The Sharp End - Apr/May 2023

THE

MAGAZINe

FOR

the archive The Incredible Til of Cardiff

PIERCING

P R O F E S S I O N A LS > A p r / M ay 2 0 2 3

Selling signs Symbol jewellery showcase

Self care Are you ‘just’ a piercer?

www.wholesalebodyjewellery.com

tish_lyon

Tish Lyon Jewellery

Welcome to

As I write, I’m still buzzing with motivation after an Easter weekend spent at the Piercer Trade Show in Manchester.

Editor-in-chief Louise Hoffman editor@the-sharp-end.co.uk Creative Director Craig John @craigjohnart To find out how to advertise in The Sharp End, please email editor@the-sharp-end.co.uk Find us the-sharp-end.co.uk The Sharp End Magazine Cover image: Adam Holmes GIAAJP Anatometal UK @thesharpend_magazine Get social – follow us Printed by Page Bros, Norwich

The editor and publishers do not guarantee the accuracy of statements made by contributors or advertisers, or accept responsibility for any statement that they express in this publication. The opinion of the contributors may not necessarily be the opinion of the editor or publishers. All content including the presentation thereof in this magazine is the property of the editor and protected by international copyright laws. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative works, or in any other way exploit any part of copyrighted material without prior written permission from the editor. ©2023 Louise Hoffman

Editor’s letter

Wishing you all new growth and opportunity this season.

03

Welcome to this springtime edition of The Sharp End!

It was so uplifting to speak with subscribers (and future subscribers!) and brand representatives in person, as well as to witness the positive energy that is always created when piercers hang out with piercers. Needless to say, new connections were forged, passions ignited and fresh ideas learned by all.

The Sharp End was one of the event’s vendors, alongside Cognition Training, Industrial Strength UK, Stiletto Piercing Supplies, Apex Body Jewellery, Inari, NeoMetal, Danila Tarcinale, Blank Displays and NeilMed. Meanwhile, the packed schedule of super-insightful classes covered such topics as neurodiversity, photography and genital piercing, among others, with speakers including Cale Belford, David Angeles, Matthew Masterton, Elizabeth Moore,

Josh Hawkins and Jess Sellars – plus open technique sessions with Olly Todd and Cristiano Aielli. (Turn to pages 44 and 46 to read special contributions by two of these individuals!)

It seems fitting that an event like this is held in the spring, as the light returns, life unfurls, and we all have that inherent desire to clear out the old and welcome in the new. It’s also a great reminder of how important it is to keep boosting knowledge and skills – a topic that Becky Crossan of the UK Association of Professional Piercers discusses in her comment column this time (page 30).

A huge and heartfelt thank you goes out to Nathan Hague for creating this fantastic platform for everyone to share in.

IMAGE: Jamie Bolton @a.short.interlude

The Sh rp End

15_ Inside this issue

24_

32_

38_

15_ The language of symbols

Do you know the meanings behind the symbols in your jewellery cabinet? Naomi Caplin provides some fascinating insights to help you guide your clients to the right piece

06 _ News and views All the latest industry news and updates from the piercing community

30 _ Every day’s a school day Becky Crossan of the UK Association of Professional Piercers (UKAPP) explains what it means to be ‘forever learning’ – and why it’s important

43 _Time for technique We welcome well-known UK piercer and educator Olly Todd as our professional expert this time, to share his advice on achieving the perfect inside-out nostril piercing technique 46 _Are you ‘just’ a piercer?

Being a piercer can be allencompassing, but getting to know who you are outside of your studio makes a huge difference to your quality of life and work, says Jess Sellars 50 _ End-note inspo Leaf Charles of The Endless Knot in Hartlepool sends us off on a motivational high by telling us about their proudest achievement

CONTENTS

24 _ Reaching for the stars After sharing news of their big award win in the previous issue of the magazine, we catch up with Flux Piercing’s Princess Marnie and Serena Mitchell to find out what makes their studio tick

38 _ The Incredible Til Body Piercing Archive Founder Paul King focuses on a fascinating figure from UK body modification history: Til of Cardiff (contains images of genital piercing)

05

12 _ Dates for your diary Don’t miss these exciting industry events taking place in the UK and further afield over the coming months

32 _ Going for gold Matt Persse of Bee Tattooed in Stockport tells the inspirational (and unashamedly honest!) story of his journey from complete rookie, to UKAPP member, to being an 80% gold studio

News nd views

All the latest industry news and updates from the piercing community

NeoMetal

06

News

expands operations in Europe Trusted by piercers and industry professionals around the world for its high-quality threadless titanium and 18ct gold jewellery, NeoMetal has announced that it is stepping up its commitment to customers in the European Union and the UK with neometaljewelry.eu.

Jewellery ordered from neometaljewelry.eu is now distributed out of The Netherlands, which allows for shorter

lead times and free shipping on all orders.

With an easy-to-navigate webshop, one-click reordering process and local support with extensive piercing experience, the company says it’s constantly working to offer European studios best-in-class services and products.

“Accessibility has always been at the heart of our business.

We passionately believe all piercers and studios should have access to

safe, responsibly manufactured jewellery,” says Charles Brooks, General Manager for NeoMetal. “The prohibitive cost of shipping US-made body jewellery to the EU has been a barrier in this pursuit. Our goal is to remove this barrier, making NeoMetal titanium body jewellery even more accessible to current and future wholesale partners in the EU and UK, regardless of the size and location of their studio.”

Fundraising success for the Ink team

The team at Ink Custom Tattoo & Piercing in Exeter has held a super successful fundraiser for Force Cancer Charity.

Based locally to the studio, it’s a charity that supports people affected by cancer and it has a special place in the heart of piercer Megan Joyce.

“They are a really great team who do so much to help

– I chose them because they provided my mum with excellent care and support during the four times she had cancer before she sadly passed away last year,” she explains.

“I wanted to do something to say thank you to them, but being aware of the cost of living crisis I didn’t want to raise money by asking people to sponsor me, so I figured that if we did a day of special Mother’s Day discounts, we could raise a good amount.

“Through my piercings and the studio owner’s tattoos that day, we raised £953, which we topped up to £1,000.”

Big congratulations to the team, from all of us!

Cognition introduces blood-borne virus training for UK

Cognition Training has just launched the first-ever UK-specific blood-borne virus (BBV) biosafety training for piercers!

A comprehensive course based on Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and NHS guidance, with helpful videos and quizzes to test your knowledge along the way, it contains all the information you need to stay fully informed and to meet UKAPP and APP membership standards.

Head over to cognitionbae.com to find out more.

UKAPP reveals new minimum standards

Naked from the elbow down when piercing will become a minimum standard for UKAPP membership from 2024.

This means removing rings, watches and other jewellery worn below the elbow when piercing, and rolling up sleeves or wearing short-sleeved clothing. Any protected religious symbols such as wedding rings or karas will be exempt. This was voted for by 69% of the membership.

Use of sterile gloves OR another aseptic technique will become a minimum standard for UKAPP membership from 2024. This was voted for by 78% of the membership.

You can find out more about the UKAPP at ukapp.org.uk

08

News

Striving to uphold high standards of hygiene and safety, the UK Association of Professional Piercers (UKAPP) membership recently voted on updating the organisation’s minimum standards for members in 2024, and has announced the results as follows:

The (very unscientific) barometer of piercing popularity!

What’s hot and what’s not as of the end of March? The social media community has spoken...

