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Conference Time!

Mirror, mirror on the ceiling

September has been a very busy month. The Rogues were very privileged to attend conferences in both Essen, Germany and Manchester, UK! Veteran conference attendees Aiden and Breo flew out to the annual BMXNet conference held in Essen to learn more about the fascinating world of body modifications, including suspension demonstrations and piercing technique workshops.

Almost as soon as they arrived back, the whole team drove to Manchester for the UKAPP conference. First time attendees, Jay, Kat and Gemma finished the Saturday shift and headed out – notebooks at the ready! A hectic month requires plenty of time to reflect, absorb and process and with so much learnt and so many new experiences shared, the team have taken a moment to jot down some thoughts about September’s conference season.

Jay


My first time away for a UKAPP conference was absolutely crazy, but in the best way imaginable! When we first arrived on Saturday night, I was super nervous and tired from a busy day at the studio, followed immediately by the 2.5 hour drive to Manchester. So I called it a night early and was tucked up in bed by 11pm (after a quick trip to Spar for some snacks)!

And then, it was Sunday morning! We got up, took Aiden’s dogs for a walk and headed to the venue for registration. I kicked off my first day with an amazing class by Edu Fernandez about the dark side of diamonds! I went off to Greggs, and this is where I started talking to people and making some friends. It really helped my confidence, and from there I introduced myself to as many people as possible!
The afternoon was kickstarted with another amazing class from Suzanne Wise, educating us all about health considerations with piercings – I got so many notes! This was followed by THE Paul King, talking to us about the history of pierced women in porn. This was a huge fan girl moment for me and I stayed behind afterwards to ask some questions! I nearly died when he shook my hand!

Aiden, Jay and Paul King


I couldn’t have asked for a better first start to the conference, which then got even better in the evening! After a lovely meal (thank you Aiden :)) we headed towards the Stiletto after party, where I got to talk to a few more piercers! And, HUGE FANGIRL MOMENT, I got to take a photo with AIDEN AND PAUL KING, on stage!! I was weak at the knees!
Day two, the excitement had definitely cooled down a little bit, however I got to do some more amazing classes! Huge thank you to Nahuel Burgos, Paul King, and Jess Sellars for their very informative classes.


And then before I knew it, it was already the final day! Started it off right with a trip to Starbucks and a great introduction to high-end jewellery class from Alex Wilkins! The afternoon was swiftly followed by a super educational class by the wonderful Helen Houghton, all about those lumps and bumps! And then we ended the day with another history lesson by Paul King, all about The Incredible Til of Cardiff! Afterwards, I got to talk a little more to him regarding how to start my own research projects and even got to give him some stickers! And that was it!
My highlights were definitely meeting Paul King, and making some incredible new piercer friends, as well as collecting loads of stickers! Huge shoutout to Lindsey at Neometal, and Damien at Neilmed! And the guys from People’s Jewelry! You were all so amazing, and lovely! I really wish I’d had more time to properly speak to everyone, but that’s what next year is for right?

Breo

It was my third time attending the BMXnet conference, my last one was back in 2016. There are a lot of friends that I only can see when meet up at this conference, so it was awesome to catch up with them after many years. It’s a huge event (this year we were around 470 participants).

The classes are more participative than other conferences, which is nice and the venue is just spectacular. We had free buffet (eat as much as you like), with plenty of vegan options. Classes start from 9am up to 8pm (around 2 hours each class), and with breaks in between so you can attend as many as you want. People come from all over the world to this annual gathering (we had a piercer that came all the way from Mumbai!). We met a lot of new faces indeed.

BMXNET 2022

Jewellery vendors were distributed over 2 floors (the building has 6 floors), because there was A LOT OF JEWELLERY BRANDS selling! We got a few treats for ourselves, loved ones and friends. I only have good memories from this conference, it’s one of my favourites by far.

Now onto UKAPP, what to say… playing at home is always awesome. This year was very special to me, because not only did I have my partner in crime assisting as a vendor (Claudia of Inari) but the whole Rogue team was there. It was the first time for Gemma, Jay and Kat (just the first of many to come), with a special mention to Kat, who attended as speaker. Words cannot tell how proud I was seeing them talking about wound healing dynamics. Thorough and technical, just the way we like it. 

Claudia & Breo at UKAPP

Conference was at the Radisson Hotel, which is located in central Manchester. It’s smaller than BMXNet, but cosier. It was incredibly awesome seeing how the conference grew through the years, despite a global pandemic. There is nothing bad to say about the UKAPP Conference, maybe that it is just 3 days long. 3 days that, if you blink, you definitely will miss something! Usually there is so much going on at the same time at conferences, that it is hard to do everything you planned, but the UKAPP Conference is one of those that is structured in a way that  all the classes don’t overlap with other activities on the schedule, which is great.

Gemma

Like many people, I’ve struggled with social anxiety for over a decade and attending my first large conference was a really big achievement both professionally and personally. I cannot thank everyone enough for being so supportive and understanding. It’s been years since I’ve visited Manchester and it was great to return to the city (under wildly different circumstances).

Filling our tummies!

Every class I attended was eye opening. From learning how to better identify the causes and preventions for piercing lumps and bumps thanks to Helen, seeing different techniques and approaches to nostril piercings from Stray, all the way through the three history classes presented by Paul King – every class I attended was full of fascinating information and helpful knowledge that I can’t wait to bring to my piercing. I particularly enjoyed Nahuel’s class on piercing before the 20th century and can’t wait to do some further reading on our worldwide history!

I met so many amazing people, from all over the world and it was great to hear their stories, opinions and accents. I’ve missed the North! It was overwhelming at first to meet so many industry professionals that I have admired, some from even before I picked up a needle. Everyone who took the time to chat with me was so lovely and I’m very grateful to work in an industry with such interesting people. I really loved spending time with Andre (@andrenalinbodyart) and Loreia (@unknownpleasurespiercing) and I can’t wait to see you both again soon (BMXNET 2023?).

Dusk Body Jewellery has made some absolutely breathtaking pieces. Purchase this rose-cut Peridot piece here!

Kat

This year was my first year attending the UKAPP conference. Although we were members last year, I was unable to attend due to covid restrictions so it was super exciting to be able to go this year! Although I was pretty nervous, I was also incredibly thrilled to be teaching a class this year. My class was ‘Immunology and Wound Healing Dynamics,’ which went down very well! The class actually topped out in attendance so I hope to be able to offer it again next year so that more people can attend that want to learn about science and piercing.

Kat’s class was jam packed!

Aside from being a speaker, I also had the pleasure of being the chief purchaser of jewellery from the extensive jewellery expo! We have new stock from Dusk Body Jewellery, Sebastienne Jewellery, Industrial Strength and Anatometal which is all available in store and on the webstore as well. I really hope you all like what I’ve chosen! The classes were also awesome this year. I made a point to attend as many as my schedule would allow, so I attended classes covering Professional Boundaries (David Angeles), Jewellery Handling and Manipulation (Stray and Aiden Johnson), Better Basics (Stray Johnson and David Angeles), Initial Jewellery Standards (Brian Skellie), Ethical Gold (Edu Fernandez), and a history of the Incredible Till of Cardiff (Paul King).

Each class was incredibly valuable in their own right – I couldn’t pick a favourite! It was insightful to meet some of the names I had until now only seen and talked to over the internet. Brian Skellie was just as calm, well-spoken and intelligent as he is online! It was also very cool to meet some fellow members of the industry and get talking. Thank you to everyone who came up and said hi! My favourite moment was definitely the Themed Ball, where David Angeles attended dressed as a mermaid – David Clam-geles. I am very proud of that pun, just so you know!

New jewellery from Sebastienne! Purchase this exact piece here!

Aiden

Conference season came and went in a blur this year. Breo and myself headed to BMXNet first, where we got to spend time with some old friends as well as make some new friends. We took classes and waxed lyrical into the night with our European and international peers and it felt like returning home after all the lockdowns. Before we knew it we were making our way back to the UK for a quick intermission.

Our boys at breakfast!

I did my CBT and motorbike theory tests (passed both!) and then it was time to pack the car and head to UKAPP. I couldn’t be more proud of how the Rogues handled themselves this year. Breo and myself are veteran conference attendees but the rest of the team were first timers. I was the AV volunteer for UKAPP conference again this year so I was generally busy setting up classes and making the tech work but every time I saw a Rogue, they were asking questions and introducing themselves to people as well as asking for interviews (well done Gemma!). Seeing Jay become a fan girl and go up on stage to get a photo with Paul King is one of my top two highlights of UKAPP. The other would be seeing Kat teach their first class and blow the minds of piercers. I was nervous taking such a large team but they all did perfectly and I look forward to them all returning next year!

Thank you!

To all the volunteers, vendors, board members and attendees at both BMXnet and UKAPP conference this year for making it a great experience for everyone. And thank you to our clients and industry peers, as without all of your support we wouldn’t have the opportunity to travel, learn and continue providing high quality and high standard professional piercing in the heart of Nottinghamshire. It means the absolute world to us to be able to continue to be at the forefront of safe piercing practices in the UK and across the world. See you all again next year!

