Damnit Deb

There’s a lot of history of gatekeeping in the body modification industry. In some ways this has been good and in others bad. We’ve spent the last century creating an industry that has gone from the taboo to the trendy. When I started 20 years ago there was plenty wrong - women were scarce, the culture was toxic af, and the materials we had were basic. But it required true skill to be able to master a coil machine and it still does. This is partially one of those rants about “kids these days have it too easy”.  The industry has become easy and more accessible. Nowadays pen machines and teflon coated needles mean that there isn’t so much skill to learn to reach a level that before would have taken months to years. But I’m supposed to be explaining why you don’t want to be in this industry not why it’s so easy.  The industry right now is so oversaturated. People who decided they were artistic and this was a cool “hobby”, those who picked it up during covid, and just the people w...

 In 1934 a psychologist determined that there was a correlation between mental health and body modification, albeit a negative one. At the time tattoos and piercings were considered a sign of a character deficit, that something was abnormal or wrong with a person’s mental state to have or want such things. Thankfully things have changed, though it took until 2000 for a study to finally disprove this idea and many people still hold outdated opinions on those with tattoos.  Today is National Mental health Day so let’s examine the connection why getting tattoos and piercings can actually help your mental health. Brain Boost  When you experience pain your body produces all sorts of things. Many of these chemicals are also happy chemicals or feel good. They give you a boost and can make some people feel high. The endorphins rushing through your system can be quite a mood booster as is the dopamine. I am very guilty of using piercings and tattoos to fix a particularly sad day o...

 Back to School, Christmas, Birthdays. Times have changed and where once we couldn’t wait for the newest light up sneaker or Lisa Frank merch now kids want piercings instead. The problem with social media and all the images available to these kids is that not everything is suitable for the youngest. What’s worse is that piercers who aren’t ethical or knowledgeable will happily pierce these kids without a second thought. There’s many reasons you should wait to get your pre-teens nose pierced. Just because it was ok to do so 20 years ago doesn’t mean we don’t know better now.  So what age is right? The truthful answer is there isn’t one but you can make a smart decision for YOUR child.  Anatomy When we are born a lot of our bodies are made of hyaline cartilage. This stuff is squishy and will eventually harden or become bone. It changes with your body and grows with us until we’re adults. If you damage this cartilage it can permanently affect your growth and body formation. ...