all kinds of different ear piercings

Anti Tragus - An anti-tragus piercing is an ear piercing done through the ridge of cartilage immediately above the earlobe (and "across from" the tragus). To many people's surprise, it is also one of the most painful piercings!

Daith -
This ear piercing passes through the ear's innermost cartilage fold. In most areas this piercing is pronounced "day-th" although the proper pronounciation is "doth" (rhymes with "moth")
A client of Erik Dakota that is said to have been studying Hebrew in college first named this piercing ("daath" meaning "knowledge"). Her reasoning was that the piercer must have been very "smart" to figure out how to do the piercing. The actual root word of the piercing is the "da'at", a part of the Kabbalistic tree of life traditionally representing the union of wisdom and understanding. In more modern times daath has come to represent the void or the abyss ("the sacred nothing"), or the hole left behind when Malkuth fell out of the Garden of Eden

Ear Lobe -
Earlobe piercing and earlobe stretching is perhaps history's most common piercing. The typical placement for an earlobe piercing is directly in the center of the lobe and can vary from one earring to multiple earrings. Earlobe piercings other than directly "across" the lobe include lengthwise transverse lobe piercings as well as vertical lobe piercings.

Forward Helix -
A piercing on the inside of the upper rim of ear cartilage, close to the head.

Helix -
The helix piercing is any piercing through the rim of the cartilage (thus making it susceptible to complications such as Ear Collapse if care is not taken to use proper tools and procedures; for example, Piercing guns have been shown to be capable of causing cartilage to shatter).

Industrial -
An industrial piercing is two or more piercings connected by a single barbell. In normal usage it refers to an ear piercing whereby two helix piercings are connected by a single straight (or curved) barbell. While most industrials are a straight bar connecting two helix piercings, they are also often done vertically (sometimes more than one, becoming an ear cage) or through piercings other than the helix, such as rook to helix piercing or inner or outer conch piercings.

Inner Conch -
The inner conch piercing is a piercing through the innermost shell of the ear, next to the ear canal itself. Piercings through the outer shell are called Outer Conch Piercings. Historically it was performed by the Mangebetu of Zaire and the Gorakhnathis.
While this piercing is often done as a standard piercing, a great many people choose to Dermal Punch this piercing immediately to a larger gauge. It should be noted that making significant changes to the structure of the conch can cause minor loss of hearing. Large gauge inner conch piercings and other piercings that noticeably alter the structure of the ear will make slight differences in the ability of your ear to channel sound (like a funnel) into the inner ear. The degree of this change should be extremely minor in normal circumstances and most people arent even aware of it
Most people pronounce this piercing with a soft "ch" (ie. as in "cherry"), although the "official" (and less common) pronunciation is "konk" with a hard "k" at the end

Lobe Orbital -
A lobe orbital is best described as two earlobe piercings fitted with a single piece of curved jewelry (captive bead rings, circular barbells, etc).

Orbital -
Similar to an industrial piercing, an orbital piercing is two piercings connected by a single ring.

Outer Conch -
An outer conch piercing is a piercing through the outer shell of the ear. It is actually a somewhat unusual placement when it comes to "normal" sized piercing because most people tend to pierce along the edge of the ear (helix piercing) which one could argue are not really outer conch piercings, or do inner conch piercing instead.

Ragnar -
The Ragnar piercing is a local term for a "deep snug" piercing; sort of half way between a snug piercing and a transverse lobe piercing. As you can see from the picture, the jewelry enters the body inside the ear roughly where a snug would start, and then exits on the edge of the lobe/helix.

Rook -
The rook piercing is an ear piercing through the fold of cartilage between the inner and outer conch (the anti-helix). Care must be taken with it during healing, as it is easy to contaminate (and damage) from things like telephones touching it.

Snug-
This cartilage piercing passes through the vertical ridge that "outlines" but does not edge the ear. Technically speaking, this is an "anti-helix piercing," although snug seems to be the term in most common circulation.

Tragus -
Piercings through the tragus, the little nub in front of the ear canal, are a common form of ear piercing. This piercing is not known to have a historical basis.
This piercing can be done with a captive bead ring, barbells or even a labret stud. This piercing should have no effect on hearing, nor is it linked to facial paralysis or any other urban legends.

Transverse Lobe -
A transverse lobe is an earlobe piercing turned 90 degrees such that the length of the piercing is parallel to the sagittal plane of the earlobe. Most often, it runs as close to horizontally as the ear will permit

Vertical Lobe -
A vertical lobe piercing is just that; a piercing, usually using a straight barbell, travelling from the top of the lobe (ie. the anti-tragus) down and exiting at the bottom of the lobe. It is essentially a transverse lobe piercing turned 90°.