This proved to be a divisive subject again, with equal votes for most and least popular.

You all agreed – tongue piercings have been on a big downer of late

Ey

Snug

N av e l

Nip

pl

e

Se

pt

um

be

eb

w

al

Lo

ro

Ro

ok

rm De

Da

str

it h

No FAIR

Helix

To n g u e

il

STORMY

Another unanimous vote! Helix takes the most popular spot for March.

A big thank you to everyone who took part this time! Keep an eye on our Instagram stories and posts for more polls to get involved with for the next issue of @thesharpend_magazine

EUROPE We are stepping up our commitment to our European customers and are proud to announce

N E O M E TA L J E W E L R Y. E U

1-WEEK LEAD TIMES​ | TITANIUM & 18K GOLD DESIGNS​ | APP VERIFIED

Fast Delivery

Free shipping from stock in our warehouse in the Netherlands. Arrives in your studio within just a few days. Best of all, no duties or taxes within the EU.

Excellent Service

Professional support by experienced industry veterans.

Made in USA

Produced according to industry leading quality standards out of solid implant-grade titanium and 18 karat gold with a lifetime warranty.

NM_P23007

NM_P23007-The Sharp End-NeoMetal-Issue 2-210x264.indd 1

3/22/23 10:46 AM

Meet the rep Q&A

04. Where does your range sit in terms of price point?

We like to think our price point varies from entry-level safe jewellery to luxury pieces, so we genuinely have something for everyone’s budget.

05. Who will your jewellery bring to the yard?

The boys looking for milkshakes.

06. What’s your favourite piece?

My personal favourite piece in our inventory is the Camulus Mini Ring, perfect for healed nostril piercings!

07. How would you describe your approach to customer service?

One-to-one and tailored to each individual I speak with.

How can people get in touch with you?

Via email at apexpiercing antrim@outlook.com, Instagram @apex_piercing, or Facebook by joining our group, Apex Hand Crafted Body Jewellery.

10

News

01. Introduce yourself!

I’m Stephen of Apex Hand Crafted Body Jewellery.

I’m one half of the outfit, the other half is my dad and business partner Bobby.

02. What is your role there?

Jewellery maker, jewellery design and customer service.

03. What does your brand specialise in?

Niobium and gold seam rings, BCRs and unique shapes geared towards daith, conch, helix and nose piercings.

Our special flavour is body-safe black niobium.

Movers and shakers

Phebe moves to Factotum Over to you Norwich-based Phebe Rose has made a move from Cold Iron Tattoo Company, where she began her apprenticeship two years ago, to Factotum Body Modification, working alongside Joe Wythe and Olly Todd.

Having fallen in love with the industry after attending UKAPP conference for the first time in 2021, Phebe has since been pushing herself to attend lots more educational events, as well as shadowing other piercers to hone her skills.

Telling us about her move to Factotum, she said: “I’m so grateful to have been given this opportunity and cannot wait to move forward, building my skill-set and learning new techniques, alongside such a wonderful, talented team.

I’m also glad that I’ll have the opportunity to work with younger clients and help them begin their piercing journeys in a safe and comfortable environment.” @piercedbyphebe @factotumbodymodification

As well as carrying important industry updates, these pages are the place for you, the piercing community, to shout about all of your achievements and developments. So, if for example your studio has held a charity fundraiser, celebrated an anniversary, carried out a refit or rebranding, won an award or hosted an event – please let us know!

Likewise, we’d love to hear about any personal achievements, such as graduating apprentices.

There’s a blog on our website with top tips for how to submit a winning piece of content, but at the end of the day, it’s the key details that count!

Send your submissions to editor@the-sharp-end.co.uk or tag us in your announcement on Instagram @thesharpend_magazine or Facebook (The Sharp End Magazine).

D tes for your diary

Here are some of the unmissable industry events taking place in the UK and beyond over the coming months...

1

2

3

London seminar day 3 July London cognitionbae.com Piercer Trade Show 2.5 27 August ExCel London (at the Big London Tattoo Show) @piercingtradeshow

4

5

International inspiration

UKAPP Conference 24-26 September Radisson Blu Edwardian, Manchester ukapp.org.uk

FR.A.P.P.E 2023 26-28 May Bordeaux, France @fr.a.p.p.e_

Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) course 27 September Manchester cognitionbae.com

APP Annual Conference and Expo 11-16 June Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, US safepiercing.org

Big London Tattoo Show 26-27 August ExCel London biglondontattooshow.com

BMXnet 7-10 September Berlin, Germany bmxnet.org

4

5

APA Ritorno alle Origini Vol 6 21-23 October Pescara, Italy @ritornoalleorigini.apa

1

2

3

Let’s fill this map up! If you know of a conference, expo or open-door event that should be on this page, or have one of your own to promote, send the details to editor@the-sharp-end.co.uk

INSTAGRAM: @gloriousnightmare CLOTHING AND ART PRINTS AVAILABLE

INDEPENDENT RUN BRAND: gloriousnightmare.bigcartel.com

20

WIT % OF H CO F TSE DE: 2

0

The Sharp End ads Apr 23.pdf

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

2

12/04/2023

21:02

WC

SE

SH

O

A

Symbolism is a slippery subject. Any one symbol may have hundreds of interpretations, according to the differing beliefs of the people who have interpreted it. Any basic symbol of worldwide distribution – such as the triangle, circle, cross, square or star – can represent many disparate things in various times or places.

Retailer and expert in magical symbolism Naomi Caplin shares some fascinating insights to help you understand and sell the stories behind your symbol jewellery

15 Jewellery showcase

Anatometal Snake, 18ct yellow gold anatometal.com

It’s part of human nature for things we see or experience to become meaningful to us if they strike us as being special – and those things often become a symbol or an object that we use to represent us, or to worship, honour, remember or acknowledge. Wearing that symbol on our bodies – either as a tattoo or as jewellery – means we regard it highly enough to carry it with us.

Here are a few of the most popular ones...

Jewellery showcase 16

Also referred to as a ‘triple knot’ or ‘trinity knot’, the triquetra symbol is made up of three interlaced arcs or point-ended oval shapes, sometimes with a circle placed over the top or around the edge.

This interlacement means that the design is ‘gateless’ – ie a continuous design with no beginning or end; no opening or ‘gate’ in it. Such enclosed designs are always regarded as protective.

The pointed oval shape is among the most ancient to represent the female genitalia, and with three joined together in this way, the triquetra is seen

by Pagans in particular as a symbol of the female life cycle – often referred to as the ‘female trinity’ or triple goddess archetype of the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone. The number three often comes up in myth, folklore, fairy tales and magic charms, too.

The triquetra is also used in Christianity to represent the Holy Trinity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. You might have noticed it being used as a symbolic and decorative device in architectural or stained glass window designs in churches, for instance.

enclosed designs [such as the triquetra] are always regarded as protective

RIGHT 1. Goddess Moon, 10mm, 14ct white gold with Iolite cabochon 2. Star of David, 5mm, 14ct yellow gold 3. Delicate Snake, 9mm, 14ct yellow gold 4. Bee, 7mm, 14ct white gold 5. Goddess Moon, 10mm, 14ct yellow gold with Rainbow Moonstone 6. Delicate Snake, 9mm, 14ct white gold 7. Celtic Knot, 6mm, 14ct yellow gold 8. Trixy, 8mm, 14ct yellow gold with Tanzanite AA

bvla.com

Clients might choose a triquetra to represent their faith (be it Pagan, Christian or other), their womanhood, or their progress through life and the understanding and selfknowledge they’ve gained along the way.

