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Piercings and Skin Conditions

Hello everyone! Today we’re taking a bit of a deep-dive into something that is very important to know about – How your skin impacts on your piercings, and how your piercings impact on your skin! We’re going to talk about eczema and psoriasis, and getting a piercing on Accutane.

The British Skin Foundation has found that 60% of Britons have a skin condition, or have experienced a skin condition in the past at some stage of their life. That is a lot of people! These skin conditions can range from mild to severe, but the most common are eczema, psoriasis, and cystic acne.

Eczema

Eczema is an incredibly common skin condition, affecting up to 25% of the population. Most common in childhood, eczema can follow us into our adult life where it is more common to impact on your piercings.

Eczema can cause itching and flaky skin. It tends to go through phases of flare-ups, punctuated by periods of healing and normal skin. This can be really annoying!

This is a good example of what an eczema flare-up can look like on an ear. There are lots of things that can trigger a flare-up, but the most common causes are the introduction of new cleaning products and stress – Both of these things can be experienced after a piercing!

So how do you work with eczema? The most important thing to do is to wait until you are not in a flare-up before getting a piercing. Piercing irritated skin will only cause more irritation, and can make your flare-up more intense and last longer. We promise we will still be here when your skin is healthy.

Taking care of piercings when you have an eczema flare-up can be tricky. Depending on the treatment you choose, it can irritate your piercings whilst soothing your skin. Both emollients and steroid creams can be harmful to a piercing. Steroids especially can cause some grumpiness! We recommend avoiding putting any creams or lotions directly onto your piercings, and leaving a good 10mm gap around them. Topical steroids especially can have long-term impacts on the skin that they are applied to. Most commonly, skin can become thinner and more fragile. This can slow down the healing process quite significantly.

Cleaning your piercings is very important when you are having a flare-up. Excessive skin buildup is common, and this can cause irritation when it accumulates on and around your piercings. We recommend moving to a once-daily cleaning routine. Be mindful of sterile saline, as although it is isotonic and non-irritating, it may be an eczema trigger for some people. If you find that saline is a little too harsh, cleaning your piercings after you have had a warm shower to soften the buildup with plain water is perfectly acceptable.

We like to stay in contact with clients who have eczema and other skin conditions, so that we can monitor the progress of their piercings and give them advice if necessary.

Important Takeaways

  • Avoid getting piercings during a flareup.
  • Ensure you are removing any skin buildup with gentle cleaning.
  • Do not apply emollients or steroids near your piercings.

Piercing on Accutane

Acne is a very common skin condition! Approximately 85% of the population will experience acne at some stage of their lives, most commonly between the ages of 16 and 25. Of course, the severity can vary wildly! Acne is only a consideration if we are aiming to pierce the affected skin, or if you are taking acne medication. It is really important to let us know if you are taking any medications! So can you get a piercing on accutane?

Accutane is a very strong medication that works by affecting the cell cycle. Although its method of action is not precisely known, its anti-acne effects are achieved by the drug triggering apoptosis (cell death) of sebaceous oil gland cells. These mechanisms can slow down the blockage of pores, and makes the skin more inhospitable to acne-worsening bacteria. Sounds great, right?

Unfortunately, Accutane is also pretty terrible for your skin! It has a lot of side-effects, many of which affect wound healing. The most common side-effects are intensely dry and fragile skin, UV sensitivity, rashes, and slower healing of wounds. This is pretty nasty, and definitely will impact on your piercings!

Piercings are not the same as a standard wound – The introduction of jewellery means that your body is already dealing with something abnormal. Piercings take months, and sometimes up to a year or two to heal. Introducing Accutane to the picture means this healing process may fail entirely.

So how should you work around it? The bottom line is that you should not be getting a piercing on Accutane. The medical community even recommends avoiding being waxed, never mind being pierced! It is recommended to finish your Accutane course, and then wait a further six months to allow your skin to normalise again before getting a piercing.

Accutane can also impact on piercings that you may have had for a long time. As Accutane damages the cell cycle, you may notice that existing piercings may get irritated easily. It’s important to remember that this irritation will not go away until your treatment is finished – Talk to your piercer, and we can formulate a plan on how to move forward. Depending on the piercing, it may be best to retire severely irritated piercings and repierce them at a later date. In the meantime, go right back to basics with them – Cleaning once a day, ensuring your jewellery fits appropriately, and is of a suitable style.

Intensely dry skin can definitely cause discomfort – Keep your skin protected by applying an appropriately thick and luscious moisturiser. Invest in a good lip balm!

Important Takeaways

  • Do not get a piercing on Accutane, or for 6 months after your treatment is finished.
  • Be mindful that even healed piercings can get very irritated – Keep in contact with your piercer for personalised advice.
  • Go back to basics with caring for your piercings. Clean gently with warm warm water, keep your piercings dry, and do not touch them!

So in summary, we require a lot of communication between piercer and client. What may have worked for you in the past in terms of healing, may not work for you depending on your flare up and medication. We like to take a cautious approach, and start with one or two easier healing piercings before moving onto more complicated work, just so we can observe and discuss how healing impacts you.

If you have any questions, definitely drop us an email! Make sure to follow us on social media as well, to stay updated with all of our work.

See you next Friday for a new blog!

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Birthstones – February

Love is in the air this month with Valentines day quickly and surely approaching. We’re also celebrating another birthday at Rogue (Hi Gemma!). And what better way to show off your birth month than with the February birthstone: Amethyst! (Possibly the studio’s favourite genuine gemstone).

Following on from January and Garnet, February is one of the few months that only has one birthstone, rather than two or three. 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). So what about the February birthstone?

With a great contrast to the colder and short lived month of February, the February birthstone Amethyst is a gorgeous and rich-coloured gemstone that should be enjoyed for an eternity. Being a purple variety of Quartz, it comes in all sorts of hues including lilac to deep purples. For Amethyst to get its colour, the quartz needs to have trace amounts of iron. This iron has tiny impurities which are then exposed to natural radiation (irradiation) which results in oxidation of the impurities. This process changes the absorption spectrum of the Quartz, resulting in the beautiful purple shades we see.

Russia was the main source of Amethyst until the 19th century, when large deposits were found in Brazil. Originally being super rare, this new found discovery led amethyst to suddenly become quite common . Today, the most important sources of amethyst are in Africa and South America however Brazil is still a major supplier, especially in Rio Grande do Sul, although the amethyst mined there tends to have a lighter colour than most found in other countries. .

In Africa, Zambia’s Kariba mine is one of the largest amethyst producers in the world. The Amethyst that is mined here typically tends to have excellent quality with richly saturated colours. There is also the ‘Four Peaks Amethyst Mine’ located just outside of Phoenix is the United States. This mine is is in a remote location, with extremely challenging conditions for Amethyst to form, yet somehow forms some of the deepest purple, and purplish red crystals.

