Temporary Piercing or Needle Play

by Desiree Des

Temporary piercing or “Needle Play” as it is commonly called, is a technique that involves consensually inserting needles underneath the skin of another person for mutual erotic pleasure. It is one of those activities that fascinates, appalls or frightens most scene players. Due to its invasive nature and the risk of exposure to blood borne pathogens, it is definitely an activity that you want to have proper training in
before you dive in for the first time. Care should be taken to follow all appropriate safety precautions when engaging in this activity in order to avoid infection or injury. While this will hopefully provide a complete and helpful instruction, I suggest that you have someone
experienced in this type of play available to help you during your first time. Please keep in mind that all of these items are suggestions based on research, personal experience and preferred style of play. Also, this is not meant to cover every aspect of needle play, but rather is intended to be an introduction for those of you new to this exciting area of play.

In today’s workshop we are going to cover basic needle play and some more advanced artistic type of play.

Every basic needle play kit should contain certain basic items for safety’s sake:

• Needles – remember, the higher the number, the thinner the needle. Note: needle hubs are color coded for needle size, but these sizes are not consistent throughout the manufacturers, so be sure to know what size you are buying.
• Latex Gloves – or Nitrile Gloves if your partner is allergic to latex  Gloves will not provide protection against needle sticks but provide an effective skin barrier against blood borne pathogens during play.
• Skin cleansing agents: I am using Betadine and alcohol, but there are other products available such as Techni-Care that are equally safe to use.
• Band-Aids or newskin in case of bleeding after needle removal.
• Sharps container for disposal of needles after removal Your local drug store should have sharps containers for diabetics, and they are very inexpensive.
• Wire cutters Used in the event you experience a needle stick and you are not fluid bound with your partner. If this occurs, use the wire cutters to snip the sharp exposed needle point, clean the area with alcohol then remove the needle.

Also handy to have on hand are such things as:

• Towels
• Small corks or Styrofoam balls to protect the sharp point of the needle once it is through the skin.
• A flashlight should you need more lighting.
• String, lacing, or floss for lacing the needles
• Surgical pen for drawing elaborate designs
• Smelling salts or ammonia capsules
• A sugary snack and cool beverage

You may purchase needles on line through several different sources.
http://www.FetishAuctioneer.com or http://www.kinkymedical.net  are two I recommend.

The plastic disposable protection around the needle is called the sheath. The plastic portion permanently attached to the needle is called the hub. One shouldn't attempt to re-sheath the needles, as this can be hard to do without sticking oneself (actually, one should be careful about unsheathing as well). The sheath can be used to depress skin for the initial needle penetration when you are unable to pinch
the skin. You can practice piercing on a fresh orange, or on a chicken breast.

The basic idea is that the needle should travel just underneath the surface of ordinary skin, to emerge a short distance from where it was inserted.

The needle tips have a bevel. With regard to the skin being pierced, the bevel may be up or down (it's personal preference); I prefer having it up so it slides through smoothly.

Shallower = More Pain, Larger Diameter Needle = More Pain

SAFETY

Do not stick needles into internal organs, bones, eyes, any joint areas, fingers, toes, etc. Again, the idea is that the needle should travel just underneath ordinary skin, passing only through skin and the subcutaneous layers just underneath the surface.

Play piercing involving the genitals is a special topic, with special precautions that must be followed to avoid causing permanent damage; don't try any sort of genital piercing without further training from someone who is familiar with and competent at genital piercing.

Don't pierce wrists, hands, or spines. Waist to shoulders is usually fine, though one should avoid the armpit and sternum.

At some play parties, it is required that you cork the tips of needles. This is not always easy to do without sticking yourself, though. The black corks can be autoclaved. Some people like to spray the area with their disinfectant of choice and/or apply a gauze bandage after
the piercing. I clean the area and apply Bacitracin to the area pierced.

Certain medications affect the body’s abilities to form blood clots and stop bleeding. If your play partner is taking any of the following medications, they are at a much higher risk for heavier or prolonged bleeding.

I recommend people wear latex or nitrile gloves as they do piercing, and to use the needle sheath to press down the skin in front of the needle as it is going through so that their hand or finger is not in the needle's way. Although most gloves will not protect you should you stick yourself with a needle, they can protect your hands against any blood (of uncertain infectious status) that may flow from skin punctures.

The primary danger in play piercing is infection. Be sure that the person you are playing with recognizes the signs of infection should they occur, and if so they should seek proper medical care. Today we are going to learn how to use accessories with needles to make beautiful designs that can be worn for an extended time.