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Sharing Jewellery

A very common question we get is, ‘You pierced my mum a few months ago, can you reuse her worn jewellery in my piercing?” Sharing body jewellery is a very controversial topic within piercing. Across the board, it is seen as a huge no-no. That being said, there seems to be some discrepancies – Would you wear earrings second-hand? Would you wear something someone else wore in a fresh piercing? Where do plugs, weights and hangers fit into this discussion?

Worn Jewellery Degradation

Jewellery degrades over time. This is true of all things – Entropy comes for us all! This is not necessarily a cause for concern – Titanium labrets age very well and do not tend to cause issues to the wearer. Issues only tend to arise when an attempt is made to reprocess, sterilise, and re-implant the jewellery into a new person. Please read the below figures as they are super interesting!

Brand new Titanium alloy implants, ready for use in medical patients.

We do not have any data specifically from body jewellery (yet!), however Titanium alloy implants from dentistry and osteology are an excellent (and well-studied) source of reference. As you can see, the surface of the implants can become scratched, dented etc through normal wear. This worn surface causes no problems in a healed piercing as the piercing is settled and robust. This is not a surface that should ever come into contact with a fresh piercing, as jewellery is stored appropriately at the studio to avoid damage and a damaged or worn labret is never used in a fresh piercing.

The same Titanium alloy implants after wear in the body. Note the scratches, dents etc.

Biological Contamination

Using a worn post in a fresh piercing is cause for concern- that imperfect surface can scratch and irritate the fresh piercing. The main issue with this though is the fact that it is impossible to fully sterilise this item. The cracks, folds and imperfections can collect biological material which is difficult to remove from the surface. Introducing this into a fresh wound is not hygienic and should not be done by any professional piercer.

Biological debris still clearly present on the implants after cleaning and sterilising.

The above images shows the presence of biological contamination – This can be carbon residues, proteins, biological cells, all of which are permanently adhered to the surface of the implant. Testing has shown that since the surface cannot be completely cleaned, there is a high risk of prion residue. Prions are proteins found on the surface of cells, which can become damaged and misfolded. These prions can then cause Prion diseases such as CJD. Although very rare, the potential existence of prions on the surface of worn jewellery is enough of a risk that we would never reuse worn jewellery in a fresh piercing, especially not across different people.

A common argument I hear is ‘But we’re related!’ This argument is moot. Pathogens, as far as we are aware, do not discriminate between related and unrelated individuals. Even if they did, the contaminants and biological matter would still cause an immune response and opens you up to potential infection.

Equipment Contamination

Jewellery needs to be appropriately sterilised to be used in a fresh piercing. Putting a worn piece of jewellery into our autoclaves would potentially contaminate them with biological matter, which is inappropriate and opens up the risk of spreading contaminants across clients! This risk is obviously low due to strict reprocessing protocols within the studio, but the safest risk is the risk you don’t take in the first place.

Healed Piercings

Healed piercings are generally robust and not as vulnerable to infections from worn jewellery. The issue with this to us as professionals is that spreading biological contaminants between people is always too high of a risk. Biological swabs of worn earrings showed that up to 485 colonies of bacteria can be found on a single piece of jewellery, with species including Staphylococcus and Bacillus. Some species of which are responsible for Staph, MRSA and Meningitis. 1 in 30 people are thought to be asymptomatic carriers of MRSA – Inserting jewellery contaminated with their microbiome, skin cells, sebum and other debris leaves you at risk. For example, if you are sharing stretching jewellery and cause any microtears during the insertion process, this leaves you very vulnerable to infection.

You would hope that worn jewellery being sold online would at least be sterilised, but it is difficult to prove this and many listings simply skirt around the topic of hygiene. The average reseller simply does not have access to the type of machinery required to reprocess and resterilise jewellery. This is a very concerning thing to see from a professional studios point of view as you do not know the health status of the previous wearer, and cannot assume that the jewellery is safe to wear even if the seller claims it is ‘pre-loved, but in great condition!’ This is one of many reasons why we do not use jewellery purchased outside the studio in fresh piercings.

In general, we would recommend extreme caution when purchasing worn or preloved jewellery, even for healed or stretched piercings. The risk is far too high. It is unhygienic – Comparable to wearing someone else’s used underwear or sex toys!

To conclude, we know it’s really tempting to go down the worn jewellery route. High quality jewellery, especially Gold jewellery, weights and hangers, are quite expensive and it can seem like a savvy financial decision to find them second-hand. However, the risk of infection, bloodborne pathogens, and irritation to your piercings is too high for it to be a sensible choice. We always recommend finding your nearest high quality piercing studio and purchasing brand new jewellery for all of your piercings – Your body is worth it! You only ever have one body, so treat it well. High quality does not always mean high cost – Neometal offers a wide range of high quality body jewellery with a very accessible price tag. You can also find Glass jewellery for stretching on our website!

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or queries you have! Don’t forget to follow us on social media to ensure you don’t miss any posts or announcements.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6764709/

https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/10/9/836/htm

https://journals.lww.com/implantdent/Fulltext/2012/10000/The_Biological_Aging_of_Titanium_Implants.15.aspx

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Piercings and the Seasons

As Autumn and Winter roll back around, it’s time to talk about how you should protect your piercings through the year! As your environment changes, so does the care your piercings need. This is especially true for exposed piercings such as ear and nose piercings, and definitely true for stretched piercings like lobes and septums! So, how do you care for your piercings in winter?

Winter

Ear Piercings in Winter

Ear piercings are particularly sensitive to Winter – The constant changes in temperature from hot to cold, the mild irritation of hats… There’s a lot for your ear piercings to deal with! The main thing to keep in mind is to keep your ears at a steady temperature, and shield them from abrupt changes in temperature. You may have noticed (if you are particularly perceptive) that when you come in from a cold walk in the wintertime, your ears get pretty red and can even swell a little bit. If not properly protected, this can cause excess swelling on a fresh piercing. We recommend wearing a clean loose buff or winter hat, or other gentle ways of shielding your piercings from the cold, dry air. Make sure you are washing your hats, earmuffs etc regularly as they can be a source of bacteria! Soft, lint-free materials are ideal so as not to risk introducing loose fibres to your piercing. As always, be super careful to avoid snagging your piercings on any hats you do decide to wear! Every pierced person knows that a wooley hat can be the nemesis when you have ear piercings, so do be extra cautious.

Nose Piercings in Winter

The main thing that people can be worried about when caring for new piercings in the wintertime is “What if I get a cold?” The winter is known for having higher rates of cold, flu, and even Covid-19. This not because cold temperatures make viruses more contagious, but because we tend not to properly ventilate our homes and workplaces and spend more time in close physical contact with others. A cold or flu will not make healing your new piercing impossible though, so don’t let that put you off! The main thing to keep in mind is that your piercing is more resiliant than you think. Importantly – Be gentle. Blow your nose as needed, keep your piercing clean and dry, and be patient. The best thing you can do is to avoid getting ill in the first place – Keep your home well-ventilated, wash your hands regularly, and make sure you’re eating a healthy diet with plenty of the necessary vitamins and minerals!

The best way to blow your nose with a fresh piercing is… Carefully.

Stretched Piercings in Winter

We will be focussed on stretched piercings in winter that are more likely to be exposed – Stretched earlobes and stretched septum piercings are the most common! Both are susceptible to that cold, dry air. They are a little more fragile than standard gauges, simply because the tissue is thinner and the jewellery often larger or heavier.

With stretched lobes, the best thing you can do is take the opportunity to downsize the gauge of large stretched lobes during the winter. This means that the piercings are not experiencing as much stress, have a better blood flow, and can settle to become more robust in the long run. The process of downsizing and upsizing in time with the seasons can help to thicken thinning lobes as well! We recommend downsizing by 1-2mm on smaller sizes (10mm-14mm), and 2-4mm for larger sizes (16mm+). For stretched lobes smaller than 10mm, you won’t necessarily see any benefit to downsizing.

Stretched septum piercings can be trickier to maintain in winter. They often wear thick, heavy metal jewellery. Although this looks very cool, this style of jewellery can be impractical in very cold weather. Metal jewellery chills quickly in cold weather, transferring warmth from the inside of your septum to the outside where it quickly radiates away. This heat sink effect is uncomfortable, and at worst could cause damage to your piercing by causing a cold burn. In the winter it is best to swap to more tucked away, subtle jewellery such as simple glass plugs or pincers. These act as much less of a heat sink and are a super comfortable way to wait out the cold months. Something that you might not consider when having a stretched septum in the winter is condensation! The moisture on your breath will condense on the jewellery if it is large enough and can even drip down your face! This is another reason to swap to more invisible jewellery.

Large-gauge septum jewellery can act like a heat sink in the winter and this can be uncomfortable. Ensure you wear light, comfortable jewellery!

Summer

Summer brings its own special considerations to piercings! The main things that can cause issues are the heat, humidity, and the changes in our lifestyle such as flying and swimming.