This purple stone also has a great history behind it, often being found in collections of royal families across Europe and Asia. Because of the original rarity of Amethyst, it was held as high as a diamond, and was incredibly favoured royalty, or the Clergy as a symbol for the deity of Christ. It wasn’t until the discovery in Brazil that made Amethyst more available to a wide range of wearers.

Amethyst lore is just as great as its history. The lore includes many claims of bringing personal empowerment or inner strength if worn, as well as it’s claims to mystical powers. Leonardi Da Vinci once wrote that this stone has the power to protect against evil thoughts and quicken intelligence. Apparently he was well known for making use of this stone. Throughout time Amethyst has been ground down and ingested for medicine, or been used to make drinking goblets due to the reports of preventing intoxication. Although Amethyst is not toxic, it is no longer recommended to ingest through eating or drinking. So please do not try this at home!

In the modern day, Amethyst is the stone that is traditionally given to celebrate the 6th year of a marriage!

This purple quartz scored a 7 on the Moh’s scale of hardness, making it appropriate for daily wear in jewellery, although over time may show wear and need a repolish. As it is more susceptible to damage than harder stones (such as rubies and diamonds), it should be stored away safely from anything harder to avoid it being scratched or damaged. As always, the safest way to clean this stone is with a soft toothbrush and some mild soap, but it is also safe in an ultrasonic. However, steam cleaning should be avoided. This is because extreme treat (or some heat treatments) can change the shades of purple , or make it more brittle.

BVLA TRIO
Afghan, Mini Kandy, Mini Reema.

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!

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The Trouble with Online Troubleshooting

Welcome back to the blog! Todays post will be a little bit of a casual opinion piece about the joys and dangers of online troubleshooting, and the issues that can arise from getting piercing problem advice on the interwebs.

Who Do You Trust?

The main issue we see with online piercing problem troubleshooting, especially in public forums, is a lack of accountability and expertise. Having moderated and been an expert on various high-profile forums, I can see the same advice being touted by dozens of people who may not be professionals themselves. It can be difficult to tell if the person you are taking advice from is a qualified piercer, or a piercing enthusiast, or a fellow novice! When there is little to no consequences to the advice-giver, it can be easy for standards to slip and for bad advice to be given.

Anecdotal evidence is rife – ‘It worked for me’ is a pretty common thing to read! The problem with this is that sometimes people will heal a piercing in spite of their poor habits, not because of them. At Rogue, we work from evidence-based information to give the best possible advice.

If you are going to get advice online, the best place to do so is through the inbox of a professional piercer who you trust.

Can you tell what the problem might be with this piercing? Hint: There was four issues that couldn’t be spotted from a picture.

A Picture is Worth About 10 Words

A common question that we get, and also see online on forums, is ‘Here’s a picture of my piercing – What is wrong with it?’ This is a difficult question to answer…

Although a photo can be incredibly valuable, it rarely gives us all the information that we need in order to find the cause of your irritation and solve it with you. The best way to troubleshoot a piercing is in-person, where we can look at the piercing as a three-dimensional object and take information from all angles. A single picture will rarely show a poor angle, or a build-up of crusties that is causing issues, or a snag or knock.

When online troubleshooting, it can be easy to be lead down one route when in fact there might be two or three issues that all need to be resolved before the piercing will heal.

Personal Issues and Impersonal Advice

In my opinion, the biggest issue with online troubleshooting forums is that the advice is very rarely tailored to the individual, and doesn’t take into account your lifestyle and piercing problems. Having worked on public forums, the advice that is given (no matter what the true problem is) is: ‘Change it to Titanium, and clean it with sterile saline!’

Although this is generally good advice, the issues arise when the advisor is not a piercer, is given limited information, and can only work from a very limited knowledge base.

When advice is not coming from a piercer, it can be tricky to navigate piercing problem troubleshooting. A lack of professional experience means that non-piercers cannot digest and make the information that they learn their own. It can be quite common for the piercers at Rogue and myself to read comments, and be able to tell exactly which one of our blogs the advisor has recently read and is currently regurgitating!

When you book in with an experienced piercer for an in-person consultation and troubleshooting session, we work holistically. We look at everything that could be impacting your piercing and give you personalised advice that is aimed at you. And yes, sometimes that means changing your jewellery to Titanium and cleaning it with sterile saline! However there is a lot more to troubleshooting than just that.

Benefits of Online Troubleshooting

It’s not all bad news! During the pandemic, a lot of quality studios had to move to online-only troubleshooting for their clients as they could not be open to work in person. This included Rogue! We spent many, many (many) months working via email and Instagram to help our clients. This means that there are many good piercers like ourselves that can give good advice from photos and descriptions. That being said, the best way to work through problems with piercings is still to book in with ourselves to be assessed in person.

Online troubleshooting can be handy if your piercer is closed for the weekend, or is otherwise unable to respond to your messages. As a short-term stand-in, online advice can help, but should always be backed up with a trip to your piercer!

Teaching moment!

Our staff are highly trained and super experienced, which means that you can trust us to give you the best possible result from your appointment. You can see in the photo above a moment captured during my recent Wound Healing class at the UKAPP Annual Conference, where I teach piercers about the science behind wound healing and troubleshooting!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Make sure to follow us on social media for the latest updates.

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Birthstones – January

We’re officially into the new year, with Christmas gone and passed, but it’s not all doom and gloom in the studio. This month we’re celebrating the birthday of our apprentice, and this weeks blog is all about the January birthstone (well not just theirs). Garnet! Mostly known for it’s very intense red that will surely keep that fire going in the cold long days of January.

January is one of the few months that only has one stone, rather than two or three. 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).

But don’t worry, if that brilliant Red of Garnet isn’t your personal choice of colour, you’ll be happy to know that the January Birthstone comes in a whole rainbow of colours; green, blue, oranges, pinky/oranges, and purplish reds. There are even Garnets that have a colour-change effect when under different lighting or Star Garnets, which is where the stone displays a ‘multi-rayed’ light reflection on its surface that resembles a 4 or 6 pointed star. However, despite the wide range of colours available, this stone is well known for for their deep red varieties, that often are compared to fruit seeds of pomegranates.

Star garnets are found in India, the U.S. state of Idaho as well as Sri Lanka. Green garnet ranges in location. For example, Tsavorite is mined in Kenya and was named after the Tsavo National Park where it is mined nearby, while Demantoid garnet is hugely sourced in Russia. Yellowish/orange, or bright orange Garnet is named after Spessart in Germany where it was discovered but Namibia and Tanzania are also key sources for Spessart Garnets. The colour changing Garnets are found in Kenya, Sri Lanka and Madagascar. Garnets are also found and mined in many other countries. So many different ways to celebrate the january birthstone!

According to Indian astrology, Garnet helps eliminate negative feelings (such as depression or guilt) while improving self-confidence and mental clarity which helps promote creative thinking and peace of mind. In ancient and medieval times, gems like garnet were also thought to be remedies for inflammatory diseases and to soothe the angry heart. Garnets are also a symbol of eternal love thought to held protective healing powers, which makes it another good reason to gift Garnet to your loved one to celebrate your second wedding anniversary.