Once the needles are placed, you can add things like flowers and beads, rubber bands, or string to make creative designs during your scene.

Anaphylactic Shock (also known as) Allergic Shock Reaction
This type of shock is discussed separately because it is a condition that must be regarded as life threatening. This type of shock as an automatic out of control over reactive shock mechanism. Anaphylactic shock (anaphylactic reaction) occurs when an individual comes in contact with something to which he or she is extremely allergic too and the body over reacts. The allergic reaction causes violent
reactions in a sensitized individual and include:

1. Insect stings (bees, ants or fire ants, wasps, yellow jackets, hornets)
2. Skin irritants (Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Poison Sumac, etc.)
3. Ingested substances (drugs, bad foods, fish, etc.)
4. Inhaled substances (pollens, dust, etc.)
5. Injected substances (antitoxins, drugs, etc.)

Outward Symptoms

1. Itching and burning skin, especially about the face & chest
2. Painful constriction of the chest with difficulty in breathing
3. Dizziness
4. Restlessness
5. Nausea

Outward Signs

1. Hives over a large area of the body or even generalized edema
2. Swelling at the local site and also can be found in the face and tongue
3. Cyanosis visible at the lips (bluing of the skin)
4. A weak or imperceptible pulse
5. Vomiting

IF YOU OBSERVE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF ALLERGIC SHOCK REACTION, DO NOT TRY TO TREAT IT YOURSELF. TAKE THE PERSON IMMEDIATELY TO MEDICAL HELP.

Many of the things we do are inherently dangerous in nature. I have included an in-depth article on
antisepsis (skin cleaning and preparation). It is not meant to make anyone into a medical expert, but is
helpful information to keep you safe when you venture into needle play on your own. Please remember
safety before sadism and keep your partner healthy and whole.

SURGICAL ANTISEPSIS KEY CONCEPTS you will learn here include:

x_What the causes of wound infections are
x_What the safest and most effective antiseptics are
x_How to use antiseptics and perform surgical antisepsis
x_How to prevent contamination of antiseptics

BACKGROUND

Although considerable progress has been made in understanding the cause and prevention of surgical site infections during the past 100 years, postoperative wound infections (incisional and deep) remain a leading cause of nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections, especially in developing countries. The vast majority of postoperative incisional or superficial wound infections are caused by microorganisms (usually bacteria or sometimes fungi) normally found on the person ’s skin or from mucous membranes adjacent to the surgical site, and less often from other sites (e.g., nose, mouth or respiratory tract in abdominal operations). By contrast, microorganisms from the hands of the surgeon or assistant are seldom the cause of incisional surgical site infections (Galle, Homesley and Rhyne 1978), nor are organisms present in the operating room or on other surgical staff. Preoperative surgical antisepsis consists of three processes (hand hygiene and gloving of surgical team members combined with applying an antiseptic agent to the surgical site) designed to block transmission of infectious agents into the surgical wound. The effectiveness of hand washing followed by briefly applying a waterless, alcohol-based antiseptic hand rub or antiseptic solution in reducing the number of bacteria and fungi on hands
has been amply documented (Galle, Homesley and Rhyne 1978;Larson et al 2001). In fact, one large, 10-year prospective study found no postoperative wound infections after 141 operations during which the surgeon ’s glove was punctured (Cruse and Ford 1980). In addition, preoperative skin preparation using an antiseptic agent, when done correctly, has been shown to effectively reduce both transient and resident skin flora, as well as infection rates (Platt and Bucknall 1984). Whether a postoperative infection occurs depends on several risk factors, the most important being:

Surgical Antisepsis
x_number of microorganisms entering the wound;
x_type and virulence (ability to cause disease)of the bacteria;
x_strength of the person ’s defense mechanisms (e.g., status of the immune system); and
x_external factors, such as the person being in the hospital several days before the surgery or duration of the surgery (>4 hours).

Antisepsis, by limiting the type and number of microorganisms transferred into the wound, plays an
important, but not necessarily major, role in preventing infections.

DEFINITIONS

x_Antiseptic or anti-microbial agent (terms used interchangeably). Chemicals that are applied to the skin or other living tissue to inhibit or kill microorganisms (both transient and resident) thereby reducing the total bacterial count. Examples include alcohols (ethyl and isopropyl); dilute iodine solutions, iodophors, chlorhexidine and triclosan.
x_Antisepsis. Process of reducing the number of microorganisms on skin, mucous membranes or other
body tissue by applying an antimicrobial (antiseptic) agent.

