badhairdo

Ok, No corsodyl - it's far too strong and will upset the cellular balance necessary during the healing process. You are trying to heal a puncture wound with a foreign body in situ. Very weak, diluted alcohol-free mouthwash or seasalf/saline solution is all that is necessary. On the subject of numbing agents - totally uneccessary. Tongue piercings are one of the the least painful piercings to actually get done. It is more post-piercing that you are likely to experience discomfort and numbing agents can intensify this discomfort.

I personally wouldn't recommend Blue Banana - I have my reasons. Thou Art or Feline is your best bet. I do believe Eternal Ink is no more - I used to be the resident piercer there and am now working from Magnum Opus in Brighton (which is a little out of your way!)

Do Not Feed The Troll! *rollseyes*

You may find you have problems the larger you go, further down the line. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of stretching correctly. Up less than 1mm every six to eight weeks. The larger yopu go, the longer you leave it. Poor stretching technique compromises the blood supply, causes thinning of the lobes and can lead to necrosis resulting in earlobe reconstruction.

Not to be pedantic, but a standard-gauge (anything below a 3.2mm) needle doesn't doesn't remove flesh or skin. It makes a crescent-shaped incision which then stretches open to accomodate the shaft of the needle. Twisting the needle (which is bad practice) can lead to tissue loss but as a general rule, a needle is akin to a cutting tool. Everything else you stated, I wholly agree with you on.

Not any more. His new studio will be in Swinton so his overheads will be considerably less than when he was in sheffield and he intends on passing that saving down to his clients.

There is only one artist in my opinion, for dotwork and that does involve a trip to london. Xed LeHed from Into You.

I love it!!!

Purplepippa... Paul can be contacted via his website http://www.paulgoss.net He is in the process of opening up a studio, so all is not lost

If he comes to your house, unless you have a room that is kitted out to studio quality then it's really not viable. Staph infections are no fun and don't do wonders for the end result of your tattoo! He should be reported to environmental health. The regulations governing tattooing exist to protect people.

Phil Kyle from London Ink has a studio in Brighton. It's the third link down in my signature.

OK... here is my PROFESSIONAL opinion as a practicing body piercer. Piercing is not risk-free. The risks are increased by using a piercing gun for all the reasons stated on the APP website (the link I posted which I deeply doubt you took the time to read). There is a very real reason that I choose to lose business by not offering piercings done with a gun.

I find it bizarre that the pro piercing minors brigade seem to be completely ignoring the health risks despite solid factual information being posted and linked to on here. I am not judging anyone. I am, in fact, a huge advocate of body modification and happen to work in that industry. What I am against is parents ignoring the risks. A adult can make an informed descision as to what they do to their own bodies and be prepared to accept the risks. I am more than cool with that. A child, however, is reliant on their parent/guardian to safeguard their best interests and make descisions on their behalf, but when those descisions are made without acknowledging the risks and in fact, jeopardising that childs wellbeing, well, what can I say? I find that abhorrant. And also, I wouldn't recommend anyone being pierced by an experienced jeweller. They make jewellery (and not proper quality body piercing jewellery at that too). It's a bit like asking a chimney sweep to go mine for coal.

*sigh* I give up! Hepatitis IS life-threatening, as is HIV/AIDS, as is septicaemia. Why risk your childs health? Risk your own, by all means, but not someone elses. I take it you didn't read the INFORMATION I posted. Still, if knowing that you are happy to go ahead and risk your own offsprings well-being.. go you!

This particular paragraph... <i>As is now well known, the Hepatitis virus can live for extended periods of time on inanimate surfaces, and could be harbored within a piercing gun for several weeks or more. Hepatitis and common staph infections, which could be found on such surfaces, constitute a serious public health threat if they are introduced into even one reusable piercing gun. Considering the dozens of clients whose initial piercings may have direct contact with a single gun in one day, this is a cause for serious concern. Babies, young children, and others with immature or compromised immune systems may be at higher risk for contracting such infection.</i>

It's not about being sanctimonious, it's about being responsible. Why put your child through an unecessary risk? Would your child thank you for it if they ended up with brain damage from septicaemia? Or hepatitis? (If you think I'm scare-mongering then have a look at what the APP has to say on the use of piercing guns http://www.safepiercing.org). The risk might be small but nonetheless it's an avoidable risk. And surely it should be up to the piercee to decide whether or not they wish to accept these risks. That's why we have consent forms. I personally think it is wrong for a parent/guardian to sign consent on behalf of someone else for a potentially dangerous and painful cosmetic procedure.

A puncture wound that breaches the bodys basic defence system and is then kept open with a foreign body thus delaying the immediate healing response is hardly trivial. This attitude about body piercing being no big deal hacks me off. Staphlococcus aureus in a two year old is hardly trivial. Hepatitis is hardly trivial. Read up on the bodys largest organ - the skin. Read up on the integumentary system. Read up on bloodborne pathogens, cross-contamination etc etc. Also, research piercing guns (as no respectable piercer will touch a 2yr old with a needle) and inappropriate jewellery and then tell me it is a trivial matter. Oh yeah.. I haven't even touched on INFORMED consent yet.

Is two years old too young for an ear piercing - yes! This child cannot give full consent therefore it is unethical.

ooh.. guys going it alone? Best of luck to him!!! (He did my half-sleeve quite some time ago and I put him off doing inner lip tattoos too!!)

And you may get freebies with it too - like a nice staph. aureus infection or hepatitis because at the end of the day, studios that bend the law to make a quick buck will undoubtedly cut corners in other areas to save a buck. Leanne.. you are 17. A year is not long to wait, then you can go to a top-end studio quite legitimately, plus, it gives you more time to think about what you really want and get a nice custom piece rather than picking a bit of cheap flash off the walls because that's all you can get from studios that don't ID clients (as you previously stated).

Our policy at Eternal Ink was that if you are under the age of 21 or you look under the age of 21 you will have to provide valid photo ID. At the studio I currently work out of in Brighton, Magnum Opus, we photocopy all ID and it gets stapled to your consent form. This should be a basic industry standard.

No the tattooist should not probably check her age. It should be done as standard. And yes, all the reputable studios do insist on seeing official photo ID as in passport and driving licence.

The lump is an early indication of irritation. Your body will create excess scar tissue to cushion the fistula whilst it heals. Try not to play with the piercing and I would give it 2-3 weeks before downsizing as if you have the jewellery changed too soon, the thread can damage the fragile fistula and cause it to swell up again. Avoid alcohol for this length of time and make sure your very weakly watered down mouthwash doesn't contain alcohol. Once you nail the cause of the irritation, the lump should break down.

me neither

For all you lovely, loyal customers of mine - next week is my final week working in sheffield, so if you want piercing by me without having to mission it down to brighton, now is your last chance