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Piercing F.A.Q.

  • Pain:
  • How much does a piercing hurt?
  • In most cases the piercing will hurt a great deal less then you think it will. A large part of the piercing experience is over coming your anxiety, nervousness and your fear of the unknown. If the piercer is well experienced the piercing should at worst be slightly painful.

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  • How much does a piercing hurt more or less then a tattoo?
  • It is kind of like comparing Apples and Oranges. A piercing is a quick one time pain unlike a tattoo where the tattoo needle is puncturing the skin over and over at a high rate of speed. So, the wound is completely different, so the sensation is also completely different. A word of advice would be if you are trying to decide weather to get a piercing or get tattooed and trying to decide based on pain, maybe you should explore your motivation of the piercing or tattoo. Pain is a momentary experiences and piercings and even the scars if the jewelry is removed last forever and A piercing take a bit of a commitment to heal. Tattoos also are long term and take a great deal of money to remove. Think through your body art and get what you are driven to get.

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  • Do you numb out the piercing area or use anaesthesia?
  • This is a common question and the answer is no. Since, I am not licensed to practice medicine, can not write perceptions and can not apply injectable, I do not have a working knowledge of anaesthesia or the knowledge to safely uses them. So, I don't.
  • Topical anesthesias are very limited in their ability and there is really nothing that is available for uses that would be effective. In most cases an injection anaesthesia would need to be done a number of times and would in fact be more painful then the piercing itself. Think about it, what is the point of feeling the discomfort of the needle and injection just to mask the pain of the piercing. It's like getting pierced to get pierced and is for the most part over medicating. Anesthesias introduce let another chance for reactions, risks and cross contamination.
  • For more info on topicals go here. The Caine family of medications are prone to reactions and I'm not a expert on anaesthesia nor do I have access to my client's medical history. Since, some of the reaction and side effects include everything from becoming mildly light headed to a fatal reaction, I would not suggest using them at all or having them used on you.
  • Another group of products on the market are freezing agents or sprays. Think about it people, Freezing Not Good. Freezing Bad. It causes tissue damage and may hinder your body's ability to produce skin cells.
  • Lastly, the point of having a piercing preformed on your body by a professional piercer is that they are skilled enough to make the piercing less painful, making the uses of anaesthesia pointless.
  • It is my experience that when they are used it is often to hide the fact that piercer doesn't know what they are doing. In most cases if the piercing is extremely painful either the piercer under skilled or the piercing shouldn't even be preformed in the first place(some experimental piercings come to mind). Understand that pain is your body's warning sign. Listen to your body. If you can't handle the pain or the pain is too much, don't go back to that piercer for future piercings, tell everyone you know not to go to that piercer and/or reconsider getting that piercing in the first place.

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  • Does a piercing hurt more with a needle or an Ear Piercing Gun?
  • Usually not. Since the method of piercing the body is completely different. Piercing Guns use a spear like or tapered point to drive through the tissue at a high rate of speed. The piercing is caused more by the speed force of the spring action of the device and tend to tear through instead of cut. In some cases the piercing stud doesn't enter the tissue fast enough and the stud's back works like a punch. A piercing needle is a lance point hypodermic need with the hub removed. The same style used by the medical industry. It is surgical sharp aka very sharp like a razor. It slices through the tissue very quickly with little trauma. I think a good way to compare the two is an ear piercing gun is called a gun and the stud is like a bullet. A piercing needle is like a knife or a razor. Ask anyone which hurts more to be shot or to be cut with a sharp knife. Think about it.