Heat and Humidity

The main things that can cause irritation to piercings in the summer are heat and humidity. On extra hot days, we can often expect a bit more swelling especially on very fresh piercings. The best way to combat this is to keep cool, hydrated, and avoid overexerting yourself. Drinking plenty of fresh, cool water is not only good for you, but good for your piercings! If you know you are safe to do so, taking an anti-inflammatory medication such as paracetamol or ibuprofen is a nice way to minimise your swelling. Speak to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about this though.

Flying

Summer holidays are the most popular time for international flying! Over 100,000 international flights occur in the 6 weeks of the holidays, so you can imagine how many new piercings there are flying across the world at any one moment! The main thing to keep in mind with flying is that pressure change. We all know that you can swell a little bit when flying, and that is definitely true with new piercings. This is not a reason not to get pierced, but it is important that your piercer is informed of any flying, international travel, holidays etc. This means that we can add an extra millimetre or two of swelling room to account for this.

If we know you’re flying, we’ll add a smigeon of extra swelling room!

Swimming

The most important thing that you need to consider when getting a new piercing is that you cannot safely swim for 4 weeks afterwards. That means no swimming in the sea, lakes, swimming pools, saunas, jacuzzi or any other bodies of water. And no, just because the sea is salt water doesn’t make it safe to swim in! In a single drop of seawater, there can be over 190 individual species of bacteria. Once you are past the 4 week mark, you can slowly start to swim again! Make sure you rinse your piercing with clean tap water or bottled water afterwards, and dab dry to avoid leaving your piercings waterlogged.

Alcohol

Summer means BBQ season, and BBQ season means the opportunity to enjoy an alcoholic beverage (or four!) with friends. We cannot pierce you if you are under the influence of alcohol, or have had even one unit of alcohol the day of your appointment. Please keep this in mind when booking! Alcohol can thin the blood, which means you can expect a bit of extra swelling and crustiness if you drink the week after you get your piercing. This is nothing to be concerned about, so just clean your piercings as normal. When you are intoxicated, it’s more likely that you will accidentally snag or knock your piercings. It’s all part of being a human being! Don’t punish yourself – Just take the time to look after them when you are feeling back to normal.

If you are struggling with alcohol, please look into support in your area.

Sunburn

It is always really important to protect your skin, however when you have a fresh piercing it is extra important. Burnt skin is damaged skin, which leaves your piercings exposed and vulnerable to infection. Not only that, but a sunburn can slow the healing process, and can even irritate healed piercings! We don’t recommend applying sunscreen to a fresh piercing as the chemicals can cause irritation, so the best thing you can do is cover your piercings in strong sunlight. The main methods of doing so are staying out of the sun, wearing long and loose clothing, and wearing a wide-brimmed sunhat!

Protect your skin, protect your piercings, protect your health!

So there you have it, some of the main ways that the seasons will impact your healing piercings! With winter coming, the main things to remember are: Be careful with winter clothing, and make sure you keep yourself as healthy as is possible for you!

If you have any questions, just get in touch.

Make sure you follow us on social media to see our piercing work and keep up to date with everything that happens at Rogue!

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Why Do People Get Pierced?

Esta es mi primera vez escribiendo un blog para Rogue, pero espero que sea la primera vez de muchas! Estoy escribiendo este texto originalmente en castellano, mi lengua materna. Gemma hara una traduccion a ingles de este texto. Trabajo en equipo!

This is my first time blogging for Rogue, but I hope it's the first of many! I am writing this text originally in Spanish, my mother tongue. Gemma will do an English translation of this text. Teamwork!

Las perforaciones corporales no son algo que hayamos inventado en el mundo contemporaneo. El ser humano ha estado adornando su cuerpo para representar un status social, marcar un antes y un despues en un momento de su vida, como parte de rituales de varios tipos, o simplemente como adorno desde tiempos inmemoriables.

Body piercings are not something that we have invented in the contemporary world. Human beings have been adorning their bodies to represent a social status, mark a significant moment in their life, as part of various rituals, or simply as an ornament since time immemorial.

Hoy en dia hacemos una distincion clara entre body piercing ‘tribal’ y body piercing contemporaneo. Y enfocandonos en este ultimo, podemos clasificar los motivos por los que la gente se perfora en cuatro grandes grupos, respetando los motivos personales de cada individuo:

Today we make a clear distinction between 'tribal' body piercing and contemporary body piercing. And focusing on the latter, we can classify the reasons why people get pierced into four large groups, respecting the personal reasons of each individual:

1- Motivos culturales y espirituales (Cultural and spiritual reasons):

En este grupo figuran los individuos que se hacen perforaciones corporales como parte de una creencia religiosa o espiritual. Un claro ejemplo se puede ver en la cultura hindu y nostril piercings, que aunque haya pequenhas diferencias en los motivos por los que se perforan la aleta de la nariz (dependiendo de la region y la cultura local de cada lugar), mayormente se hace por herencia familiar. La futura esposa hereda la joyeria mas cara y valiosa de la familia como garantia economica en caso de que sea necesario venderla en caso de necesidad). Tambien se perforan para mostrar que estan en edad de contraer matrimonio, o simplemente para hacer saber que ya lo han contraido. La region en la que vivan o de la que procedan definira el motivo por el que llevan la aleta de la nariz perforada con elaboradas piezas de joyeria hechas a mano en oro y piedras preciosas.

Traditional piercings are the most meaningful in our opinion.
This group includes individuals who get body piercings as part of a religious or spiritual belief. A clear example can be seen in the Hindu culture with nostril piercings, that although there are small differences in the reasons why the nose is pierced (depending on the region and the local culture of each place), it is mostly done to protect family traditions. The future wife inherits the most expensive and valuable jewellery in the family as an economic guarantee in case it is necessary to sell it for financial help). They are also pierced to show that they are of marriageable age, or simply to let it be known that they have already agreed to marry. The region they live in or come from will define why they wear their nostrils pierced with elaborate handcrafted gold and gemstone jewellery.
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an excellent example of spiritual piercing.

2- Motivos esteticos (aesthesic reasons):

Probablemente este sea el principal motivo por el que la gente se hace perforaciones corporales hoy en dia. La vanidad de enamorarse de una pieza de joyeria que quieres poseer, el booster de confianza que supone verse por primera vez un piercing recien hecho, la popularidad de ciertos piercings que gente famosa lleva y hacen que te intereses por tener algo similar o igual (como ocurrio en los anhos 90 con el piercing en el ombligo, cuando aparecio Paul King perforando uno en un videoclip del grupo de rock Aerosmith). Podria pasarme la manhana enumerando motivos por los que la gente ama el body piercing hoy en dia, pero seria un texto interminable y muy aburrido.

This is probably the main reason people get body piercings today. The vanity of falling in love with a piece of jewellery that you want to own, the confidence booster of seeing a fresh piercing for the first time, the popularity of certain piercings that famous people wear and make you interested in having something similar or the same (it happened in the 90s with the navel piercing, when Paul King appeared piercing one in a video clip of the rock group Aerosmith). I could spend the morning listing reasons why people love body piercing nowadays, but it would be an endless and very boring text.
Aesthetics are by far the most popular reason for getting pierced in 2022.

3- Motivos sexuales (sexual motives):

Hemos hablado varias veces sobre este tema anteriormente, asi que no creo que sea necesario ahondar mucho aqui. Algunas perforaciones pueden elevar la intensidad de las relaciones intimas o sus posibilidades y/o capacidades, y por ello se han hecho tan populares. Aqui en Rogue tenemos el inmenso privilegio de ser considerados como un punto de referencia con especialistas en este campo, con clientes de todos los rincones del mundo viniendo a vernos, interesados en este tipo de practicas. Es algo que nos hace sentir extremadamente afortunados por toda la confianza que depositais en nosotros y el grado de compromiso que muestra toda la gente interesada en piercings de esta naturaleza.

We have talked about this topic several times before, so I don't think it is necessary to delve too much here. Some piercings can increase the intensity of intimate relationships, or alter their possibilities and/or capabilities, and that is why they have become so popular. Here at Rogue we have the immense privilege of being considered a point of reference with specialists in this field, with clients from all corners of the world coming to see us, interested in this type of practice. It is something that makes us feel extremely lucky for all the trust you place in us and the degree of commitment shown by all the people interested in piercings of this nature.

4- Motivos de efecto impacto (shock effect/ breaking societal norms):

Este es con diferencia el motivo menos frecuente, pero de todas formas, uno de los motivos por los que algunas personas se hacen piercings y otros tipos de modificaciones corporales: el efecto shock. Perforaciones que simplemente buscan impactar al espectador. En la mayoria de los casos, las perforaciones unicamente son un complemento de otro tipo de modificaciones corporales mas predominantemente visuales que esteticas. Playpiercing, suspensiones corporales y performances esta dentro de esta clasificacion.

