for some reason but my ex-wife wasn’t supportive of piercings at all. And a lot of people in my life at the time thought piercings were “gay”. It’s that conservative belief structure of being anti LGBTQIA. Growing up, I had similar thoughts until I started working in an office and this one girl I was working with randomly mentioned that she never found the penis attractive. And I thought to myself “well, neither have I, so how can I be upset with somebody who thinks the same way I do.”
At the time I was really into Rise Against and they had a song called Make It Stop that helped me change my perception. Punk rock music really helped me get over some of my outdated beliefs from my upbringing.
G: When did you move from Vermont and when was your first piercing?
J: My dad was in the Air Force and he got a job in South Carolina so we moved down here and I finished up high school.
Around 2014, I was going through a divorce and I remember looking at a magazine and seeing wooden octopus plugs and I thought they were so cool. I remember being in the car with somebody and they were like, “Oh you don’t want to do that, everyone who gets their ears stretched is going to regret it.” Now I make a living stretching people’s ears, so this is wild.
So I was going through my divorce, I was single, I just was trying to more or less find myself or just be okay with myself at 26. I’d always wanted my ears pierced and I’ve had some friends take me to a place to do them. It wasn’t the best but I just wanted to have pierced ears.
You know sometimes you go through breakups and you’ve been in a relationship for so long that you kind of lose parts of yourself. It’s not always their fault, it tends to be more your fault because you’re trying to fit in or trying to make them happy – especially when you’re getting married so young. I got married at 19, I was so young and was still developing myself and my own personal interests.
G: And once you start with piercings, it’s hard to stop right?
J: Tattoos were my go-to body mod for a while because I was working a plant job where piercings weren’t allowed for safety reasons. Then in 2019, I started at a warehouse, and I was finally allowed to have piercings. So I eventually got my nose pierced.
Money was really tight because I was trying to get caught up on bills and in early 2020 I was looking for part time work to fill my days off. I ended up eventually getting a job at the piercing shop I work at as their Front of House. At the time I didn’t want to pierce, I just wanted to make some extra money so I could keep my family afloat. I started the week when COVID shut everything down.
It was very hard at the time because I had my daughter and as a parent you have to make difficult decisions and I didn’t know if I could put everything I needed to into piercing as a career, but I had been given the opportunity to learn how to pierce. So I ended up working both jobs for a while and then I found that I really liked the client interaction at the piercing studio. I don’t think I was good at it at first, I kind of sucked at it a lot. But I found myself getting better, pushing through my own hurdles, and just really starting to enjoy piercing.
Before I had actually started piercing, a friend of mine from another piercing shop showed me the Piercing Wizard podcast and APP. I had been reading the Piercing Wizard Bible and subscribed to Ryan’s Patreon. He had a lot of good information on there that helped me a lot. That year the APP offered online classes because they weren’t doing the conference, so I paid for some of their online classes to learn a little bit more. I was trying to learn as much as possible, from my mentor and other Piercers in the shop and as many external resources as I could get my hands on.
G: What was it that drove your passion for education and improvement?
J: A lot of it is the clients. There’s the art to it that I eventually kind of loved and got into, but it was the clients initially. The Piercing Wizard podcast taught me about understanding your clients and learning to read their energy and work with that.
I’m a very empathetic person and once I leaned into that and learned to control my reaction to their feelings, it helped me a lot to be able to keep a calm and supportive environment. I love helping my clients overcome their fears and get through their own anxiety.
I’m a very introverted person outside of work, I usually just stay to myself and my family. We’re a very busy shop and when you meet all these people, you start having these interactions and I learned eventually that’s what I like more about piercing. It is very powerful stuff that you don’t get at a lot of jobs.
G: We met in 2023 because we both received the Legacy Scholarship to the APP conference, when did you first hear about the scholarship program?
J: So I first actually heard about it in through my friend Carl in August 2020. I put it on the back burner because I never thought it would be something I’d ever receive. I didn’t think I’d qualify but then I heard the Piercing Wizard podcast about it in 2022 and I thought maybe I shouldn’t limit myself by my own ideas. Maybe I should just take a chance and apply. It’s kind of embarrassing to put yourself out there but I feel like my clients deserved a better me.
G: I don’t think many people realise how big America is, how was it traveling to Vegas?
J: It was very nerve wracking but at that point I was like, okay I got the scholarship, I did the work, I just have to get over myself. I’m not a huge fan of flying and I had all the anxiety of what if I do something wrong? The social awkwardness of it all. It was about 22,000 miles from where I live so it’s the farthest west I’ve ever been. Probably the furthest I’ve ever flown
Between growing up conservative, not being much of a gambler and never really seeing myself as somebody who would really do anything big – going to Vegas was never really on my radar. It was very crazy, like wow, I’m actually here, I never thought I’d actually be in Vegas.
G: How did you find the balance of volunteering, learning, and existing inVegas?
J: I loved volunteering. I said this in my interview, I really like the idea of volunteering so that I could give back. I felt like I owed a lot to the piercing community, between people just helping me out, and me having an opportunity to get away from working a warehouse job. I didn’t finish college, so I was kind of just floating from job to job trying to make it work. And, so with this opportunity to volunteer, I can give back to these people who changed my life.
What I really enjoyed was it gave me an in to help with all my anxiety about being around people and being somewhere by myself. It helped me be friendly with people and then knowing some of the behind the scenes things as a volunteer, I was able to help the attendees which I loved.
G: Were there any particularly important moments for you at APP 2023?
J: I just felt at home, it sounds weird, but being a weird kid all my life, it felt like I fit in really well and there was a such a sense of community. I didn’t know any of these people who were volunteering but we just fit together so well. Everybody was so friendly and they treated me like I’m normal, like I’m as cool as them.
I do want to say my other favorite part of Vegas has to be when we went to the Punk Rock Museum. That was so cool. I got to introduce Fat Mike to you which was amazing.
Jonathan introduced me (Gemma) to Fat Mike because I was too star-struck at the Punk Rock Museum, Las Vegas
I definitely feel like being an APP scholar has opened some doors and some opportunities. People know that you’re passionate about what you do, because no one’s going to do all that effort if they don’t care.
G: Outside of piercing, you have your family, which is really lovely. Are your children interested in piercings?
J: My oldest daughter, she’s 13. I pierced her second lobes, which is really cool because Ihe’s always been like a little bit more scared. But the best part was she said she wanted to get her second lobes done and she actually practiced my little breathing technique and she listened and the piercing went really well. That felt very good. My youngest is 5, she’s not really there yet. I have a feeling that my oldest will come to me later and probably want something which will be exciting
G: I think it’s important that you’re teaching your children that you can look whatever way you want and still be a good person.