SELECTION OF ANTISEPTICS

While plain soap and clean water physically remove dirt and other material as well as some transient microorganisms from the skin, antiseptic solutions kill or inhibit almost all transient and many resident microorganisms, including most vegetative bacteria and many viruses. Antiseptics are designed to remove as many microorganisms as possible without damaging or irritating the skin or mucous
membrane on which they are used. In addition, some antiseptic solutions have a residual effect, meaning their killing action continues for a period of time after they have been applied to skin or mucous membranes. Many chemicals qualify as safe antiseptics. The most frequently used antiseptics are chlorhexidine gluconate, which is contained in Hibitane®, Hibiscrub ®, and iodophors such as Betadine® and Wescodyne ®

Surgical Antisepsis

Although antiseptics are sometimes used as disinfectants (e.g., Savlon or Dettol®) for processing instruments and other inanimate objects, they are not designed for this use. They do not have the same killing power as chemical disinfectants (e.g., glutaraldehydes, hypochlorite and peroxides) and should not be used for this purpose (Rutala 1996).

USE OF ANTISEPTICS

Hand Hygiene Anti-microbial soaps or detergents are no more effective than plain soap and clean water in reducing the risk of infection when used for routine hand washing, provided the water quality is satisfactory (Pereira, Lee and Wade 1997). Water that contains large amounts of particulate matter (makes the water cloudy) or is contaminated (high bacteria count) should not be used for performing a
surgical hand scrub. In addition, anti-microbial soaps are costly and are more irritating to the skin than plain soap.

Skin Preparation Prior to Surgical Procedures

Although skin cannot be sterilized, applying an antiseptic solution minimizes the number of microorganisms around the surgical wound that may contaminate and cause infection.

Instructions

STEP 1: Do not shave hair around the operative site. Shaving increases the risk of infection 5 –10 fold because the tiny nicks in the skin provide an ideal setting for microorganisms to grow and multiply (Nichols 1991;Seropian and Reynolds 1971). If hair must be cut, trim the hair close to the skin surface with scissors immediately before surgery.
STEP 2: Ask the person about allergic reactions (e.g., to iodine preparations) before selecting an antiseptic solution.
STEP 3 :If the skin or external genital area is visibly soiled, gently wash it with soap and clean water and dry the area before applying the antiseptic. Select the antiseptic solution from the following recommended products:

x_Alcohol-based solutions (tinctures) of iodine or chlorhexidine
x_Alcohols (60 –90%ethyl, isopropyl or “methylated spirit ”)

Infection Prevention Guidelines

Surgical Antisepsis

x_Chlorhexidine gluconate (2 –4%)(e.g., Hibitane, Hibiscrub, Hibiclens®)
x_Chlorhexidine gluconate and cetrimide, various concentrations at least 2%(e.g., Savlon)
x_Iodine (3%); aqueous iodine and alcohol-containing (tincture of iodine) products
x_Iodophors (7.5 –10%), various other concentrations (e.g., Betadine)
x_Chloroxylenol (Para-chloro-metaxylenol or PCMX)(0.5 –3.75%), various other concentrations (e.g., Dettol)

Note: Do not allow the antiseptic to pool underneath the client’s body; this can irritate the skin.

STEP 4: Using dry, new cotton or gauze squares soaked in antiseptic, thoroughly cleanse the skin. Work from the operative site outward for several centimeters. (A circular motion from the center out helps to prevent recontamination of the operative site with local skin bacteria.)
STEP 5: Allow the antiseptic enough time to be effective before beginning the procedure. For example, when an iodophor (betadine) is used, allow 2 minutes or wait until the skin is visibly dry before proceeding, because free iodine, the active agent, is only released slowly.

Outline:

Supplies:

• Needles – size, sterility, sources
• Gloves – latex or nitrile, allergies
• Cleansing Agents – Betadine/Alcohol, Betadine/BZK, Techni-care Bandaids
• Sharps Container – available at drug store
• Wire Cutters
• Towels
• Corks
• Flashlight
• String, floss, lacing
• Surgical Pen
• Smelling Salts
• Sugary Snack and beverage

Safety:

• Avoid internal organs, bones, eyes, joints, fingers, toes, etc.
• Corking tips
• Spraying with alcohol
• Sheath for holding skin
• Infection
• Shock:
• Causes – Insect bites, skin irritants, inhaled substances, injected substances (latex gloves, surgical steel, betadine (shellfish allergy), dyes, and materials from lacing)
• Symptoms – itching, burning skin, constriction in chest, difficulty breathing, dizziness, restlessness, nausea, hives, generalized edema, swelling in local area, face, tongue, cyanosis, weak pulse, vomiting.
• Benadryl in kit.

Take to medical help immediately.

by Desiree Des