Many cultures have a somewhat dichotomous relationship with piercing. There is the socially acceptable piercings of ears and the religious piercings and then there is piercing done for sexual fulfilment. I was perusing Mistress Nymphetamean‘s blog and found a recent post on the latter, play piercing. It intrigued me greatly and she has been gracious enough to answer some further questions.
When did you get into piercing?
I got into piercing (getting them done) in my late teens—the mid 1990’s. Things were drastically different back then, we didn’t know a lot of the things we do now about healing a piercing, jewellery choices or placement. There was a lot of trial and error at the time, as professionals learned what did and didn’t work. I started piercing in my early 20’s—flesh hooks first, then play piercing and ultimately body piercings. I had some amazing teachers, did a lot of research and apprenticed under a few mentors. I added to my knowledge of how the body works and heals when I went to school to be a paramedic—it helped immensely with my understanding of how the body reacts to the pain of piercing.
What preparations do you and the person being pierced go through?
I have to make sure I have all of my supplies ready and close by—a sharps bin does nothing if I can’t easily reach it. If anything needs to be sterilised, I run the autoclave. I plan out what we’re going to do so I can be sure to have enough supplies on hand. I expect my bottom to have a balanced meal at least a few hours before hand. I expect them to be sober and in good health.
What are the most common body areas used for this piercing?
For play piercing, any part of the body can be used, but back and chest are most common, followed by the genitals.
Are there dangers? What should aspiring practioners and piercees know before their first sessions?
There are many risks involved, most can be minimised by proper education and preparation. The most obvious is infection, whenever we break the skin we open the body to infection. Because of this, proper sterilisation of needles and any tools is required. Using proper skin prep—an anti-microbial formulation is essential, rubbing alcohol is not sufficient. Gloves must be worn (nitrile is best, latex is also acceptable). Most importantly, the top must be educated in proper technique. While the needles used are small, they can do damage if used incorrectly.
Typically how many needles are used—and what are the extremes?
There is no typical here, piercing scenes can range from a few needles to a few hundred. The most I’ve done in a single session as a piercer is 250 in a guys genitals. I’ve received over 150 in my back for a set of wings. I’ve also done scenes for people who are afraid of needles, in those even a single needle is a great achievement for the bottom. Those scenes can be very cathartic and have a special place in my heart.
Are there any types or styles of piercing that you haven‘t tried but that you are looking forward to trying?
The things I would like to learn are all within the realm of permanent piercing—I want to learn how to do micro-dermal piercings. I am a fairly accomplished piercer, doing hook suspensions regularly for 10 years now. I have done many of the most common body piercings, ears, noses, nipples, navels and genitals. I’ve even had a chance to do some less common ones too—some surface piercing projects, unusual genital piercings. I love to do large gauge piercings, but it’s not often people ask for those. I always keep up with the latest trends and innovations in the piercing world, learning new techniques when they interest me.