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  • Safety:
  • How do I know if a piercer or a studio is safe?
  • First off is the studio itself clean and neat? Is their used equipment setting around and /or does the studio seem dirty and cluttered? The artist and employees are in contact with this all day long, if they are willing to put their health at risk they will more than likely put your health at risk.
  • Does the piercer consult you on aftercare and ask questions regarding health and etc.? Piercings take a commitment and additional care. A good piercer will make you aware of this before hand. Also, a responsible piercer wants to know if you have any health condition and/or sensitivity to the metal and other products they will be using.
  • Do they use an autoclave? When in doubt ask to see it. Fun thing is that we are pretty damn proud of our autoclaves and are more then willing to show them off.
  • Does the piercer seem stand offish, uneducated or unwilling to answer questions? Education is a big part of an artist's job. I consider it about 35% of the job. I love sharing my knowledge when ever I can. This is my art and my career. If the artist doesn't answer your questions before you spend your money, do you really think they are going to be there if there is a problem after they have your money? and more importantly are they going to have the knowledge to correct the problem. Ask, where what their experience is, how long they have been piercing, where they did their apprenticeship or their training, where they worked in the past and anything else about their past that comes to mind. Understand that many high profile studios have a revolving door of employees and there is usually a reason for that. Weather it be never ending line of unskilled artists or a change in the studio's policies or management. Many studios state that they have a combined experience of let's say 25 years. This seem very impressive until you consider that they have 15 artist working for them and none of them have over 2 years working experience. This person is selling themselves to you, don't be afraid to ask questions and if you feel like you are being lead down a primrose path to an alternative universe, leave.
  • Also, is he willing to Volunteer information that may change your mind about getting the piercing? Things like healing time, weather or not you can swim, refusing to do the piercing with improper jewelry and the risks involved with the piercing. A good artist should be willing to watch business walk away and refuse business, if preforming the piercing may put the piercee's health at risk. This is a question of ethics. If their motivations is solely the bottom line they well promise the world, lie, cheat and distort the facts to get your dollars.
  • Check around, talk to people that collect piercing. Nothing is ever as effect as first hand knowledge. That and most collectors love to talk about their piercings. As long as the first question you ask isn't, "Did that hurt?"
  • Ask to see some photos of their work. Visit the studio and talk to the artist ahead of time. Just cause you are in the studio doesn't mean you have to get something done that day. Try to visit as many studios as you can and use your own judgement.
  • Let the artist skill, knowledge and experience dictate your choice and not the price. The old saying "You get what you pay for.", holds very true with piercing. If studio A charges $25 to do a piercing that studio B charges $50.00 for the same piercing. Chance are that studio A has cut their overhead some how to get the price down. Most of the time, this cost cutting is a reduction of the investment in quality of jewelry and the level of sterilization and cross contamination prevention. the only cost cutting I do at the Axiom is advertising.
  • The biggest thing is how do you feel about the person. If you feel uncomfortable or like your are getting the hard sell, leave.
  • This also all applies to tattooing.

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  • Why don't you pierce with a ear piercing gun or device?
  • First off see above. The number one problem is sterilization and cross contamination prevention. Since they are made of porous plastic they can not be autoclaved and tend to collect containments. Since, often they are used over and over they present a health risk. They are only safe when they are one usage and even then their safety is in question. With needles everything can be autoclaved and sterile.
  • Ear piercing devise and the jewelry were only designed for the lobe of the ear. Actually the devices were originally designed for cattle tagging. The jewelry type makes cleaning the piercing very difficult and often doesn't allow enough room for swelling. Also the jewelry does not work well or at all in other places of the body like the upper ear cartilage and nostrils.

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  • What is an autoclave and how sterile are you?
  • All equipment, tools, needles and jewelry that the Axiom uses are wrapped in a proper wrapping, sterilized in an Autoclave and then stored until needed. For more information on the Axiom methods of sterilization and etc.. go to The Axiom Policies and Procedures page. An Autoclave is defined at http://www.xrefer.com as "A vessel in which high temperatures can be achieved by using high pressure; the domestic pressure cooker is an example. At atmospheric pressure water boils at 100 °C; at 5 lb (35 kPa) above atmospheric pressure the boiling point is 109 °C; at 10 lb (70 kPa), 115 °C; at 15 lb (105 kPa), 121 °C, and at 20 lb (140 kPa), 126 °C". The most common cycle is 121°C under 15psi for 15 minutes. once an item has been autoclaved it can be considered sterile and autoclaving is to date the most effective method. The Concise Medical Dictionary, Oxford University Press, © Market House Books Ltd 1998 defines sterilization as "the process by which all types of microorganisms (including spores) are destroyed. This is achieved by the use of heat, radiation, chemicals, or filtration." and sterile as "1. (of a living organism) barren; unable to reproduce its kind (see sterility). 2. (of inanimate objects) completely free from bacteria, fungi, viruses, or other microorganisms that could cause infection."