The gorgeous Nicole (@wklp) suspending at Rogue a few years ago.
This is by far the least common reason, but still one of the reasons some people get piercings and other types of body modification: the shock effect. Piercings that simply seek to impact the viewer. In most cases, piercings are only a complement to other types of body modifications, more predominantly visual than aesthetic. Play-piercing, body suspensions and performances are within this classification.

En mayor o menor medida, todo el mundo tiene sus motivos personales para decidir hacerse un piercing, y todas ellas son validas mientras sea de forma responsable y por voluntad propia. En cualquier caso, nuestro trabajo no es juzgar el motivo por el que la gente se interesa por ciertos piercings, y aunque nos gusta saber el motivo, jamas juzgaremos a nadie.

To a greater or lesser extent, everyone has their personal reasons for deciding to get a piercing, and all of them are valid as long as it is done responsibly and of their own free will. In any case, our job is not to judge why people are interested in certain piercings, and although we like to know why, we will never judge anyone.

Espero que mi primer blog entry sea entretenido de leer, espero anhadir nuevas entradas en el futuro. Gracias por leerme, hasta la proxima!

I hope my first blog entry is fun to read, I hope to add new entries in the future. Thanks for reading, until next time!

As always, you can contact us via email or instagram with any questions!

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An Interview with Gorilla Glass

Based in Oaxaca, Mexico, Gorilla Glass was established in 2002 to created award winning, had crafted glass jewellery for body piercings. This week, Gemma was lucky enough to sit down the founder Jason and social media manager Atziri via video chat to discuss Oaxaca, where Gorilla Glass started and where it’s heading.

est. 2002

Gemma: How did Gorilla Glass get started?

Jason: Gorilla Glass was started in 2002, and it was actually my second business making glass piercing jewellery. I had a previous company named Liquid Glass, and basically I decided I was going to move to Mexico. I had been invited to work in a glass factory in Mexico City by a very good friend of mine, a glass artist from San Francisco. And so I started going down to Mexico, seeing the possibility of doing production down there. At that time, I was living in Vermont and northeast of the United States and I kind of opened up this opportunity to work with this incredible factory. Actually the thing that allowed Gorilla Glass to get started was Wildcat in England.

Founder Jason Pfohl

Glass are still very new in the piercing world at that time (2002). And I was basically going door to door and selling to shops on the East Coast. But piercers were still very sceptical of glass as a material. So it was really hard to get the foot in the door in the U.S. as far as setting up Gorilla Glass. But I had an opportunity to meet John, who was the owner of Wildcat at that time and I sent him photos of what we were doing and he said, “come to Brighton and show me what you got”. So I took a plane trip out there and being very American, I had a gun case full of all my glass jewellery. I opened up the case and he had never seen glass jewellery like that for piercings before. It was brand new at the time and because he was a real entrepreneur, he was always looking for the next thing. His first order was about $50,000 and that was my opening order. I said, “well, I think I’m going to start a company and move to Mexico!”. It was really thanks to John’s regular orders in those first five years that allowed Gorilla Glass to set up its’ own production line. What was really paying the bills and allowing me to get that project off the ground was the big orders coming in from Europe. So Gorilla Glass was largely thanks to England and that support that that allowed me to get everything up and running down here.

G: That’s awesome. That’s a really interesting connection. So, why the name Gorilla Glass. How did that come to be?

J:  When I when I started the company, I wanted to have something that was a little bit funny but tough. I guess it’s something that sounded strong but also had some humour, something people could relate to. But I was also thinking a lot about the idea of evolution and the idea that we share 98% of our DNA with the apes and gorillas. Really, the difference between us and them is very, very small. Then the idea, with piercing body modification, was that you could continue to modify your body. So a kind of a play on all of those things, trying to do something tough and funny and something that would kind of be strong and but also this idea that we could continue to evolve.

We’re always evolving.

G: Is there much of a piercing scene in Oaxaca

Atziri:  It’s still a little primitive sometimes and most of the people that have piercings have big earlobes but not all the people know Gorilla Glass. The people prefer titanium. But we have some friends that really love Gorilla Glass, they come for a Gorilla retreat. We had friends visit the factory in 2019 and get involved with the jewellery and they were fascinated! And now they’re one of the best ambassadors for Gorilla Glass. So sometimes when people come to visit Oaxaca, it’s to visit the factory and it’s become quite a touristic place sometimes.

J:  We have a lot of international visitors. Piercing is developing in Mexico in a pretty dynamic way. We have the Latin American Body Piercing Association (LBP) and it’s been here for quite a while. They do an annual conference every year and we have people come from all over South America and Europe to go to that conference. I think the level of education is really advancing thanks to a lot of these health and safety organizations. I feel like there’s a whole younger generation of piercers who are coming in, who are very passionate about what they’re doing and really take that health, safety and sterilization very seriously. But I guess as anywhere, you still have a lot of street piercing. You can go on the market and buy unsterilized jewellery for $5. So you have the whole range.

We have our friend Sutra, who’s a local piercer and we recommend everybody to him because he works at a very high level and can do more advanced procedures like microdermals and scarification. We know him through the suspension community because we do a lot of suspension events at Gorilla Glass. He came originally as part of that suspension event.

We’re going to be more involved with LBP this year. We’re going to have a big booth there, and it’s actually a great conference. If anyone wants to get know Mexico a little bit, see what’s really happening in the piercing scene. I think that’s a great place to go and get a little window into what’s happening in Latin America. It’s very dynamic and there’s a lot of changes happening, but it’s small and that starts with a small group of really passionate people.

G: Absolutely. You said there’s a lot of larger ear lobe piercings in Mexico, do people tend to go for a larger gauge as standard?

J: The roots of piercing in Mexico go very, very deep and very, very far back. So there’s certainly a connection that goes beyond what we perceive in the Western world of ‘modern piercing’, because they’re reconnecting. The amount of jewellery that you can see in the stretched labrets, lobes and everything. There’s also a whole neo punk movement. t’s kind of an underground market in Mexico City where everybody has big, spiked haircuts and leather jackets. [

A:  Like the punks back in the eighties with the key hole weights and that whole aesthetic. And maybe it’s following Hispanic tradition with the big labrets, big septums, big lobes.

G: Yeah we’re big fans that at Rogue. What what inspires you when it comes to the designs that you use?

J:  Well Gorilla Glass had it’s 20th anniversary this year. So we have a long history of following trends and doing design. And Gorilla Glass has built its reputation on being a high design company. A lot of the ideas come from just watching trends in the industry and trying to come up with something innovative within what people want. You can come out with a design and it can be too ahead of its time. And then because we’re in a fashion industry, things come in and out of fashion. The thing that made Gorilla Glass really big in the beginning was glass spirals. No one had seen a glass spiral before, and we had glass spirals in all these different colours. At that time in 2002, it was something incredibly new. Now everybody has glass spirals. It’s nothing that would make you surprised or excited to see a glass spiral because they’re so common.

Designs come in and out. We had a period of years where we were doing very short themed collections and we’d choose a general theme every year. One year we chose the ocean, another year it was movement, we’ve done joy and happiness as well. Sometimes we would be inspired by current events. We did a resist collection when there was a lot of outrage about Black Lives Matter, we did that to raise money to donate to the Black Lives Matter movement. Since the pandemic started and made us kind of rethink what we’re doing as a business and also where we’re going as a planet, I thought “what does Gorilla Glass want to do for the next 20 years? And where are we going? How are we going to adapt?” Because times are changing and we need to be take responsibility for ourselves and as a company. We’re much more focused on basics now. What do studios need to do piercings? We’re really focused on the retainers, simple plugs, single flare plugs, things that help piercers in their studios on a day to day level. And all the extra stuff, which I love doing. like the design work, I’ll get ideas from all over the place. We just kind of sponge and see what we can get from the universe as far as ideas. And we have notebooks of ideas. Ideas are never the problem.

Upcycled Glass Earrings

But we really made a deliberate decision to kind of stop bombarding people with new designs all the time because it’s a cost of production to make it. And not just a monetary cost, but there’s also an environmental cost. So what’s really driving our design at this point, and since the pandemic started, is lowering our environmental impact. So we’re really focusing on the Upcycle Project, that gives us a lot of freedom as far as what kind of shapes or forms we make but we’re limited on the material we can use, we’re just using waste material for all of that.

That’s kind of been our main design impulse right now, working within the limits of trying to consume less and how do we stay relevant but actually make the company smaller? Because I think the responsible thing to do at this point.

G:  That was one of the things that made me absolutely fall in love with your company The Upcycled Project. You do a lot for for the local community in terms of projects, can you tell us more about that?

J: We have a lot of different projects. For a few years we had an art gallery downtown and we invited different glass artists to be part of that. We also do sponsor different glass artists because I’m part of a glass community that’s very similar to the piercing community. It’s very international and it’s still pretty small. We invite different glass artists to do residencies and try and incorporate that into some of our piercing designs. But some of it is just art projects. And another big project for me personally was working with the prisons down here. We were doing art projects in the prisons, doing print making primarily. We have a print shop here and that was a project I was involved. Since the pandemic, I haven’t really been too involved, but pre-pandemic it was one of my main commitments. I would go to twice a week and we’re doing art making projects, many of which we would realize in the Glass studio with with the basis of designs that they would provide for us. We did a whole series of bottles with self-portraits on them, and so that’s been kind of a big ongoing project.