The triple moon design depicts the three visible phases of the moon, with a waxing crescent on the left, a full moon in the centre, and a waning crescent on the right.

The Moon is often seen as representing the feminine, and so, particularly in Paganism, its phases are seen to correspond with the three stages of the female life cycle, as mentioned previously. Many Pagans of all paths will wear or carry a triple moon symbol, to connect with lunar magic and moon power through the phases of the cycle, and to represent the waxing

17

3

Jewellery showcase

5

SH

SE

4

A

6

WC

O

1

7

2

8

Jewellery showcase

SH

SE

18

WC A

4

O

1 2

3 5

LEFT 1. Threadless Gold Bee Pin Attachment, 14ct yellow gold 2. Threadless Gold Bee with Gem Body Pin Attachment, 14ct yellow gold 3. Threadless All Seeing Eye Jewelled Chains Attachment, 14ct yellow gold 4. Threadless All Seeing Eye Single Jewelled Attachment, 14ct yellow gold 5. Threadless all-seeing eye and tear pin attachment, 14ct yellow gold

wholesalebodyjewellery.com

Jewellery showcase

connecting with the magic of the Moon... is the reason that many will choose to wear a triple moon design

The six-pointed star or hexagram can be created in two ways, but perhaps the more familiar is the one that today is often called the Star of David. This design is formed of two separate triangles, one pointing up and one pointing down (see BVLA piece on page 17).

Although it’s widely accepted as the emblem of Judaism, this association is relatively recent, as it’s a design that has been used for millennia in many different contexts.

In Mexico, the hexagram appears at the ancient Maya city of Uxmal in Yucatán, where it’s believed to represent the Sun. Meanwhile, in India it’s revered as representing the principles of male and female – of Shiva (upwardpointing triangle) and of Shakti (downward-pointing triangle) – whose perpetual divine union maintains life in the universe.

In Jewish tradition, no religiously observant Jew is to break the commandment that forbids voluntary body piercings or tattoos; however, many non-religious Jews today have chosen to have them, often incorporating Jewish symbols or Hebrew lettering as a way of acknowledging heritage and culture, and even honouring the memory of others, especially connected with the Holocaust.

19

moon crescent of the Maiden Goddess, the full moon circle of the Mother Goddess, and the waning moon crescent of the Grandmother Moon or Crone of Wisdom.

As the Moon’s gravitational pull on the Earth creates the ebb and flow of the ocean’s tides, the surging and lessening of hormones in our bodies, the trigger for fertility cycles, our moods and emotions, our dreams, our inner feelings and unconscious mind – connecting with the magic of the Moon, in whatever way it resonates with your client, is the reason that many will choose to wear a triple moon design.

20

Jewellery showcase

This could be the case for some of your clients, whilst others may choose to wear the six-pointed star for its associations of magical protection, balance, order in the universe and sexuality.

Whether single, double, encircling, or twisted together, the serpent can be seen as a symbol of the entire universe and all that exists; of truth and wisdom; of immortality and endless rebirth and renewal; of life cycles; and of protection – once again working with the concept of the unbroken ‘gateless’ line, where the serpent either surrounds another symbol or is depicted with its tail in its mouth to make a complete circle (known as the ouroboros).

The serpent is one of the oldest symbols of female power, with both women and serpents seen to embody the power of life – women through childbirth and serpents through the shedding

RIGHT 1. Textured Snake, 14ct yellow, white and rose gold 2. Scene Bee, 14ct gold with dark rhodium plating 3. Hivemind, 14ct yellow, white and rose gold with Dark Champagne cubic zirconias 4. Oh Honey, 14ct yellow gold with Dark Champagne cubic zirconias and 21mm gold chain 5. mini bee and gold bee, 14ct yellow gold

junipurrjewelry.com

of their skin, thus renewing themselves. Meanwhile, in the biblical Garden of Eden, the serpent was the bringer of wisdom – whether for better or worse depending on your view!

Many cultures have a Tree of Life as a key symbol (I might write about trees, plants, flowers and fungi in future issues of this magazine!) – and these often have a serpent coiled around the base, living in the branches, or residing in the roots. They might be guarding the tree, or represent an ‘underworld serpent’, appearing as the ouroboros to form a circle of endless continuity of life.

Your clients might choose to wear a serpent symbol to honour any of these thoughts and ideas from across the world, going back to the earliest images created by human hands.

The symbol of the eye is one that human beings have reacted to strongly for centuries upon centuries. These days you often hear the symbol referred to as an ‘evil eye’, but from ancient times it was actually used as a protection against evil!

The symbol can be interpreted as the Eye of the Goddess, and seen as a watchful, protective, guarding eye – all-seeing – which perhaps comes from the eye-to-eye gaze of a newborn baby to its mother, forming a bond that can ensure the infant’s survival. There’s the Eye of Providence, originally a Christian

A

WC

SE

SH

O

1

Jewellery showcase

3

4

5

21

2

SH

SE

Jewellery showcase

WC A

22

O

1 2

3 4

5 6

bodygems.com

Established in 1988, the shop has graced the Norwich Lanes for 35 years, selling jewellery, incense, greetings cards, books, decorative items and more.

You can follow Inanna’s Magical Gifts on Facebook and Instagram.

Mail order is available on request. @inannasmagicalgifts

At Jewish New Year and other important celebrations, honey features as a representation of sweetness in life, whilst in Finnish myth-stories, magic honey is used by a hero’s mother to restore him to life again.

In many countries, including in the UK, the tradition of ‘telling the bees’ about any significant changes in the family (especially deaths) is still followed by many beekeepers – the belief being that if the bees aren’t told, they may fly away!

Your could recommend the bee to clients who want to celebrate their hard work or success in a certain enterprise or in life generally; to those looking for a symbol of love and happiness, health and wellbeing, family, nature or the warmth of summer; or to bring a little sweetness into their lives.

Jewellery showcase

Left 1. Body Gems’ original snake design, 14ct yellow gold 2. Bee, 14ct yellow gold 3. Evil Eye, 14ct white gold, pictured with arctic blue and cubic zirconias 4. Dual Julia Snake Clicker, 14ct palladium white gold with black cubic zirconia 5. Snake in the Grass, 14ct yellow gold 6. Fixed ring with bee design, 14ct yellow gold

Naomi Caplin is the owner of Inanna’s Magical Gifts, located in a 15th-century weaver’s house on St Andrew’s Hill in Norwich city centre.

23

Bees were highly prized in the ancient world as makers of the honey that was both a desired food of great nutritional value and one of the few important preservatives at that time – as well as helping to heal wounds (thanks, as we now know, to its antibacterial properties).

Meet the expert

symbol for God’s omniscience and often found in Freemasonry.

Whilst in Ancient Egypt we find the Eye of Horus, a symbol used in amulets for protection, health and restoration. It represents the eye that the god Horus lost and then had magically restored, according to myth.

Clients might wear this symbol to represent their own intuition, knowledge or insight; to feel that they are being watched over by a goddess or god relevant to their beliefs; or to use it more generally as a symbol of protection or good luck.

24 Studio focus

S t F o r

UD

CUS

ST

O

c h i n g

IO F

When was the studio established, and how has it evolved over the years?