Vertical Tragus -
Using a curved barbell (or other jewelry), the tragus may be pierced vertically. Many piercings that appear to be a vertical tragus piercing are actually surface piercings located immediately in front of the tragus. These can be done with a curved barbell as well, but are prone to rejection. The chance of rejection can be reduced by using surface bars, as well as having the piercing done by an experienced piercer. Even under optimal conditions though, they can still reject.

MODIFY! (the movie)

All of us know we should not pre-judge others, not to judge a book by its cover.
Does this feeling of acceptance apply to people who modify their body beyond what
is normal? Extreme is relative to perception. It is human nature to fear what we do
not understand. What is ‘normal’?

Everyone modifies their body in one form or another to help show on the outside
how they feel on the inside.

Using intirely original music, including over forty never before heard songs from
more than twenty new artists, this original groundbreaking documentary hits the
screen rockin’ right from the start.

For the first time ever, in their own words, the finest, more well spoken, talented,
surgeons, piercers, tattooists, cutters, body artists, and pioneers of body modification
in the United States, show and tell all in the Committed Films motion picture
‘MODIFY’.

You will meet more than thirty of the most amazing modified people that have ever
lived, and the body artists that have changed them forever. We have traveled the
country and have filmed more than fifty body modification procedures including
tanning, waxing, piercing, branding, scarification, genital beading, elective
amputations, bodybuilding, tattooing, tongue splitting, non-surgical implants, plastic
surgeries, trans-gender surgeries, and everything in between.

Why have they chosen to do this to their bodies?

We explore their thoughts on the difference between body modification and
mutilation, their feelings on discrimination, addiction, religion and the legal limits
regarding the right to choose what someone can or can not do to their own body.

CHECK IT OUT!

http://www.modifythemovie.com/index2.html

it is also now available on netflix.

Why piercing guns are dangerous

Piercing guns are a common tool used in mall shops, mall kiosks, beauty salons and by other non-professional piercers. Unfortunately, the piercing gun or stud gun is an inferior piece of equipment that can cause unnecessary damage and increase a piercees risk of complications.

Sterilization

All equipment used in any piercing must be properly sterilized between uses to prevent the spread of blood borne diseases and reduce the chance of infection. To be properly sterilized, equipment must be run through an autoclave. Piercing guns cannot be autoclaved. When a piercing is performed with a gun, tissue and blood become airborne and will come into contact with anything near it, including the gun, the piercer and the person being pierced. Wiping a piercing gun with antiseptic wipes or alcohol swabs between uses is not sufficient, as it will not kill all blood borne pathogens. This means that both the piercer and person being pierced are exposed to the tissue and blood of every other person that has been pierced with that equipment. In addition, the new piercing has come into contact with the dirty gun and all of the bacteria on it. This greatly increases the risk of infection. This risk of infection is of even more concern when applied to cartilage piercings. Infections in cartilage can become trapped between the layers of cartilage and cause deformation of the ear, sometimes requiring surgery.

clean adj. - Free from dirt, stain, or impurities; unsoiled.
ster·ile  adj.  - Completely free from live bacteria or other microorganisms.


Stud vs. Needle
A properly done piercing is performed using a hollow needle that is extremely sharp. It has a beveled edge that creates a very neat, clean slice in the tissue. This leaves the area with very little damage or trauma, allowing for the easiest healing and minimal complications as well as less pain for a shorter period of time.

A piercing gun uses a dull stud that is forced through the ear through sheer force. Look closely at the end of a piercing stud and it is obvious just how dull it is. Remember that you can sleep on these studs without cutting your neck. Because the stud is dull, it rips through the tissue, causing major tearing, trauma and compaction in the tissue. This will lead to a longer healing time and increased risk of building up excessive scar tissue in and around the piercing. It also causes more irritation and swelling, leading to more pain for an extended period of time.

Excessive scar tissue can cause problems for those that intend to, or decide to stretch their piercings to larger gauges. Some find that it hinders stretching, or even makes it impossible. It will often cause the stretching process to be much slower and involved than normal to allow the scar tissue time to soften and the stretch to heal properly.


Jewelry
The only appropriate materials for use in a fresh piercing are implant grade metals, plastics, glass: Surgical Stainless 316LVM, Titanium, Niobium, PTFE, Bioflex and Pyrex. The nickel content in gold, silver and low grade steel can cause serious reactions and irritation in many people. The porosity of other materials allows the harboring of dirt and bacteria, causing serious irritation and infection. Piercing studs are generally made of a low-grade metal and are often plated. Most common are gold and silver studs.

