Piercings are done for a variety of reasons in different cultures. It can be a rite of passage, a display of social status, or even a sign of rebellion. Within our community, piercings are often done just for fun. Frank Strona, who for about eleven years has taught workshops on sex, relationships, and BDSM technique, shared some of his tricks and tips on play piercing to a recent program. To clarify the difference, the goal of a permanent piercing is the jewelry left in place. In temporary pierce, the goal is the piercing itself, and the endorphin release that comes with it.

The temporary piercing is a topical piercing; that is, it is very shallow and just beneath the skin. In actuality, it is deep enough that if properly done, it is strong enough to take a bit of tugging. The piercing itself is usually considered a non-sterile procedure, meaning it is not done ins sterile conditions. However, it should be done in the most sanitary manner possible. Frank described a cleaning process involving cleaning the skin with an iodine preparation three times for 15-20 seconds each. Antibacterial type wipes- not the gels- and benzalkonium chloride (Bactine) will also work. Rubbing alcohol will do in a pinch, although it does not really kill bacteria. As a side benefit, though, it does remove the oil.

Piercings are generally done with a specific type of hypodermic needle with a bevel. Various sizes are available, although anywhere from a #20 through a #26 gauge are good starting points, as is the 1 1/2" to 2" length of the needle. Recapping a needle should not be done once it has been used for a couple good reasons. First, it is quite easy to poke yourself with the needle while recapping it (ask any nurse about needlesticks). Secondly, if it is uncapped, there is no mistaking it for a clean needle. Sharp containers are available either free or low-cost at most drug stores in and about the city. It is illegal to purchase the needles in the state of California, although during prohibition whiskey was illegal, too, and we know that people found ways around that.

Piercing can be done to just about every body part; it is basically just limited by your skill and you partner's willingness, although Frank does not recommend piercing the soles of the feet or the palms of the hands. Nine out of ten times, there will no scarring and only very minor, if any, marking after temporary piercing, although the face and neck carry a greater risk for scarring. Frank warned to be careful of areas of thin skin, such as in the genital areas. For safety, he recommended transilluminating the skin (shining a flashlight through it) to ensure that there are no vessels lying in the path of the needle. Frank noted that scar tissue rarely forms, and therefore the same area can be used repeatedly without problem.

The actual technique is relatively simple. Pinch the skin to be pierced with the non-dominant hand (for most of us, this would be the left) and use the dominant hand to push the needle through. Do not stop the progression of the needle or pull back a little and then push again. Once you start the needle through, it should go either in or out. Although piercers use Neosporin, for temporary piercing, the benefits do not really warrant its use. It can help larger bore needles glide a little more easily.

The program ended with a piercing demonstration on Brian. Frank arranged two different patterns, one on Brian's chest and one on his abdomen. Brian noted that the pleasure he got from it arose from the endorphins and the lifting of the skin by the needles, also noting that there was a cumulative effect the longer the needles were in. Finally, Frank offered to pierce anyone who was desirous of it. Fortunately, I was able to worm my way to the front of line because there were quite a few people in the audience who were more than eager to give it a shot (no real pun intended).

Frank presented a great program, very informative with the occasional amusing story. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as I think everyone in the room did. My sincere thanks to Frank for taking some of the fear out of one of my "not for me" and turning it into a "well, maybe sometime".

NOTE: For more information on medical and/or other edgeplay equipment or on any of the workshops/classes that Frank gives, E-mail him at scarltr@aol.com.

Posted with permission from Society of Janus
Ó Society of Janus http://www.soj.org