Table of Contents

Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction: Piercing 101 1

PART 1 The New Piercing
1 Motivations 6
2 Piercing Past to Present 11

PART 2 Groundwork and Preliminary Considerations
3 Risks, Myths, and Warnings 20
4 Is Piercing Right for You? 28
5 You and Your Piercer 34

PART 3 Piercing Preparation
6 Picking and Preparing 44
7 At the Studio 49
8 Piercing Procedures 56
9 Jewelry 101: Sizes, Shapes, and Materials 65

PART 4 The Holes
10 Holes in Your Head: Ear, Nose, and Facial Piercings 82
11 Kiss of the Needle: Tongue and Oral Piercings 105
12 Torso Piercings: Nipple and Navel Piercings 121
13 Below the Belt: Female and Male Genital Piercings 134

PART 5 Healing and Aftercare
14 Healing 101: Standard Aftercare 180
15 Alternative Aftercare 196
16 Trouble and Troubleshooting 201

PART 6 Living with Your Piercings
17 Upkeep and Stretching 218
18 Advanced Jewelry and Practices 232
19 Special Situations 246
20 Sex! 255

PART 7 Piercing in Modern Culture
21 Piercees and the Establishment 262
22 A Career in Professional Piercing 266
23 The Future of Body Piercing 270

Appendix A: A Piercee's Bill of Rights (Association of Professional Piercers) 273
Appendix B: My Piercings and Jewelry Chart 274
Appendix C: Gauge Conversion Chart 275
Appendix D: Minimum Healing Times Chart 276

Notes 277
Glossary 287
Select Bibliography 299
About the Author 301
Index 302

About the Author

ELAYNE ANGEL has been a professional piercer for over twenty years and has performed over 40,000 piercings. She was awarded the President's Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association of Professional Piercers in 2006.