The different types of Garnet which change where it sits on the Moh’s Scale of Hardness, but it typically ranges between 6.5 and 7.5, making it more susceptible to damage than diamonds or rubies. Be careful on storage for Garnets, because it can be scratched by other stones. While Garnet is not ideal for everyday wear, it is ideal for earrings (including body jewellery), brooches and pendants. Most garnet stones are not treated except in rare instances where they might be fracture filled. However, the best way to clean your garnets is with a soft toothbrush (we always recommend baby tooth brushes the bristles are always softer) and warm soapy water. If you have an ultrasonic at home, you’ll be happy to know that you can give your garnets a quick whizz about in there, unless they are fractured, or fracture-filled. Steam cleaning is not recommended.

BVLA – Round Prong

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!

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Stop Touching Your Piercings!

When you walk through the doors at Rogue you will instantly see signs on our main desks, our mirrors and even in our jewellery display cabinets, all telling you not to touch, change or remove your jewellery. You may have noticed both our piercers and counter staff asking you to stop touching your piercings, or to sanitise your hands. We also ask that all jewellery brought into the studio is inside of a small bag or pouch and isn’t handled inside the studio with bare hands.

Image from Jef Saunders Blog courtesy of Dannielle Greenwood

Now you may think this is over bearing, or that we are on a power trip, or even that it might just be a weird obsession over cleanliness/hygiene, but we can assure you that it’s not! We do all of this to avoid the risk of any cross contamination in the studio. Hygiene at Rogue is one of our biggest focus points, and we have consistent measures in place to ensure that we are doing the best we can. From working with aseptic techniques during the piercing procedure, as well as having both daily and weekly cleaning tasks. Every member of the team at Rogue takes annual training in Bloodborne Pathogens (keep your eyes out for our certificates around the studio). This is so we can stay up to date with any changes in standards and protocols to keep both you and ourselves safe.

In the studio we have very careful procedures that we perform every single day to minimise any spread of cross contamination. We thoroughly clean and sterilise any tools and equipment at the end of each working day. We continuously wash and sanitise our hands while also donning and doffing PPE (wearing and disposing of Personal Protective Equipment such as masks and gloves) appropriately. Any of our disposable work tools that may have touched anyone are also disposed of correctly, through sharps bins and dedicated waste disposal bags and services.

So, what is cross contamination?

The definition of cross contamination from Oxford Languages English Dictionaries is: The process by which bacteria or other microorganisms are unintentionally transferred from one substance or object to another, with harmful effect.

Outside of piercing, most people think of cross contamination when it comes to food, especially raw chicken. For example, if you are cutting raw chicken you may end up with some of the raw juices on your fingers and hands, and once dried you may not know it’s there. The bacteria from the chicken can be spread across the kitchen on cutting boards, towels, and reusable wipes. If you don’t wash your hands and touch your mouth or nose or a small/large wound, you can become sick from the bacteria even if you don’t see it. This is because bacteria (such as salmonella) is easily transferable through open wounds and mucous membranes.

The same happens with body jewellery. At some point, the jewellery you have worn in your body has been in direct contact with bodily fluids such as blood. We as piercers have to assume that everyone’s blood, or any other bodily fluids that has been in contact with your jewellery, is contaminated with a bloodborne pathogen that has the potential to carry or spread viruses. The reason we do this is because, just like raw chicken juices, we cannot always see potential threats or dangers, and we’d rather be over-cautious and keep everyone’s health in tip-top shape.

Imagine the journey that bacteria might take across our studio. A client touches their grumpy piercing, and then touches the front desk or a display cabinet, or the arms of the sofa. This is then touched by the next client, who then touches their eye or mouth, or their own piercings! This bacteria can be transferred from one person to the next. Imagine not one client, but dozens per day! By not touching our piercings, washing our hands, and not allowing worn jewellery to touch any of the studio surfaces, then we break this chain of spread.

This is also part of the reason why we cannot reuse, refund or resell body jewellery that has left the studio. We have to assume that any body jewellery that has been purchased has been worn. We also recommend that you never buy and wear pre-used or pre-worn jewellery – You can read more about this in our ‘Sharing Jewellery’ blog. It is the equivalent of clothing stores having a no-returns policy on underwear. It is not safe to risk sharing fluids between clients.

As scary as it sounds, we’re just trying to show you that cross-contamination is super easy to avoid. So, all in all, please top touching your piercings and sharing body jewellery. It is unsafe and unsanitary! Practice regular safe hygiene processes, such as washing your hands and sanitising when and where needed.

Keep an eye on our blog as we post a new informational blog every single Friday! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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Piercing Emergencies and What To Do!

There are very few things in the world of piercing that constitute a genuine piercing emergency, but plenty of things that can happen that might be a touch stressful! In this blog we will be going over the most common ‘urgent’ issues that you might have, and what to do whilst waiting for your appointment at a trusted piercing studio.

Piercing Emergency: Losing Jewellery

Our jewellery is high quality, implant-grade, and very secure! However, the universe leans towards entropy wherever possible, and so your jewellery may loosen over time. Picture it: You wake up in the morning, reach up and feel an empty space where your jewellery used to be. You wash your face and hear that classic tink-tink-tink of a metal ball hitting the floor. Dang! What do you do?

  1. Don’t panic! Losing jewellery happens to everyone, even piercers. What matters most is what you do in the next ten minutes once you notice your jewellery is gone.
  2. Check your body. Take a look at your piercing – Is the post still in place? If so, excellent!
  3. Find it! Body jewellery is tiny, so grab your phone torch and have a really good hunt around. The phone torch will be super helpful as quality jewellery is super shiny! If you can’t find it by hand, don’t stress. Grab a pair of tights or a sock and place them over the neck of your vacuum cleaner. Run your vacuum over the room where your jewellery has gone, and you should pick it up!
  4. Clean it. Obviously, you cannot sterilise jewellery at home, but you also cannot reinstall jewellery that’s got floor on it! If possible, clean your jewellery with an alcohol wipe before putting it back in. If you don’t have anything else to hand, wash with antibacterial soap and water.
  5. Reinsert it as best you can. If you feel confident, you can put the jewellery back in! Screw the ball on, or push in the threadless end, and you’re all put back together. If you struggle to reinsert the jewellery, then sometimes the easiest thing to do is to just put the post in backwards so you can see what you are doing.
  6. Come and see us. If you don’t feel confident getting it back in perfectly, don’t stress. The most important thing to do is keep the piercing channel open. If you find it easier to put the labret post in from the front, then do that. Pop a little piece of micropore tape over it to keep it in, and pop in and see your piercer as soon as you can so that we can reinstall your jewellery perfectly!

Overswelling

It happens! Quality piercers will assess your anatomy and estimate how much extra length your new piercing will need to swell, but bodies can be unpredictable. Here’s what to do if you notice you are experiencing an overswelling piercing emergency.

