I Prick U Body Works

10 years strong!

Yesterday marked the 10 year anniversary that I have been involved in the body piercing industry.  I use this date to remember where i came from and to remember my piercer and teacher Ericca Colton.  Ericca is the reason i am who i am today.  My apprenticeship lasted 9 months with a brief 3 week gap after the first 3 months.  It was not a fun time, i didnt knit sweaters and sit around all day takin up space.  It was hard but it was worth it.  Many nights on my knees scrubbing every inch of the shop w/ scott towels and some bleach.  Having large tupperware bins filled w/ captive hoops making me close all of them as perfect circles.  walks to here and there in the snow in the rain for this ones food and supplies for the shop.  And it was all worth it.

I thank all of my clients over these last 10 years for keeping me in business, doing what i love to do.  I never thought id be sitting here 10 years later still doing this.  Other piercers will come and go on Staten Island.  Shops will open and close.  People will talk shit behind my back but be nice as pie to my face.  But tomorrow when I wake up ill still be here,  on the top of the mountain while all the other piercers out here fight over the pebbles at the bottom of the hill trying to find the biggest one to throw at me.  You piercers out here keep me on my game, and for that i can not thank you enough.

But for real, all my clients, even people who i havent pierced and just sold jewelry to, even people ive spoke to about my work and what i do.  The people in Toronto in the GTA, all the shops on king, queen and church st who know how the industry should really operate.  showin me that there can be friendly people that do the same thing you do.  Terry in Trinidad,  I hope one day to work in a shop of yours in Montreal if and when it happens.  Im sure Gillies will help you wherever you end up.  And most importantly my current boss ECHO.  Without ECHO there would be no shop for me to work at and thats what truly matters the most.  All the people who are best at what they do want to surround themselves with the best.  I am lucky to work with the best tattoo artist. 

Thank You

Paul

A Change In Perception

At A Glance
Author	Mal
Contact	Mal@bme.anon
When	Six months ago
Artist	Paul
Studio	Now Or Never
Location	Staten Island, NY

Growing up, I wouldn't have ever thought that I would one of these types of people that would have any form of body piercings. I grew up "under a rock" - overprotective parents with limited interactions with the outside world. This was further instilled when I moved to an upper middle class neighborhood where it seemed to me that nobody wanted anything to do with something that deviated from the norm.

A few years later, full of rebellion and a desire to see past the boundaries that were built for me, I started working at a Wendy's. Wendy's did more than just taught me responsibility and supply me money. It introduced me to people I could never see myself associating with - a very close-minded statement indeed. They weren't all from the same middle class neighborhood that I had grown accustomed to. But their significance is why I am writing this - they introduced me to body piercings.

Several of these individuals had tongue rings. These fascinated me to no extent. They were "a metal bar going through your tongue." How could that be sanitary or comfortable? As much as I wanted to demean them for being ridiculous, I couldn't help but inquire more about these masterpieces.

My best friend had a tongue ring, and she would rave about how much she enjoyed having one and she would play with it whenever we hung out. Sheer curiosity led me to research more about these rings. The more I researched, the more I wanted one.

When I finally turned 18, I was completely hooked. I must have one. My parents had verbally expressed their disdain about any form of body modification other than the polite earlobe piercings, but it finally began to fall upon deaf ears. With my devious plot to get one without their immediate consent concocted, I was psyched.

However, I had nobody to go with nor anywhere to go. Another one of my friends had expressed his interest to get a lip ring, so we waited until his birthday (two months later) to be pierced.

The day had finally arrived. Through the recommendation of a friend, my buddy and I headed down to the piercer. I was frightened. I knew about the risks of keyloids and sterilization. The piercer had explained that the development of keyloids on the tongue was a rare occurrence and assured me that all utensils were properly sterilized - he sterilizes and opens everything in front of you.

So my adrenaline was pumping, and my excitement could have not been any higher. I sat down in his dental chair (he likes using them) and he marked where the tongue would be pierced. We both agreed on a good location and so he patted down my tongue and clamped it. I was squeezing my cell phone with all the strength I could muster. The moment in which I had looked forward too was here. This is it.

I closed my eyes. A whirlwind of fear, excitement, nervousness, anticipation and jitters were rushing within me. The clamp hurt, but it was necessary - prevents your tongue from swashing around.

Now a tongue ring, just like any other form of body modification can have potential hazards. If it is pierced on a slant or hits a nerve, it can permanently distort your taste. It is susceptible to infection because of its location. But your tongue is the fastest healing organ in your body.

These thoughts barely had a chance to pass through my head when the needle went through. It felt like a pinch, but my nerves made me shake. The bar went through and was screwed on, and the process was complete. After washing away the excess saliva, the chair was lowered and I was free to stand up. Now, the piercer had told me not to talk for fifteen minutes, as this was the "critical time" - it sets up how the piercing will heal. I paced back and forth to calm down my shock, but my tongue stood still and I did not talk.

Fifteen minutes passed by but my nerves could not be calmed. All I can say was, "Wow." My friend had gotten his lip pierced, and I had my tongue pierced. We were told to get Crest Pro Health mouthwash and rinse our mouths whenever foreign objects (food, etc.) went into it and use ibuprofen to relinquish the swelling.

My tongue didn't immediately swell, but it was sore. My friend and I bought our mouthwash and Excedrin and then headed to the diner to get some victory food. It was the last time I would eat solid food for a week.

The next day my tongue was swollen, and I found myself having some difficulty speaking. I took the ibuprofen and it did help, but not much. I made instant mashed potatoes and headed out for the day.