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Studio:

  • What is the Axiom?
  • The Axiom is a Body Piercing Studio that is now located inside the Skin Kitchen. The Axiom is a completely separate and complete business and has complete autonomy from the Skin Kitchen. Basically the Skin Kitchen is my Landlord.

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  • What Does Axiom Mean?
  • The story behind the name is that originally the studio was going to be call Pagan's but I felt it might give the wrong expression because of the many misconceptions of the word Pagan. So, the woman I was seeing at the time Anna, looked up the definition in the Dictionary and it said, "To believe something is Axiomatic." After looking up the definition of Axiom, I knew I had the right name. The Oxford Companion to the English Language, © Tom McArthur 1992 defines Axiom as, "[15c: from Latin axioma, Greek axioma something worthy or appropriate]. (1) A generally accepted principle or rule, especially when framed as a brief statement; a self-evident truth considered to require no proof: What goes up must come down. Compare Truism. (2) In logic, mathematics, and sometimes linguistics, a proposition assumed without the provision of proof, for the sake of studying the consequences that follow from it. In the linguistic theory of Noam Chomsky, it is axiomatic that a language consists of an indefinite number of grammatically well-formed sentences. Compare Premiss/Premise. See Logic, Saying. [Language]."

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  • How long has the Axiom been in Business?
  • The Axiom opened it's doors on March 28, 1995 at the old location of 412 1/2 E. 5th in Des Moines. In case you are wondering The first piercing was a nostril about 20 minutes after we opened. I moved the Axiom and began sub-leasing for the Skin Kitchen in October of 1999. The Axiom is in fact a separate business from the Skin Kitchen. We only share address and sometimes office supplies. for more information on the Axiom go to The Axiom History Page.

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  • How long has DaVo been piercing?
  • I finished my apprenticeship in April of 1994 and started piercing part time at Creative Images in May of 1994 until February of 1995. After leaving Creative Images, I opened the Axiom on March 25, 1995. I have been full time(as in my only source of income is piercing) since April of 1996. For more info please go to DaVo's Bio Page

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  • Why are you prices more then other studio?
  • This is because of my experience, the quality of the jewelry I stock and all the additional overhead involved in insuring that your piercing is preformed well and with the most limited amount of risk. This is also cause I'm good at what I do and well, hate to say it but you get what you pay for.

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  • Do you allow tipping?
  • Yes, by all means but only if you feel that you are satisfied with the piercing. The piercing fee is what I'm paid to do the piercing, if you feel that I did a really good job then feel free to express that with a tip.

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  • Why doesn't Davo perform experimental piercings like surface to surface piercings?
  • The majority of the piercing I preform, are traditional piercing that have been tried and tested. I feel that it is my responsibility to ensure that the piercing I do preform have the best possible results. Often the more unusually the piercing the lower the success rate and often times they have to be re-pierced over and over do to migration. Sometimes it simply comes down to me refusing to be involved with the risks involved or the possible risks. It's another ethical situation. Also, you have to take into account that I believe that a piercing should enhance the beauty of the body and in my artistic eye, I do not feel that the piercing does that. At times I have experimented with some edge piercing but understand that I will not even consider it unless, I have done a number of piercings on the piercee, have a working knowledge of how well they heal and have built a relationship with piercee.

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  • Why are there certain genital piercings like the Triangle or Ampallangs that Davo doesn't perform?
  • It all comes down to hands on experience and I don't feel it is ethical to experiment on clients. The piercings that I do perform I do have a great deal of experience doing and a complete understanding of placement and technique of that piercing. I'm a strong believe that if you don't know what the hell you are doing you shouldn't do it and second hand knowledge is worthless. I'm more then happy to refer anyone wishing to get those piercing that has a great deal of experience with that piercing.