  1. Don’t panic! See a theme here? It’s most important that you remain relaxed – Every piercing problem can be fixed easily.
  2. Assess what happened. Is your piercing fresh? Is it healed? Has it been downsized? What caused the swell?
  3. Assess your jewellery. Does it still have space on it? Is it sinking in at all? If there is still space on the bar, then fear not. You still have room to swell, and swelling doesn’t last forever. If you notice the jewellery is sinking in at all, then keep reading.
  4. Cool it down. A cold-pack wrapped in clean, disposable paper towels can be applied near to the piercing. We don’t recommend smushing the piercing directly, but applying a cool pack to your temple or neck can really soothe any ear piercings and diminish your swelling. If you know that you are safe to do so, now might be a good time to consider an anti-inflammatory such as Ibuprofen. Always speak to your primary care doctor before taking medications if you are unsure.
  5. Stay hydrated. Dehydration can cause you to retain water, making swelling prolonged and excessive. Keep your fluid intake up!
  6. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol makes you swell more – Don’t drink if you are swollen!
  7. See your piercer. If your jewellery is too tight, this can cause more swelling and serious discomfort. The best thing to do is book a checkup with your piercer as soon as you can, so that they can install longer jewellery that allows breathing room for your swelling.
  8. Take it back to basics. In short, keep your piercing clean, keep it dry, and leave it alone!
  9. Get a downsize. Once your swelling has come back down, please come back and have your jewellery downsized again! Wearing oversized jewellery is a common cause of… you guessed it… swelling. Don’t get caught in that wicked cycle!
All jewellery needs a little room for swelling.

Healing Shut

If you have removed your jewellery for a period of time, then there is a chance that your body will have begun the process of shrinking down the piercing channel and healing it up. Our bodies are incredible healing machines! We are often asked, ‘How long before I can take my piercings out and they won’t heal up?’ This is an excellent question. The answer is… Never!

A good analogy is this. Imagine you wear braces. You look after your teeth, your teeth shift into a perfect position, and then you take your braces off. When do you stop wearing your retainer? Never! That is because your retainer is the only thing keeping your teeth in alignment. And it is the same for piercings. Your jewellery is your braces – Without them, your body will always try and heal your piercings.

However, for whatever reason, you have taken your jewellery out and now you can’t get it back in! What do you do to solve this piercing emergency?

  1. Don’t panic! We should definitely make t-shirts with this written on them! Stay calm, and don’t google it…
  2. Don’t force it. The most common cause of issues we see is when people panic, and force their jewellery back into a closed piercing without taking their time. If your piercing cannot be reopened with minimal pressure, then do not keep pushing.
  3. Take a warm shower. The first thing you need to do is soften and relax your skin. A hot, steamy shower is the best way to do this.
  4. Get lubed up. Apply a small amount of water-based lubricant to your jewellery – No lube, no love!
  5. Be gentle and consistent. Apply a gentle amount of pressure with your jewellery – Just enough to get things started. Be gentle and consistent, and your jewellery should slowly slide back into place.
  6. Know when to call it a day. If, after all of this, you still can’t get your piercing reopened, then do not spend the next 45 minutes getting into a flap and causing more damage. If you can’t get it back in after 10 minutes, then it is simply not going to happen. Take a break.
  7. Come and see your piercer. If you can’t get your jewellery back in, then the best thing you can do is book in to see your piercer! We can use tools and skill to gently taper your piercings back open. You would be surprised at how many piercings we have rescued that their owners thought were a lost cause!
Double Lobe Piercings

Help – I can’t get my jewellery out!

Picture this – You have an MRI coming up, a surgery, school, or an important event. You need to take out your piercing! But you just can’t figure it out. What do you do in this piercing emergency?

The first thing to do is to understand your jewellery. If you are trying to unscrew a threadless end, you might be there for some time… Click HERE to find guides for all of the styles of jewellery that we offer.

Tips and Tricks for Threaded Jewellery

Threaded jewellery is the style that screws together. This can be a little fiddly to work with!

  1. Clean your hands and the jewellery. Removing any oils or buildup from your hands and the jewellery will increase your friction and help you to crack that initial unscrew!
  2. Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey. Your jewellery unscrews in the same orientation as any screw-top bottle. Imagine you are holding a milk bottle. Your jewellery unscrews the same way!
  3. Wear gloves. If you are seriously struggling, a set of nitrile or latex gloves will seriously increase the twisting power. And if you are really in trouble, wear two sets of gloves. Double gloving doubles your torque and can help you to crack even the most stubborn of balls.

Tips and Tricks for Threadless Jewellery

Push-fit jewellery is often seen as the easiest style to remove yourself at home. Still, it’s pretty fiddly stuff!

  1. Clean your hands and the jewellery. Like with threaded jewellery, clean hands and jewellery will improve your grip!
  2. Lose the nails. Long nails can make removing threadless jewellery a pain – Get some hands involved that have relatively normal nails. A little bit of nail can help grip snug-fitted jewellery though so there is a midground to be found.
  3. Grip both ends. Get a firm grip on both the labret disc and the threadless end. You can use a set of tweezers if the disc is in a tricky spot like a nostril or forward helix.
  4. Give a little wiggle. A gentle rocking wiggle can help crack that first little movement. It helps, we promise!
  5. Gentle pull apart. Once you have a little motion, then gently pull your threadless end off.

Tips and Tricks for Seam Rings and BCRs

How you remove BCRs and Seam Rings really depends on your end goal. Do you just want to swap the jewellery? Do you want to preserve the piece, or are you happy for it to go in the bin afterwards?

  1. Clean your hands and the jewellery. Again, we need this on a poster don’t we!
  2. Find the seam. This is easy on a BCR – The clip-in will be the seam point. It’s a little trickier on a seam ring, but find that tiny join.
  3. Bend into a spiral, not a pringle! If you can, just flex your BCR sideways until the ball pops out. For seam rings, open them out into a spiral if you can.
  4. If all else fails… You can use a set of nail scissors or jewellery pliers. Put the jaws of your tools into the middle of the ring and open them so that the jewellery folds open. This is a last-ditch move as you will irreperably damage the ring and need to throw it away.

Genuine Piercing Emergency

Although incredibly rare, there are some things that we would consider a genuine piercing emergency. The main things that we would consider an emergency are:

  1. An infection.
  2. Tongue piercing embedding.

Infections are incredibly rare. When following appropriate aftercare, and keeping yourself, your hands, and your piercing clean, then the chances of getting a bacterial infection are almost zilch! That being said, a genuine infection is a piercing emergency. Do not skip go, do not collect £200, go straight to urgent care for antibiotics. There is little your piercer can go to treat an infection – We are not doctors! The most important thing to do is assess if you have a true infection, which you can read a little more about here.