MARNIE: Let me take you back to the summer of 2001, in the West End of Worthing, when Claire Jesse opened the doors of the studio and welcomed the world in. Over the next two decades, the studio developed in an ever-changing industry. Starting off with one piercer in situ, we’ve grown to the team of six amazing women we have now. Riding out a recession, a pandemic, Brexit, the demise of the high street, and then to roll head-on into another recession, we have risen like a phoenix from the ashes and come of age!

With big new goals, a charity walkathon and a prestigious business award win under their belts, the sky’s the limit for the Flux Piercing Studio team, based in Worthing, West Sussex. Owner Princess Marnie and Manager Serena Mitchell share the journey with Louise Hoffman

Studio focus

R h e e

SERENA: Our ethos at Flux is to offer clients high-quality, unpretentious, safe body piercing by forever-learning piercers. We pride ourselves on being an LGBTQIA+ Safe Space, accommodating every human as they are and helping them to be their most authentic selves, safely and professionally.

25

r s t

Firstly, introduce us all to the Flux Piercing ethos...

SERENA: I think we are one of the longestrunning purely piercing studios in the UK with nearly 23 years under our belt, which I consider quite an accolade. We have only ever pierced here, which is quite uncommon, and no piercing gun has ever even entered the building – something we are all proud of!

We have adapted and improved constantly over the years. Claire was taught to pierce in the 90s, and we have spent our years bettering ourselves with education from other piercers, the APP and UKAPP, and pushing ourselves to be the best we can be.

26

Studio focus

I believe one of the biggest changes came in late 2021, with big new goals for the studio. Tell us about that...

MARNIE: That’s me, I guess – I was the big change! <laughs> After a couple of uncertain years that we all faced, I did the sensible thing that anyone should do coming out of a pandemic – I bought a piercing studio, from my lifelong friend, Claire. Having successfully built other people’s businesses up around the world throughout the lion’s share of my adult existence, I was finally able to do something for myself – and in an industry that I was passionate about, that I understood, and that has a fabulous, everevolving future.

SERENA: I have known Marnie for years as a client of the shop and friend of Claire’s (I’ve been here 11 years in October), and with her takeover it was the perfect opportunity to sit and discuss my hopes and dreams for Flux and how we could push it forward – and thankfully, she was on board with it all!

Marnie is as passionate as I am, not just about the studio changes, but also the need to bring safe piercing to the public as a discussion and push out this awful belief that ‘gun piercing’ is the norm, or in any way acceptable.

MARNIE: I have a big belief that a business is only as strong as the people who deliver it. For instance, two people can sell or provide an identical service, yet one will smash everything out of the park and the other won’t. Why is that? It’s because people invest in people.

The direction you step as a team must be chosen together, working from the same page, treading the same path, believing in the same goal, passionately embracing change, and diversifying to stay in front. So, once I had an idea of where everyone wanted to be individually, it was time for Serena and I to sit down and devise the great master plan of how we were going to action and fund it!

UD

ST

CUS OPENING page The flux team (l-r) Kelsey, Serena, Torreya, Gemma, Tiani and Princess Marnie holding Fluxy Riley the dog Below Awards night!

As we mentioned in the news pages of the Feb/Mar issue, the team’s hard work was formally recognised just recently, wasn’t it?

Studio focus

SERENA: Yes! In our industry it’s not often we get accolades or awards, so we were incredibly humbled and very excited when we heard that we had been nominated for not one, but two awards in the Adur and Worthing 2022 Business Awards!

MARNIE: When we first arrived at the ceremony, we were met by strangers starting conversations with, ‘You guys pierced my aunty/daughter/son/nephew/grandmother!’ and ‘How refreshing to see you here, I so hope you win’. Then our table buddies – a local independent pet store – banged the tables with their cutlery as our category nominations were read out!

To be nominated on a main stage alongside traditional businesses, solicitors, development companies and leisure facilities was mind-blowing – and despite incredibly stiff competition, we came away with the Retailer of the Year award.

I could barely hear ‘Flux Piercing Studio’ over the screaming and whistling as our entire team stood to take that walk to the stage. I’m nearly in tears now thinking about it!

SERENA: It certainly goes to show that the more you can do for your clients, the more you will thrive.

MARNIE: Yes, and I’ve since been invited to talk at breakfast meetings to tell our story – people are interested! Times are definitely changing – being recognised by your peers and industry is one thing, but being recognised in a world you didn’t know you were welcome in is priceless!

27

SERENA: We are just a two-minute walk from Worthing’s beautiful beach. Our brand-new shop front is open with etched glass, making the reception light and bright. We have cabinets full of some of the most beautiful APP-approved jewellery – Danila Tarcinale, Buddha, Junipurr, Industrial Strength, People’s Jewellery, Anatometal, and space being made for our first BVLA order – along with sterile saline and the friendliest team of piercers keen to help in any way they can behind our glass-topped desk. We’re also kitted out with Stiletto disposable equipment, and a brand-new Hydrim and Statim have arrived and are being installed, so we are finally becoming a fully disposable studio!

MARNIE: Everything has also been moved online, from booking and deposit systems to electronic consent forms and stock lists, and control measures have been put in place – all saving valuable time. And, in reception, the old uncomfortable chairs have been removed and replaced with bespoke upholstery, with a chaise taking pride of place in the window, bringing together a more welcoming space for the ultimate purely piercing experience.

SERENA: Our gorgeous glittery electric chair is also very popular!

O

Now, just a year and a half on, take us on a little tour of today’s Flux Piercing Studio...

IO F

28

Studio focus

Not one to rest on your laurels, I believe you’ve undertaken another challenge this year too?

SERENA: When we saw that Refuge – an extraordinary charity helping survivors of domestic abuse – was looking for people to take part in a walking challenge to raise money, we couldn’t say no to getting involved as a studio! After all, there are so many people out there who can’t even leave their front door for fear of abuse – so we took every step for them.

MARNIE: The charity is not only raising funds but also awareness of the abuse that a shocking 1 in 4 women suffer in this country.

Being a team of six puts us firmly within that statistic. I am living proof this isn’t a situation or scenario people ask for, expect or welcome.

It’s a horrific part of my journey, and still raw in my mind, 10 years clear. We asked people online to walk with us, donate, share the post, comment to keep it in others’ feeds – to do whatever they could to help as we individually walked 56 miles.

SERENA: We managed to raise an amazing £395 in donations from our amazing family, friends and clients of the shop...

MARNIE: ...and then the beauty of our industry stepped in too, with a physical response to our cry for support. Paddy Kielty of Industrial Strength UK contacted me to say he had popped jewellery in the post to aid our charity efforts. Are you serious? How super-kind a human is that man! He wasn’t approached, he wasn’t asked – he simply saw what we were doing and offered his help and support.

SERENA: He graciously sent two of the most beautiful pieces from the IS collection, and so 100% of the profits from the sale of these is going straight to Refuge! I can’t tell you how touched we are as a studio by his generosity and care for the community – what a credit to

Above Industrial Strength UK donated two pieces of jewellery to help Flux raise money for a worthy cause

the industry to have such amazing human beings as suppliers! It makes you feel so supported and blessed to be a piercer when you have that kind of altruism and assistance from a huge company like Industrial Strength. There are no words for how much respect and admiration we have for Paddy.

