Friday July 4th, 2008 @ 11:45 PM
Whenever I see advice on surface piercings, I always see people advising titanium surface bars.
However, my piercer uses 90 degree PTFE staples (custom made). He says that the flexibility is an added advantage over the titanium surface bars. Of course, it is still 90 degrees, so in that way, it is similar to the surface bars.
What are your opinions on this? Are PTFE staples better than the traditional surface bars?
Thanks.
First things first, do you know what PTFE your piercer is using? Second, does your piercer even know what PTFE they are using?
The ONLY PTFE that should be used in surface piercings, will come with an ASTM standard for Implant Grade Capability. So regardless if your piercer says: “Its pure PTFE” or “Extra Virgin PTFE” blah blah blah it all means squat unless the PTFE they are obtaining comes with a ASTM certification for implant grade material.
Also you have to ask HOW your piercer makes the 90 degree bends in the PTFE. Know that heating the PTFE up enough to force the straight cylindrical material into a 90 degree will alter the molecular structure of the PTFE (thus compromising the ASTM standards), and even release toxic vapours in the process.
If they simply just force the bends and autoclave them,etc the result quite often is that in the end the PTFE will want to straighten itself out since it comes from a coiled collection of PTFE
You also have to realize that with PTFE the only thing remotely capable of being used is Externally Threaded Balls on the jewelry. This creates a shoddy External Threading on the PTFE, which can often strip and be problematic.
My personal preference is to exclusively use Internally Threaded ASTM F136 6Al-4V ELI Titanium either in a regular surface barell shape or the more recent mass produced design of a flat surface barbell. Not to mention the use of internally threaded flat discs to reduce catching/snagging.
Now these are my opinions based on my own research I’ve done, there ARE other piercers out there who use other flexible materials (Tygon,etc) and will claim sucess with said material. I will not knock them nor say anything bad about them, PROVIDED THEY DO THE RESEARCH AND KNOW WHAT THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT….
Key example of that is in 2007 I was at the APP Conference and I took a Surface Piercing class and to my surprise the majority of the class could not tell the difference between: 1) Tygon(Silicone Tubing), 2) Teflon(PTFE) or 3) Bioplast(Udel Polysulfone)…Not only that but virtually NONE of them knew about any ISO or ASTM specs for any of these materials. And sadly that just wasn’t in my class either, apparently it occurred in the other surface piercing class as well….Which to me is VERY shocking/disturbing because how can these people USE these materials, if they don’t even know the bare essential facts that are so easily obtainable?
But like I said these are my OWN opinions based on my OWN research and that is why I am personally more a fan of proper Implant Grade Titanium Surface Bars over PTFE or Tygon or Sacred Zombie Jesus Pubic Hairs Woven Together Into Jewelry, Blessed By Peter Popoff Himself.
However like I said if a piercer is using said jewelry for however many numbers of years and has been having good success and able to prove so via their portfolios/knowledge,etc. Then I will not go off the crazy end screaming they are horrible hacks or anything like that.
2 / 2 votes 
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | Comments
Wednesday July 2nd, 2008 @ 9:18 AM
hey,
i just recently (about 3 days ago) got my hip surface piercing done on my right hip.
i was just wondering how i was supposed to clean it. i usually just use soap and water with a q-tip after showering.
is there any sort of special solution that i need to buy in order to keep it from becoming infected or is soap and water just fine?
THANKS!
-maya
Twice daily seasalt soaks.
A quick search on bmezine or askbme will bring up all the information you need and you would have noticed a similar question about surface piercing where I mentioned that people should be asking their piercer these questions before going ahead and getting the piercing. I could go into greater detail but as I mentioned, the information is already on here.
3 / 11 votes 
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Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | 2 Comments
Sunday June 29th, 2008 @ 1:20 AM
I recently got my elbows done, specifically my weenis, and i was wondering if it was usual after a while for a bump to i guess grow over the area where the piercing is. This is only happening on my left elbow and I am wondering if my skin is trying to reject it or what but it feels like scar tissue and the area is reddish. I was wondering if anyone else had this problem and if it was just a normal part of the healing process
With something like this we’d really need to see a picture of the problematic piercing before we can properly assess the situation for you.
Your best bet is to visit the piercer who did them and seek out advice from them. If they say its doing fine and you aren’t too sure about that, simply get other piercers to give their thoughts on the matter.
