With the Prick of a Needle A look at the not-so-cool side of body piercing by Karen Coates photography by Lindsay Semple It was only about 10 years ago when punk rock legends such as Billy Idol and David Bowie introduced body piercing to the music mainstream. Along with neon hair dye, studded arm bands and the ever-popular flipped up shirt collar, multiple ear piercings joined the ranks of the nouveau hip. Almost a decade later, the "coolness" of body piercing has not worn off. From being featured in music videos and magazine covers to adorning the basketball icon Dennis Rodman, body piercing has become one of the hottest trends for mainstream America and one of the biggest crazes to hit college campuses in the '90s. But while this metal mania may not seem to be a breakthrough for those sporting the latest navel or nose rings, the popularity of body piercing has turned some heads in the world of body art. Tales of navels scarred by ear-piercing guns and accounts of painful infections resulting from at-home piercings have become the ammunition for professional piercers who say more stringent piercing regulations are needed. The lack of regulations is a serious problem that piercers, such as David Anthony Vidra, say their colleagues and clients should know more about. Vidra is a nurse and the medical liaison for the California-based Association of Professional Piercers, an organization that is committed to making the community aware of negligent piercers. "Ninety-eight percent of the piercers in Ohio are not professionals," he says. "Just because they do tattoos does not mean that they are qualified. Just because they have some sort of certificate does not mean that they are a good piercer." Some of the most frequent abuses Vidra calls attention to are unsanitary piercing conditions, use of improper piercing equipment, such as ear-piercing guns, and use of inexpensive jewelry that often leads to infections and allergic reactions. "We're going to have them shut down," he says. "The Health Department is not going to take it anymore." But while organizations such as the Association of Professional Piercers and health inspectors in several states, including Oregon, Kansas, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Hawaii have begun implementing health regulations to ban such abuses from taking place, many states are overlooking the piercers' concerns. In Kent, no regulations have been adopted concerning body piercing, and none are expected to be adopted anytime soon. "There haven't been any complaints so far," Kent Health inspector John Ferlito says. Tattoo parlors that do piercings are covered by state licensing and sanitary requirements for tattooing, he says. But those who have had to clean infections from piercings performed in dorm rooms and friends' homes say there should be some type of regulation they can rely on. In the meantime, students are cautioning friends and younger siblings to choose wisely when deciding on a piercing and a piercer. As Kendra Bennett points out, the piercer's mistake can cost more than just a few dollars. Bennett, a junior sociology major, says that when she went to have her tongue pierced, the piercer decided to use a stud meant for the chin rather than the tongue. She says she told the piercer she thought something was wrong, but the piercer assured her that she would be fine. Days later, Bennett discovered that the stud had cut into her tongue and ripped through tissue underneath. "It swelled up like a balloon," she says. "I had to get it fixed. I could have lost all speech." She warns others to be more cautious. "You've really got to be careful and read up on it," she said. "I paid that guy and signed a waiver that he could screw up my face. I'm sure that some people don't even care." Most of these problems occur because newer piercers are simply not informed about the procedures they are performing. Their mistakes can be ones students, such as fine arts major Gabriel Delgado, see every day. Delgado, who insisted on a small gauge for his piercing, was never warned by the piercer that he was making a bad choice. "I guess it's not aesthetically pleasing," he says, referring to the indentation over his eyebrow. "It didn't feel right." Unfortunately, statements such as these are becoming more familiar. Shana Myers, a political science major, has heard horror stories from several of her friends. Many of them, she says, have had infections only days after they were first pierced. "This one girl had to have it surgically removed," Myers recalls. "She couldn't walk for days." But as Smokin' Tattooz piercer Donny Brown explains, he and other piercers are not surprised to hear tales of such unfortunate occurrences. Many people lack the knowledge, sanitary surroundings and proper jewelry to ensure clean piercings at home, he says. "People get into it for a quick buck and don't know what they are doing." During his freshman year at Kent State, Kent resident Frank Yamamoto says he often saw instances of unsuitable piercings right in his dorm. "This guy's mom was a nurse," he says. "He used to get sterilized hypodermic needles from her. He studied a couple of anatomy books and would pierce people right in his room." Yamamoto and a couple of female friends thought that getting pierced by him would be OK. "My ear was fine, but one of the girls who had her navel pierced got an infection," he says. "He used the wrong-sized jewelry. It wasn't until he won a radio contest for $100 worth of piercings, however, that Yamamoto says he saw how the piercings should be done. In contrast to the dorm's conditions, the cleanliness and professionalism at the piercing store helped him feel comfortable with the situation. "I'm an extreme person. I got the most extreme part of my body pierced," he says, referring to his penile piercing. "I would only recommend the best people when you're messing with your body. You should only go to the best." Still, the best and most experienced piercers often are difficult to find, especially in larger cities. In response to the infection caused by inexperienced or unsanitary piercing parlors, a group of concerned shop owners in Akron decided to work with the City Health Department's communicable disease inspector, John Vincent, to draw up a regulation to prohibit these abuses. The regulation, which went into effect June 23, 1994, defines the role of piercers and outlines the sanitary requirements, sterilizing techniques and customer records they must use. Those who violate these guidelines will be guilty of a first-degree misdemeanor. Brice Scot, a piercer for Aardvark Tattoos in Akron, is pleased with the regulation. "Anybody who pierces should have some type of training," he says. "I've tried to get some things done in Summit County. People need to write letters." But Vidra and Vincent agree that having the ordinances is not always enough because no license is required for becoming a piercer in Ohio and many other states. Vincent says the department generally does not investigate unless it hears of a complaint. "There are so many places out there that it's hard for the health commission to regulate," he says. Vidra says the lack of enforcement is an added problem. "There really is no regulation," he says. "I know. I've had to fix a lot of work." He has witnessed infections resulting from hand-made jewelry and ear-piercing guns. "People need to realize that piercing is more than just using metal," he says. Vidra and safety officials agree people need to become better educated on the procedure of piercing. "People will walk into a shop, and the only thing on their mind is that they want to get something pierced," Vincent says. "They don't even think about hygiene." Many people are unaware that they can get staphylococcus, hepatitis or even AIDS from an unsterile needle. If they want to get it done properly, they need to look for standards in a shop, Vidra says. "If they think they're going to save $10 by going to untrained people, they're going to probably get an infection," he warns. "Getting it fixed will cost $400. But if it's from a piercing gun, it will result in surgery." Vidra says people must inform health officials, state legislators and unprofessional piercers that they are not going to tolerate substandard conditions anymore. "We want to be regulated," he says. "We will pay for licensing fees." But this only can be done if people are aware, Vidra says. "I don't mind competition, if it's competent." Karen Coates is a senior magazine journalism major, who personally will not pierce any body part other than her ears.