G: That’s incredible.

J:  Yeah, the prison project’s pretty, pretty great, and it’s now grown. We’re still involved. We have friends who are more actively involved. And now that project has grown to five different prisons in Oaxaca including the youth prison, the women’s prison and a high security prison. So it’s really kind of grown and become much bigger than than what it started out as as a small thing. So, you know, a lot of times when you plant seeds and then they kind of grow on their own, that can be really one of the most gratifying things when you do those kind of projects. And we mentioned the suspension events that we do, they involve a lot of international people. But we invite locals in to come and do their first suspensions. Oaxaco is a real art city, we have a lot of print makers and graffiti artists. So almost all our friends are artists in one way or another and we got to suspend a lot of them for the first time in the city.

G:  It’s amazing that you can give people that experience.

J:  I think that the community, and working with the women here, that’s been a change for me in Mexico City. I mostly had men who I was working with. And then when I moved to Oaxaca , we made a deliberate decision to try and make more space for women. Glass is also typically very male orientated There were a lot of kind of macho glass makers in Mexico City. A woman would walk by and they would whistle at them. And you were belittled for not joining in. And that’s part of the nature here. But for me, I don’t want to be harassing people.

 When we came here, I wanted to make something different. And not just a safe place for women to learn and have their own income and control because Oaxaca it is a very male dominated society in general as well. A lot of times women are dependent on the men, they stay at home and they take care of the kids and then have to ask the husband for money. And sometimes the husband maybe wants to go drinking instead of taking care of the family. So being able to give women the right to have their own income is really to empower them on a really deep level because they’re in control when they have their own access to income. Obviously the wage isn’t the same as paying somebody a wage in the U.S. or in England, but certainly the benefits we can offer are much greater. We do profit sharing here, 10% of our profits go to the workers every year. We have a free day-care here and full health insurance for all our workers and their families. Paid vacation every year. Bonuses that are equivalent to one month of salary. I’m very proud of the benefits that we have here and the opportunities that we’ve created. And I think it’s a good environment.

A:  It is a good environment here, we have a secure space and a big garden for all the people. And we get our birthday’s off work! And in this part of the of the city, it’s difficult to have great work pay and security. Most of the people here work in labour.

The GG fam

J: It’s a big farming and agricultural area here.

J: Oaxaca has an art reputation. It’s it’s important to us to encourage the people to take value in their work. When we show them the picture of the people wearing the jewellery they feel very proud of their work too.

G:  They should be, the work that you guys do is mind blowing. The things that you create are so beautiful. And it’s glass!

J:  There is no real glass tradition in Oaxaca. There’s a lot of arts and crafts. Every community that you go to will have a different focus. One does black clay, another one will do weaving basket, making rugs. And so every town is kind of famous for its arts and crafts. There is a tradition of people working with their hands. But a lot of times in Mexico, they don’t value handmade things as much. They would rather get an electronic thing or an iPhone or these kind of things, rather than put value in kind of the tradition that they have. And I think that people have a real sense of pride when they learn to do the glassmaking. I think that’s an important part of both piercing and glass making as it can kind of give you a sense of identity and sense of value. It’s one of the things I love about piercing as well. You know, I think it really gives people a chance to feel better about themselves, which is so important now. And there’s a parallel to that that we see with the people making glass, is a pride of gaining knowledge and being able to work with their hands. So it’s really cool.

G: I love that. So what’s in the future for Gorilla Glass?

J:  Well, we’re definitely focused right now on continuing to grow the Upcycle Project. We made a commitment to reduce our use of raw material by 50% over the next ten years. So that means we’re going to start discontinuing some product lines and we’ve been stockpiling waste for 15 years. Right now we’re organizing all of our waste to figure out what materials we can continue to sell and which ones we aren’t. The glass community is really going through a crisis right now. A lot of our glass comes from the raw material because we don’t melt our own glass, we buy raw material and then we convert it into jewellery. The borosilicate glass we get all come from the Czech Republic and a lot of the soda lime glass that we get, a large amount of that comes from Italy. And both of these countries are very heavily affected right now with the situation going on with Russia and Ukraine. So a lot of the future of glass industry for me right now is kind of in doubt. What I’m pretty sure of is that glass making as we see it now isn’t going to exist in 20 years. There’s things that happen politically, you know, like the war, which obviously has a huge toll on not just human life and animal life, but it also has secondary consequences like the energy crisis that’s happening in Europe. And to me, I guess you think that life is good and it’s always going to be good and then we have these surprises, like the pandemic or this war. You got to learn to navigate the terrain. For us, since the pandemic started, we’re trying to become more efficient. A lot of just really taking care of the team, figuring out what do we need to do and what do we not need to do. We had some really big boom years where it was like, let’s grow, let’s get bigger. And now the idea is not to get bigger, the idea is to get smaller and not because we need to economically, but I think everything needs to get smaller as far as our consumption goes. We need to get smarter. We really need to take concrete steps to do that.

J:  That’s the plan, to keep stepping up to upcycle more and more. We’ve cut out a lot of side projects we were doing. We had a tourism project here. We were making more mainstream jewellery and doing tours with people coming in and we’ve cancelled all of our extra projects to refocus only on piercing. I feel like the next five years is kind of a transition for me to pass the company on to the next generation and kind of leave it up to them to where it’s going to go.

G: We’re very excited to see how things progress these guys because we’re all very big fans in the studio.

J:  Really appreciate that. We’ve really noticed that kind of a lot more interest from England right now and also Scotland and Ireland. There’s a whole wave of new shops getting gorilla glass. It’s exciting for us.

Here’s to 20 more years of Gorilla Glass!

The Rogue team would like to thank Jason and Atziri for their time, their hard work and all the wonderful things they do for international piercing and body modification community.

Special thanks to Poncho the donkey for his vocal contribution to the interview and for bringing endless joy to everyone!

Poncho!
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Piercing Apprenticeship QnA

Today I’ll be answering all of your questions about piercing apprenticeships! These questions were taken via our instagram, so make sure you follow us there so you don’t miss anything!

We have started a series on apprenticeships as this is something we are asked about all the time! Click here to read all of them.

How long does it take? How much does it cost?

A good apprenticeship is between 2 and 3 years long. Anything shorter than two years is dangerously short and will not give you the education that you need! You should never be charged for an apprenticeship -They should be free. You should expect to be financially compensated for your time.

What do the first few months of an apprenticeship look like?

The first few months of an apprenticeship are pretty dull! The main task is training the new apprentice to be able to work safely in a new environment. Bloodborne pathogens training and first aid must be completed, alongside learning how to handle contaminated medical waste, how to handle sterile stock, how to reprocess tools, and how to general work to a high hygiene standard. The first few months are also dedicated to familiarising the new apprentice to jewellery – What sizes go where, what conversions between fractional inches and millimetres are, how to use calipers, how to measure jewellery, what brands we stock and what each brand offers! You shouldn’t expect to even pick up a needle until you are a good few months into your apprenticeship, and may not pierce a human being until the 5-6 month mark.

How common is being paid for your apprenticeship?

It is unfortunately not so common in the UK to be paid for your apprenticeship. That being said, this should not be the standard as everyone should be fairly compensated for their time. There is a movement within high quality studios to abolish the practice of an unpaid apprenticeship, and this is something to be fully supported.

How far should you travel for an apprenticeship?

It is not uncommon to up sticks and move cross-country for the right opportunity! Consider this – Most people do not live in a town or city with a top university, and so most people move out of home in order to receive their education. You would have to be very lucky to find a high quality apprenticeship on your doorstep in your hometown. For example, we know multiple piercers who have moved across the United States or across the UK for the right opportunity – Some who have even travelled thousands of miles from another country to start their careers. If possible, don’t restrict yourself to studios within an easy commute of where you currently live. There are many potential apprentices who are willing to uproot and move at the drop of a hat.

What is the split like between working hours and free time?

Most apprenticeships are between 20-40 hours a week. You might be given extra reading to do in your spare time, or small pieces of homework to complete, but you should not be working more than a full-time job would ask of you! Apprentices should follow the same labour laws as any other job.

How old is the average apprentice?

The average piercer starts their apprenticeship when they are between 19 and 22 years old. Some start younger, however you should be at least 18 or older to start a safe apprenticeship. Being offered an apprenticeship as a minor is a major red flag in the modern piercing industry.

Is it possible to learn the art of piercing even though you don’t want a full on career out of it?

This is a tricky question to answer. The short answer is that you wouldn’t trust a part-time dentist or doctor.

