The History of Nose Piercings

While there are numerous ways to pierce your nose, as shown in my last entry, most of those piercings are relatively new.  The standard nose piercing and septum piercing do not fall into this category however.  The standard nose piercing can be traced back over 4,000 years somewhere in the Middle East.  It is referenced in the Bible, Genesis 24:22 "Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets for her wrists." Speaking of a servant giving a golden nose ring and bracelets as gifts to a woman for her help in watering his camels. 
The practice can also be followed throughout the history of India and Nepal.  Indian women traditionally had their left nostril pierced to help make childbirth easier as Ayurvedic medicine associates that position with the female reproductive organs.  It also acted as a homage paid to Parvathi, the goddess of marriage in the 16th century.
The septum piercing may not have been around as long as the nostril piercing, but it holds quite the global popularity.  It's popularity has been brought about by the many African  and Native American tribes.  However, New Guinea is possibly the most famous for septum piercings, especially the Kangi.  They began piercing the septum as a coming of age ritual for young men.  They would begin the ritual by blackening the face with charcoal, plucking out all the hair on the head keeping only a small tuft, then finally pierce it using a bat bone and sweet potato. 
Hopefully this gave you some insight on the background of nose piercings.  If you have any questions or anything to add feel free to do so in the comments. 

Till next time,
Miles...

Dermal Anchors...WTF?

For sometime now I have had a fascination with dermal anchors, however when I bring it up to my friends and co-workers I am often met with a confused look.  Even after I explain it to them they still don't really get it.  So I figure it would be a good idea to do a post about it.
A dermal implants is known by a few different names: Microdermal, surface anchor, or dermal anchor.  It is simply a flat plate sitting beneath the skin with a single exit hole for a barbell post, so it looks as though the jewelery is screwed directly into the body.
There are two widely used methods (not saying there are only two ways to do it, just two very popular methods) that are done to create the anchor.

1. Needle: The first method is done with a standard hollow point needle (usually a 10 gauge).  It is done very similar to a standard surface piercing though it is much faster. 
   
   
   • The entry is marked
   • The needle is then pushed through at a downward angle a few millimeters
   • The long end of the anchor is then pushed into the hole
   • Finally the short end is tucked in the hole as well
   This way works, however the chance of rejection is higher due to the fact that you have an angled hole in your skin which is a fairly straight path for the body to push it back out.
2. Punch and Taper: The second method uses a 1.5mm dermal punch instead of a needle and is rather fast in both the piercing and healing process.
   
   
   • The entry is marked
   • The skin is pinched
   • The dermal anchor is pressed in straight down making a hole perpendicular to the skin ending where the epidermis meets the dermis
   • The anchor is then inserted down then when it reaches the end of the hole, turned inward slightly separating the epidermis and the dermis
   The rejection rate of this method is at a surprisingly low < 2%.  The main reason is the angle of the hole, since the hole matches the shape of the anchor perfectly it does not require your body to contour to the jewelry, so your body just heals around it.

The healing process, as with any other piercing varies from artist to artist but are very similar to surface piercings.  Keep the area clean, dry, and free of irritants.  Healing time 1-3 months.

Until next time,
Miles...

Types of Ear Piercings

With their odd shape and all the twists and turns, ears have the most possible piercings of any other body part.  There are a few that are known but there are tons out there that are unknown to some or are referred to by an incorrect name.  I felt it would be good, since www.wickedbodyjewelz.com sells all types of body jewelry, to go ahead and explain the different piercings.  All piercings are pictured below the list.

1. Lobe/Transverse Lobe - The most common ear piercing is the Lobe, it can be done with normal jewelry or stretched to fit larger plugs.  The Transverse Lobe consists of a piercing through the side of the lobe often done with a 14g - 12g medium diameter captive ring or 14g - 12g barbell.
2. Anti-Tragus  - A bit of cartilage above the lobe that is often pierced with a 16g - 14g small diameter captive ring.
3. Tragus - The small bit of cartilage that projects immediately in front of the ear canal that is often pierced with a 16g - 14g small diameter captive ring.
4. Daith - The ending piece of cartilage on the outer rim of the ear cartilage closest to the head.  It is usually done with a 16g - 14g small diameter captive ring although a small curved barbell of similar size is also common.
5. Rook - A small fold of cartilage just above the Daith.  It is said to be one of the more painful piercings as it passes through a lot of cartilage.  Due to the lack of room around it, it is often done with a 16g - 14g small diameter captive ring or a small curved barbell of similar size.
6. Helix - The larger curved section of cartilage along the top and side of your ear.  Because of the size of the helix, there are a lot of different piercings and combination that can be done.  Many will get a few 14g - 12g medium diameter captive rings row, or they will do two piercings across from one another and combine them with a long barbell which is referred to as an industrial piercing.
7. Outer Conch Cartilage - Like the helix, the outer conch cartilage is a large area which allows for lots of options.  Many people will pierce it and stretch it much like the lobe, though because it is cartilage it is much slower and painful of a process.  Another option is what is known as an orbital piercing, where two piercings are done and connected with a 14g - 12g medium diameter captive ring.  
8. Inner Conch - The inner conch is located in the center ear cartilage, adjacent to the ear canal.  Though smaller, this tends to be a common area to stretch to larger sizes and hollow plugs worn in it.  Sometimes a combination orbital is worn, where the first piercing is in the inner conch and the second piercing is in the outer conch cartilage.

All of them are in order of how they are listed above.  Hopefully this helped.
Until next time,
Miles...