MARNIE: And the first piece was gone within 24 hours! I would like to personally thank Paddy for his compassion, his empathy and most of all for his generous support of our studio’s effort to help countless people across the country. Paddy, sir, you are a gentleman and a scholar, thank you.

What would you say are the three keys to studio success?

MARNIE: First and foremost it has to be team work. I know a lot of piercers work alone, but we are your team! The other studios up and down the country, the fabulous people who are making a difference for the industry through this amazing professional magazine, the tireless work of the volunteers who make up the UKAPP – we are your team.

Secondly, education – knowing that, even if we stand before a class as a teacher, we still have something to learn. Keeping an open mind and being ready to change through learning. To take that knowledge and pass it on to the next generation. To never be afraid to ask, be wrong or revisit the pages of a well-read book to refresh the knowledge locked inside.

Thirdly, respect – for yourself, your environment, your clients, your profession

UD

CUS

ST

O

IO F

and each other. If you treat every day with respect, along with every human you meet during that day, a whole new world opens in front of you. Be the best that you can be, to deliver what others need to become the best versions of themselves. Respect the path and the journey; you are a guest in its wake.

park daily. The latest member is the truly beautiful Tiani, who has recently joined us from Epsom to complete our well-rounded team of professional women, with a common goal and drive to be the very best that we can be. It will be exciting to watch the studio grow, as these women dream and aspirations and ideas grow.

SERENA: Our next goal is UKAPP certification for the studio and all of our piercers for sure, but it would be lovely to include APP certification in the future, and travel to Las Vegas for convention. A bigger studio is definitely on my wish list too (sorry Marnie!) and, of course, the never-ending endeavour to be better for the clients we have, each and every day.

MARNIE: My ultimate dream is to be offering clients an ‘experience’, so that when they come to our studio they see it as a pampering session. Why not look forward to a booked half-hour appointment where we can discuss jewellery, look at different curations, plan different piercings?

I want people to think of their piercing appointment as ‘me time’ – as positive personal time when the world revolves around them. Reach for the stars, I say! @fluxpiercingstudio

Studio focus

MARNIE: I often joke with Serena, saying, ‘Today we will do what we do every day – try to take over the world!’ <laughs> But truthfully, I believe the future is very bright. We have been invited by local schools to speak on safe piercing, which we will be rolling out over the next few months. I am hugely excited by this and see it as a challenge to get that balance right with a new generation.

Our little team is already starting to grow under the expert guidance of the awesome Serena, as Manager. Serena and Gemma, both Flux veterans, watch over the training of our lovely Torreya and apprentice Kelsey, who are both passionately growing and knocking their educational journey out of the

29

Images: Stephen Miller

What does the future hold next for Flux?

CO

NT

Every day’s

MME

school day

30

Comment

Becky Crossan, Public Outreach/Vice President of the UK Association of Professional Piercers (UKAPP), reminds us why a career in piercing should be a learning journey

‘Forever learning’ is a term commonly used in relation to piercing events and classes. There’s even an entire ‘Forever Learning’ Facebook forum for piercing professionals to communicate and learn from each other. So what does it mean and why should we be doing it?

Forever learning is essentially another name for continuing professional development (CPD), and in pretty much every job, CPD is an important part of staying at the top of your game.

The piercing industry is constantly changing and evolving. New techniques are developed, new jewellery comes onto the market, or hygiene practices become understood more deeply. In order to move forward and stay up to date within the industry, it’s important to make sure that you’re continuing to learn throughout your career.

Learning should be conscious and proactive, rather than having to act reactively to catch up with your peers and avoid being left behind.

About the UKAPP The UK Association of Professional Piercers (UKAPP) is a not-for-profit health and safety organisation dedicated to spreading knowledge of safe piercing practices and up-to-date information for industry professionals and the general public.

The organisation has a list of criteria that industry professionals are required to meet in order to become a member of the organisation.

This includes environmental criteria, jewellery standards, and health and safety criteria such as being trained in first aid and blood-borne pathogens.

The UKAPP also holds an annual educational conference.

For more information, visit ukapp.org.uk

Taking classes at conferences or online, reading articles and blogs and listening to podcasts are all super beneficial ways of continuing your education and developing as a piercer.

Folks who have been piercing for a while will sometimes dismiss this idea.

It can be easy to think, ‘What can this person possibly teach me about this subject? I’ve been piercing for X number of years!’ – I’m here to tell you that you’d be surprised what you might gain from putting ego aside and attending that class regardless! There’s also real value in having ideas and concepts that you already understand reinforced by one of your peers.

Piercers who are constantly looking for new perspectives and keep striving to improve will not only continue to do better for their clients, but will also work towards their own longevity within the industry by making sure that they don’t become stagnant or outdated.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to keep growing, collaborating, improving and forever learning together.

AT COGNITION, WE STRIVE TO PROVIDE YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS WITH INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC, QUALITY EDUCATION AND TRAINING.

orne Blood-b ety saf virus bio g trainin out now

WE AIM TO INSPIRE CURIOSITY THROUGH OUR PASSION FOR EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE AND THE PURSUIT OF INNOVATION WITHIN THE BODY ART INDUSTRIES

12 Sharp thinking

Going for gold

Sharp thinking

From conference rookie to UKAPP member in just a year, and now celebrating a decade in business at Bee Tattooed in Stockport, Matt Persse’s story is the stuff motivation is made of, as Louise Hoffman discovers

Liam had come to me from five years in a similar setup in a place called Gorton, which was where they filmed Shameless back in the day. It’s where we were from; it’s what we were.

“We paid £4,500 to open up the studio and to buy everything – I mean, ev-erything! – and we literally just tattooed friends and family, or if we were really lucky a customer would walk in and spend 30 quid on a tattoo.”

In truth, it was the need to bring more money into the studio that was the main driver behind Matt’s decision to step into piercing in the September of that year. Not knowing any different at that time, he enrolled on a week’s course in Salford, and then hit the ground running.

“We were offering £5 and £10 piercings for about twoand-a-half years!” he recalls.

“And I was piercing with the most basic of the basic. When you came into my shop back in those days, I had no cabinet because there was no need for one! I had a barbell, I had a labret stud, I had a horseshoe, I had a BCR, plus some staples and some dermals and that was it. I know for a fact that I only spent £4,000 on stock in the whole of 2015 – and the reason I remember it so well is because, at that time, I was thinking, oh my god, we can’t afford this!

“We were lucky in that we got paid from day one, but we were barely scratching a living.

In our first week we made £638, and it took us about two years to hit a £1,000 week.”

33

This year, Matt Persse’s studio celebrated its 10th anniversary; but if you compared the business at its humble beginnings to the one you see now, you’d be forgiven for thinking they were two entirely separate entities – and you certainly wouldn’t guess how his journey as a piercer had begun.

On a cold afternoon in early March – almost 10 years to the day that he first opened Bee Tattooed with his nephew and business partner, tattooist Liam Bee – Matt settles down to share his story. “It was 11 March 2013 when we opened up a little shop in Stockport, at 15 Bramhall Lane,” he begins.

“I worked there as co-owner and manager; I wasn’t a piercer in any way, shape or form.

“We were a traditional-style shop – really backstreet; flash on the walls, nothing matched.

Sharp thinking 34

The learning curve It was in 2015 that Matt also heard of the recently formed UK Association of Professional Piercers (UKAPP). He intended to go to their conference that year, and even bought a ticket, but had to change his plans at the last minute. So, when the event came around again in 2016, he was determined to attend.