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  • Jewelry:
  • Why can't I get a nostril screw in my Nostril or A Curved Barbell in my Navel? Why a Ring?
  • One of most import parts of healing a piercing successfully is proper jewelry. The jewelry has to be of the proper gauge, material, size and type. I base my choices on my experience and knowledge that I have gained over the last 8 years(I've been piercing since 1994). If the jewelry is incorrect, it can increase the risk of infection, migration, scaring and other problems. It is my job to limit those risks and even though you would rather have a difference type of jewelry in this case the customer isn't aways right.
  • With Nostril piercings, piercing with a ring is best. One of the main reasons for this is that, there simply is no way to clean deep inside your nostril. This creates a situation where the discharge, waste, pathogens and etc. are pulled into the piercing during the cleaning. Also, a nostril screw does not allow as much for swelling as a ring does. Once the piercing is healed(8-10 weeks) there is no problem switching to Nostril Screw once the piercing is healed.
  • Also with Navel piercings a ring is the best choice. When pierced with a Barbell the risks are the same as with a Nostril Crew because of the limited ability to move the jewelry during cleaning. Also, because everyone is shaped differently the Barbell can add additional stress outward on the piercing and increase the risks of migration and additional problems. Just like a Nostril it is usually not a problem to switch out to a BB after it's healed(6-12 months).
  • For more information on jewelry, please got to the Jewelry Information Page

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  • How soon can I change the jewelry and when can I remove it without losing the piercing?
  • Once the piercing has finished the first stage of healing and is no longer an open wound, you can change the jewelry. Taking the jewelry only out to be replaced within a short period of time.
  • The second stage of healing where the body produces layer upon layer of additional skin and may in some case, take up to 3-4 years to complete. Removing the jewelry for long periods of time during this phase of healing can cause the piercing to close or shirk. Shrinking of the piercing hole will not only make replacing the jewelry difficult but if the jewelry is forced back it it can tear the piercing tunnel. If the tunnel is torn or dislodged then the piercing will have to be healed all over again. Forcing the jewelry back in can also create thin areas or stretch marks in the piercing tunnel. Even in a well healed piercing, if you remove the jewelry for long periods of time you can loses the piercing. This is especially true in fast healing areas of the body like the mouth.
  • Word to the wise, if you feel that your employer is going to ask you to remove the jewelry during work hours, then you should consider getting a piercing that is less visible. For more information on Aftercare and healing go to the Aftercare Index & the Piercing Index

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  • What is the different between externally threaded Barbells and Internally Threaded Barbells?
  • Though the Axiom does stock a few pierces of Externally Thread Jewelry for Navels, a majority of our jewelry is internally threaded. The difference is in how the balls or ends thread onto the post. With external the Threading is on the post and the post works like a screw or male with the ball working as a nut or female. With Internal the ball or ends has a post attached to it that is threaded. The post is counter sunk and threaded. So, the ball is the screw and the post is the nut or female.
  • Internally Thread jewelry is more expensive but the advantages are that the since the threading is not on the post it doesn't present the risk of dislodging the piercing, it take more turns to tighten and loosen the ends so it reduces the risk of losing ends and since we stock IST(Industrial Standard Threading) Barbells, ends and posts from about 10 or so manufactures are interchangeable. If you've ever lost a end and couldn't find a replacement that matched you will understand the importance of this.
  • For more information on Barbells and Jewelry go to Jewelry Information Page.