-2 / 10 votes 
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 2 Comments
Tuesday June 24th, 2008 @ 10:46 PM
I just wondered, how big is the chance of microdermal horn’s like this will heal and look good? Are there anything I should considering after I gotten mine done?
I think the main thing you will have to consider is what kinds of foods you are going to skewer on the giant spikes you will undoubtedly put on them. 
Many of the same factors that have to be considered with surface piercings have to be considered with microdermals. If they are put into an area where the skin is very tight (which can definitely be true with this placment), there is probably a higher chance of problems. If you put them in an area with a lot of movement, you are more likely to have problems with them. If they are going to get a lot of friction from hats, that could definitely be a problem. Are you going to be able to keep hair products out of them? These are all things you should think about and things you should discuss with your piercer.
Other than that, you will simply have to be as careful as possible while they are healing. The more they get knocked around, the harder time you are going to have with them, and the more likely they will need to be removed.
I vote for kiwis, myself.
3 / 3 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 3 Comments
Wednesday June 11th, 2008 @ 7:28 AM
can a hypertrophic scar turn into a keloid?
my piercer confirmed i had hypertrophic scars on my clavicle piercings and suggested i use tea tree oil,i have been doing so,and nothng seems to be working,baring in mind ive only been using it for 2 days. im very worried as i know keloids have to be removed surgically, and i pride myself on my appearance i dont want ugly massive scars on my chest nevermind that can grow to an abnormal size!
thankyou
Let me get this right….You have clavicle surface piercings and you DON’T want “ugly massive scars on my chest, nevermind that can grow to an abnormal size”
?O_0?
Just tossing it out there, cuz, well I wouldn’t be doing my thang-a-lang if I didn’t…But did the piercer you got to do these clavicle piercings…Did they bother to tell you that these types of piercings quite often have a high rejection rate…And the result of said rejection rate would be quite often visible scarring?
I only ask because I’m just curious that’s all, cuz “visible scarring” is something ALL individuals who get surface piercings should be potentially prepared to have, incase their surface piercings do reject.
Know that these magic potion ideas are not guaranteed to work instantly/over night…It is something that will take more than just a couple days of doing it here an there.
If you don’t mind me asking how old is your clavicle piercings? Also what manner of jewelry do you have inserted? Is it Metal based or some type of “Flexible” jewelry? Does the jewelry exit out of the skin almost parallel or does it appear to come out of your skin straight (ie: 90 degree bends in the jewelry)?
Personally I’m not a huge fan of Tea Tree Oil, its really a hit or miss product that can either help or produce more complications/problems.
Other than the tree trea oil, exactly what aftercare protocols have you been doing and for how long have you been doing them?
Since your piercer advised tea tree oil though I’d continue doing that for roughly about a week or two. If you do not see any clear signs of improvement consult your piercer immediately.
And just a reminder know that if these piercings fail, you WILL have visible scarring…Just realy trying to let that sink home for you and everyone else when it comes to certain piercings and the aftermaths that can come from removal due to rejection,etc.
6 / 10 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 4 Comments
Sunday June 8th, 2008 @ 5:23 AM
I’ve had my conch pierced for about 5 weeks now. Everything was great for the first few weeks, until the day I accidentally hit it once, then a few days later a friend of mine gave it a good knock.
I’ve noticed that there’s a little bit of tissue around the entrance hole, but there’s still never been any pain or discomfort. Do you think a jewelry change when it’s 6-8 weeks old would help?
Personally I’d much rather use a Labret Stud or Barbell for jewelry when doing a Conch Piercing, I find them to be less problematic then CBR’s.
What I’d suggest doing first though before changing jewelry is to do hot salt water compresses or even chamomile tea bag compresses to try and help sooth the area. If the problems persist after about a week or so, I’d then suggest switching over to a pre-sterilized implant grade steel (or titanium) internally threaded labret stud or barbell.
But first try the hot salt water (or chamomile tea) compresses.
0 / 2 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 4 Comments
Wednesday June 4th, 2008 @ 8:20 AM
i really love the idea of having a sternum piercing but im completely confused about what method to opt for. through BME iv found that microdermals,dermal anchors and surface bars using the punch + taper method can all be used.
any advice on which method would have the highest success rate with minimal scarring if it does reject would REALLY be appreciated. im sorry if im asking something that a million people already have im just still confused and want to get it right!
also, do you have any contacts or know of any experienced piercers in Sheffield (South Yorkshire, UK). Ive always gone to Van Schaicks previously and I know that they offer heavy mods like tongue splitting, branding, transplants etc so i was just wondering if you’d heard of them.