It is necessary for the jewelry in a new piercing to allow room for swelling and proper access to the piercing for cleaning and to allow the piercing to drain.

Every aspect of the piercing stud makes in inappropriate for use in a new piercing. They are much too short to allow the tissue to swell comfortably. Swelling can be exacerbated
by the restriction of the stud, leading to further damage and irritation of the piercing. The locking butterfly backs cover the back of the piercing and pull the jewelry tight against the front of the piercing. This will not allow a piercing to drain properly as well as building up lymph and dirt and holding it against the healing piercing. Butterfly backs are extremely difficult to clean properly as the loops are very small and cannot be accessed easily.

Proper Placement and Similar Concerns on Body Parts Other Than Ears
When the piercing gun is used, it visually blocks the person operating it from seeing exactly where the stud is being placed. This, along with minimal training on the part of the person using the gun and the kickback of the gun often leaves poorly placed piercings. This also means that matched piercings are often not symmetrical. Many people are left with a no-win situation. Take out the piercing and have it done re-done to correct the placement or live with an improperly placed piercing. This may not be an immediate concern for some, but those wanting to stretch to larger gauges later may find that any asymmetry becomes more pronounced at the larger gauges.

In less common cases, "piercers" will use the gun to perform other piercings, such as in the navel, nose and even tongue. The gun was designed for use on the ears and cannot accommodate other body parts. The design does not allow a larger amount of tissue to be placed in it and the short jewelry is even more dangerous on the thicker piercings.

The width of a gun stud cartridge makes in impossible for it to be fully inserted into the nostril. This leaves the piercing too far forward on the nostril. While being aesthetically unappealing, it also makes it difficult or impossible to wear a ring or nose screw comfortably. A screw will tend to hang out of the nose because it cannot be turned around properly and a ring will stick out from the nostril.


Trained Piercers vs. Minimally Trained Gun Operators
A professional piercer must apprentice under a trained profession. This training includes classes in blood borne pathogens and cross contamination, as well as first aid. This prepares a piercer to handle any situation that may arise during a piercing procedure as well being able to accurately assess a person and any possible complications. They also understand all possible complications and can assist a client with the correct solution to a problem.

The majority of piercings performed with a piercing gun happen in mall shops and/or kiosks, and beauty salons. The people using these guns receive minimal training on the use of the equipment and no training whatsoever on human anatomy, the proper care for a new piercing or the risks and complications involved with piercings or how to treat them. Generally, training consists of two weeks of instruction on use of the gun and possibly practice on a teddy bear or foam ear. The trainee is then loosed on the general public with minimal knowledge and no experience whatsoever.

Piercing guns can jam while being used, leaving the piercee with a half embedded stud and most likely a piercing gun stuck to it. This can be very painful for the piercee and someone that is not properly prepared to deal with this situation can cause unnecessary pain and extended damage to the piercing.

The lack of proper training leads back to the inability of a piercing gun operator to prevent the spread of blood borne diseases, as they are not aware of the risks or the precautions that need to be taken. They also open themselves to exposure, as most do not wear gloves.

Should any serious complications arise, a piercing gun operator will not be able to help you. With little experience in body piercings, they are unable to identify or offer guidance on problems that may arise.

Environment
A piercing or tattoo shop is a safe, clean environment with trained staff. To ensure the safety and comfort of a client, piercings are performed in a room specifically set up for piercing. This means that all of the tools and equipment are within easy reach, as well as any medical equipment that may be needed in case of an unforeseen problem. The area is kept extremely clean, there is a Sharps Container for used needles to be disposed of in and equipment is cleaned in a separate area. All of these things greatly reduce the risk of contamination from the piercer or a previous client.

Mall kiosks and stores are not closed off from the public. In fact, if it is a store, they typically keep the piercing booth right at the front. Equipment is not kept in a sanitary manner nor is the area in which a person is pierced. The open-air environment of a mall means that you are exposed to many more germs and bacteria than the controlled environment of a piercing studio. Should any problems arise, such as unexpected bleeding, you will most likely get an unsanitary paper towel to hold to your ear. Used gun cartridges are tossed in a trash basket, further increasing the chances of spreading disease.


For a safe piercing experience, please choose a professional piercer that works in a proper piercing or tattoo shop and uses the correct equipment and jewelry. Your piercings will thank you!