And finally, another true piercing emergency is any issues you may have with tongue piercings. Tongue piercings are generally super easy healers, with a full heal in just 4-6 weeks. However any issues you may have in the first week can very easily become more serious, so please keep an eye on your piercings! If you notice that your jewellery is too tight, please book an appointment with your piercer for longer jewellery. Do not put it off – This is an emergency that we would even recommend calling out of work for if necessary.

Conclusion.

So there you have it! A plethora of information about the most common piercing emergencies and what you can do about them both at home and in the studio.

If you have any issues with your piercings, do not hesitate to get in touch. You can contact us over the phone, via instagram, via email, and you can always book in for an in-person consultation or checkup.

We will see you again next Friday for our next blog! Follow us on instagram to stay up to date with our latest work and announcements.

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Birthstones – December

December is officially Holiday season, and all over the world people will be celebrating their own holidays in their own special way. This month, we are looking at 3 special gemstones to commemorate you December babies. Turquoise, Tanzanite, and Zircon are three beautiful December birthstone that vary in their hues of blue, which is perfect for that cold chill of December!

Three Birthstones?

The majority of months know how to celebrate with their stones by having multiple stones. December is one of two months that decided to ramp it up to three for an extra kick – So what options do you have for the December birthstone?

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). Turquoise is Decembers traditional stone, with Tanzanite and Zircon being the more modern and newer stones.

Whatever your style, budget, taste or preferences are, there is definitely something for all you cold December babies.

Turquoise!

Turquoise is well known for it’s bright blue colour! With shades ranging from sky blue to apple green, and its standout veins of matrix (black, brown or grey remnants of the rock it was formed in), it’s no shock that Turquoise is very well recognised. Turquoise is formed when mineral-rich water seeps in-between the gaps of rocks, and over time the water dissolves, leaving only behind the formed minerals, i.e. Turquoise. The minerals left that form the stone, are the ones that give it its colour. For example, copper gives turquoise its shades of green and blue.

Purple Copper Turquoise – BVLA Round Prong

There is an assumption that the gemstones name can be translated to ‘Turkish Stone’ which hints that this is where it may have first been found. If it was, it definitely didn’t stay there long. Apparently they were buried (and later found) in the mines in The Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, which date back to as early as 4000 BC. This makes Turquoise one of the oldest gemstones in history.

The ‘sky blue’ stones were originally sourced in Ancient Persia (now Iran) are often still referred as ‘Persian Blue’. The U.S is currently the biggest supplier of Turquoise, where most production comes from Arizona and Nevada. The ‘Kingman mine’ in Arizona is a historically important source that is known for producing intense blue turquoise. Although it is no longer open for turquoise mining, Arizona’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’ mine was a prolific producer for more than four decades.

Turquoise Prong- Anatometal

For centuries, Turquoise has believed to be a protective stone, often being worn as amulets. From the 13th Century it was believed that the stone would protect its wearer from falling (particularly, falling off of horses. We’re not sure how relevant this is these days…), as well as the common belief that the stone would break into many pieces at the face of danger. There are also many other beliefs, such as the guarantee of good health and fortune. Hindu mystics maintained that seeing a turquoise stone after beholding the new moon ensured fantastic wealth. Turquoise was often seen through many royal families, such as the Duchess of Windsor who wore a beautiful Amethyst and Turquoise necklace. Queen Mary had a collection of Persian turquoise jewellery, including a tiara, necklace, brooch, and earrings. The Persian Turquoise Tiara was eventually passed down to Princess Margaret, who wore it until her death in 2002. In the modern day, Turquoise is also the gem of the 11th wedding anniversary.

On The Moh’s scale of hardness, Turquoise is typically around 5-6, although some Turquoise is treated to improve its durability. Turquoise can be dyed or chemically enhanced by adding an epoxy or acrylic resin for greater hardness or better colour. Typically, Turquoise is pretty durable when it comes to light, but can be sensitive to high heat , which can cause discolouration or breakage. It is for this reason hat Turquoise stones should not be cleaned with steam or an ultrasonic. Acids, chemicals, and cosmetics can also damage or discolour your stone. The best method of cleaning is warm soapy water.

A large amount of Turquoise is synthetic these days – This improves it’s day-to-day wearability!

Tanzanite!

Tanzanite is the newest addition to the December birthstone, being the first gemstone added to the official birthstone list in almost 100 years. It is one of the most fascinating gem discoveries of the 20th century. Harry Platt (the president of Tiffany and Co.) stated: “The most Beautiful stone to be discovered in 200 years. And honestly, we might have to agree. Often described as ‘velvety’, Tanzanite comes in an array of shades, ranging from pastel and pale lilac, to rich blues, flirting with violets, lavender and cornflower blue hues on its way. In 1968, Tiffany and Co. became the biggest distributor of Tanzanite, advertising of its vivid colours, high clarity, and ability for larger cuts, caused this stone to rise massively in popularity.

Tanzanite is one of the most unique and rare gemstones we have, and works perfectly as the December birthstone. It was formed over 500 years ago under extreme geological conditions that are seen as completely unique. It is also only found in one small area of the foothills of the mountain it was discovered, and to be found anywhere else it is believed to have a on “one in a million” chance. In 1967 it was discovered in the “Merelani Hills” . It is believed that sometime in the future, we will have completely run out of this stone.

Most of the Tanzanite found on the market is actually heat treated, to enhance the blue/violet hues and remove the brown that is naturally found. The colouring of this is permanent, and there is no durability concerns. The stone typically ranges around 6-7 on the Mohs scale of hardness and is resistant to normal heat, light and chemicals. But if exposed to very sudden high or rapid changes in heat, it can cause the gem to crack. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are not recommended to be used to clean this stone, and therefore the best option is warm soapy water.

The below photos were kindly borrowed to us by the amazing Becky Crossan at Inkhaus Piercing!

Zircon!

Zircon is a classic gemstone, that has often caused confusion with synthetic Cubic Zirconia due to its similar name. Very few people realise that it is its own special naturally formed gemstone which ranges in a fantastic array of colours. The broad colour palette of this December birthstone includes red, blue, orange, yellow, brown and green. It is well known for its intense flashes of multicoloured light (called fire), and its brilliance. This resulted in Zircon being confused with diamonds for centuries.

Zircon is one of the many gems that are found in Sri Lanka. It is often found close by to Sapphire sources, so in addition to Sri Lanka, it is also found in Vietnam, Cambodia and Australia. Mining for Zircon in Australia dates back 4.4 billion years, possibly making it the oldest mineral as a gemmological found. Australia’s Hart Range is most commonly known for producing the Zircon birthstones in yellow and brown, however Australia dominates in Zircon mining, producing 37% of the worlds supply.

During history, Zircon has had many symbolic beliefs attached to it. In the middle ages, the most common belief was that it would help lull people into a deep and peaceful sleep, while getting plenty of rest. There were other beliefs during that time, such as Zircon bringing forth good fortune and warding away evil spirits. The ‘luck’ associated with Zircon is said to present itself in different ways. For example, it is often believed that Zircon will promote discipline and self confidence, thus leading to better opportunities.