“I never went away anywhere in those days, so I treated myself to a really nice suite at the Radisson. When I arrived I was nervous as hell, but I was also like, you know what, I’m a £10 piercer, I did 60 piercings last week, I’m doing really, really well – I’m laughin’!

“I got myself a pint and sat down next to this dude with a massive Mohican, who turned out to be Olly Todd. He was literally the first person I spoke to. I said, ‘How you doin’ mate, you alright?’ and he replied, ‘Yeah I’m doing good thanks, how are you?’ I thought, wow, he’s well nicer than he looks! And he was genuinely interested in how I was doing.

“So I told him, ‘Yeah, I did really well last week, mate, I did 60 piercings for, like, £600.

How are you doing, if you don’t mind me asking?’ And he said,

“I couldn’t work out how the feckin’ hell any of [the jewellery] would go on my bars”

‘Yeah, I did £3.5k’. I was like, ‘Wow! You did 300 piercings!’

And he said, ‘Nah I did about 40, mate’.

“I literally said these words: ‘You’re a liar’,” Matt laughs, “and Olly replied, ‘No, but see that guy over there? Pay him a visit tomorrow and buy a couple of bits of jewellery off him’.”

The following day, Matt made a beeline for the man Olly had pointed out: Patrick Kielty of Industrial Strength UK. “There was a massive crowd of people around his stand – I mean, you couldn’t get to it!” Matt recalls.

“But I’m pretty bolshy, so I just pushed myself to the front and was like, ‘Right, what have we got?’. Paddy asked, ‘Well, what do you want?’ and I explained that I had 480 quid. He told me to come back in an hour, and when I did he handed me this tiny bag of jewellery. I looked at it and thought, right, I feel embarrassed and ashamed here – that’s my £480 gone!”

That evening in the bar, Matt heard story after story about how well everyone was doing by using better quality jewellery. “I was thinking, no, I don’t believe any of you!” he laughs. Then on the train back, he sat staring at the little bag containing the 17 pieces of jewellery he’d spent all of his money on. “I couldn’t work out how the feckin’ hell any of it would go on my bars, because my bars were externally threaded, and these pieces of jewellery had little nubbins on them!

“When I got home, I called round some of the people I’d met at the conference and said, ‘I think I’ve been ripped off, I don’t know what these are, they don’t fit on my bars’. Between them, they pointed me in the right

direction to order the internally threaded bars I needed, then I got a little 40-quid cabinet off Amazon and put it up on the wall to display the pieces in.”

Things weren’t going to change overnight, however, and as the new jewellery sat languishing in the cabinet – with his current client base balking at the £30 price tag – the universe made it very clear to Matt that he still had more to learn.

“I decided to go round places and see who was doing what – not in the local area, because I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes,” he explains. “Whilst on holiday with the family in Minehead, I noticed that Ian Human was a 30-minute walk away, and I remembered speaking to him once at the conference, so I went over there and asked if he minded me spending an hour with him. ‘Of course you can mate,’ he said. I watched him do a nose piercing, and as the client paid £35 my jaw hit the ground.

I was like, ‘How did you just do that?’ and he said, ‘It’s normal, it’s just what we do’.”

The turning point Having picked up a huge amount of knowledge from the UKAPP Conference and from his studio tour, the time had come for Matt to put it all into practice.

“All the way through that time, I just remember thinking, ‘I want to be the best that I can be.

35 Sharp thinking

36

Sharp thinking

“I think there are 1,200-plus pieces of jewellery in that cabinet now – and it’s 80% gold”

I want every customer to look in the mirror, smile, and then come back a few weeks, months or even years later and do it all again’,” he remembers.

The first step was to move into bigger premises, and by a stroke of luck numbers 9 and 11 Bramhall Lane – just next door to his current studio – had become available.

“The first shop cost £4,500.

The second shop cost £32,000!” he laughs. “The business has never been in debt, though – I’ve always done what my mum and dad taught me: if it’s not in your pocket, don’t spend it. But I have such a good business partner that when I came back from that first conference with the bag of expensive jewellery and said to him, ‘Look, I know this is all a bit Jack and the Beanstalk, but just trust me’, he looked at me and said, ‘I trust you, I’m not worried about you, you’ll make it back’.”

And that trust was well placed, because just one year later, after months of hard work and determination, Matt returned to the conference in 2017 with gusto as a fully certified member of the UKAPP. “After gaining membership,

my customer base changed,” he explains. “At that time I was doing teeth whitening too – it was still legal then and it was something that paid our rent. I used to whiten all these really rich people’s teeth – you know, from Bramhall, where the footballers live. Then one day, a client said, ‘You know what, I’m going to bring my friends in – they’d love to have a piercing.

Can you get something really nice in, because one of them is about to celebrate her birthday’.

Well, her friends talked, and they talked, and they talked... and before I knew it my £10 piercings had turned into £90, £120 and £150-plus piercings!”

Fast forward to today, and Matt’s cabinet space has tripled – with the contents changing beyond all recognition. “On the bottom row we have Industrial Strength and NeoMetal navel and nipple jewellery. Then there’s a row of Anatometal titanium, Industrial Strength titanium and a lot of NeoMetal titanium. Next up, I’ve got eight boards of Junipurr, then above that I’ve got six small boards of BVLA and a lot of Anatometal gold,” he enthuses.

“I think there are 1,200-plus pieces of jewellery in that cabinet now – and it’s 80% gold.”

The journey travelled A decade in business is a time to reflect for Matt. Looking back now, he has a birds-eye view of his entire journey to date.

“When I first became a piercer, I wanted to do it all – I wanted to be able to cut someone’s tongue in half, I wanted to point someone’s ears, I wanted to brand somebody. But my

customers have directed me my way,” he explains.

“My customer is a 40-plus lady looking to spend whatever she wants to because her business has worked really hard for the money. But my customers are also children – lots and lots of children! – who save their pocket money to get their ears pierced, so I will always do a cheaper option. Everything in my shop starts at £35, and we don’t do piercing fees. A customer whose husband plays for Manchester United can get their ears pierced. A customer who earns a medium wage can get their nose pierced for 40 quid.

And every piercing is treated the same way – whether I’m using a classic piece or a £2,000 cluster from BVLA.” But over the years, Matt has learned that word of mouth is the main key to success, over and above premises and stock.

“People buy people,” he adds.

“It’s the same way I built my business – I looked at Olly Todd, I looked at Ian Human, I looked at Aiden Johnson, I looked at Andrew Davenport, and I thought, I’d love to do what they’re doing; I’d love to have something I’m proud of.

“Now I have exactly that, and you know what? You can do this

Top right The Bee Tattooed team is made up of (l-r) Becky, Imogen, Matt, Liam and Sami, plus Aimee, Pablo and S (not pictured)

“Every single day you pick up that needle, you’ve learned something”

Sharp thinking

@dmbodypiercing @beetattooedstockport

37

as well,” he states confidently, addressing any piercing professional out there who has ever doubted their ability to grow, achieve their goals, and be the best.

“When people say, ‘Oh, I’m backstreet, I can’t sell gold’.

Well, I’m two miles away from Stockport centre and 11 miles away from Manchester, on a destination street with hardly any parking. I’m backstreet, and I sell gold. Don’t ever let anyone, or yourself, hold you back.”

When asked what his number one piece of advice would be, he doesn’t hesitate: “Never be afraid to ask anything – ask so many questions, and when you get near a piercer, plug them for as much information as you can.