The long answer would be: Piercing, like all careers, deserves your full and undivided attention in order for you to be skilled, safe and successful. Whilst it is possible to learn piercing and not pursue it once your apprenticeship is finished, the snagging point is that you aren’t fully grasping how much of a career and lifestyle rolled into one being a piercer is. The best piercers are those who have dedicated their lives to the industry and cannot see a fulfilling life without piercing being a major part of it. My question to you is: Why would you want to learn to pierce and not fully embrace every aspect of it?

I’ve seen piercing places offering piercing courses, is this a good step towards getting an apprenticeship?

Absolutely not! Piercing courses teach outdated and dangerous techniques when it comes to both safety and the piercing process itself. A good mentor would absolutely prefer to take on a blank slate rather than have to retrain someone out of sneaky bad habits. Piercing courses are often predatory, aiming to take advantage of those who are struggling to find a good apprenticeship. Do not fall foul of these.

What advice would you give for someone older (30+) looking to become a piercer?

I would say that it is never too late! That being said, I will admit that your chances of getting an apprenticeship do diminish with every passing year. Piercing is unfortunately often the realm of the young, and those piercers who are 30+ are often reaching the peaks of their skill and career and are usually considering taking an apprentice on themselves. To start so late can often leave you at a disadvantage, as disappointing as that may be to hear. Try and expand your expectations – Would working counter staff fulfil what you want to achieve?

Piercing is different everywhere. How do you know someone is doing it properly?

We have a whole blog on how to spot a quality studio. The best way to find a studio that is working to high standards is to look into the UKAPP or APP – Member studios have to meet minimum standards of safety and hygiene. That being said, there are many excellent studios who choose not to be members for whatever reason. Ensure your chosen piercer is working safely, using modern techniques, up-to-date aftercare advice, and appropriate jewellery. For example, you do not want to learn from someone offering tongue scoop piercings or surface piercings using curved barbells, or from someone who is using butterfly backs or externally threaded jewellery.

So there you have it! Some answers to your burning apprenticeship questions. As a note, we are not currently looking for an apprentice and will not be accepting any applications for an apprenticeship for the foreseeable future! However we are more than happy to help you, so get in touch if you have any questions.

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Lobe Stretching 101

It’s well established that people have been piercing their ears for as long as people have had ears to pierce. In fact, the worlds oldest body piercing is a stretched lobe dating back over 5000 years. Some people consider lobe stretching a modern western fad, but this is clearly far from the truth.

In the UK (at time of writing), first lobes are most commonly pierced at 18g (1mm), 16g (1.2mm) or 14g (1.6mm). Lots of factors determine the initial size for a piercing, including client/piercer preference, jewellery style, anatomy and desired aesthetic. These sizes would be considered ‘standard’ sizes.

For many of us, lobe piercings are our first venture into the weird and wonderful world of body piercings and a lot of people tend to have their first lobes pierced at a young age. So what happens if you have your ears pierced at a ‘standard’ gauge and change your mind later about the size you’d like your lobes to be? No problem! Due to the soft, elastic nature of ear lobes, stretching the piercing channel to create a larger diameter is absolutely possible and lobe stretching has been practiced by many cultures all across the world for thousands of years.

Some beautiful, healthy stretched lobes. This is the goal!

How It’s Done

A quick search on Google or Youtube will bring up a plethora of information about how lobe stretching is achieved. As with anything, there is a tonne of misinformation and unsafe practices being preached over the internet. We always recommend visiting a professional piercer to discuss your goals with ear stretching and never to undertake the journey alone. And it is definitely a journey.

Ear stretching takes a heck of a lot of patience in order to achieve your desired goal safely. You need to be willing to give your body plenty of time to adapt and heal in between the different stages of lobe stretching. This is not a process to be taken lightly and doing so will have life-long implications (more on that later!)

Once you have decided to start your lobe stretching journey and you’ve discussed your goals with a professional piercer, your lobe should be stretched in millimetre increments. The best way to do this is to allow your piercer to stretch your lobes for you. Although you can stretch at home, leaving it to the professionals is the best way to avoid mistakes.

The physical stretch can be performed in two main ways. The first – Dead-Stretching – is simply waiting a long enough time that the lobe has naturally stretched out and the larger size of jewellery can be simply slotted into place. The second method uses an insertion taper to guide the new jewellery into place. The Gold Standard for stretching jewellery are single-flared Glass Plugs. These are comfortable, smooth, non-porous and safe to wear long term.

Tapers are often considered ‘the devil’ when it comes to online stretching advice! This is not necessarily the case. Like any tool, they can be used correctly or incorrectly. The main thing to know is that tapers should never be left in the piercing channel and worn as jewellery. Many tapers sold online are made from material such as acrylic which is not safe for long term wear on the body – You can read more about safe materials here. Tapers are much longer than plugs and tunnels which puts you at a higher risk of snagging your piercing, and yet the gradient of the stretch is so steep that you risk tearing your piercing. Tapers are simply an insertion tool to guarantee the smoothest introduction of the next size of jewellery. They are best left in the hands of a professional – We do not recommend their use at home.

Once the taper is inserted, a plug or tunnel will be inserted whilst the channel settles and relaxes into its new size. The plug or tunnel should be made of biocompatible material such as ASTM F-136 Titanium, ASTM F-138 Steel or borosilicate glass. The jewellery needs to be non porous as otherwise it will allow for the collection and growth of bacteria- The most common cause of that classic stretched lobe odour.

You should be leaving at least 6-8 weeks in between each 1mm stretch in order to let the channel settle, heal and relax into it’s new size. Stretching too quickly is a very risky procedure that often ends with very poor results. Everyone will stretch differently – the above time is often the minimum appropriate length of time. It is not at all unusual to wait far longer.

What Happens When It Goes Bad

Lobes are very forgiving – The most forgiving piercing when it comes to stretching. However this doesn’t mean they can be abused. The most common causes of issues with stretched lobes are caused by:

  • Stretching too quickly.
  • Stretching using tapers as jewellery.
  • Wearing inappropriate jewellery in unsafe materials.
  • Wearing jewellery that is too heavy.
  • Using threaded jewellery that traps a portion of the piercing fistula inside.
Even if the blow does not blow out or split, thinning of the lobe can easily occur.

The most common result of these issues is a blowout. So, what is a blowout?

The inside of a piercing channel is called a Fistula. This fistula is made from a type of collagen scar tissue. Scar tissue is far less elastic than the normal skin that surrounds the lobe piercing. When this scar tissue is not given the appropriate amount of time to relax after a stretch, it can be split, damaged or pushed out of position. This extruded scar tissue is called a blowout.

This is a fairly extreme example of a fresh blowout.

Blowouts are difficult to repair. When caught early on, the best way to help minimise them is to immediately remove your jewellery for an extended period of time – 3-4 weeks. Once any initial irritation has settled, it is recommended to gently massage the lobe with a neutral oil like Jojoba. Once the blowout has completely settled, you can gently reinsert jewellery. Often this jewellery will be much smaller in diameter than the one that caused the blowout – A fair cautionary tale against rushing the process.

If a blowout has progressed too far, it is often too late for an easy fix. A true permanent blowout can only be repaired via a surgical procedure to remove the blown out tissue and stitch the lobe back together. This is outside the legal remit of piercers in the UK, however we can recommend artists outside of the UK who can perform this for you. Within the UK, the only route is to visit a plastic surgeon. Depending on their experience with this procedure, results may vary.

Lobe Stretching Maintenance

Once you have started to stretch, or when you have reached your goal size, this does not mean the work stops! Maintaining stretched lobes means getting into a routine of cleaning and caring for them.

  • Clean your jewellery on a daily basis. Once you have sat at a size for a few weeks, we recommend removing your jewellery in the shower so that you can wash your entire lobe with a gentle fragrance-free soap. You should also be washing your actual jewellery in the same way. This is the best way to avoid a dirty or odorous lobe that can cause irritation later one.
  • Once you have cleaned your lobes, it is important to dry them well to avoid moisture irritation.
  • When your lobes are squeaky clean and dry, you should gently moisturise them with a neutral oil such as Jojoba oil. Less is more – Use your oil sparingly.

In the winter, it is very important to protect your lobes from extremes of temperature. Ensure they are covered with a hat if you are outside for prolonged periods of time, and make sure they do not experience a temperature shock when you re-enter a centrally heated home. It is not at all uncommon to need to downsize lobes in the winter and take extra care when cleaning and moisturising as the lobe tissue will dry and contract. The annual cycle of downsizing and upsizing can improve blood flow and ensure your lobes stay healthy in the long run.

In the summer it is so important to keep them clean when swimming. And the most important thing which people often forget: SUNSCREEN! Ears in general are susceptible to burns, and your stretched lobes are very fragile. Take good care of them and avoid sunburns. A cause that is very close to Kat’s heart: Skin cancers often begin on the ear due to years of neglect when it comes to sun protection.

The Pay Off.

There are hundreds of designs to choose from, even from just one brand.

The journey of lobe stretching is long, often tedious and requires a lot of commitment, time and patience but let’s have a look at why it can be so, so worth it! The styles of jewellery worn in large-gauge lobes are simply not available to the general public, and the sheer variety of options is pretty mind blowing.