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  • When can I take the jewelry out and not have the piercing close?
  • This is a tricky question and it is one of those that the only correct answer is, it depends. To understand this I think it would be important to point out that the piercing goes through to stages of healing:
  1. The first Stage of healing: During the first stage your body produces a tunnel of tissue around the piercing and the jewelry. It is during this stage that the piercing is in fact an open wound and more prone to infections and growing shut. Due to the fact that everyone heals at different paces the healing time could be shorter or longer then the average minimum healing time.
  2. The Second Stage of healing:The second stage is called the seasoning or toughening period. during this stage your body adds layer upon layer of tissue to the tunnel to make the piercing permanent. This stage can take from 1 year to 3 years to complete and removing the jewelry for long periods of time can resulting the loss or closing of the piercing. A good rule of thumb is if you like the piercing leave something in it.
  • Also an understand of what healing a piercing is in fact. In the piercing process the tissue is punctured(hpyodermic needle aka piercing need punctures the skin) to create two wounds and then a foreign object(the jewelry) is placed through the two wounds. The body's reaction is first off to reject the foreign object and heal the wound. This is why proper jewelry and placement is so very important. The more body friendly the jewelry is and the resistance there is to reject the jewelry the more your body is going to accept the jewelry and settle down to the job of growing tissue around the jewelry to close the wound. Also the less abusive the location of the piercing and the the more pronounced the rim or ridge of the piercing area, the less the body will find the piercing harmful and in need of rejection. There's an old say, "If it has two side pierce it. If it doesn't leave it alone."
  • Once the body has accepted the jewelry it will begin the process of new skin growth in the form of scar tissue. This begins at the inside edge of the two wounds and moves inward. Since production and protection is greater in certain areas of the body then others, the healing time is vastly different depending on the area and the depth or length of the piercing. Removing the jewelry during the first stage of healing is going to increase likelihood of the piercing closing or dislodging whatever skin growth has formed. In other words if you are thinking about getting a eyebrow piercing and you know or have a feeling that your employer is going ask you to remove the piercing during working hours. You should consider another less visible piercing or no piercing. Even remove the jewelry for even a few minutes during the first stage of healing is going to result in lose of the piercing, prolonged healing and an increase chance of infection or other problem.
  • At the end of the first stage of healing your body has created a thin layer of scar tissue around the jewelry in the form of a tunnel. In sealing the wound it is no longer as prone to closing and to infection. However since the tissue is very thin, it is prone to tearing and closing. If you remove the jewelry for long periods of time often the piercing will begin to close up and forcing the jewelry back in is in can reopening the wound and starting the whole, if not part of, the first stage of healing all over again. What happens when you remove the jewelry during the second stage of healing, is the body goes "Hey the foreign object is gone, let's heal this thing up and get things back to my genetic code design." Which regardless of how much you wish upon a falling star, doesn't include a that really cool 10g hole through your left nipple. Whenever the healthy body is left to it own devices it will work it's hardest to return to it's natural form. Skin is an organ that nature choice to not have holes in it or path ways that lead to no where. Skin has the job of protecting the body from the environment around as a barrier and sensor. This function does not involve having a tunnel through the upper rim of you navel. So the body will begin to reverse it's production of skin tissue from the middle of the piercing tunnel toward the surface of the skin. Kind of like filling in a hole. Ok, remember that neat thing that your body was doing? You know the thing we wanted it to do. It was adding layer upon layer of new scar tissue out ward away from the piercing. Well without the jewelry there to keep it from forming tissue on the inside of the piercing tunnel it begin to do just that. Throws the thing in reverse and begins to connect the tissue in the middle of the piercing tunnel. Then tissue once connected will begin to fill the tunnel with scar tissue. This is why often the piercing will appear to still be open and then the jewelry will be stopped half way through the insertion.
  • How quickly the piercing will close depends on a number of things. Including how well developed or thick the skin of the tunnel is, the rate of the production of skin cells in that area of the body and the gauge of the jewelry itself. At the end of the second stage of healing enough skin cells should have been produced to generate the tissue into normal skin tissue. Even at this point, the body will slowly begin to reverse the process but it will be much slower. In most cases, if the area of the body is slow healing, it shouldn't be a problem to remove the jewelry for short periods of time. Since certain areas of the body especially with mucous membrane in the mouth, will heal a great deal faster, it is not uncommon for even will healed piercing to close even after being in for a number of years. A good rule of thumb the faster the first stage of healing the faster it will close. Lastly, the gauge of the jewelry will dictate how quickly the piercing will close completely. It's basic logic the bigger the tunnel the longer it takes to close. With large gauge piercing, even though the piercing may not close, a reduction in the gauge maybe need to reinsert jewelry.
  • If you like the piercing and want to keep it, then leave something in it. the most common reason from removing jewelry are Medical, employment and prodding by a partner or parent. Often when the medical industria comes in contact with piercings, they're reaction is to insist that the jewelry be removed. In most cases this is dew to the Doctor or other medical professional being uneducated in regards to piercing. Over the years I've heard everything from, "It will never heal." to "Ms. Jones the reason that you are have migraines is the jewelry is your ear." This in mind there are some situations where removing the jewelry is needed. With surgery there is some risks and often if you push them heard enough they will tape up the jewelry during the surgery. Another option that is in fact more effect and less problematic is to replace the jewelry with Monfilament Nylon or Teflon. It will not react to medical procedures and medication, does not appear on x-rays and can be Autoclaved. The easiest form of Monfilament to find is fishing line or weed eater line. I've included a gauge vs.. mm and inches chart below that is also on my Jewelry Information page.
Gauge: Metric: Inches:
20g
18g
16g
14g
12g
10g
8g
6g
4g
2g
0g
00g
000g
0000g
0.82mm
1.024mm
1.33mm
1.63mm
2.06mm
2.60mm
3.25mm
4.12mm
5.18mm
6.53mm
8.26mm
9.55mm
11.11mm
12.71mm
0.032 of an inch
0.040 of an inch
0.051 of an inch
0.064 of an inch
0.081 of an inch
0.102 of an inch
0.128 of an inch
0.162 of an inch
0.204 of an inch
0.257 of an inch
0.325 of an inch
0.365(3/8) of an inch
0.437(7/16) of an inch
0.51(1/2) of an inch
  • Everyone should understand that having a facial piercing is going to effect your chances of employment. Even though a number of employers have start to accept visible piercing most of these seem to be in the service industry. So, if you want to work at Quicky Mart for the rest of your life, don't worry about it but do consider it before getting a visible piercing.
  • Friends and family, Who's body is it anyway? I say this with a few exceptions, if you are in a committed relationship and the piercing is sexual or may effect your chances of employment, then you should discuss this with your partner. A piercing can be a life changing experience and you should consider the effects and keep you love ones in the loop.
  • For more info on healing a piercing go toAftercare Index.

