What part of their bodies do Mumbaikars get pierced the most? What are the basic dos and don'ts to keep in mind before getting one yourself? We give you these deets on International Body Piercing Day, celebrated on Jim Ward's birthday
Vikas Malani
Ask any piercing artiste what some popular trends are at present, and he will rattle off a bunch of perplexing terms. "Dermal piercing is extremely popular these days," says Vikas Malani of a studio called BodyCanvas, adding, "It's a type of piercing where one end is implanted into the skin. That apart, there's also rook, daith and helix piercing, which are done in different parts of the ear."
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Then there's conch piercing, useful for asthmatic patients since it acts on a certain pressure point in the ear which helps their condition. "See, there are all sorts of chakras in the body. That's why something like daith piercing, done just above the conch, can help with migraines. There are thus different reasons why people get piercings. And we also get customers of all ages. Parents come in with small kids to get their ears pierced. Then, we get older ladies whose earlobes have been stitched and they don't want to re-pierce it," says Ajit Alva aka AJ, of Al's Tattoo and Piercing Studio.
At: AJ's Tattoo and Piercing Parlour, Bandra West.
Call: 9967770644
At: BodyCanvas, Union Park, Bandra West.
Call: 9819184454
AJ at work
What to keep in mind
Stay sober: It's really important that you are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol while getting a piercing done, Malani says. "This is because drinking alcohol makes your blood thinner, which increases the chances of bleeding. Plus, you must have presence of mind while getting pierced, and this applies to the artiste as well," he says.
Eat healthy: It is a good idea to get a bite before visiting the studio, since that would ensure enough glucose in your system, keeping complications like low blood pressure at bay. Not just that, staying off fried and starchy food after the piercing, and eating healthy, can hasten the healing process.
Hygiene first: Do enough research and choose someone trusted to conduct the procedure. And post the piercing, clean the area with a mixture of rock salt and water, or tea tree oil diluted with water, three or four times a day for at least two weeks. Also, don't enter a swimming pool or any other place with chlorine water for at least a month. And finally, don't constantly touch the piercing, or move it, or lie on it, since this might lead to blood oozing out.
Customer talk
Mark Mascarenhas, 28, is a drag artiste who goes by the stage name of Tropical Marca. He has had a total of 35 piercings done in his life, although at present, he displays only 11, all on his face. Ask him when he first decided to get piercings done, and he says, "I was in the seventh grade, and people used to bully me for being different, and effeminate. So, I went back home one day and thought, 'If they want different, I'll be the best different around,' and took a needle and pierced my own ear. But that didn't turn out to be pretty, since I got an infection. So I got a professional one in the eighth grade, on my tongue, and am now the only person in India to have his eyelids pierced." Has he thought about getting more piercings done? "Oh yes, definitely," pat comes the reply.
AJ carries out a flesh tunnel piercing
The tools needed
The artiste uses tweezers and forceps to hold the part of the body down, and a needle for the actual piercing. These needles vary in size. "They can start from 18 gauge, which is the thinnest, and go up to 12 gauge, the thickest. The thinner sizes are used for the ears and nose, while the thicker ones are meant for places like the navel and other surfaces of the body. But it must be a medical-grade piercing needle. And it needs to be lubricated with Vaseline or a cream like Nivea, to make the process of inserting it smoother and less painful," Malani reveals.
He also says that piercing guns are a bad idea for anyone above six or seven years old. "This is because your tissues and cartilages become hard after a certain age. And the problem with guns is that they don't know who they are being used on. So the kinetic force that comes from the spring is the same regardless of who the person is," Malani tells us, with AJ echoing the sentiment when we speak to him.
Celeb speak
"Being an Indian, it's just a part of what you do," celebrity hairstylist Sapna Bhavnani tells us about piercings, adding, "At 14, I had seven already. Later, I got two nose piercings and a Monroe (an off-centre, upper-lip piercing), and I had my belly and nipples pierced, though I have removed all that. The Monroe is the only one I have, and I am now done as far as more piercings are concerned."
Who is Jim Ward?
Jim Ward is a 76-year-old piercing artiste who's known as "the granddaddy of the modern piercing industry". After experimenting with piercing nipples and genitals of the gay community in his younger days, he opened a studio in LA called Gauntlet, which is considered the first place in the world for professional body piercing.
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