When performed by skilled and experienced professionals using appropriate sterile and disposable instruments the risks are minimal and the procedure is instantaneous and essentially painless. Proper placement and the correct style and size of inert jewelry are absolutely critical.

Also vital is the cooperation of the piercee to care for the piercing adequately. Following the piercing the use of ice, rest, and elevation drastically diminishes the aftermath. An over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory taken according to package instructions for the first few days can also help to keep swelling down. Most piercees report little or no bleeding and a minimum of swelling for a few days. Tongue and other oral PIERCING heal extremely quickly and uneventfully when all aspects are handled according to accepted practice.

Highly suggested for optimal safety is to replace the initial jewelry (which has some extra room to allow for the usual amount of initial swelling) with a snugger piece which fits closer to the body. There is then less chance of contacting the jewelry with the teeth and other oral structures.

Also, balls made of acrylic can be worn inside the mouth to minimize risk of damage to the teeth. Further, a smaller ball can be worn on the underside of the tongue to reduce contact with the sublingual portion of the oral cavity.

What is the A.P.E. Policy on Piercing Minors?

The following is an appropriate minimum standards policy on piercing minors:

• For any piercing of a minor, a parent or legal guardian must be present to sign a consent form.
• Under no circumstances is it acceptable or appropriate for a Piercer to perform piercing on the nipples or genitals of an individual under 18 years of age.

What is the A.P.E. position on Sterile Gloves?

The A.P.E. mission is to promote and uphold minimal standards of safety and hygiene. As such, it is our official position that aseptic technique performed with clean disposable gloves is appropriate and acceptable.

What is the A.P.E. position on Nael Piercing and Pregnancy?

There is no special care that is required during pregnancy for healed piercings Navel jewellery may be left in place; some women leave jewellery in during their entire pregnancy and delivery. If, during your pregnancy the piercing becomes uncomfortable, you can replace the jewellery with PMMA or PTFE, which are inert plastics. These will bend and flex with your changing body, be more comfortable, and are safe to wear. Once your pregnancy is over, you can return to the jewellery. In the event you elect to remove the jewellery entirely it is quite likely your navel can be re-pierced.

What is the A.P.E. position on Breast Feeding and Piercing?

In our collective, massive experience, we have no awareness of even a single case of a woman who wished to breast feed and could not as a result of having had a nipple piercing. The milk ducts are a multiplicity of little pore-like ducts. Therefore, the likelihood of closing them all off from a piercing of usual size is virtually nil.

We suggest that a three month waiting period be observed following delivery in order for the body to normalize and regain physiological and hormonal equilibrium before piercing.

Further, we suggest that a longer period be observed prior to nipple piercing. It is advisable and prudent to wait three months following the cessation of breast milk production before piercing of the nipples.

With the exception of a 3-month post-partum delay we do not find it contraindicated to receive PIERCING (with the obvious exception of the nipples) during nursing.

Further, we suggest that a longer period be observed prior to nipple piercing. It is advisable and prudent to wait three months following the cessation of breast milk production before piercing of the nipples.

It is the position of the A.P.E. that only sterile disposable equipment is suitable for body piercing.

We consider unsafe any procedure that places vulnerable tissue in contact with either non-sterile equipment or jewelry that is not considered medically safe for long-term internal wear. Such procedures place the health of recipients at an unacceptable risk.

For this reason, the A.P.E. must strongly recommend that reusable ear piercing guns not be used for any type of piercing procedure.

While piercing guns may seem to be a quick, easy and convenient way of creating holes, they have major drawbacks in terms of sterility, tissue damage and inappropriate jewelry design.

Reusable ear piercing guns can put clients in direct contact with the blood and body fluids of previous clients.

As an association of dedicated, educated, highly experienced piercing professionals we are adamant that piercing kits for sale to the general public represent a serious potential health hazard. Much Piercer education and training is necessary in order to perform a safe, sterile, accurate piercing. Simply providing such tools to an inexperienced consumer is a dangerous act of negligence.