I got a multitude of responses from "awesome!" to "what were you thinking?" Though I respected everybody's opinions, nothing could extinguish my pride. I had finally gotten my tongue ring and with Crest Pro Health in hand I was ready to tackle anything that came towards me.

My parents weren't especially thrilled but were supportive of my decision, buying me more instant mashed, yogurt, and jello. It was difficult at first to take care of both the piercing and my hunger and I did lose 5 pounds from lack of eating, but the sacrifice was well worth it. I was able to eat more solid food within a week, and was able to talk comprehensibly a bit after. It was fun having my friends make fun of my speech impediment, asking me stupid questions such as "Which actor played Rambo?" and having me respond in horrible fashion "Sylvester Stallone" but it was an experience I would never forget or regret.

And it sparked my newfound love for body modifications. Six months later, I have my nose pierced and just got an industrial bar. What does the future hold? I'm not sure. But I've come a long way from that sheltered girl I used to be.

Disclaimer: The experience above was submitted by a BME reader and has not
been edited. We can not guarantee that the experience is accurate, truthful,
or contains valid or even safe advice. We strongly urge you to use BME and
other resources to educate yourself so you can make safe informed decisions.

Return to Tongue / Center

Now or Never Tattoos - Staten Island

This is our home base in Staten Island, New York.  Owned and operated by ECHO, Now or Never is a By Appointment Only tattoo studio opened in March of 2006.  With a considerable amount of help from family and friends, once a dream is now a reality.

When you enter the shop its obvious that this is not like any other shop you've been in.  The shop is painted in bold colors and houses graffiti-covered walls that demand attention.  The shop is kept brightly lit and smelling wonderful.  Unlike any other tattoo studios, there are no designs to choose from covering the walls.  Instead, portfolio pictures scroll on a counter top computer screen. The lack of designs to choose from assures our clients that each tattoo that leaves the shop is drawn to suit the individual and is his or hers alone.

Now or Never makes every effort possible to ensure that each of the clients is comfortable. Tattoos and piercings are done in separate rooms that can easily be closed off if a private procedure is being performed. In our waiting room, clients can flip thru portfolios, check out our extensive jewelry selection, or catch the latest sports news on the shops big screen tv.

We take cleanliness very seriously here at Now or Never. Our shop’s sterilization techniques are tested for effectiveness monthly. Feel free to ask to see our sterile room as well as our autoclave’s latest spore test.

Come in and experience the shop for yourself. We are certain you will be impressed. Until then feel free to check out the pictures we have linked in this post.

Thanks

Paul

I Prick U Body Works

         

Info on Body Modification Procedures

There are always a lot of questions regarding body modification as well as a lot of disappointed people who walk into our shop expecting us to do just about anything on them.  We love that certain forms of body modification have begun to grow in popularity, but with this we remain cautious as to what services we perform, how we do them, and who we do them on. 

Our in-house rules start with the client being at least 18 years of age.  Yes, for piercings if you are under the age of consent (in the state of new york) you can have a parent come and sign for you.  This does not hold true to any sort of body modification procedure.  Yes, this is our rule.  Yes, this may be unfair.  We dont care.  To us, even at the age of 18 some people are still immature, will rush into getting something that is "cool" and most likely not take care of it. 

If you are 18+ you MUST complete an in-store consultation with Paul.  Yes, this is a requirement.  There are certain things we need to know before we can assess whether or not you can get the modification you have in mind.  We also want to know you live a healthy and clean life.  That work and such wont interfere with the procedure.  Placement, procedure type, and other things of that nature.

During or after this consultation you can get a piercing, or you must already have a piercing done by us, HEALED.  Yes, we are telling you that you have to get pierced by us.  We understand that some people may not get pierced by us but may only be looking to get certain mods done by us.  If you cant heal a simple piercing we do on you, how can we trust you to heal an ear scalpelling or implant? 

Once the piercing heals then we will book you an appointment for your modification and hopefully upon completion the client understands why the process is like this. 

This all goes hand in hand with our "image" as a business.  We think we have a great reputation and we want to keep it that way.  Picking and choosing who we do work on may come across as a negative thing but we want to work on people who we feel will heal it, take care of it, and most importantly take the necessary steps AFTER the procedure to ensure proper healing.  We REQUIRE that we see the mod 2 to 3 times during the healing process.  The first time should be at least 2 weeks after the modification is complete.  After the first meeting we will schedule you for subsequent appointments. 

If we are "spotlighting" or "guesting" in a shop in your area these rules do not apply.

In conclusion these rules are in place to ensure that the client is serious and dedicated to getting the Mod, healing it, and taking the necessary steps afterwards.  These rules also help to build an understanding and a friendship between Paul and the client.  With friendship comes comfort and if the client is comfortable even if there is a tiny problem, question, or concern we are at ease with the knowledge that the client will get in touch w/ us by any means necessary and will feel comfortable doing so.

Thank You

I Prick U Body Works

Twitter Road Trip Interview

Paul was recently interviewed for Twitter Road Trip.  TRT is a nation-wide road trip started in 2009 that interviews people and companies who are on Twitter and have interesting stories to tell. Mark Simonds (founder/creator) films the interviews and posts them on his site. Check out their site, follow them on twitter @Route140

New Start

We have decided since we cant figure out how to cancel this that we will make it work related, AGAIN.

so here we are... on posterous...

lets see if we can connect to our "facebook public profile" now.