Thanks a lot (sorry that was kinda long!)
niki x
The best thing to do is to go visit a piercing practitioner and have a consultation to discuss your options. I am an advocate of using dermal punches for surface work in general. As you are in the UK I would advise going down the microdermal route as there are very few of us this side of the Pond using internally-threaded flat disc surface bars, which in my opinion are far superior to externally-threaded surface bars with balls, so unless you are prepared to travel I suggest you find someone who has a proven record with microdermals.
By the way, I am resisting the urge to add a comment about transplants!!
3 / 3 votes
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Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | 3 Comments
Wednesday June 4th, 2008 @ 8:04 AM
I got my hips pierced a few days ago, and the piercer who done it inserted curved barbells for jewellery and told me to come back in a week or so to get surface bars put in if i liked.
I know it’s normal to be a bit red and whatnot afterwards, but I’m really paranoid about them rejecting as I cannot afford to have them repierced or have microdermals instead.
My lack of funds is why I opted for surface piercings instead of the microdermals and I’d like them to last as long as possible.
I was wondering if I could get the jewellery changed to to the surface bars sooner than she recommended or if this would pose problems with healing?
They’re also a bit bruised and tender still, but I’m not sure if that’s normal, if there is such a thing. I attached a picture so you could see the bruising and the redness around the holes. I can also feel the bar really prominently underneath the skin but I don’t know if that means they’re too shallow? I’ve seen many rejecting piercings and they look somewhat similar and I’m starting to worry.
I fail to see the logic in why your piercer decided to initially fit curved barbells and not surface bars. Switching out the jewellery will only serve to irritate the piercing. Why the unecessary trauma when they could have so easily been pierced with surface bars from the get-go and allowed to heal undisturbed?
Piercing can be a false economy - more times than not, allowing finances to dictate when, what and how you get pierced often leads to the loss of that piercing and subsequently having it re-done at a later date by someone more experienced and reputable.
I seriously doubt that swapping the jewellery will be of much use now, but you can try. I would suggest removing the jewellery sooner rather than later, saving up and having them pierced at a later date by a practitioner who has a good track record with surface work.
4 / 6 votes
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Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | Comments
Wednesday June 4th, 2008 @ 1:58 AM
im looking into geting my cartilage stretched on my left ear where i already have a 1.6mm stud that ive had for a few years. any tips on the best way to do it as im having trouble finding a guide and the studio’s in my area say the best way is to have a dermal punch which im not too keen on.
thanks,
max.
Depending on the size you’re interested in getting to Max might dictate what is ideal and what is not ideal. As with stretching ear cartilage there is a lot more that can go wrong, then say just stretching an ear lobe.
I’d advise you to check out this previous question: http://ask.bmezine.com/2008/05/27/cartilage/.
Know that if you ARE going to stretch your ear cartilage I strongly advise you to do so slowly, wait YEARS and be very careful…Because with this its not just about causing a tear in the fistula, but more so causing a spider fracture(s) in the cartilage itself.
3 / 3 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 4 Comments
Friday May 23rd, 2008 @ 10:07 PM
I got a fore-tragus surface piercing about a year ago. It healed perfectly and I’ve had no problems with it. The only problem I have is that I start a job on Tuesday and they have a no visible piercing policy in place. I e-mailed HR, and they said that if it was fairly invisible it wouldn’t be a problem. However, I can’t find anything to screw into it to make it fairly invisible. Are there any places that sell ends to a normal surface bar that would be less visible? Or, alternately, is there any makeup or putty out there that is flesh colored that I could put on after removing the ends of the piercing? It’s hard to see as it is because of my sideburns, but I can’t have the metal visible. Two bumps would probably be acceptable.
Thanks,
Matt
I would be really hesitant to suggest trying to keep it in place without any ends on it. It might work, but it’s also quite possible it will work it’s way out. The other issue is that even if it doesn’t come out, it’s possible for the edges of the bar to slide against the edge of the piercing hold and irritate it…even if it’s well healed.
I obviously don’t know what you are wearing in terms of the brand/company of your surface bar. However, you might be able to get some 3mm (possibly smaller) disks to put on the end of it. These could then possible be covered with make-up such as Derma Blend. There may also be clear, dome-shaped pierces that could screw into your surface bars. Those will likely be less visible than something metal, but they may still not be invisible enough.
1 / 1 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 1 Comment