J: My eldest said “all my friends are the weird kids and we like it that way.” That’s how it’s supposed to be.Last year she came to me and said “I like to wear hoodies and boys wear hoodies.” I told her that you just have to do what you want. I don’t usually curse in front of my kids, but I said, “fuck the people that don’t fuck with you”. She’s at that age where she’s trying to figure out who she is and I’m just letting her know it’s okay to be the weird kid.
Jonathan is such a wonderful family man
Helping my daughter understand that if you’re happy, you’re good with your friends, your friends are kind to you, then it doesn’t matter what other people think. Growing up pretty conservative, I was taught to be homophobic by the church and the community so I really encourage my children to know that I’d rather you have a kind friend that’s gay than a mean friend that’s straight. I want my kids to be themselves and be kind and to accept others for who they are.
G: Can we touch on your poetry?
J: I’ve always written, I never developed the skill or the talent for drawing and so I found the way I could express myself was through writing. In high school, I used to write song lyrics and music was always a big part of my life. I started writing a lot of poetry and eventually I got to perform some of it live. Before COVID hit, there was a place I went to once a month to start getting over my nervousness and start performing. Going on stage and really writing and sharing my feelings and my emotions was really powerful.
It’s a good way of letting it out and then helping to connect with people.
G: Is there anything you want to add for people reading this?
J: For any piercer that is interested in the scholarship, just apply for it. Don’t limit yourself by your own ideas of, ‘I’m not good enough, I’m not financially able to do this, I’m not an APP shop.’ Just go for it and don’t limit yourself. Let other people do that and let them decide if you’re the right fit.
The 2023 APP Legacy Scholars
I had the privilege of volunteering with Jonathan again this year and it is such an honour to know someone so caring and kind. A gentle soul who is making the world a better place, one piercing and one conversation at a time. Can’t wait to see what the future has in store for you friend!
So, you’ve decided to get a piercing! Whether it be a classic nose piercing, a large gauge piercing or intimate work you should always research your piercer and/or piercing studio. This is to make sure that they are the right fit for you as a client and that they can provide the work you are looking for at a higher quality level. Your piercer should be able to demonstrate their knowledge and skills to a strong standard that can gain your trust and ensure their credibility. But how do you research your piercer, what should you be looking for? It can be a really overwhelming task if you’re not entirely sure what to look for, which is why I’ve put together this guid for you to use and share.
This is mainly based for the UK, so may be slightly inaccurate across different countries, due to their own laws and regulations surrounding body piercing. This is only meant to be a guide, and it is encouraged that you do your own research for things that may differ in your local region.
Education – Your piercer should be able to demonstrate and show off their knowledge and skills and the education they have and are continuing to ensure they are providing the best quality service they can. You may look for certificates on the wall of conferences and classes they have attended, as well as first aid training. They may be showing off their education and own research through social media posts or blogs on their websites, they may even talk about it in the studio with you. You can ask about their training and education too!
Aiden’s wall of certificates from attending and speaking at conferences across the world.
Hygiene – Hygiene is such a huge factor when it comes to body piercing. There should be no drinking alcohol or smoking encouraged or practiced inside the studio, and clients should never be permitted to ‘try on’ jewellery. (A safe alternative you may find is piercers using ‘piercing sticks’ or tools to hold up jewellery near the clients skin.) The piercing itself should be performed in a separate room that allows for good ventilation and good lighting. A private bathroom should also be away from any jewellery handling or processing. Some studios (if they aren’t disposable) should have a separate room that isn’t accessible by the general public where they process and clean dirty tools (this is referred to as the sterilisation room). On top of the big things, the studio should look clean and organised when you walk in, hand sanitizer should be freely available, you may notice cleaning wipes/spray tucked away on shelving or cupboards. Hand-washing will be practiced and encouraged between each appointment, as well as cleaning down the room.
Sterilisation – All jewellery and tools should be completely sterilised for the appointment. Some piercers may choose to do this via pre-sterilising in pouches. When sterilised correctly their should be a colour indicator on the back, as well as the packet looking crinkled. These should be opened in your Prescence. Other pierces choose to sterilise everything at the time of the appointment via the statim. They will place the jewellery, gauze, and tools (such as needles) into a statim cassette and leave it to sterilise (this typically takes around 7-9 minutes). To prove the sterility of the items inside, a colour changing indicator should be in their to verify, which you can ask your piercer to see. Again, these cassettes should be open in your presence.
A steriliser strip atop of the statim.
Contaminated Waste – There should be at least two separate bins in the piercing room. One bin (that can be operated without hands, such as a push-pedal bin) that collects contaminated waste, such as aprons or gloves. The other one is a sharps container that is mounted on the wall. Both of these should be clearly labelled ‘biohazard’. The sharps been is similar to the ones you may see in a doctors office or in the hospital. It is important that there is a sharps been so that you can be certain that needles are being disposed of correctly, and aren’t being reused.
Licensesand Insurance – Each individual piercer and studio should have their own licence by the council (where applicable) that allows them to practice body piercing. Each studio will also have insurance that will protect them and you. (Insurances can differ from each company, which is why some studios may have different parameters to work under and may be insured for different things.) Please note that neither a license or insurance can guarantee that the piercer has had adequate trainer, you should check with your local department what their regulations are.
Aftercare – Aftercare instructions should be provided to you at each and every appointment, as well as easily accessible via their website. You may find that each studio’s aftercare may differ slightly, but they should still follow the most up-to-date guidelines. A good base to find appropriate aftercare and what to compare it to is the aftercare suggestions written out by the APP.
Rogues aftercare leaflets.
Single Use Needles – Every piercer will use a single needle for each piercing they perform on a client. These needles will never be re-used, especially amongst different clients. Piercing guns will also never be offered, suggested or even held by a quality piercer for any piercing.
Portfolio – Each piercer will have their own portfolio. In the modern day of technology, you easily find this via their social media pages, or websites. They may also have more private portfolio work that you can ask to see. It is important when vetting a piercer that you check their portfolio, especially if you are looking for specialist work, such as large gauge or intimate piercings. Keep your eyes out for their healed work too!
Jewellery – All jewellery should be of high quality, that is well polished with no external threads (such as threadless or internally threaded). There should also be a wide selection of jewellery available which will ensure a correct fit, and is suitable for an initial/healing piercing.
Age Requirements – Age requirements will differ for each studio, based on personal opinion and insurance, as well as legislation. No quality studio will be offering to pierce nipples or genital work to anybody under the age of 18 regardless of gender. Quality studios will also have a strict ID policy for all clients, and for underage clients the legal guardian will also be required to be present at the appointment.
