Everything you need to know about ear, face, and body piercings-from how to find a skilled professional piercer to best practices for safe healing and optimal results.
"As a piercer, nurse, and educator, I can say without a doubt that this is the most complete book ever written for all people in our industry."-David A. Vidra, founder and president of Health Educators, Inc.
Piercing expert Elayne Angel has performed over 50,000 piercings since the 1980s and has pioneered many placements, including tongue piercing and the triangle, lorum, and other genital piercings. Her authoritative and groundbreaking guidebook has been the definitive resource on body piercing since its publication in 2009.
Many people are unaware of the elevated risks of getting pierced at a mall kiosk, by an untrained tattoo artist, or by a novice piercer; a skilled professional is necessary for safety and optimal results, whether piercing the ear, nose, or elsewhere. This revised and expanded edition is the only comprehensive reference book available to help you navigate the entire piercing process. It contains new illustrations, diagrams, and photos, along with fully updated information, including:
• The best piercings and placements for various body parts and body types
• Terminology, techniques, and tools of the trade
• Vital sterility, sanitation, and hygiene information
• Jewelry designs, sizes, materials, and quality
• Piercing aftercare and troubleshooting advice for successful healing
• How to become a piercer, piercing throughout history and in modern culture, and the future of body piercing
The Piercing Bible, Revised and Expanded, includes essential medical and technical updates, as well as refreshed illustrations and jewelry photography, to reflect today's standards and best practices for safe, professional piercing. "No one is more qualified to write this book than Elayne Angel. With more than three decades of professional experience to her credit, no one knows the subject better."-Jim Ward, founder of Gauntlet, the world's first body piercing studio
"This is an exciting book for a field that has exploded in the last two decades. National industry standards are needed, and Elayne provides important data."-Myrna L. Armstrong, RN, EdD
Introduction
Whether it fascinates or repels, something is captivating about hard metal worn through tender flesh. Piercing is thrilling. Literally. The word thrill originates from the Middle English word thrillen, "To perforate by a pointed instrument. Hence, to cause a shivering, throbbing, tingling, or exquisite sensation; to pierce; to penetrate." By that account, piercing sounds quite exciting. And so it is! Piercing is among the most ancient and current practices for ornamenting and customizing the human form.
THE ART OF MODERN PIERCING
Except for traditional earrings and a rare nostril stud or hoop, piercing was virtu- ally unheard of just a few decades ago. As body piercing initially came into the light from the far-flung fringes of society, people perceived it as radical, deviant, and even disgusting. Over time it has fully blossomed as a mode of personal expression nearly anyone may use to enhance their appearance, self-image, and quality of life. Professional piercing has come into its own, and it has been accepted as a part of our modern culture.
In some areas, it seems more people have visible piercings than don't! In con- junction with talented and creative body jewelry designers and manufacturers, piercing has been elevated to a legitimate art form. We're now in the second generation, with Millennial and Gen X parents bringing their children to studios for safe ear piercings, instead of the mall to be pierced by a gun.
The practice of piercing is one of the activities grouped under the term body modification. These pursuits include tattooing, scarification, branding, and oth