Every single day you pick up that needle, you’ve learned something – from new techniques to the way a customer is – and everyone can teach us something, whether they’ve been piercing for three weeks or three years.

“Above all, if you’re doing something, do it the fiercest way you possibly can, and do it the best you possibly can.”

_01

TIL

38

ARCHIVE

THE INCREDIBLE

For this issue’s archive dive, Body Piercing Archive Founder PAUL KING focuses on a fascinating figure from UK body modification history: Til of Cardiff

‘The Incredible Til’ was first introduced to an audience in an article authored by the American tattooer and piercer Sailor Sid Diller in 1981, issue 12 of Piercing Fans International Quarterly (PFIQ).

While the dedication to and extensiveness of Til’s modifications command great respect and attention, the depth of his contribution to the historical record may be even more significant. Other than Til, only a handful of people are known to have extensively documented their

piercing practices during the early-to-mid-20th century. He kept a detailed diary, but we have no idea if it exists today.

By his choice, not much was known publicly about ‘Til’, an adopted nom de plume used for his rare public engagements. For most of his life, privacy was essential for the protection of his marriage and livelihood. Earlier in his life, he let us know he was from Cardiff, Wales. Finally, in the 1990s, Til started to allow his real first name, Tom, to be used in print on the pages of Pauline Clarke’s Piercing World magazine.

Most of what we know about Tom comes from correspondence. So far as we are aware, of 11 letters in total, most are dated 1965 or 1966, with one outlier of 1982.

The earliest found letter is dated 29 April 1965, when Tom was already in his 50s, addressed to fellow member Albrecht Becker of Rudi Inhelder’s Tattoo Club of America (TCA). Tom was a long-time pen pal with Roland Loomis (Fakir Musafar) and a frequent pen pal with ‘Bud Housen’ (an earlier alias of Viking Navaro), as well as Albrecht Becker. The recipients of the known letters break down as six letters to Bud, two letters to Fakir and three letters to Albrecht Becker.

We know he wrote others, but we haven’t found additional letters. Neither do we have copies of letters from Tom’s pen pals to him; however, we gain some valuable insight into them through Tom’s replies.

From clues in a letter to Fakir,

SUPER FAST CARBON NEUTRAL SHIPPING...

... AND WE PLANT TREES FOR EVERY ORDER!

BY P I E R C ERS, FOR PIERCERS. A C U R AT E D CO L L E C T I O N O F O N LY T H E B E S T E Q U I P M E N T A N D CO N S U M A B L E S

P R O U D LY S U P P O R T I N G T H E B E S T S T U D I O S O N T H E P L A N E T #THECHOICEOFPROFESSIONALS

That’s The Point - UK / Europe

@thatsthepointuk

TEC

f o r

CE

T i m e

AD VI

H

t e c h n i q u e :

inside-out nostrils

right A beautiful example of an inside-out nostril piercing performed by Olly, with upgraded jewellery

Tech advice

The way to tackle nostril piercings varies depending on the method, tools and experience you have at your disposal.

The inside-out approach gives you a smoother and completely disposable way of tackling nostril piercings in my opinion – but when using this method, there are a number of different things you need to think about, such as the exit point and the direction the needle will travel due to the bevel the needle has.

43

After 15 years in the game, Olly Todd has become one of the industry’s best-known teachers, renowned for his wealth of experience and calm approach. Here, he shares some tops tips for inside-out nostrils

CE

TEC

AD VI

H

1. As the images show, I have broken down some useful prompts that I use to achieve the best result – the first of these being the marks used for the piercing. When marking, I like to use a T-shape mark to allow me to see the line the needle needs to travel in.

1

TECH ADVICE

2

2. The second key thing you need to consider is the bevel of the needle and how you can actually use this to your advantage when piercing from the inside of the nostril. By having the bevel of the needle facing away from the nostril wall, you are utilising the bevel to correct the angle as it comes through the tissue. You can do this by marking the underside of the septum at the angle you need to line-up the needle.

44

3. To figure out the depth of the entry point of the needle on the inside of the nostril, you can use the needle as a ruler. Simply hold it up to the mark you Imade on the outside the nostril hope you enjoyed this of article, if you have andany measure the distance the edge. questions, shoot me to a message.

It’s then easy to transfer this logic to @cristiano_borneoflower the inside, and start the process of getting the right angle for the bevel of the needle, in order to give you the right exit point.

3

4

4. You should also be aware of the tissue on the inside of the nostrils.

Not all tissue inside a person’s nasal cavity is flat and some may have prominent ridges that could alter the angle of the jewellery if not taken into consideration. The tissue can also differ on each side. By checking this out and making sure that you pierce through a flat piece of tissue, you will give your client a better healing experience, as well as a better healed result.

CE

TEC

AD VI

H

5. When using this method of piercing you also need to consider the best way to transfer your labret post. Personally, I prefer to use a snip due to the taper adding too much length for me to hold comfortably. Using the shorter snip allows me to pierce and transfer the jewellery into place in one motion, making the process smoother and more pleasant for the client.

5

6

6. This technique works for most positions on the nostril except for higher placements, such as the one pictured, due to the restrictive space inside the top of the nostrils. Higher placements are therefore better suited to the outside-in approach.

7. And here is the end result of the inside-out nostril piercing! @ollytoddpiercing

Meet the expert

@cognition.training

7

Based at Factotum in Norwich, Olly Todd has been piercing since around 2008.

A regular speaker at the UKAPP Conference and Piercer Trade Show, as well as teaching at BMXnet in Germany and a host of private studio events, his educational work has rapidly expanded

since 2019. Having launched Cognition Training in 2021, he now delivers online and in-person seminars to body art professionals across the world, as well as fully regulated First Aid at Work courses and the first-ever UKspecific blood-borne pathogen training for piercers.

mo r e t ha n ‘just ’ A p ie rcer

46

Wellbeing

Getting to know who you are outside of work can make a huge difference to your quality of life, as well as benefitting your business in return, as Jess Sellars of The Luna Collective in Nottingham explains

WE are all here, reading this magazine, because we have this thing we love: body piercing. And I mean we love it so much, right?

I spent the first four years of my career completely dedicated to piercing and the shop I worked for. I worked six days a week, sometimes seven if I could.

I lived and breathed piercing – constantly talking about it and thinking about it. My whole life was piercing.

I would be so hard on myself that, if I had a day off, I wouldn’t do things with my friends or do anything for myself because I thought I had to focus all my attention on piercing. I wondered why a lot of my friendships and

Above Jess and Bullseye

Wellbeing

When work becomes life

relationships failed; looking back, it’s because no one really had the same level of commitment and attention as piercing did.

Then one day, I got a phone call in which I was told to never go back to my job – and I honestly felt like my whole world was crashing down around me. I found myself so bored and so lost, and I realised it was because I did nothing but piercing!

I wish I could say that in the months I was unemployed I found myself and realised that there was more to life than piercing, and from then on I had an amazing work-life balance – but actually, my studio, The Luna Collective, then came along, and I had a new hyperfocus. Not only was I dedicated to piercing, I now had a business to run! New responsibilities and commitments, and even more weight on my shoulders...

I used to glamorise this idea that being dedicated and so in love with your career was the only measure of success. I thought the whole point of being selfemployed and being a business owner was to work and make a name for yourself. I idolised all these entrepreneurs and ‘boss ladies’ who would wake up at 5am to ‘rise and grind’.