These Dichroic Weights from Gorilla Glass might be our favourite. You can purchase a pair here!

At Rogue, we do a lot of large gauge work whether that’s initial piercings or long term stretching projects and one of our all time favourite large gauge jewellery creators are Gorilla Glass. Based in Oaxaca, Mexico, the Gorilla Glass artisans have been hand making high quality soda-lime and borosilicate glass jewellery since 2002.

Gorilla Glass are like a family – And they have a pet Donkey who you can follow on instagram here!

Gorilla Glass are our go-to for single-flared glass plugs – The gold standard for stretching jewellery. These are an affordable, safe option when it comes to stretching. We carry a wide range in-studio and can custom order anything from their website that you could possibly want!

The Takeaway

  • Let a professional do it for you whenever possible.
  • Take it slow – Wait 6-8 weeks between stretches as a minimum. If it hurts –> Stop!
  • Wear single-flared glass plugs when stretching and wait at least 3 months after stretching to change styles.
  • Never wear tapers, pinchers, spirals or other asymmetrical jewellery when stretching.
  • Keep your lobes moisturised with a light oil.

As always, we are available 7 days a week to stretch your lobes or provide jewellery upgrades and troubleshooting. You can book your appointment here.

Follow us on social media, or contact us via email with any comments and questions!

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So, you want a career in piercing?

Something we hear commonly as part of our monthly QnAs, in countless emails and in the studio, is “I want to be a piercer, what tips can you give me to become a piercing apprentice?”

It’s no secret that piercing (high quality piercing, at least) is incredibly competitive to get into, and it feels almost impossible to find the right studio at the right time. So, what can you do to improve your chances?

Joining a studio is a little bit like joining a family, as weird as it sounds!

Take it slow.

A good apprenticeship is worth its weight in gold. A bad apprenticeship or piercing course will usually haunt the rest of your career both in your reputation and in bad habits. It might be frustrating, but waiting for a quality apprenticeship is the single most important thing you can do for your career. Rushing into an apprenticeship under an inexperienced mentor or taking a piercing course will do more harm than good in the long run. We go more in-depth into this in our other apprenticeship blog post.

Some piercing apprentices fall into their role by being in the right place at the right time – Luck plays far more of a part than most people would like to admit! However for those who don’t fall into this category, it can take months or even years before they find their apprenticeship. Don’t be discouraged, but do have a backup plan in case piercing ends up not working out for you.

Think about the why.

The first thing any mentor will ask you is well, why do you want to be a piercer? Is it because you have a flair for the technical? Because you enjoy working with the public? Because you just love piercings? It’s a difficult question to answer fully, but something you really need to find a good personal answer for. Everyone’s ‘why’ is different.

Unfortunately simply having a love for piercings won’t carry you very far when you’re bagging your 400th piece of presterile jewellery of the day, or when you are processing the tools after a long day, or when you’re exhausted and dealing with a difficult customer. Piercing is a very emotionally taxing career, and burnout is common. We always aim to be realistic when discussing the piercing industry and piercing careers, so it’s important to know that you will be tired, your back will hurt all the time, and you will be poor forever!

Another solid question to ask yourself is: ‘Would I still be happy being a piercer if overnight it stopped being seen as cool?

Things that will carry you through are a passion for perfection, for practising fine skills, continuous improvement both inside and outside the studio, public education, or for simply becoming a better piercer than your mentor. A passion for the history of piercing is immensely valuable. 

A good candidate for an apprenticeship aims to raise standards whilst also being empathetic and realistic to people’s situations. We can’t teach kindness and empathy, even though they are the foundation of the industry. 

Mr Sebastian should be a name you recognise!

Be Respectful.

I think most high-quality studios will agree with me when I say that we get dozens of emails, DMs and walk-ins either querying us about or asking for apprenticeships. We really appreciate being top of the list when it comes to education, however it can be quite emotionally taxing especially when the answer at the moment is generally no. The industry is overloaded, oversaturated, and most studios are either swamped or still recovering from Covid. 

The main thing we want you to keep in mind when asking about apprenticeships is to not take it to heart if the first, second, heck even tenth request for an apprenticeship is declined. If your piercer says no, make sure you respect that decision. 

It’s an unfortunate truth that most hopeful apprentices will not make it into the industry – For every 100 applicants (each equally passionate, prepared, intelligent and thoughtful!), only one will probably be successful. It’s important to be realistic, and to have a backup plan.

Be Educated

Even though you are applying for an education in becoming a piercing apprentice, it does not hurt to have an awareness of current piercing knowledge, jewellery brands etc. You are not expected to know technique (it is actually preferred that you don’t!) but knowing who Anatometal, Jim Ward, BVLA or Mr Sebastian are is a fantastic start. You can also ask your potential mentor for recommended reading, or tales from the earlier days of piercing. Knowing where we’ve come from is a great way to understand why we are where we are, and to help predict where the industry is going.

Outside of piercing related knowledge, working similar jobs in retail can really prepare you for the everyday reality of working in a piercing studio. It might not feel like it, but piercing is often a retail and aesthetic procedure all rolled into one! This helps you to hone your general customer service skills which is absolutely vital for this industry.

Piercers are not just piercers, often they are self-employed small business owners and have to deal with all the headaches and heartaches that come with that. Learning about how to run a business, how to file taxes, how to organise your schedule and price your services are all super important. 

As a general rule, piercing yourself or your friends at home in preparation for a piercing apprenticeship is one of the biggest no-no’s ever. Never pierce at home

What are They Looking For?

A good tip for success is to look at your prospective studio and try and see what they would look for in a potential piercing apprentice. Each studio is very different – Some have punk roots (like Rogue!), some come from new-age beliefs, some are more commercialised, some are very ‘British’ and some more international. Part of being a successful piercing apprentice applicant is being the right person for the right studio. Is there any point in applying to a punk studio if you are more into pink and sparkles? Yes! Jay is a great example of an apprentice working well in a seemingly opposite studio. That being said, finding a studio that aligns with who you are as a person is really important. Not every studio is perfect for every applicant. 

In terms of what most studios are looking for in an piercing apprentice, it varies from studio to studio however there are some universal requirements. Piercing is based on human interaction, so being shy or being afraid of phone calls is not ideal! As piercers we need to be energetic, confident, and be able to be the loudest person in the room. It’s all about making connections – Whether the customer is 8 or 80. Even if that’s not who you are right now, it is a skill that can be practised! Public speaking is a really good way of getting into the habits that will pay dividends once you become a piercer.

Be Honest.

My final piece of advice is to be honest and open about your intentions about being a piercing apprentice. Most piercers can tell if you are on the hunt for an apprenticeship, so why not be up front and tell us? We really appreciate being asked, and will usually be able to give you a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ with an explanation for each response. Sometimes a no will become a yes given time, so always ask if this is something that might happen. We will always endeavour to be honest with you. Being straight up about your intentions will go a long way – Even if it’s a solid no, it means you can cut your losses and focus on other studios or piercers. We can often give recommendations on where to go as piercing is a very small world!

Being a piercer is not the only way to make it in the industry!

Counterstaff are Not a Second Choice!

We commonly get asked by would-be piercers if they can have a desk job as a stepping stone into getting a ‘proper apprenticeship.’ Obviously from a personal standpoint this can be quite frustrating to hear, as counterstaff positions are their own completely seperate career path and shouldn’t be seen as something you settle for in the meantime. It’s akin to asking a doctor if you can be a nurse ‘in the meantime’ while you wait to get into medical school! It’s a seperate career that deserves to be respected!

Another thing to note, which I obviously have a strong view of, is that being a piercer is not the only way to be successful in this industry! Counter staff, managers, piercing educators etc. are all absolutely vital, and the industry simply cannot function without them. A good counter staff or jewellery manager is worth their weight in Gold (literally!) We deserve to be taken seriously as a career in our own right, and not simply viewed as an easy way to become a piercer later. Gone are the days of a ‘desk lady!’ We are oversaturated with many a would-be piercing apprentice, yet there is an industry shortage of excellent counter staff and jewellery salespeople. It’s definitely something to consider if you haven’t considered it before.

So there you have it! A high-quality studios thoughts on piercing apprenticeship tips. This will become a series, as we are currently working on an apprenticeship FAQ. If you have any questions you would like answered, contact us on instagram or email us as you may be featured in our next blog post.

-Kat

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How to Plan Piercing Curations

Today we’ll be discussing a common question – ‘I want to curate my piercings, but I have absolutely no idea how to start!’ We will cover the concept of a piercing curation, how to start planning them, and what to expect from the process!

This White Gold curation is one of our favourites. Everything is custom ordered to fit our clients unique taste.

What is a Curation?

A curation is a thoughtful collection of piercings that were high-quality jewellery in a cohesive style. Some curations are themed, some are more eclectic, but what connects each curation is a singular line of thought that expresses your personal style.