Zircon ranges from 6 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. It is often heat treated to produce blue and colourless varieties, as well as orange, yellow and red. The gem is typically stable when exposed to light, but after prolonged exposure to bright light some heat-treated stones may revert back to their original colours (which is usually a light-ish brown). Exposure to heat can alter the colour of some zircon. Because zircon tends to wear away or chip by friction, it is best to avoid wearing it in rough conditions, such as gardening, playing sports or doing dishes. Cleaning your zircon using a soft brush and mild soap in warm water is the best method. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are not recommended for this December birthstone.

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!

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BVLA – Fine Body Jewellery

BVLA is the leading designer and manufacturer of fine body jewellery in the world. Rogue also has an entire cabinet stocked with exclusively their jewellery. But why? Why are they so great? What makes them so special, and better than any other goldsmiths on the market? Well, let’s find out.

Who are they?

BVLA, Body Vision Los Angeles. They are designers, manufacturers and innovators based over in the heart of Los Angeles, California. Founded by their owner Nick Martin in 1996, they have proudly built up a business that has exceeded industry standards, provided top quality body jewellery, and defied the status quo. At present, they have 100 employees and five jewellery workshops, all dedicated to the process of turning dreams into reality.

You can find BVLA’s jewellery all around the world. At current, they sell their jewellery to some of the best piercing studios in the world, in over 25 countries. You can find BVLA stockists in New Zealand, France, Spain, Malaysia, the UK, the Netherlands and many more destinations.

Why are they highly recommended?

If you have been looked into a higher quality piercing studio, or different high quality studios, you will notice that there are lots of companies that offer gold, or fun colours and cute designs. But what makes BVLA stand out from the crowd? Why do they have the ultra-lux reputation that they do?

  1. They are ethical: BVLA are arguably one of the most ethical companies in the piercing industry, and consistently make responsible choices in every regard. The Gold that they use is recycled to help minimise environmental impact, and all of their Diamonds are ethically sourced and guaranteed to be conflict free. They are also big believers in equality and diversity for all humans. They currently have a programme called the ‘BVLA Future Stars‘. This programme is an apprenticeship that aims to support and provide full-time paid positions for under-resourced BIPOC, in order to help them forge careers in fine body jewellery and manufacturing.
  2. They have an infinite amount of choice: BVLA is currently the home of over 3000 unique original designs, and this collection still continues to grow and evolve every day. They work with 7 different metals (both 14k and 18k Yellow, White, and Rose Gold, as well as the ultimate luxury: Platinum). They also have the ability to offer over 150 different choices of gemstones, from Sapphires and Diamonds to Labradorite and Rose Quartz. You can find a rainbow of colours a dozen times over. There is also additional choices of textured materials, and the different types of finishes and cuts. Choose between hammering or sandblasting? The choice is truly yours.
  3. They are high quality: BVLA are the basis of high quality jewellery and manufacturing. With every single product being designed, handmade and hand polished in LA. Every part of the the process is intrinsically thought out to achieve the best results. Every time they receive a new order, the responsibility is handed to an individual jeweller. This means the jewellers and makers can avoid the boring tedious task of just making the same design over and over again, and can have pride and joy over their creations, while still keeping their brain active and fresh.
  4. They offer a lifetime warranty: This is a huge factor for piercers. From human errors to machine breakdowns, you can never be 100% certain about anything. Especially with body jewellery. Offering lifetime warranty on manufacturers defects is a big bonus. They take such huge pride in their work and are so confident in their craftsmanship that they will repair or replace any item that they have ever made, totally free of charge.
  5. They offer completely custom work: One of BVLA’s most attractive features is their custom work. Every single piece of jewellery they offer can be customised by the client in hundreds of ways. From choosing between hundreds of gemstones and finishes, to redesigning the minutiae of each item, BVLA really provide the opportunity to be creative. But it doesn’t stop here. They also work with piercers and take on custom order projects and custom designs. If you can think it, they can make it! They also offer a service that is incredibly unique and rare in the piercing industry, and that is reworking. They offer the ability to rework and reset gemstones and traditional jewellery into body jewellery. For example, you can no longer wear your family heirloom Diamond ring because of work? They can help turn that classic earring into body jewellery for you. Fancy something a little different? Lets make it into a septum ring!

Why Do Piercers like BVLA?

Of course, BVLA are not the only jewellery manufacturer making high quality pieces, or fancy gold ends, or even working with genuine gemstones. But apart from the previously listed reasons on why they are amazing, why do piercers have such a connection with BVLA?

Well BVLA work very closely with piercers. Each studio that is a stockist of BVLA has their own personal point of contact. For example, Kat (our jewellery specialist at Rogue) has been in touch with the same personal contact (Hi Phoebe!) for the duration of their time at Rogue. Some piercers will work with the same contact at BVLA for decades. Whether that’s talking about previous or existing orders, any questions or quotes, purchased jewellery etc. This helps provide a truly personal feel between BVLA which creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere, rather than being passed from person to person to find answers.

BVLA also recognise their clients (that’s us!). When we place our jewellery orders, sometimes we like to treat ourselves to something new as well. When piercers or counter staff place an order for a personal piece of jewellery, BVLA offer a small discount on that piece. This helps piercers feel recognised and appreciated, and its a really sweet gesture. We are forever grateful!

They also continue to show their support and appreciation of piercers by attending conferences. They attend the APP conference is Vegas quite regularly, and this year they went out of their way to travel to the UKAPP Safe Piercing Conference in Manchester to be a vendor. They also donated 3x generously priced gift vouchers to the piercers raffle, valued at over £10,000. That could be genuinely life-changing for a piercer or studio!

So, why should YOU care?

Overall, BVLA has arguably the highest level of care for their jewellery, clients, and their own staff and future in the industry. They continuously offer the highest quality jewellery, and a high quality service. They are a consistent pleasure to work with. BVLA offer unique services, not just for piercers and piercees (such as reworking and resetting) but they offer unique advantages such as their Future Stars apprenticeship! Their jewellery is potentially the finest and greatest jewellery that is on the market. While being ‘expensive’, (Price and value are truly personal to each person – What is expensive to one person is not for another) their price consistently matches the quality of the item you receive.

If you are interested in learning more please check out more of our blogs! If you would like to place an order for your own piece of BVLA feel free to contact us at customorder@roguepiercing.co.uk!

Head to our instagram for a full BVLA lookbook of some of our favourite pieces.

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Piercings and Pregnancy

Becoming pregnant is probably one of the most exciting and daunting things you can do! Not only is it mentally intense, but physically it can take a toll on your body. So why should you think about piercing while pregnant? You might not even be thinking about your piercings, but read this blog and find out what to expect when you’re expecting as a pierced person!

Can I Get Pierced Whilst Pregnant?