Then guess what happened? A fucking GLOBAL PANDEMIC! Almost a full year of not being able to work led me to realise that I didn’t know much about myself outside of working. I didn’t know how to not be busy. I felt like I was just a piercer, and I couldn’t even be that, so who even was I? What was the point?

47

A lot of us have dedicated most of our adult life to our work; attending conferences, constantly learning and surrounding ourselves with our peers – and that’s great! How amazing it is to love our job this much!

But do we love it so much that we forget it is a job?

That there has to be a balance somewhere?

We still need to be ourselves; we need to be something more than just a piercer.

48

Wellbeing

Why does this happen?

I think there are a couple of reasons why piercers in particular work themselves into the ground, but the main one is probably because we feel a need to prove ourselves. How many times have we heard the term ‘just a piercer’? How many times have we been asked: “Oh, do you not tattoo?”; “Is that your full-time job?”; “Are you learning to tattoo?”.

And let’s be honest, piercers have been the skivvies and underdogs of the body art industry for decades. We would have to have 10 times as many clients as a tattooist in order to make the same money. Plus, piercers are often the only people in the shop to not get a percentage, but rather a fixed (low) wage. Piercing is simply seen as a quick money maker – an addition to the tattooists.

So of course we feel the need to perform well so that people take us seriously; to prove that we are as valuable as the tattooists; to show we aren’t afraid of hard work, and that piercing is hard work too.

‘Look, see how hard we are working? Look! Look!

We work six days a week! We never sit down!

We don’t even get time to eat!’

Ultimately, we are trying to prove our worth – but really, when it comes down to it, our worth comes from within us, not from the external validation of others.

If you’re having to work that hard to prove to someone how valuable you are, then they don’t deserve you. If we define our whole self-worth by how well our business is doing, we can’t really be happy with ‘just us’. Businesses have good times, hard times, quiet times, unprecedented times, and stuff that is completely out of our control, so if the way you’re feeling about yourself relies on your work, it’s a pretty uncertain and probably anxious way to exist.

Reality check

It’s time to really know your worth. We aren’t just piercers. We are photographers, who take stunning photos of our gorgeous jewellery; we are social media managers promoting our products and services; we are accountants, figuring out costs, mark-ups, payroll and VAT; we are customer services, answering hundreds of messages; we are cleaners and stock takers; we are everything that bigger companies have teams of people for – all in one person!

But – we get to make people smile every single day.

We get to adorn them with beautiful jewels and make them feel amazing in less than an hour. That’s an actual super power! It’s magic! How wonderful to have the power to make someone’s day – to be the reason they were excited to get up that morning, and are now

We are a whole person outside of our jobs, so what does that person look like?

walking with a new spring in their step.

Think of that and remember: we are way more than ‘just’ a piercer.

We are also mothers, fathers and partners – we have a role outside of work too that is just as important and requires as much attention. We need to have energy left at the end of the day to give to our loved ones at home. How did their day go? Or are you too busy replying to your client at 8pm to remember to ask? Your family will still love you, even if you didn’t sell gold that day.

Your doggo doesn’t care if you posted enough on social media, he just wants you to give him all the cuddles!

Your worth is not defined by your daily sales or your likes on Instagram.

Nice to meet me!

If you want any help making a start on this, please feel free to reach out to me – I’d love to hold space and chat with you! @jessicat_piercing

Wellbeing

You are more than just a piercer, in every single way.

MAIN LEFT

49

We are a whole person outside of our jobs, so what does that person look like? What makes them laugh? What’s their favourite thing to do?

Getting to know yourself properly is an amazing journey, and will improve every aspect of your life – including work. The more growth work you do on yourself, giving yourself all the things you need, the more you’ll have to give to your job. The more love and passion you give yourself, the more you’ll have for your work.

If we truly understand ourselves – what makes us happy, what makes us sad, what gives us anxiety – then we can learn tools to help support ourselves. That way, when stressful times come (and come they will), we will have a tool box to help us deal with them. After all, if the only thing that makes you happy is how much gold you sold this week, then what’s going to happen to your mental health on a quiet week?

Piercing starts with you – you don’t start with piercing.

And the best way to meet yourself is to spend time with yourself. Away from piercing, just being you.

Re ding someone else’s copy? get your own FREE subscription at the-sharp-end.co.uk

s in p

o

nd-n

ote

E 50

End-note inspo

Go forth nd

I’ve been a piercer for more than 10 years! When I was about 13 I went to get my first piercing, centre of my bottom lip. I remember meeting the piercer and thinking, ‘Wow this person is so cool! I’d love to be as cool as them when I grow up!’.

When I went through education I started to think about how I could get on to this career path, and I used my university money to start looking for a course (I know, naughty, using that money and also, a course? I 100% don’t recommend that now.

I can see how better informed my own junior piercer is!).

My experience with a course, you ask? I struggled to learn anything! From crosscontamination, to blood-borne pathogens, to what angles to penetrate the skin at, and what jewellery was safe; I was not taught anything in-depth on these topics. NEVER do a course!

I learnt nothing other than how to be confident when stabbing people, which means nothing if you don’t know what goes on behind all that.

This meant starting from the bottom – £10 piercings left and right, making £50 a week; teaching myself everything I know now, working hard and doing it alone. I lived in shared accommodation, survived on Poundland noodles, and worked in a tattoo shop where piercings were just seen as an easy option to bring more business in, not respected as a real job.

One of the things I’m most proud of is definitely The Endless Knot. I look back at old videos of

prosper!

the studio and I love to see how much it’s grown and changed.

In the early days, there was not one piece of gold in the cabinet.

Now we have a massive range of high-quality body jewellery, all APP standard, and are looking at expanding our premises as well as jewellery stock. We also sell jewellery worldwide through

the web store I created during lockdown.

Never did I think clients would understand why a circular barbell costs £40-plus instead of £5, but they do! They want the best for their bodies and their family or friends.

Our clientele shifted massively, and with our improved standards came bigger spenders. I am proud that I can call myself a UKAPP member now, and I know I am giving the absolute best to my clients.

Running at the highest standards and charging more also gives me time to do other things; time to breathe, time for a coffee and paperwork – heck, even enough time to train someone and give another member of staff a liveable wage to help out with things when it gets busy!

The main thing I’d like other piercers to take from my journey is to know your worth! Always think of how you can improve.

When a client comes to you, make it a great experience – make it memorable. Look after their needs and wants – it’s a celebration of their bodies, so treat it as such!

If you want to get started as a piercer, don’t look for a course, as it won’t teach you the important stuff and there is still a lot of misinformation out there.

Find a studio that you like and trust; one that is safe and clean.

I would definitely recommend seeking to train under a UKAPP/ APP member! @endless_knot_studio

As for many piercers, starting out was a struggle for Leaf Charles of The Endless Knot in Hartlepool. But now they are flying...

The Sharp End ads Apr 23.pdf

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

1

12/04/2023

21:02

14 K Ro s e G o l d C o l l ec t i o n b y B V L A F e a t u r i n g — Septum: Atlantean / Nostrils: Monarch with Gold Post / Conch: Labels or

A

STATEMENT

bvla.com

Love with Gold Post / 2nd and 3rd Lobe: Seam Ring with Rebel / Lobe: Seam Ring with Baguette Bar and Co smo s

MAKE