These are some of the minimum standards you should be looking for when you research a piercer or piercing studio. As a bonus they may also have membership to either (or both) the APP/UKAPP. A membership to either of these organisations doesn’t mean that they will be perfect, or provide quality work. It means that they are working to a minimum standard that has been set up to ensure that standards of body piercing are improving. These includes things like (but not limited to) being first aid trained, having blood borne pathogen training, certain hygiene standards etc. You should be able to reach out to your piercer and ask questions about their practices and studio standards. Your piercer should gain your trust and make you feel safe and secure during your appointment. If there is something not quite right about a situation, and you aren’t 100%, maybe have another rethink before getting pierced! Always trust your gut and the facts from your own research.
At Rogue each member of the team has their own portfolio which you can see via our social media as well as having their own Instagram work accounts. You can also contact us to see more of our portfolio’s or if you have any questions about our standards. We also post a new blog weekly at 4pm on Friday which you can read.
Unfortunately, it is way too common in the UK to be able to walk into a piercing shop and have no idea what jewellery or metal you are being pierced with, how it works or is fitted, and if it is even safe to be worn permanently or even long term. Quite often at the piercing appointment at Rogue, we hear multiple variations of ‘so what jewellery can I wear today?” Typically, the client might mean: What is safe? What can I not wear? What in the cabinets should I avoid until my piercing is healed? And honestly, you are right in asking that question!
Any good piercing studio should be able to answer your questions about the jewellery they stock and why or why not it is suitable for initial use! For example, you may take a look in our titanium cabinet and as about the sparkly white flower. In response we can tell you:
“That is the Neometal Flower! It is made out of implant grade titanium, ASTFM-136 to be exact, which is the exact same grade they use for fake knees and hips. Therefore we know it is safe to be worn in the body for extended periods of time. It is also set with five genuine white Swarovski crystals, so they can keep that sparkle forever, with care and frequent but gentle cleaning. All of our jewellery comes with warranty against any manufacturer defects, so if one gemstone randomly falls out, you can bring it back into the studio so we can have it cleaned and fixed by the jewellery company.”
-Jay
This is all true! All of our jewellery comes with a warranty against any manufacturer defects. Unfortunately, not everything in life is 100% perfect, and this includes the jewellery we have in stock. Despite it being rare that pieces to break, it does happen. This is why we choose to work with companies that will accept responsibility for their mistakes, such as a loose setting, and help us fix that. They care about their clients the same way we do, and we want to provide you with an experience that is as good as possible.
All of our jewellery is completely certified and is 100% safe to be worn in the body for extended periods of time! (Gemma has once or twice said, you can be buried with them!) All of our jewellery meets the standards set out by both the UKAPP and the APP! And for all of our implant grade titanium, each of our manufacturers can also provide Mill Certificates!
Nearly every piece of jewellery we hold in stock we can use for initial piercing. There are of course a few exception! 1. Clicker and seam rings – We will never use clickers or seam rings in any initial piercing. The rotation will often irritate the open channel, and often because they involve a tiny gap can bring dirt and debris into the healing wound. Quite often these rings will be quite small in diameter, meaning there won’t be enough room for drainage. You can learn more about this here! 2. Chains and charms – When healing a new piercing there is often quite a lot of fluid that will drain from the piercing channel, this can then easily become built up around the jewellery. With chains and charms this can get stuck in-between the small gaps, meaning the jewellery cannot be adequately cleaned. 3. Genuine opals – Throughout our BVLA jewellery collection, we have one or two piercings of genuine opal which cannot be sterilised. This is because opals contain a high rate of water, and under extreme pressure and steam from the statim this can cause the piece to explode. Because they can’t be sterilised, this makes it unsuitable for initial use. However, we have lots of faux opals available for you!
Every member of the team at Rogue has a vast knowledge of our jewellery collection, and can tell you about each of our cabinets, the manufacturers and brands we use, as well as the individual pieces. They take class after class at different conferences across the world to ensure they are provide a safe and confident service to their best of their ability. These classes include safe and unsafe metals. Aiden himself (our head piercer) actually teaches his metal classes at some conferences, so you can place your trust that we are providing you the best quality jewellery we can.
July’s birthstone is the fiery red ruby, known for its incredibly deep rich red, and perfect for the blazing hot warmth that typically comes with the summer month of July, but not to be mistaken for Januarys warm and cosy red garnet!
July is a single birthstone month allowing Ruby to take centre stage. For the months that are lucky enough to have more than a singular birthstone, these are separated into two lists: Modern and Traditional. The more common of the two is the modern birthstones, which were defined in 1912 by the Jewelers of America in an attempt to standardise (and commercialise) birthstones. This was further updated in the 1950s, to include gemstones such as Citrine for November, or Alexandrite for June. Modern stones are based on what’s easier to sell in large quantities (making it the more affordable choice).
BVLA – Heart of Paul – Yellow gold + Ruby Photo courtesy of Chloe Victoria
Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum (a crystalline form of aluminium oxide which typically contains traces of iron, titanium, chromium, and vanadium), coloured by the element chromium. All other colours of gem-quality corundum are called sapphire! Ruby gets its red colour from chromium, which also caused fluorescence, making rubies glow deep and fiery. Rubies dominant hue is definitely the red we all know and love, however you can find rubies with undertones of orange and pink! Ironically, despite chromium given rubies it’s most important feature (the colour) it is also what makes it so rare as it can cause cracks in fissures. This makes it incredibly hard for rubies to grow large enough to become quality gems.
Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) is one of the oldest recorded sources of Rubies. For more then 500 years, Myanmar has produced the most wanted rubies. These are exceptionally known for providing a vibrant red, with a glowing fluorescence, and softened by light-scattering inclusions. Since the latter part of the 20th century, Vietnam has also been a major player in the mining of Rubies, producing this gem in a variety of red to purplish-red tones. The newest but still important source for this wonderful crystal is Mozambique in Africa, which is home to the prolific mines at Montepuez.
For many years in the very late 1900’s, the major source of rubies were sourced along the border between Thailand and Cambodia. Now, other important sources of Ruby include Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar.
In addition to being the July birthstone, ruby is traditionally given for the 15th and 40th wedding anniversaries! Dating back a little to ancient India, Ruby was called the “King of Precious Stones” due to its rarity, hardness and beauty. It’s also been known for it’s “mystical powers” and has long been seen as a symbol of power and youthful energy in Indian jewellery. In previous centuries, it has been believed to predict danger and misfortune, as well curing inflammatory diseases.
Following straight after Diamond, Ruby falls at a 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness, making it the second hardest natural stone. This means you should store this stone separately to others so it doesn’t cause any damage. Rubies are often heat treated to remove purplish colouration to improve it’s redness, some treatments can make a ruby more vulnerable to every day wear and tear. As usual, the best way to clean this stone is with warm and mild soapy water and a soft toothbrush! If your stone is untreated, heat treated or lattice-diffusion stones, then ultrasonics and steam cleaners are generally safe to use. However, glass filled and dyed stones should only be cleaned with a damp cloth.