Some people say that curations are only for ears, and should only be done in solid Gold. This is absolutely not the case! As in my previous definition, there is zero mention of a sky-high budget or fancy ears at all. A curation is simply a considerate collection of good jewellery, worn in well-placed piercings. Our most common curations are actually produced in Titanium! Curations can involve the ears, the face, or the entire body. It all depends on what you want from your curation.

This dinosaur themed curation is super cute!

How do I plan a Curation?

The best way to plan a curation is to first see what you already have, and look at your personal style and what you want from your curation. The best way to do this is to book in for a jewellery consultation with us, so that we can provide you with an expert curation experience.

There are so many questions to ask! Do you have lots of existing piercings? Do you have a few piercings? Are they well-pierced, well-placed, or would you be open to removing or repiercing a few of them to improve the overall effect? Another major thing to consider is what you want to see from your curation. You can scroll instagram for hours and hours looking at other peoples collections, but a curation is a truly personal process. Do you prefer Gold, or Titanium? Do you like Yellow, White or Rose Gold? Do you like the look of anodised Titanium? Do you like gemstones, or no gemstones? If yes, then which gemstones or gem colour schemes do you like? Do you like a more masculine look, or a more feminine look? Are you a fan of big, chunky jewellery (our favourites!) or do you like a smaller, more dainty pieces? This all needs to be considered when planning out a full curation.

Noses are a great place to start your curation. When it comes to the centre of your face, why not wear beautiful jewellery?

As important as what you do like, is what you don’t like! We love to see what you don’t like – What doesn’t fit your style. Showing us both what you do and don’t want to wear gives us a really good idea of where to go with your curation.

Once we have a rough idea of what you would like, we can go onto picking out individual piercings and individual jewellery. The best thing to do is to plan out a couple of statement pieces, and then work around them with complementary items. Centring your curation on a handful of piercings is a really nice way to ground the look. The best thing to do next is to head to the websites of our jewellery companies and have a good old scroll! We perform curations using BVLA, Anatometal, and Neometal. Keep in mind that every single piece of jewellery is handmade to your specifications – Choose the gold colour, the gemstones, the size, everything! If you are unsure as to what exactly you’d like to wear, Kat can give you a huge range of suggestions that you can start to choose from.

This sounds like a lot, but honestly it is an incredibly easy process when you have the support of the Rogue team!

Getting creative with Titanium is a fab way to get a cohesive, thoughtful piercing curation.

Getting a Curation

We think the most exciting part of the piercing curation is actually ordering, receiving and installing the jewellery. Depending on the jewellery maker, this can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 6+ months to arrive. When it comes to curations though, the wait is always worth it. Having your perfect jewellery takes time, but that time will pass anyway!

Depending on the jewellery you have ordered, we will sometimes recommend getting the healing process started before your final jewellery arrives. This is especially important with longer-healing piercings such as daiths, rooks, and cheek piercings. However sometimes we recommend waiting until your final jewellery has arrived so that we can place it absolutely perfectly! This is especially the case when it comes to big, chunky ends or unique placements. It all depends on what you have ordered and what your end goal is.

Lip piercing curations are an absolute favourite of ours. We would love to do more of them!

With curations, it definitely falls into the ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day!’ category! Depending on which jewellery brands you want to wear, wether the gemstones are semi-precious or precious or synthetic, and a huge amount of variables can impact the pricing. Some curations can range between £300-£15,000. We absolutely work within more limited budgets – Titanium curations can be so neat and beautiful and can be super affordable too. Even plain Titanium beads can look impactful when skilfully used! The main thing to keep in mind is that a piercing curation is a patience game – You don’t need to buy everything all in one go, or even in one year. Some clients build collections over the course of many years and this is often the best way to do it!

We have a full blog post detailing the custom order process which you can read here!

So there you have it, a full rundown of curations. How they work, how you go about it, and what to expect. Plus links to other blogs where you can continue to learn!

If you would like to book in for a jewellery consultation with Kat, head to our booking system. We can also do remote curations via email! Head to our instagram for a whole lot of inspiration.

-Kat

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Lobe Piercings in the UK

Lobe piercings are probably one of the most common piercings in the UK, and more than likely one of the first ever attempted piercings on mankind. Piercings have been around for thousands of years, and there’s much debate about the oldest ever one. There have been many sources stating mummies dating back to 5000 years ago have been found with their ears pierced (however some sources can date back to 12,000 years ago), or even stretched! Archaeological evidence of the mummy Pharaoh Tutankhamen shows that he had his ears pierced, and many pairs of earrings were found alongside him in his tomb.

Different cultures have different reasons why they choose to pierce their lobes, and different methods by which they do it. Ancient civilizations across the world, from Africa to Asia, have been known to use body modifications to determine social status or function as spiritual protection. The oldest mummified person, Otzi the Ice Man, had pierced earlobes. Some of the first documented lobe piercings were among native African and southeast Asian tribes that pierced for spiritual purposes. Wearing metal ear piercings was believed to prevent bad spirits, due to the belief that spirits and demons were repelled by metal. Ancient Romans were also believed to have worn studs in their ears.

Of course, lobe piercings were not the only piercings that date back across eons, but in this blog post I’d like to look more into how lobe piercings became commonplace in the UK, and how they became so popularized. 

William Shakespeare

Christianity had a huge impact on body modification, with the church considering it to be pagan and against God’s image. This view contributed to body piercings in the western world becoming underground. At some points in history, only those on the outskirts of society had their body adorned with such metal and jewelry. However the tradition of lobe piercings in the western world can be sourced back to being symbols of wealth, power or status. During the renaissance era, men started to adorn their ears with earrings to show their nobility. Every nobleman would have at least one piercing, and typically larger diamonds and pearls were worn to show off one’s wealth. This was a really good way to become known on the marriage market. On a famous portrait painting of William Shakespeare, you can clearly see a golden ring threaded through his lobe, and even portraits of male monarchs at the time, such as Charles 1, you can see beautiful earrings, such as pearls.

Charles 1

Its also noted that around the same time and possibly even earlier, earrings were also worn by sailors. There’s many theories surrounding why; including it helped their eyesight, to signify their bond with the sea (like a marriage), and also being a symbol of accomplishment of sailing the world. Another one was that because they were solid Gold rings, they could fund their funeral after they died.

A famous portrait showcasing lobe piercings, is the oil painting by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, commonly known as the girl with the pearl earring. 

But when, why, and how did lobe piercings become as popular and as normalised as we know them to be now, especially among women and young girls? Well, all eyes are on Queen Victoria for starting this trend. The pre-Victorian era saw a general decline in earrings due to the changing fashions of the time, as chic coiffures (headscarves) began to cover the ears. However, Queen Victoria began to adorn her ears with pendant style drop earrings, and long earrings set with many luxuriant gemstones. Because the Queen had significant power and influence across Europe, she had a huge direct effect on fashions of the time. we soon saw lobe piercings once again be in vogue, with the pendant drop especially favoured.  She reintroduced this practice during her Coronation as she wanted to wear a pair of very rarely used earrings from the Royal collection and so had her ears pierced for the occasion. 

Much later on, after World War 2, around the 1950’s there was a boom in the economy and women started spending more money and time focusing on their looks, and this is where we see another surge in the ear piercing trend. Typically it was a single lobe, and surprisingly it was a lot of clip on piercings. Over the years the trend of ear of single lobe piercings stayed, (whether real or fake), and choices of jewellery saw a demand in larger, showier pieces. Rings in the lobes were also a hugely popular choice.

During the late 70’s and 80’s ear piercings started to become more popular in general, especially amongst gay men and teenage girls. This is where we see a trend of multiple lobe, and upper ear piercings become in demand. The large statement pieces became replaced with much smaller earrings made of gemstones and pearls. During this decade was when we saw another increase of men having their lobes pierced. George Michael is an excellent example, as he adorned his piercing with a simple gold ring. 

However there was a lack of brick-and-mortar piercing studios during this time, and at-home piercings were quite the norm. Over time, piercing studios began to pop up around the UK and become more normalized. The second ever piercing studio in the UK was the London Piercing Clinic. The founder and owner was the famous Mr Sebastian – The father of the UK body piercing industry. Despite not being the first, they were the first ever studio to have a high street presence and address. Set up in May 1988, it helped to make waves not just across the piercing industry, but in popularising and normalising body piercings across the UK and in popular culture.

Since the rise of social media since the late 2000s, body modification and especially body piercings are becoming more and more accepted and popular every day. It doesn’t take long once walking out of your front door to spot someone with their ears pierced, whether they be a man or woman. Often you might notice multiple lobe piercings, or even multiple or various piercings scattered across the ears. And here at Rogue, we perform lobe piercings on people as young as 8, and our eldest client was 92. Lobe piercings are becoming more versatile as we go along, with a huge range of jewellery and placements now available. Gone are the days of a standard single lobe piercing – Now we are getting creative with stacks, triangles and other styles of ear curations.

You can book your appointments via our website – Click HERE to book!

You can also follow us on instagram.

Thank you for reading! We will be back next Friday with another blog 🙂

— Jay <3