The short answer is no! Absolutely not, with no exceptions! The longer answer is…

As you probably know, your growing foetus will be sharing everything with you – Your oxygen, your nutrients, and any bacteria or infections you may have. This means that there is a risk of transferring bacteria to your baby if you receive a piercing during your pregnancy.

This risk is small, especially when you are receiving high quality piercings from a safe studio such as Rogue, however this is not a risk we would ever want to take when there is a tiny human life involved! Not only is it a morally grey area, but no insurance policies in the UK will cover the piercing of a pregnant person, and no piercing licenses allow it either. It is simply not worth it.

Can I Get Pierced Whilst Breastfeeding?

Again, the best option is to avoid it. The chances of passing infections through breastmilk is pretty low but not impossible! Most licensing councils will not allow piercing studios to pierce people who are breastfeeding simply to turn this risk from small to zero.

The main reason that we do not want to pierce pregnant or breastfeeding people is because your body is already under a huge amount of strain! Whilst pregnant, you are growing an entirely new person! And when breastfeeding, you are probably going to be tired, sleep deprived, and physically drained. Your tiny new person is going to be taking up a large part of your time and brain-space, and it is always best to be able to focus on the new kid on the block as opposed to having to care for a new piercing.

We are open all year round, seven days a week. We will definitely still be here when your little one is weaned and you can sleep through the night!

Pregnancy and Your Existing Piercings

Something that few people consider is that your existing piercings might get a bit grumpy when you are pregnant! The reason for that is…

HORMONES.

Hormones play a huge role our bodies. From dictating when we wake up and fall to sleep, to our menstrual cycles, to our stress responses! Unsurprisingly, our hormones go absolutely nuts when we are pregnant.

The main hormone that will affect wound healing during pregnancy is oestrogen, or estrogen if you are a terrible American. Pregnancy causes oestrogen levels to skyrocket, which can negatively affect your natural wound healing process. This means that any minor knock, bump or snag to your piercings that under normal circumstances you may not even notice, can cause irritation!

Your immune system in general is dampened during pregnancy, meaning that you might experience irritation and general ‘grumpiness’ of your existing piercing while pregnant during those months. If you are experiencing this, definitely book a checkup appointment so that we can assess your piercings, and help you to make them as comfortable and happy as possible.

Navel and Nipple Piercings

Another really common question we get is: Can I wear a pregnancy navel bar and avoid having to take it out? Should I get nipple piercings if I am planning on breastfeeding later down the line? Will nipple piercings stop me from being able to breastfeed?

Lets answer these questions one by one!

Pregnancy Navel Bars

You can buy them pretty much anywhere. Extra long, often soft and flexible plastic barbells that will keep your navel piercing while pregnant open as your body expands. They are often a terrible idea for a few different reasons!

Firstly, we have covered the topic of plastic body jewellery time and time again on our blog. In short, there are no safe plastic jewellery options available on the market. Plastics are unsafe, can release toxic chemicals when exposed to heat and moisture, and can cause serious irritation to your piercing.

Secondly, it is never a good idea to wear jewellery in a piercing that is going to be placed under a huge amount of stress and expansion. As your pregnancy continues, the skin will stretch. Wearing jewellery in your piercing during this time will put a lot of pressure on the piercing channel, and seriously increases your risk of rejection or tissue splitting. Even if your piercing remains relatively healthy, there is a very high chance that it will be left very thin, fragile, and most likely off-centre or crooked in some way.

The best step to take is to remove your piercing in the early stages of pregnancy, and wait until you have finished breastfeeding. At this stage, you will be nice and ready to be repierced and have a beautiful, well-placed navel piercing!

Nipple Piercing While Pregnant and Breastfeeding

We cover this topic briefly in our Nipple Piercings 101 blog, however lets go deeper today!

Can I breastfeed if I have had nipple piercings? The answer is of course, yes! You can definitely still breastfeed if you have had nipple piercings. The common myth is that nipple piercings will damage your milk ducts, but this is simply untrue. You have hundreds of microscopic pores for milk to be expressed from, and a nipple piercing will only impact on a handful. You will still be able to breastfeed completely as normal.

That being said, should you breastfeed with jewellery? The answer is no, definitely not. Nipple barbells pose a significant risk to your infant. Not only are they a choking hazard and can damage your infants mouth, but having jewellery in the way might stress your infant out and discourage them from latching correctly. We always recommend removing jewellery during the breastfeeding process.

So do you have to retire your nipple piercings entirely during breastfeeding? Generally, yes… Hypothetically, you could definitely remove and reinsert your nipple jewellery every few hours for feeding time, but this is probably not going to be at the top of your list with a newborn baby in the house! Having spoken with breastfeeding parents before, the nipple can become chapped, irritated and very sore. Fiddling with nipple jewellery sounds like an added problem that I would not personally want to deal with…

So yes, we probably recommend retiring your nipple piercings and having them reopened or repierced once you have finished breastfeeding.

Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Genital Piercings

Less commonly, we are asked by parents with intimate piercings what the jazz is – Are they ok to be left in? Will my Obstetrician be ok with them? Will I be judged for having intimate piercings? What do I do with my intimate piercing while pregnant?

It’s a tricky question to answer, and depends a lot on the intimate piercing in question. Most intimate piercings are totally fine to be left in place for your pregnancy, however some may pose a problem when it comes to delivery. Most piercings in the area such as Christina piercings, VCH and HCH piercings, and outer labia piercings, will not cause any issues during pregnancy. However, be prepared to answer innocent and/or curious questions from your Obs and Gyns team! It’s always best to mention the piercings beforehand, and have some jokes or one-liners prepped to make the process more entertaining.

In general, we would recommend removing inner labia piercings, fourchette piercings, and Princess Albertina piercings well in advance of your due date. These are the piercings that are closest to the vaginal canal, and are the piercings that are most likely going to get ‘in the way’ during the delivery! Given the huge physical demands of childbirth, your vulva and vaginal canal are going to be rearranged in ways that are a little intense, and having jewellery in place could increase risk of tearing. In addition, if you have to undergo any interventional procedures such as an episiotomy, your fourchette piercings and other vaginal-canal-adjacent piercings will need to be removed to allow the delivery procedure to continue.

The most important thing however, is to seek medical opinion. Depending on your piercings, and your birth plan, your team may recommend total removal of all piercings. It is better to know in advance as opposed to being surprised on the day!

Conclusions

So there you have it! A pretty good overview of what to expect from piercing while pregnant. Most of all, if you are pregnant and reading this, congratulations!

We hope this has helped you make informed decisions about your body, your piercings, and your pregnancy. It’s a big change for anyone, whether it is your first child or your fourth! If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via email, or through our professional Instagram page.

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Anaesthetics – Where Do Piercers Fit In?

I think one of the most common questions we get, aside from ‘How much is a piercing?’ is… ‘Can you numb it?’ Piercing numbing is a common query.