Bvla – Live to Tell, Afghan, Muse Yellow Gold + Ruby Photo courtesy of Jess Farrar
We stock jewellery from brands from across the world, and can source items in all birthstones imaginable! If you would like to treat yourself to some meaningful pieces, just get in contact with us.
Make sure to follow us on social media for regular updates, and keep an eye out as we post new blogs every single Friday!
If you’ve been pierced at Rogue (or any other quality studio) you’ll often be told to come back in for a check-up and a downsize. But what is a downsize, and why is it so important?
Downsizing is shortening the length of your jewellery to make a nice snug and comfortable fit to your body. When we pierce you we always start with bigger jewellery, either longer in length or bigger in diameter. this is because during the first stage of healing, the piercing site will swell as a normal reaction to the wound we have created. We need to accommodate for this swell, thus meaning bigger/longer jewellery. (If you are interested in why we swell and the phases of healing check out this blog post.)
A fresh mid-helix piercing with ample room for swelling.
Why don’t we pierce with the short bar? Again it cycles back to the swelling. Without adequate room for the swelling, it can quickly become a problem. Often if there’s no room, the body will start to swell over the jewellery, which can cause it to be embedded or lost. This can quite often be very sore and painful. Depending on the severity of the swelling, we can pull the jewellery and replace it with a bigger pierce, or in very rare/severe circumstances we may have to refer you to urgent care.
A triple flat piercing embedded. The middle pierce of jewellery is starting to be ‘swallowed’.
How do we downsize? Downsizing is fairly easy. We don’t cut the jewellery down, and we don’t replace the entire piece. We just replace the wearable with something much comfier. For example: take a helix piercing, the swelling has come down and now it’s starting to move freely. We simply just remove the decorative end, take out the labret, fit a smaller labret, and put the end back on. Abracadabra its just that easy! For piercings with rings (such as a daith) we will simply just replace the ring for one with a smaller diameter!
When should I downsize? This varies for each piercing, but ultimately your piercer should let you know. However, for most oral piercings it will be between 7-14 days. Cartilage and other piercings (such as navels/nipples/eyebrows etc) it will be around 4-6 weeks. Intimate piercings can be either, depending on location!
How do I know if I’m ready to downsize? Typically the jewellery will start to feel and look longer. You may notice that it also starts to move around more freely by itself. Sometimes you may see that the jewellery is sticking up and out, or that it is getting caught more easily on clothes/hair/glasses. The best way to tell is definitely to pop in for a visit with your piercer! They’ll be able to assess it from all angles and swap that bar over for you.
Plenty of space = Downsize to smaller bar!
What happens if I don’t downsize? Now it’s not going to be the end of the world if you do not downsize your jewellery, and your ear or nose won’t fall off! However, once the swelling subsides and the fistula is less tight, the jewellery may start moving up and down or back and forth. This can cause irritation to a sensitive and healing channel, which may lead to irritation bumps and higher chances of knocks and snags. Over time, this can even create migration and rejection as well as wonky angles. Depending on the severity of the damage, this may result in you having to retire the piercing.
For oral piercings, such as tongues or labrets, you can cause serious teeth and gum damage with excess length in jewellery.
How many downsizes will I need? Well this depends on quite a few factors. For example, which piercing is it? Cheek piercings require multiple downsizes due to the rapid swell of the area, and how slow it returns back to normal. If you tend to be a ‘sweller’ you may require 2 downsizes for piercings such as a nose or helix, as you may need a ‘half-way’ size. Gaining or losing weight may also mean you might need to shorten or lengthen the jewellery, Certain medications, being ill, being in warmer climates can all effect how the piercing heals, swells, and settles, so it is never a definitive answer.
Sometimes you may not even need a downsize. Some piercings just don’t need it. For example, microdermals! Rook and daith piercings are definitely a choice, the aesthetic of these is often the longer curved bar, or the larger ring to show off decoration. Other piercings can be variable, such as nipple or industrial piercings. However, it is important to note that most piercings will need to be downsized.
A stunning fresh daith piercing – pierced with the desired jewellery, and no downsize is needed!
So there you have it! What is downsizing, why it is important and all things in between! If you think your piercing is ready for a downsize, book in for a check-up with us here! If you’re not local to Nottingham, check out the piercer map to find your closest UKAPP piercer to help assist you, or reach out to us for recommendations!
The adrenaline response, also known the ‘fight or flight’ response, is a hormone (adrenaline) release from the adrenal glands in response to stressful or dangerous situations. This release of adrenalin gives us a boost to act quickly. It can also cause feelings of distress, anxiety and feeling unwell. The aim of this release is to help you face dangerous situations and be ready to “fight or flight”.
How does it affect piercing?
When preparing for your appointment, and actually waiting to get pierced, a lot of people can be worried or anxious thinking about the pain, especially when you don’t know what to expect. The adrenaline response can be triggered by these thoughts of anxiety or stress in response to physical harm of the body (even though we decided to do this, these thoughts are completely normal and valid). This response often has physical presenting symptoms on the body, including.
In this situation though, the release of adrenalin isn’t always helpful! Running away (fight) won’t necessarily help, and we definitely don’t recommend trying to fight your piercer! So we implement techniques during your time with us to help manage these symptoms. First of all, we learn what the signs and symptoms can be (see above diagram) and figure out the best way to help you. We have sweets on hand to help with blood sugars, as well as cool water and compresses on hand to help with body temperature. We also help prepare you for the piercing by focusing on breathing techniques. We get you to focus on the ‘in and out’ of breathing, slowing it down, and releasing on the ‘push’ of the needle. By doing this, we can shift the focus from the anxiety, and help ‘rebalance’ the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide we might have from the temporary imbalance we might have caused from shallower breathing.
Even though these feelings can be scary and unpleasant, they are not dangerous. You are also in the hands of safe professionals who are prepared for all of this! And despite how cool you may think your piercer is, we still get nervous too! Yes, even when we get pierced!
So why do I feel weird after the piercing?
This is the adrenaline rush to help you manage the pain. Because your body senses a heightened emotion, your adrenal glands create a quick release of adrenaline into your bloodstream to help manage the pain you are feeling. It is your own body’s way of creating it’s own distraction technique from the pain and sensations you are feeling by increasing mental stimulation. The adrenaline also dampens the pain response in your nervous system so you won’t get slowed down by your injuries (the fight or flight response!).
It’s not just fear and pain that can spike your adrenaline, it can also be excitement! For example, some people enjoy dangerous sports or rollercoasters because of the ‘thrill’ they get from it. This thrill is the adrenaline surging through your body, despite not being in danger. This can happen in piercing too. The excitement of being pierced or getting pierced can easily trigger this response. (This happened to Jay after their cheek piercings!)