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  • I took the jewelry out and can't get it back in, what do I do?
  • Well, first off I never charge to change jewelry or sterilize jewelry. Whenever you are nervous or unsure, see your piercer.
  • Often times, even with well healed piercings it can be difficult to change jewelry, Especially if the jewelry is of a different type or size. Since it doesn't cost anything to have an expert do it why take chances. The biggest thing is that if you can't get the jewelry back in, don't panic or try to force the jewelry in because that may cause damage to the piercing.
  • Some times even when the jewelry has been removed for a couple of days it can be reinserted using a taper pin.

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  • Why shouldn't I use Anti-bacterial ointments?
  • Well for starters read the package the stuff came in, right off a box of Fougera Bacitracin Zinc Ointment USP, "Warnings: for external use only. Do not use in eyes or apply over large areas of the body. In case of deep or puncture wounds, animal bites or serious burns consult a doctor.Stop use and consult a doctor if the condition persists or gets worse. do not use longer than 1 week unless directed by a doctor. Keep this and other drugs out of the reach of children. In case of accidental ingestion, seek professional assistance or contact a Poison Control Center immediately." A piercing is a Deep Puncture Wound and the reason they want you to consult a doctor is that Bacitracin and other Anti-bacterial over the counter ointments are petrolatum based. The problem is this, the petrolatum blocks the flow of oxygen to the wound slowing down the bodies ability to produce new tissue. It blocks the wounds ability to discharge waste and debris from the wound. Since the petrolatum creates a film around the wound area that doesn't wash away for a few day, dirt, debris and pathogens collect in the wound area. So, OTC ointments slow healing, impede your bodies ability to remove harmful elements from the wound and increase the likelihood of contamination.
  • There is a misconception when it comes to antibacterial ointment. It doesn't actually kill the bacteria like Triclosan and other products. What they do do is reduces the ability of the bacteria to reproduce to give your body's natural immune system time to fight off the infection before it spreads. So, what is the point of using OTCs when you are already cleaning the wound with an antiseptic twice daily. Not only is it over medicating but also introducing another element that is known to cause problems.
  • For more info on healing a piercing go toAftercare Index.