The use of these piercing kits by untrained consumers results in significantly greater potential for the transmission of bloodborne pathogens and diseases than do PIERCING performed by skilled professionals.

An area of particular concern is that of underage individuals performing body PIERCING on themselves and their friends using readily available piercing kits sold through mail order, on the Internet, or by calling a toll free telephone number. Young people are particularly at risk because, without parental consent, minors are denied professional piercing services in virtually all states where legislation has passed.

Also of great concern is the possibly deadly potential for the contaminated needle to be reused on multiple people..

The laws and guidelines, along with the efforts of the professional body piercing community provide those interested in receiving a body piercing with a safe, clean environment to do so, and with a piercing technician who has appropriate training and sufficient experience to be hygienic and proficient.

As professional Piercers we want to keep the art of body piercing safe for all who give and receive PIERCING. We take our field seriously and understand that the risks can be substantially minimized with proper training, equipment, and sterilization. Over-the-counter piercing kits undermine all the work we and our legislators have done to protect the public health while allowing our art form to flourish.

Genital piercings are often assumed to be the most painful and easily infected of body piercings. Both the Piercers who perform them and the clients who request them are sometimes reported to operate in questionable hygienic and ethical territory. However, these perceptions are not reality. Due to the elastic and resilient nature of much of the genital tissue, as well as the protection from contamination offered by clothing, genital piercings often heal more quickly and with fewer complications than do other piercings.

Furthermore, the act of piercing the genitals is for many clients a conscious act of reclaiming and redefining their bodies as a source of pleasure rather than of misplaced shame.

Because genital piercings represent an integral facet of sexual freedom, it is important that they be available to adults who seek them. However, it is equally important that they be provided by an experienced, reputable professional in a clean, safe environment.

When performed by a conscientious professional Piercer using proper aseptic technique, the risks of complications from the piercing itself are minimal. When these conditions are paired with appropriate and thorough aftercare on the part of an educated client, negative consequences are extremely rare.

Both women and men describe the pain of the most common genital piercings as being similar in intensity to other body parts, and sometimes less so. The more advanced genital piercings (such as clitoris and ampallang) may be more intense, but these are usually performed only by the most experienced Piercers who have greater technical and anatomical expertise.

However, they tend to also be requested by, and are often limited to, clients who have already received and healed other piercings.

As to the risks of excessive bleeding or neurological damage from common genital piercings, these risks are minimized when piercings are performed by a skilled and educated Piercer using accepted techniques.

The physiologic function of genital tissue requires that it be extremely elastic and vascular and therefore quick to heal. With few exceptions, genital piercings will heal within a month or two, while tougher tissue such as ear cartilage, navels and nostrils may take six months or longer.

Because healing time is often so short, this implies a very small window of opportunity for infection to set in.

Clothing further protects the piercing from airborne contaminants, which can be a cause of infection and irritation for facial piercings.

The predominant cause of contamination and infection for genital piercings is most likely unprotected sexual contact.

All sexual and oral contact must be made fluid safe, either through abstinence or the use of barriers such as condoms and dental dams.

Providing the client with thorough written instructions and an invitation for follow-up care can greatly improve compliance and healing success.

In this discussion, it bears mentioning that the average genital piercing customer is a more informed consumer than the usual navel, ear or tongue piercing client.

While of course genital piercings should never be done on anyone under eighteen (even with parental consent), these piercees are generally not eighteen-year-olds who are hiding the piercing and any consequences from their parents.

In fact, these piercings are just as often being done on parents and other middle-aged adults, who are looking for new ways to appreciate their bodies and their relationships.

Since these clients are often the most educated and conscientious of the piercing clientele, compliance with suggested care is more likely than it is with other piercings.

While the idea of genital piercings stirs up fears of sexual taboos and contagious diseases for some the reality is truly quite different. Genital piercings today are being performed on a wide variety of people of all ages, sexualities and professional backgrounds.