It’s not always super fun though. Sometimes you may get light headed or dizzy, and feel a sense of irritability. This ‘rush’ can sometimes be stressful for some clients. As always, your piercer should be on hand and prepared for all outcomes! For example, everyone at Rogue is first aid trained, so if you do feel lightheaded or dizzy, let your piercer know! Often we will elevate your legs to bring the blood back to your head steadily, and grab you some sweets to bring your blood sugars back up! Sometimes you might just need a glass of water.
Why do I sometimes feel ‘bad’ later on?
After your piercing you may feel like you are invincible or on top of the world, this is super normal, however over the next few hours the body will slowly start to return to normal after the surge from the hormonal release. The adrenaline surge can last up to an hour, as it returns back to normal levels you may feel a ‘comedown’ effect. These symptoms can include low levels of energy or tiredness, as well as a drop in mood (also known as ‘post-adrenalin’ blues). There is absolutely nothing to worry about! We recommend doing something that you find helpful in terms of self care. Whether this is getting super cosy on the sofa with snacks and watching movies by yourself, or hanging out with friends, it is super important to look after yourself. We also recommend grabbing some good food, and something full of sugar (such as a full fat Coca-Cola) however you should avoid over-consumption on caffeine as this can increase the adrenaline in your body.
Breo showing off one of our sweet jars!
The adrenaline response is nothing to be scared about. It is a natural reaction that the body has been using to protect itself for thousands of years, and it is rare we see ‘bad’ reactions to the adrenaline response from piercings. However, if you are feeling super nervous our team are always on hand to help you out and make you feel better!
Quite often we hear the words, ‘I’m a fainter’ by clients when they come and get pierced with us, which can make the experience much more daunting and scarier than it needs to be. It can also be a scary idea for anyone who has never fainted before, but may have never had a piercing, or is quite queasy anyway! But there’s nothing to be worried about! While fainting can be quite common, and any professional piercer should be equipped to handle it, it really doesn’t happen as often as you think it might. But let’s discuss fainting, what it is, why it happens, and how we (at Rogue) minimise the chances of it happening to you!
Fainting is a short-term loss of consciousness. It happens because of a sudden drop in blood flow to your brain. A fainting episode usually lasts a few seconds or minutes. Then, you wake up and return to normal.1 It occurs when the body over reacts to certain triggers, causing that sudden drop in blood pressure and heart rate, making the blood flow to the brain slow down. These triggers can include (but are not limited to), standing or sitting for a long time, dehydration or extreme heat, stressful or emotional situations, and seeing blood or having an injection.
At your appointment, some of these things can be tied altogether! For example, it is very common for some people to be nervous about the pain or the procedure, which can cause feelings of anxiety causing stress levels to rise. Depending on your piercer, and the piercing you’re having, you may be sat or laid down for your piercing, so if you stand to quickly it can cause you to feel lightheaded or faint. You may not have had food before getting pierced, or not enough food, so during the piercing your blood sugar might be low, and then it can drop further due to the adrenalin response after being pierced. However, it is still very rare for us to have a fainter in the studio!
When you put a number of these factors together, and very quickly, it drastically increases your chances of feeling faint, or passing out, which is why we have a number of procedures to minimise this as much as possible.
Eating! On our consent form we ask if you have eaten in the last 4 hours prior to your appointment. Having a healthy amount of food in your system can stable your blood sugar and prepare it for the drop in blood sugar once the adrenalin response happens. If you have not eaten, we have a variety of snacks and sweets on hand that we will ask you to eat before you go onto the room. We also have sweets for after the appointment to give you that litlle boost of sugar back!
Lying you down! For most piercings at Rogue, we will have you laid down. This means that if the blood flow to your head slows down, it has less fight against gravity. And if you do feel faint, it is easier to bring your legs above your head laid down, than stood up or sat down!
Breathing techniques! When getting pierced at Rogue, we will get you to focus on your breathing, keeping it nice and steady, and taking breaths in and out to alleviate the pain on the ‘push’ of the needle. But alongside managing pain, breathing techniques are a really great grounding technique and can help reduce stress and anxiety before the hard bit.
Focusing on you! As the piercer and the person ‘in control’ of the room, it is really important that all of our attention is on you, even if you don’t notice it, we are always watching you and your reactions to pick up on any warning signals that you may feel faint. These signs can include going pale, or sweaty. If we pick up on it early enough, we can typically help you out by giving you some water and or sweets, a cool compress if needed.
Despite everything we can try and do to prevent fainting, it can definitely still happens. But there is still absolutely no need to worry. Every member of Rogue is First Aid trained, and we take annual courses to keep up to date with any changes. We have sweets and water on hand for when you come round, and we’ll always stay with you for a small time to make sure you’re feeling back to normal (or as much as possible) before you leave the studio. If you are prone to fainting, just let your piercer know, that way we can be as prepared as possible beforehand!
Feel free to book an appointment with us, and we’ll make you feel as comfortable as we can!
Pearl, Moonstone, and Alexandrite. A cute array of white, rainbow, and purples, June is one of only three months (the others being December and August). with three birthstones, creating a beautiful array of choice for every June babies style and budget. The months that are lucky enough to have more than a singular birthstone, these are separated into two lists: Modern and Traditional. The more common of the two is the modern birthstones, which were defined in 1912 by the Jewelers of America in an attempt to standardise (and commercialise) birthstones. This was further updated in the 1950s, to include gemstones such as Citrine for November, or Alexandrite for June. Modern stones are based on what’s easier to sell in large quantities (making it the more affordable choice).
BVLA – Raine Rainbow Moonstone
Pearl!
Pearl is the only birthstone that is organic, which means it is formed by a living organism instead of long periods over time in the earth. Pearls come from shelled Molluscs , where they deposit layers of calcium carbonate around microscopic irritants – typically believed to be a grain of sand – that get lodged in their shells. Each species produces distinctive looking gems that are characterised by very specific ranges of colour and size. Technically, any shelled mollusc can make a pearl, only two groups of bivalve molluscs (or clams) use mother-of-pearl to create the iridescent “nacreous” pearls that are valued in jewellery. These rare gemstones don’t require any polishing to reveal their natural lustre. Mother-of-pearl is also known as Nacre, and is is an organic–inorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer. The same material of which pearls are composed. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent.
Pearls were once an incredibly rare gemstone and were accidentally discovered by divers foraging for food. These pearl-bearing molluscs live in salt-water or freshwater environments. They do not thrive in polluted environments. In 1893, the Japanese innovator ‘Kokichi Mikimoto’ discovered the process of growing pearls through ‘culturing’. The new ability to increase pearls instantly made them accessible across the market at a much more reasonable price. Salt-water cultured pearls are now being grown across the world. These farms are typically found away from socialisation and very breath-taking scenery, such as the southern coats of Japan and China. As a result of culturing, the rarest and most expensive pearls are natural pearls that have grown without any human interference.