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  • Does Nipple piercing effect breast feeding?
  • Yes and no. The piercing does cause some of the milk ducts in the nipple to reroute or close but since a majority of the duct are in fact located in the areola the piercing should not effect breast feeding.
  • I would like to stress that if the piercing is not well healed or well not be by the time of birth, remove them to reduce the chances of infection and other problems during breast feeding. Not only because why create a problem if you don't have to but because you don't want to create a situation where you are unable to breast feed.
  • Lastly you should consider changing to a Barbell or other jewelry that is easy to remove. Having a 14g 5/9 ring in a new born's mouth seems not only intrusive but dangerous.
  • For more information go to The Nipple Piercing Page.

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  • I took out the jewelry and I can't get the jewelry back in?
  • Sweating should create a problem because anything that comes out of your own body and is body temperature except feces is acceptable to your body and shouldn't cause an infection or other problem. I would though suggest that you clean the piercing after working out or working.
  • With exercise depending on the piercing and where it is located can effect the piercing. A good example would be a Guiche or a Navel piercing because of their location they may receive additional abuse during some activities. Good rule of thumb is exercise the way you are supposed to, if you encounter pain stop and suspend the activity until there is no pain. In other words listen to body and stay in tune with it.

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  • What do I do if the piercing is infected and how will I know that it is infected?
  • Contact you piercer as soon as you can. Do not put off getting the infection taken care of because it can only get worst and maybe Spread and turn systematic. Yes you can die from a piercing that is infected if it is not taken care of and the bacteria enters your blood stream and spreads. When in doubt contact your doctor. I have over 8 years of experience solving problems with piercings but if it's beyond my help. I'll be the first one to tell you to seek professional medical help.
  • Do not remove the jewelry. In a healing piercing the jewelry is the only thing keeping the wound open. If you remove the jewelry the wound will close and possibly trap the infection and fluids inside you body. This can create a abscess or cyst that will require lancing. Leaving the jewelry in will allow a drainage pint for the infection and in most cases make it more treatable.
  • Signs of infection are: Redness, discoloration, swelling, heat/fever, on or around the piercings, pain the is throbbing and/or shooting/travels, pus and/or discharge that is unnatural in color like grayish. yellowish and/or greenish.

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  • What is this smelly , nasty, chalky stuff that comes out of my healed piercing?
  • It is sebum. Seburn is produced by your sebaceous glands & ducts that are located throughout your skin in the skin(including the skin inside of piercings). These glands produce oils and fats and generally open into the hair follicles and give off seburn. Seburn then seeps into the hair follicle and works it's way to the surface where it spreads into a thin film. Seburn main function is to lubricate the hairshaft and to produce a film that helps prevent excessive evaporations and absorption of water and excess heat loss. It helps to water proof the skin. When this fatty oil blocks the skin open, it forms a blackhead. Seburn also helps in maintaining the normal acidity or PH of the skin and keeps the skin soft and pliant.
  • Since the exit of a piercing is usually blocked by the jewelry, Seburn will collect inside the piercing. This is more common in areas of the body where there is a high concentration of Oil Glands like the forehead, face, neck, and chest. In fact it coats you entire body except for areas that you need more traction like the hands and feet. It's your bodies natural water proofing, insolation and lubricant. It tends to be even more common in slow healing piercings like the nipple or piercings that are being or have been stretched like large lobe piercings. The more skin the more ducts the more seburn.
  • Since this is a natural product of healthy skin it poses little or no health risk. The odor can be over powering though and it can be removed by cleaning the jewelry when you take a shower or bath. Also since organic jewelry will tend to absorb the oil it can reduce the smell unlike acrylic that tends to add to the collection.

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  • If a ear piercing or eyebrow piercing is done in the wrong place it will cause paralysis of the facial muscles?
  • Ear piercing - I have yet to see one single clinical or otherwise cases of ear piercing causing or possibly causing paralysis. There is a possibility of causing tissue damage if the piercing is done incorrectly or the piercing becomes infected.
  • Eyebrow piercing - Well, this one depends on who you talk to. I have to guess that since I have yet to see one single clinical or otherwise case of eyebrow piercing causing or possibly causing paralysis that either the thousands of piercers out there doing them are damn lucky or there isn't much to this. Any way the piercing should never be preformed in the middle of the eyebrow. It should be placed on the outside edge or center of the brow. The reason is there is a nerve grouping in the middle of the brow and damage to it could cause problems and in theory, paralysis.

