by T. Scott Randolph

Created on: June 24, 2010

You can break down how to prepare for a body piercing in two main groups. One is the the proper safe way and the other is not as advisable. This doesn't mean that it is dangerous, it is just not as safe as the first way.

Because the way that most people will approach it is more common, we will address it first. You and your friends (or you alone)  decide that you want to get a piercing. That sentence sums up the amount of forethought that you have put into it. More than likely you went out the night before to have some fun. Alcohol may have been involved. You are dehydrated and suffering from fatigue. Your judgement may not be at it's best. It is a spontaneous decision.

What does this mean to you and your piercing? One, if you did drink, you will still have alcohol in your system. Even if you don't feel intoxicated, the piercing will tell the truth. Alcohol thins your blood. This means that even a routine piercing will probably bleed more than it should. The fact that you are fatigued will affect your judgement. This means that you may get a piercing that you may not want. Getting something done because your friends have it done is not a good choice. Contrary to popular belief, piercings are permanent. Yes, you can take out the jewelry, but the scar will remain. The other factors like dehydration will increase the healing time. Nobody wants to take care of a piercing. They want it to be healed so they can play with it and change the jewelry.

Now if we look at the proper (and admittedly not as fun) way to get pierced you will see the benefits. If you are well rested, you will make a better decision. There is nothing wrong with visiting the shop a couple of times to ask questions. That is part of the piercers job. Once you have made your decision, you will be much happier with it. Make sure that you have eaten before the procedure. This will lessen the chance of you passing out.

If you are one of the very few that put a lot of thought into the piercing, there are many things you can do that will help. When I say help, I mean cut the healing time in half. Eat healthy foods and take vitamins. The healthier that you are, the faster you will heal.

Once the piercing is done. Ask questions. There is no such thing as a dumb question. This may be your first piercing, but using myself as an example, I have performed over 15,000. The aftercare instructions and oral instructions that you are given are very important. Follow them. They were written by experts.

The final step is the follow up. If you think that you may be experiencing a problem, go back into the shop and ask. Most off the time we can give you directions on how to fix it. Follow even some of these simple rules and your piercing experience will be fun and make you feel better about yourself.

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