Because pearls are made of Nacre, their colour will be the same as the same colour displayed by the animal they grew in. Typically soft and inviting, Pearl is commonly white or cream coloured. However, due to breeding pearls can now be found in a variety of hues, such as pinks and oranges, to exciting blues and greens. You can also find black, gold silver and grey on the market as a common colour. These pearls are typically from cultured from freshwater and are dyed. Black pearls are incredibly rare in the wild and so are mostly cultured, but surprisingly they aren’t actually ‘black’, but rather green, purple, blue and silver!
These milky-white stones have long been associated with purity, humility, and innocence – traditionally being given as a wedding gift. They are still used to celebrate the third and thirteenth wedding anniversary! Due to their rarity, elegance, and colour, they have been a symbol of wealth and luxury throughout their history. People also thought pearls brought a range of health benefits, such as curing depression and improving poor eyesight. While we can’t necessarily agree now a days, it’s definitely food for thought!
On the Moh’s scale of hardness, pearls are incredibly lowing, ranging from 2.5-3. This makes them incredibly soft and fragile. They can become easily damaged, especially if stored in plastic bags or exposed to chemicals. If stored in bank vaults, the extra dry air can cause them to dry out over extended periods of time. There is a saying around pearl jewellery that it must be the last thing you put on (even after makeup and hair products) and the first thing you take off. The best way to clean pearl jewellery is very lightly, with a slightly damp cloth. after each wear.
Pearls are relatively rare in body jewellery – Currently only BVLA works with genuine White Pearls! Cosmic BVLA Pearl cabochons.
Alexandrite!
Alexandrite is the second birthstone for June! Often described as ‘Emerald by day and Ruby by night’ because of it’s contrasting colours, Alexandrite is a rare variety of the mineral Chrysoberyl. The most prized stones show a deep dark green in fluorescent lighting and a sharp intense purple to red colour in incandescent lighting. The colour change is due to an uncommon chemical composition which includes traces of the same colouring agent found in Emerald – Chromium. It is the unlikelihood of the combination of these chemicals that makes this stone one of the rarest and most expensive gems on the earth. This isn’t the only thing interesting about Alexandrite, there is also another phenomenon with this stone. When long and thin inclusions (Inclusions are solids, liquids, or gases that are trapped in minerals) are parallel to each other, they can create the Cats-eye effect (also known as Chatoyancy). This is an optical reflection effect that makes the viewer see a band of light across the stone.
This mystical stone is relatively modern, but there is claims it was discovered in 1834 on the same day that future Russian Czar Alexander II came of age and therefore it was named in his honour, originally discovered and mined in Russian Emerald mines in the Ural mountains. These were eventually mined out, and now most Alexandrite is mined in Brazil, East Africa, and Sri Lanka. These newer deposits contain some high grade stones, but many display less-precise colour changes and duller tones than the 19th century Russian alexandite’s. Because of its scarcity, especially in larger sizes, fine-quality alexandrite is one of the most expensive coloured gems on the market.
Chrysoberyl mining at Corrego do Fogo near Malacacheta, Brazil. Courtesy: ICA
In contrast to its Opal counterpart, Alexandrite is relatively hard, scoring a 8.5on the Moh’s Scale of Hardness. With no cleavage (the weakest plane in a gemstone where it can split) it is an incredibly tough stone, making it a great stone for everyday wear and to gift. Despite ultrasonics and steam cleaners being a great way to clean this stone, it is still always best to use warm soapy water and a soft cloth.
Moonstone!
BVLA – Rose Cut Rainbow Moonstone
Moonstone, believed to bring great luck, is known for it’s vibrant, natural and optical effect similar to the bright appearance of the moon on a cloudless evening. This affect is known as adularescence. This happens because Moonstone is composed of microscopic layers of feldspar that scatter light. The best moonstones show a blue gleam over a transparent (colourless) background. The thinner layers of feldspar produce the blue while the thicker layers will look white. Despite this, this birthstone comes in a vast array of colours, including pinks, yellow, grey, peachy and greens. Sometimes, they can even produce a star or a cats eye!
Moonstone has associated with both Roman and Greek Lunar Deities (not surprising considering its long term history of comparison with the moon). This is again seen through Hindu mythology, which claims this stone is made of solid moonbeams! It is also known for it’s common associations with love, passion and fertility. During the Art Nouveau Movement between the 1890’s and 1910, many great artists and designers used moonstone in their fine jewellery, such as René Lalique and Louis Comfort Tiffany. Moonstone peaked interest in the market again during the 1960s “flower child” movement alongside the New Age designers of the 1990s.
The most common Moonstone on the jewellery market comes from the mineral adularia, named for an early mining site near Mt. Adular in Switzerland. Moonstone is now mined in a variety of, most commonly in places such as The United States, New Mexico and North Carolina. However, the most important ones are found in Sri Lanka, Brazil, India and Madagascar.
This birthstone falls in the middle of Alexandrite and Pearls, earning itself a 6-6.5 on the Moh’s Scale of Hardness, making it prone to stress cracking . It has poor toughness, and can crack when exposed to high heat, therefore making ultrasonics and steam cleaners unsuitable methods to clean this stone. Instead, you should use mild soapy and warm water, and a very gentle toothbrushes. Baby toothbrushes are great due to their soft bristles. Care is always recommended with any stone.
BVLA – Rainbow Moonstone
We stock jewellery from brands from across the world such as the December Birthstone, and can source items in all birthstones imaginable! If you would like to treat yourself to some meaningful pieces, just get in contact with us.
Make sure to follow us on social media for regular updates, and keep an eye out as we post new blogs every single Friday!
Often when we get a piercing, we don’t think too much of the complications. Piercings are quite typically seen as ‘just a piercing’ and not a lot of thought or care is put into the upkeep of trying to heal a piercing. But anyone who has had an irritation bump will know that piercings are not easy to heal, and require a lot of our time, effort and energy. They are also incredibly responsive to our environment, which is often why we may need to consider our lifestyle in relation to the piercing we are getting.
I’m going to break up our aftercare’s 3 main rules and some examples of lifestyle choice (or lifestyle influences that aren’t necessarily choices) that might influence the heal of your piercing.
1. Keep it Clean!
Keep it clean by cleaning twice a day with a sterile saline solution and general shower hygiene is the routine that we recommend you stick to in terms of actively cleaning your piercings after everyday movement. This help remove any casual dirt, grime, sweat, and crusties that have built up overnight or during the day.
But for some people, they may need to think about what they are up to during their everyday life. For example, if you are working in a job where there is an extraordinary amount of ‘dirt’ ‘mud’ ‘debris’ etc, you may want to consider if a piercing is for you. For example, working in career fields such as oil rigs, mining, construction, plumbing, farming, can leave you covered in insulation, wood chips/dust, contaminated water, faeces, and lots of other things you might not have thought about. Getting dirt in your piercings can cause serious irritation and infection, which is a good reason not to get the piercing for some people. However, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. We can start slow and steady, doing one piercing at a time. We may recommend an extra clean during the day, or finding something to protect the site, such as PPE. We want to work with you to heal piercings where possible, so we rely on communication from both us and yourselves to ensure the best heal, and to fix any arising issues.