18 piece dermal anchor project

i have been working on an 18 piece dermal anchor project since oct 2010. today i put in the last 2 anchors. Sondra took some awesome pictues of it, sadly we didnt take a final picture of it all done! (Will if you read this post, next time you are around this way come in so we can take a few pics!)

scarification

Scarification is the creative and artistic application of scars in a controlled manner to achieve an aesthetically or spiritually pleasing result. Scarification is considered to be different than Self-Harm, in the body modification community because it is mainly for cosmetic purposes rather than a way to cope with undue stress.
Many people that do these forms of body modification are doing it to mark a rite of passage in their lives. Even though many people hold that scarification is no more painful than tattooing, it is somehow more "intense" to most people. It has very symbolic meaning to them and often their peers or partners.
Typically the goal of scarification is to get raised scarring, preferably keloid scarring, but most people usually heal to hypertrophic scarring. Because scarification has a three dimensional aspect, many people enjoy the feeling of healed scars. As a rule of thumb, darker skin tones usually have better scarring than lighter skin tones.
There are many differnt ways to do scarification. Strike branding with strike branding, a sheet of carbon steel sheet metal is used, which is cut into small one inch strips. Taking the small strips, they are then bent or cut to the desired design. 

From there the pieces are laid on the skin and the edge of the steel is heated with a propane torch. Once it reaches the desired temperature, it is pressed against the skin for a brief moment, which is called a strike. This is done with each piece until the design is completed. 
Cautry branding is done with a design on the skin and a surgical cautery pen (which is very hot) is taken and used to draw along the image on the skin. The finished work can include a much more detailed image than that done by striking.
  One short term benefit over striking is there is no immediate seams that are seen with the cautery method, while with the striking method there temporarily will be seams in the design, although that ultimately turns seamless after time.
Even so, the cautery method leaves more of a natural flowing look, like a brush was used, while the strike method has more of a rigid look that comes from using steel, even if it ends up seamless.
There is also skin removal but cutting with a scalpel. You cut single lines which produce relatively thin scars, and skin removal is a way to get a larger area of scar tissue. The outlines of the area of skin to be removed will be cut, and then the skin to be removed will be peeled away. Scars from this method often have an inconsistent texture

scarification with scalpel

scarification with scalpel

scarification with dermal punch

scarification with dermal punch

scarification done by strike branding

scarification done with electrocautry

wood plugs and tunnels

here are a few links to beautifully made organic tunnels and plugs...


Omerica Organic

grenades by omerica organics

Diablo Orangics

thundercats by diablo organics

Care/Allergy notes & disclaimer

Material reaction concerns: Please be aware that wear of natural materials is done at your own risk, and that any material used in contact with the skin has the capability to cause a reaction ranging from minor irritation to serious rash, weeping or worse.

Environmental concerns: Many natural materials are porous and/or may absorb moisture or anything that you put on them. Be aware that there are very few personal hygiene products (shampoos, soaps, cleansers, etc) that are made to be in long term contact with your skin - many of these will cause reactions when in constant contact. Because of this you should be aware of where your jewelry is and what is on it. Here are two situations we have personally seen that are a good example of the kinds of things you need to be aware of: leaving your jewelry out in the open and using spray products such as hair spray or perfume, and washing your hair/face with jewelry in and getting residue on your jewelry. Any of these situations may manifest themselves days or even weeks later as irritation in your piercing as a result of these chemicals in constant contact with sensitive skin.

General care for natural jewelry

Due to the nature of natural body jewelry, all pieces are non-sterile. It is advised that you clean your jewelry per the instructions below for each material before wearing. Natural jewelry and prolonged exposure to sunlight, water or steam do not work well together. Remember to remove your jewelry when bathing or swimming, or any scenario where prolonged sweating is inevitable, and refrain from soaking your jewelry in any liquid. Any of these things could result in possible damage including but not limited to raising of grain, dislodging of inlays, discoloration, warping or breakage. Do not autoclave or ultrasonic any organic material. Some stones may be autoclaved on a case by case basis.

Cleaning natural jewelry

The cleaning process is similar for virtually all natural materials, and exemptions or additional details are noted below by material. Wash gently with a damp cloth and a few drops of natural, chemical free soap. Buff dry with a clean, low lint cloth. If a more stringent cleaning is desired, a very small amount of essential oil such as Tea Tree may be slightly diluted and used. Do be aware that allergies and irritations to essential oils may occur.

Caring for specific materials

Animal materials: Horn, bone, antler, tusk, ivory, tooth and quill.