It’s a fair question. Especially for those inexperienced with piercings, it might feel like a daunting experience! It’s completely understandable that you would want to make it as pain-free as possible. But what kind of piercing numbing is available? And why are they unsafe?

The History of Anaesthetics

Since the dawn of time, for as long as human beings have experienced pain, we have been looking for ways to avoid it. The ancient Babylonians may have been using anaesthetics up to 4,000 years ago. The earliest accounts of anaesthetics pop up in the early 1200s, where physicians would use sponges soaked in opium to relieve the pain of surgery. However, the first general anaesthesia was not implemented in a surgery until October, 1846!

Piercing numbing creams did not become popular in the tattoo and piercing scene until the late 90s and very early 2000s, with the rise of Emla cream. That means that piercing anaesthetic is still very much in it’s infancy.

“Now hold still while I perform your helix piercing…”

Anaesthetics and the Law

It’s very important to stress that piercers are not licensed or insured to provide any anaesthetics, including piercing numbing creams. Numbing creams are licensed, prescription-only medications that require a special license in order to use. Tattooists and piercers who are administering numbing creams to their clients are committing a crime, which can result in fines, jail time, and loss of license.

The administration of local anaesthetic injections by persons other than medically qualified practitioners (doctor/dentist) is illegal, and therefore not permitted. External application of topical anaesthetics (creams/gels/sprays) to clients can be deemed an offence under the Medicines Act 1968. The legislation stipulates that only persons who hold a product licence (generally pharmacists) may supply these products for use in medical applications. Their administration by Body Piercers, Tattooists or Therapists on clients for cosmetic purposes can therefore be deemed an offence.

– Gov.uk

Even with consent from the client, you are reminded that the use of any anaesthetic, be it by oral, injection or topical application, may leave the user open to prosecution under the Medicines Act 1968 or Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.

Piercing Anaesthetics – How Do They Work?

The most common ingredients in numbing creams are lidocaine, benzocaine and prilocaine. These are active ingredients that work by blocking Na+ (Sodium ion) and K+ (Potassium ion) channels in your nerves, preventing them from firing properly. This nerve effect can cause lidocaine toxicity when improperly used – For example, by an unlicensed piercer. Symptoms of lidocaine toxicity include:

  • Heart Palpitations
  • Hypotension
  • Dizziness
  • Shaking and tremors
  • Nausea

Of course, lidocaine toxicity from a piercing would be quite rare, however…

Lidocaine and it’s derivitives are common allergens. 2.5% of people may experience anaphylaxis from the introduction of lidocaine to their bloodstream – And you may not know about this allergy until it is too late.

Aside from anaphylaxis, allergic contact dermatitis and skin irritation are very common. This means that you may experience an angry rash, itching, or bleeding after applying a numbing cream. This can be exacerbated if numbing cream comes into contact with broken skin, such as a body piercing.

Freeze Sprays – A Bad Alternative

Another popular, and equally terrible, piercing numbing option are ‘freeze sprays.’ These are unlicensed, meaning that anyone can use them and it is not classed as an offence. You have probably seen them in youtube videos or instagram reels – They look like they are spraying deodorant onto the piercing spot.

Freeze Sprays work by spraying a liquified gas or chemical onto the skin – This is often ethyl chloride. As the gas evaporates, it rapidly cools the skin until the nerves are no longer able to fire properly. This gives a temporary numbness to the top layer of skin.

These sprays, although legal, are highly problematic. The freezing action can toughen the skin, causing excessive trauma to the piercing site. Secondly, if used on or near mucousal membranes, it can severely damage the skin. Finally, and most importantly, freeze sprays can (and do) cause chemical burns and tissue necrosis. Freeze sprays are unregulated and often used by piercers who have no idea what they are doing. This means that misuse is criminally common.

  • The product itself is not sterile and can therefore potentially cause an infection.
  • To have a good numbing effect, the spray must be applied in quite high doses to reach the nerve fibres below the skin. This presents the likelihood of burns being caused to the skin, particularly in cases of smokers and diabetics, which opens the way for infection.
    • The product has been shown to be a respiratory irritant, particularly when used on or near the face.
  • The product is highly flammable and must therefore be considered carefully in terms of health & safety during usage, storage etc.

We will attach an image below, taken at Rogue, of a navel piercing that we unfortunately had to remove due to a severe chemical burn from a freeze spray. This was of course not pierced at Rogue.

This client, who has given permission for this image to be shared, had to have their navel piercing removed by ourselves. This piercing was only 6 weeks old, but you can still see the scarring and damaged skin surrounding the navel that was caused by a freeze spray. This is a classic result of a chemical burn caused by a freeze spray. We hope that this piercing will heal, this scar will fade, and next year we will be able to give them the beautiful navel piercing they deserve!

Do They Even Work?

Ironically, even if you do take the risk and apply a numbing cream before a piercing without your piercers knowledge (we do not recommend doing this!!), you would hope that your risk would pay off by giving you the painless piercing you want. You may be disappointed in the results, as numbing creams are ineffective at numbing piercings! Why is this? It is because lidocaine can only act where it is applied, aka the thinnest surface layer of the skin. This means you may only get numbness for the first 0.00001 seconds of a piercing before we are piercing non-numbed skin!

What Should You Do Instead?

There are so many non-anaesthetic options for minimising the discomfort of a piercing.

Accept It.

To a certain extent, we can minimise the pain of a piercing through technique. We minimise the use of tools or clamps, we import the highest quality teflon-coated needles, and pierce using a smooth and gentle technique. That being said, all piercings naturally come with a certain level of discomfort. We are piercing you, after all.

Self Care

If you are stressed, tired, hungry, hungover, or generally not feeling your best, then a piercing is going to feel more uncomfortable. The best way to have the best experience is to look after yourself! Treat your piercing like a medical procedure – Ensure you are well-fed, hydrated, and coming in after a good nights rest. You will be amazed how much basic self-care can make a piercing more manageable.

Breathe It Out.

We are not a hippy studio. We don’t normally subscribe to breathing techniques! However, there is scientific evidence that slow, deep breathing can help patients with acute pain. A total of 11,968 studies were screened in this review, showing that deep breathing techniques significantly lowered pain scores. That is not to be sniffed at! This effect is called Respiratory Hypoalgesia. The baroreceptor system (The sensing system that includes the lungs) detects changes in blood pressure and heart rate during the respiratory cycle. Deep breathing changes the signals that are relayed to the brain by the vagus nerve, which then provides an analgesic effect through the parasympathetic nervous system.

At Rogue, we practice deep breathing techniques before, during, and after the piercing. As a piercee as well as piercers, we can absolutely tell the difference. It is magical.

Conclusions

So there you have it! Anaesthetics may sound like an excellent option, however they are unsafe and ineffective. Please never apply numbing creams without your piercers knowledge, and never attend a piercing studio that offers numbing as they are breaking the law.

Stay safe, stay healthy!

If you have any questions, please drop us an email or instagram message! Keep an eye on our blog as we post a new one every single Friday!