Avoid soaking and submerging for an absolute minimum of 6 weeks, no swimming and bathing in bathtubs! Have you got a holiday booked that involves a swimming pool, the ocean or a hot tub? Have you got swimming sessions booked with school or in general? Maybe now isn’t the best time to get that piercings. Pools of water are really great at harbouring bacteria and micro-organisms, which is not great for a fresh and healing piercing (or tattoo, or wound!). If your lifestyle is revolved around swimming, but you are adamant on having a new piercing, you need to be able to commit to a 6 week break, and be thorough with the cleaning and drying appropriately after.
Alongside water being a great harbour point for bacteria, there is also mixture of chemicals, such as chlorine and bromine, which can be incredibly harsh and damaging to fresh piercing sites. These are two very drying chemicals which can also be incredibly hard to remove from the jewellery. This can lead to really pesky irritation bumps which can be a pain to get rid of.
Did you know that a single litre of pool or sea water can contain up to 1 million bacterial cells?
3. Leave it alone!
No touching, twisting, turning or fiddling with the jewellery. And definitely do not remove the jewellery, for an absolute minimum of 3 months (unless you plan to retire it of course).
If you have a job, or are in a school, which will ask you to remove your piercings, maybe adding an additional new one isn’t worth it. Removing jewellery in the initial stages of healing can cause trauma and irritation alongside introducing bacteria into a healing wound which can cause an infection. Depending on how long the jewellery is left out, the piercing channel can shrink (which requires a slight stretch to re-insert the jewellery) or it can close completely.
You may also want to consider your clothing choices. For example, if you are a person who wears a binder, having nipple piercings may not be the best course of action. The extreme tightness and pressure from the binder can cause excessive pressure on a piercing, resulting in irritation, migration and or rejection. This is incredibly similar to navel piercings and high waisted clothing. For navel piercings you need to avoid wearing any clothes that will create pressure around the piercing site, we normally recommend bottoms such as low waisted jeans and dresses, or things like leggings where the waistband can be folded over.
In ear objects! Headphones, stethoscopes, ear plugs, hearing aids, all objects that go inside your ears can be really aggravating for certain piercings. Daiths, Conch’s, Tragus’s and even Rook piercings can all be affected during the early healing stage (especially with the longer posts) due to the constant insertion and removal of the item risking knocks and snags. They can also cause additional pressure on the jewellery which in turn irritates the piercing channel. Excess pressure and irritation may result in bad angles, migration, rejection or retiring the piercing.
Stop Touching!
If you are unsure if your lifestyle would work with a piercing, feel free to send us an Instagram message, call us, or book a consultation for an in depth chat!
Before I start this blog post, I must state that as of writing, I am a 22 year old, femme-presenting/afab non-binary person who recognises her state of privilege, and lack of first hand experience and knowledge surrounding those who are seeking gender euphoric practices. Despite identifying as non-binary, I have personally never used piercings for ‘gender euphoria’, but definitely have used them in aid to find love in my body more.
This is why I have reached out to clients, and piercers first hand for their own experience that they are willing to share. This blog is intended to share peoples own experiences about being pierced to aid in their gender euphoria, and to provide more information to those out there.
Agender but transmasculine (he/him)
I have loads of piercings! 10 facial, 3 ear, both nipples and dukes – originally they were just a form of expression and I didn’t understand why they meant so much to me, but after transitioning, getting piercings really started to have a whole new meaning for me ! A lot of them enhance features that are already there that I find euphoric (for example, my eyebrow piercings highlighting my monobrow and my dukes highlighting my bottom growth) – since my experience getting vch/dukes, I’ve found them to be so gender affirming that I absolutely plan to get more genital piercings eventually!
My biggest advice to others looking for this is to go to a trans/trans friendly piercer that understands how much it’ll mean for you, especially if it’s a more intimate piercing! The experience of getting the piercing often really affects my feelings on it, especially with something as person as a gender affirming piercing, so it’s definitely worth finding someone that makes you feel comfortable and welcome! 🙂
Cove, 19
Healed Facial Piercings.
Hi I’m genderfluid, and use the pronouns he/they/it. The affirming piercings I currently have are my bridge, septum, and an eyebrow.
Facial piercings have helped me with gender euphoria, as they help to make my face look more androgynous, by covering/hiding more feminine aspects, and accentuating more neutral and masculine aspects. My bridge and septum help to draw more attention to my nose, and away from more feminine areas of my face, such as my lips and cheeks, and my eyebrow helps to make my brows look thicker and fuller.
The only negative effect I can think of, is having a strong emotional attachment to my piercings, as I don’t feel or look like myself without them, which can cause distress if I need to remove them.
I plan on getting my other eyebrow (I need symmetry), cheek piercings (as this will help to make my face appear slimmer) and lip piercings with hoops to almost hide them, making them look less feminine.
My advice for anyone looking to get affirming piercings, is to go to a reputable piercer and do your research. I had dahlia bites done and had to remove them as they weren’t pierced correctly and it crushed me. So trust me, the extra £15 is worth it!
Onyx, 19
Stretched Lobes
Septum, Bridge, Eyebrow
I’m a trans masc nonbinary lesbian! my pronouns are he/they. I currently have 19 piercings, but my paired eyebrows that I got a year ago have definitely been the best for gender euphoria! I love the way they emphasise my brow bone and make me look more masculine, as well as balancing out my face because I have a lot of piercings from the nose down. I’m currently thinking of getting my bridge redone, as I think this would draw more attention again to my facial structure. To anyone thinking of getting masc gender affirming piercings- do it! My facial dysphoria immediately improved when I got my eyebrows pierced. I love them!
Juno, 22
Transmasculine, he/whatever.
I got diagonal nipple piercings last December, and it’s honestly been so good for the old gender. Before I had them I looked at my chest and it was just like “gross, still got tits”, but now I get to look at them and see sick-ass shiny bars! I’m now much less uncomfortable seeing my chest because there’s something else to focus on that’s not dislike of my body.
It was the same for my navel piercing, giving much less focus to my hips and ‘feminine’ stomach and instead just heh nice shiny blue bar. Funny enough, the colour also plays into it. Sounds a bit silly but switching from plain titanium to anodised dark blue pieces has actually made me love my piercings even more – perhaps a bit juvenile to be all blue is for boys, but it helps.
This one is a bit mad, but I used to have earlobe dysphoria. Honest to god I felt that my lobes were too small and feminine. Stretching them has completely nuked that, and I now love how my ears look! Stretching my septum has also made me love how my face looks, I think the chunky blue ring in the middle really ties everything together in a masculine way. I’m excited to get more piercings, planning a stacked labret in the next few weeks!