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  • How did DaVo get into piercing?
  • I thought it would make me cool. No, just kidding. Since about the age of 7 or 8, I wanted to get my nipples pierced. Not sure where this desire came from but it has always been there. Back in 1992 I decided that I that I had waited long enough and began to look for someone to do it. The more I looked the more I realized that not only was there very few professionals in this part of the country but that I really wanted to do it. I began researching everything I could get my hands on from Modern Primitives to the old Piercing Fans International Quarterly (I really miss PFIQ). In 1993 after a couple of long talks while being tattooed by Sherry Sears at Creative Images, I decided to make the jump. With Sherry's support, I began my way too short apprenticeship at Xotics and began piercing at Creative Images in May of 1994.

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  • How did I get the nick name DaVo?
  • Well, I was the victim of having a common name David. Growing up in my family and school, I was surrounded by an average of 5 to 6 Davids everywhere I went. The solution was to give us nick names. for example one was David, one was Dave, one was Davey and I got stuck with Dave-o. This was of course pointless cause usually we all answered to anything beginning to with the "Dav" sound. I think the reason for that I got stuck with Dave-o was I hated the name. When I was younger I disliked anyone shortening my name and calling me anything but David.
  • Well, for some reason, in the early 90s a few people started calling me Dave-o again and when I started piercing I figured to avoid confusion, I would go with DaVo(pronounced Dave O). In theory this would also allow me to know how I knew someone. Dave if it was a person I met outside the studio and DaVo if it was someone I knew through the studio. Of course this didn't work and before long everyone including my own mother was calling me DaVo.

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  • Does DaVo Tattoo & why not?
  • Never really had any interest in tattooing. I think in part because I really don't have the attention span for it. Tattooing is a great deal longer and more involved and one of the things I like about piercing is that it is fast pace. I don't know, maybe the quote my father said over and over has something to do with it, "Work smarter not harder."
  • The bottom line is that piercing is my art, my passion and one of my most true joys. I have always felt that if you are going to do something right, you should give it all you got and not moonlight. I've notice over the past few years a lot of people uses piercing as a door way into tattooing. I'm not sure how I feel about that. It's kind of insulting when you think about it.

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  • What's the weirdest piercing I've done?
  • I get this one a lot. I would have to say that since I'm for the most part a traditionalist, all the piercings I've done are common. I have done some interest combinations with ear piercings. One of the most unusual, a set of scrotum piercings on a Pre Op Male to Female transgender that was interesting. I did a ladder of 5 scrotum piercings on each side of the scrotum. Once the piercings where healed they could tuck penis inside the scrotum and then put barbells through the piercings and hide the penis. If you didn't look too closely it looked like a vagina with labia piercings.
  • If anything it is the clients themselves that are continuing to change. Through piercing I've been blessed with interacting with a large variety of life-styles and subcultures that I wouldn't have otherwise. It's one of the reasons that after all this time, I'm still excited when I get up in the morning, um I mean afternoon, and go to the Studio. I have pierced just about every walk of life, from the conservative to the extreme. From soccer moms and doctors to punks and those into S&M. The client base is always changing.

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  • Who the hell is DaVo?
  • Owner of the Axiom, I pierce at the Axiom, used to sing in a few bands and used to promote shows at Safari/Hairy Mary's. If you want more information on me go to my personal site.

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  • Can DaVo get me signed stuff from Slipknot?
  • No and don't ask, they hate me. Really, some of them are good friend but I don't do that. If you want stuff like that go to their shows and stand out side the bus for a couple of hours like a good fan boy.

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  • Does DaVo Promote shows anymore?
  • It's off and on. It's kind of like the Mob as soon as you think you're out they suck you back in. In Des Moines I'm still working only with Hairy Mary's at the time and over the last year(2006) I did a few show in Omaha and Sioux City. When in doubt check the Axiom Promotions web Site

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