All animal materials will absorb moisture and/or be effected by temperature changes or humidity to some extent, so be diligent about avoiding showers, pools, etc. When you remove your jewelry, wipe it clean with a soft, damp cloth and dry it. With prolonged wear some of these materials, primarily lighter in color, will start to take on a grey or yellow hue. This is normal, but can be delayed or avoided in some cases with proper care. It is best to store these materials in a cool, dry, dark place.

Plant materials: Hardwoods, Nuts (Tagua, Coconut and others), Grasses (Bamboo).

Woods are more susceptible to moisture and humidity than most other natural materials due to the physical nature of the material itself. The primary purpose of wood grain is to move water from the roots to the upper portions. Because of this, dried wood will always tend to want to absorb moisture and thus prolonged exposure to water or soaking in liquids should be avoided. Being worked and finished properly will definitely help to prevent the absorption but long term wear and use will inevitably lead to the grain rising. This is normal and can be remedied by gently sanding to remove the raised grain with at least 400+ grit sandpaper (and then progressively finer grits if you have them) and finishing by buffing with a soft cloth. Wood should be periodically oiled with jojoba, coconut or a similar natural oil, which will help maintain their moisture content and also give the added benefit of transferring some of that oil's health properties to your skin. Most woods will darken over time with oiling and wear.

Bamboo is a very resilient grass that does not require much care to maintain. Aside from not soaking it in any liquids, all that needs to be done is a periodic wiping off when dirty or oily. Avoid sanding the smooth outer skin of the bamboo, as this wearable surface is not very thick and you may sand right through it to the porous inner walls.

Stone materials: Stone, Obsidian, Amber, Petrified Wood & Coral/Fossilized Ivory/Bone, Jet

Stone and Obsidian (a volcanic glass) require the least care of any natural material. Avoid dropping these materials, as there is a good chance that they will either break themselves, or break whatever they hit. Stone gets slick very easily with sweat or water and can fall out easily - a large stone plug can crack ceramic floor tile. Although you should exercise care in avoiding extreme temperature changes and moisture, stone will fair much better if you forget to take them out to shower, etc. Petrified Wood & Coral are "agatized" and can be treated as any other agate, jasper, obsidian, etc. Some stone can be autoclaved at your discretion, and some artists do enjoy using stone for larger size procedures such as conch, lobe and labret work. Do not autoclave amber, opal, onyx or any stone with obvious veins or fissures.

Amber is a fossilized tree resin, not technically a stone, and care is very different. It should not be introduced to any strong soap, cleansers, hot water or environments, jewelry cleaning solutions, hairspray or perfumes. Storage is best in a soft cloth and any situation in which it could rub against metals or harder materials should be avoided.

Fossilized Ivories such as walrus tusk and mammoth ivory are fragile and particularly sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and humidity. These materials should be stored and cared for in much the same way as amber. Ivories do well with being oiled rather frequently to help maintain a constant moisture content, as drying out can result in cracking along grain lines or fissures that are common these materials.

Precious stone inlays (diamond, cz, topaz, rhodolite, etc) set in silver or gold should be buffed lightly with a soft, lint free cloth to clean

FRIDAY BUY ONE PIERCING GET ONE 1/2 OFF!

friday at the arthouse inc its buy one get one piercing 1/2 off!

no appointments necessary

the wonderful world of dermal anchors

A dermal anchor is a technique that is essentially a single-point pocketing. A small piece of jewellery designed to be inserted into the body and is held or "anchored" in place by the surface tissue "dermal" around it. There are different techniques used to insert dermal anchors, needles (see figure 1 on the chart below) or dermal punches (see figure 2 on the chart below). Generally if a piercer uses a needle it is larger gauge then the jewellery, 12g - 10g. At the arthouse we use dermal punches which are gauge to gauge 14g.

 once the piercing is done a pocket is made for the toe and heel of the anchor and the anchor is popped in to place. While the tops of the anchors are interchangeable we do not recommend changing them. In my past experience it can be the demise of the piecing as it is nearly impossible to hold the anchor top and the post tight enough to change it. In my opinion dermal anchors are a much better choice for surface piercings, the longevity of them is much better then a traditional surface piercing as well the initial healing time on an anchor is fairly short, about 4 - 6 weeks.

piercings by laura barrett the arthouse inc

piercings by laura barrett the arthouse inc

piercing by laura barrrett the arthouse inc

piercings by laura barrett the arthouse inc

piercings by laura barrett the arthouse inc

piercings by laura barrett the arthouse inc

piercings by sondra musa / laura barrett the arthouse inc