I’ve just started T and am planning to get a triangle piercing and perhaps a few labia’s once bottom growth has slowed down. I love the way genital piercing looks and am excited to find out how it feels! I’ve always been somewhat uncomfortable during sex due to the whole trans thing, and I think genital piercings would help with that – having a less conventionally gendered vulva with bottom growth and piercings would help make it feel less like a Female Part and more just my body.
Any advice for other folks looking for gender affirming piercings: play around with different jewellery styles! Piercings are so customisable, you can tailor them to any version of your own masculinity or femininity. Also – nipple piercings do not hurt as much as everyone said they would.
Fletch, 19
Healed Nipple and Navel Piercings
My name’s Sin; I’m 30 and I’m nonbinary. I have a lot of piercings for a lot of reasons, but rather than talk about gender affirming genital work, or nipple piercings to help make my body more bearable whilst I wait for top surgery, I feel like you feel my gender euphoria most in my face. As much as the aforementioned are helpful, I’ve never felt more connected to myself than I do when I make that bold decision to change the part of me I turn toward the rest of the world.
I don’t like my face, but it’s mine. I’ve always had it and I always will. Even with surgery, with HRT, there’s always going to be my face under it, and people will always read it one way or another; masculine or feminine features, “harsh” features or “soft” features, boy or girl, whatever box the observer wants to put me in. But my modifications aren’t anything. They don’t belong to one category or another. They’re not a “male” or “female” feature. They’re not human, and I love that. Every new piercing is another step away from the expected presentation of either gender, into a new space occupied by neither, a space uniquely mine.
I’m a visual eunuch; something not quite both, but impossible to divorce completely from the concept of an “either”. In a body that never felt like mine, every new wound makes me a little more present. In the negative spaces I’ve made and filled in with gold, I’ve found myself; I am the most myself in the places in between, in the parts of myself that I enacted my own divine right to create or destroy or adorn.
I’ll continue adding piercings, and other modifications until I no longer feel a sense of “absence”. I’d like to expand on more directly affirming piercings like genital work as I explore HRT. However, with that, I’d say it’s important not to just consider that something is affirming because it is aligned to the presentation you identify most closely with, but sometimes that affirmation comes from the simple act of recognising your own ability to enact change. Body modifications are way to chip your own vision out of the flesh we’re all born into; it’s not about what “should” belong to a specific gender ideal, but about what makes you feel empowered in your own skin. Gender presentation is as multi-faceted and beautiful as the gemstones we fill ourselves with; it’s worth exploring.
Sin, 30
-Madelyn MacPherson(She/Her) 26, Ontario, Canada
Before I came out as transgender, the only piercings I had were my stretched lobes, and a septum ring. I had known I was trans for years, but was so scared to come out, until I heard I song I had heard many times before, but the lyrics “I need to be myself, because it so lonely in the eyes of someone else” hit me in a way they had never hit before. At that moment I knew I had to come out
A few months after coming out, I met my family at @goldenelectrictattoo . That is when my piercing journey began.
The first piercing I got made me realize how gender affirming getting pierced is for me was my paired nose piercings. How beautiful I felt looking at myself with them in after fighting for so long to see the woman I am in the mirror, it was one of the most gender euphoric feelings I’ve ever experienced.
Since then, I’ve had pierced my high nostrils, mantis, bridge, paired centre eyebrows, third eye dermal, vertical labret, angel fangs, smiley, both nipples, surface tragus on both sides, and my conches punched at a 4 gauge.
Every last one of those piercings made me feel more beautiful than the last, more feminine, and more willing to learn to love myself. Every time I struggle to see the woman I am today stare back in the mirror, I see my beautiful adornments all given to me by amazing friends, and remind myself of the beauty I carry inside and out
Being trans is a lot like getting pierced in a way. It’s a lot of pain all at once, but once it heals, you feel beautiful .
-Madelyn, 26
Gender/pronoun preference: she/her, trans woman
Piercings you got and why: helix x3, industrial, nostril, septum, vertical labret, nipples, 16mm stretched lobes
How this has helped with gender euphoria: I’ve made my body my own, in the way I want. I was insecure about my nose size, but my nose piercings have really helped with that. I wanted my nipples pierced for ages, and was glad when my endocrinologist gave me the go-ahead after a couple of years of hrt! They’ve also helped my body feel uniquely mine.
Any positive/negative effects from the piercing: I’m far more confident and comfortable going out! But sometimes I catch my nipple piercings in the shower 🙁
If you are considering anymore affirming piercings and why: not at the moment!
Any advice for other folks looking for gender affirming piercings: do it. Ignore what anyone else says, your body is yours and only yours, so do what you like to make it a body you’re proud of!
Abigail, 23
My name is Tobias and I’m 19 (nearly 20!) years old and trans masc. I go by he/him pronouns and have been on testosterone for a year and a half. I have a lot of piercings (22 currently!) and some of them have definitely helped me with dysphoria and made me more comfortable in my own skin.
I didn’t get a septum piercing intending for it to help with dysphoria, but right now my septum is stretched to 4mm and the chunkier jewellery definitely helps with a more masculine look/feel. It’s a big chunky piece and sort of the focal point of my facial piercings, meaning that my philtrum piercing (which I would consider more feminine, but that’s just me) doesn’t particularly stick out as much as it would without it. It means I can get more facial piercings that I want without worrying about them making me look too feminine.
I also have a large-gauge VCH piercing which was absolutely wonderful for dysphoria. I got it a few weeks after I started taking testosterone and have since stretched it to a large gauge than it was initially pierced at (3.2mm at the moment I believe). Genital piercings are absolutely wonderful for dysphoria especially since I haven’t had any surgery, and it only gets better when testosterone starts to work its magic and you get bottom growth.
In regard to other affirming piercings, I’m looking at paired labia piercings and nipple piercings (post-top surgery, if eligible). I’ve heard so many good things from other trans masculine people and trans men about labia piercings and the euphoria from them. I’ve spoken to some people who’ve stretched theirs quite large and have said that they’ve helped them a lot with bottom dysphoria.
If you’re looking to get a gender-affirming piercing then I think you totally should! It’s a very personal and individual thing, so what I prefer for my expression might not be the same for another trans masc person. However, if you’re very ‘traditional’ in what you consider masculine, then I think large gauge piercings and plain/chunky ends will always work brilliantly.
Tobias, 19
It’s important that trans people are also given a voice about their experiences, rather than be overshadowed by someone who doesn’t have that first hand experience. And so I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has been willing to share their own personal experiences for this blog post. I hope that people will find this useful and utilise it in their own journeys.
If you have any questions or are seeking support with your own journey into using piercings for gender euphoria, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!
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