I did this brief interview with a reporter for a paper in Ottawa, Canada (at Carleton University). I didn't really like the bias in their questions, and I don't really think the reporter particularly researched or thought about their questions, so I'm kind of in “hostile witness” mode, although I hope it reaches them on some level. I think I at least kept it as stuff that's useful for them to quote if they want. Anyway, as always, I'm archiving it here. If anyone reading this goes to that university, pick me up a copy of the paper if you see the interview please.
| What can you tell me about stretching? What are the possible risks, setbacks, the appeal, dermal punching, etc? | |
| There are no risks unless the person acts like a dope and tries to push their body too hard. If they do that, they can tear or damage their piercing. As to setbacks, I'm not sure what you mean. As far as appeal, people do it because they like it; it's usually that simple. Dermal punching is a different procedure which involves the removal of tissue rather than stretching from a small hole or incision. | |
| What gage can you stretch to before you have to worry about your ear not shrinking back? | |
| The instant you pierce your ear you've made a potentially permanent change. The elasticity of skin varies greatly from person to person. No one should assume there is a “lower limit” that they can treat as “temporary” because there is no such guarantee. | |
| Are there any steps you can take if your ear won't shrink back? | |
| Anyone who is concerned about their ears not stretching back shouldn't stretch their ears. That's all there is to it. This isn't a costume party or a weekend-punk-weekday-prep lifestyle. These are relatively permanent changes to your physical form that may well stay with you for the rest of your life, whether you want them to or not. So it's not something people should do on a whim. | |
| How many gage sizes is it safe to move up to at a time? | |
| Simple rule: if it hurts, you're going too fast (I'm not talking about a vague ache, I'm talking about pain). Doesn't mean that you can't go fast or push yourself and have your body survive over-stretching, but it's really not a bright idea. If a person cares about their body, it's essential that they learn to listen to it. Your body will tell you the right speed if you listen. | |
| Where did this trend begin? Do you know it's origins? | |
| Some dude in a cave “invented” it 30,000+ years ago. It's not a trend; it's human nature. Only sick, sick people, deeply out of touch with their humanity don't have body modifications. | |
| What do you find are the most popular piercings? The most unusual? | |
| Earlobe piercings are the most popular. Eyelid piercings, not so common. | |
| What piercing carries the most risks? Why? | |
| Piercings are not particularly risky on the scale of things. There's no common piercing that's as dangerous as, say, driving a car, or eating a cheeseburger. | |
| Is it true that some ear piercings, like the tragus, can cause hearing loss? | |
| Seriously, think about it. How would that even be possible unless the piercer slipped, fell, and rammed the needle deep into your ear canal through some freak accident? You're more likely to have a piano fall on you on the way home from the studio. | |
| What are the most recent trends? What do you predict for the future? | |
| I don't pay attention to trends, because people who are just getting this stuff because of a trend and not real feelings are morons and I don't want anything to do with them. Eventually they will regret and resent their decisions. They won't be here in the future, and what's going to happen in the future is essentially the same thing that was happening to the dude in the cave. These things are eternal and timeless. | |
| Why are surface piercings more likely to reject? | |
| The mechanical aspect of your flesh doesn't “want” to be pierced, so when it happens, it tries to find the easiest way to deal with the problem. With surface piercings it is often easier for your body to simply spit them out than to heal around them. By understanding that concept and how to manipulate it, you start to understand how your body is like music. | |
| What happens during rejection? | |
| Ever seen a deep splinter get pushed out of your body? Pretty much the same thing. | |
| In your opinion, why do you think some people get so many piercings? | |
| Because they like them. | |
| What's the best way to treat infections? | |
| Most of the time when people think they have infections, it's not actually an infection. Real infections are quite rare. | |
| What would you suggest as the best product to use to clean piercings? | |
| Water (or salt water) is the best thing you can use. Cleaning products often do more harm than good because they are designed to destroy, and wound healing products are designed for an entirely different type of “injury” than piercing so they often also do more harm than good. | |
| How are Teflon implants done? | |
| In simple terms, a point of entry is created, the skin is elevated, the implant is inserted, and the point of entry is closed. | |
| What is the attraction? | |
| I don't know, what's the attraction to wearing plaid? What's the attraction to blonds with big boobs? What's the attraction to hip hop? I have no idea, but some people seem to like those things, and others don't, and if it's making them happy without hurting anyone else, it's cool by me. | |
| Where can the implants be done? Is there anywhere they can't go? | |
| Implants will put pressure on the tissue below them. That is the primary safety consideration in the placement of most implants. So for example, if you put a big implant on the tendons on the inside of your wrist, you're begging for problems. Put one on your forehead and you've got very little to worry about. | |
| Can the Teflon get rejected? | |
| If it's done poorly (too shallow, or if too much damage is done to the tissue above it) or the implant is overly large and putting too much pressure on the skin above it, rejection is possible. However, rejection in implants is exceptionally rare. | |
| What are the repercussions surrounding the implants? | |
| Over time implants can slowly erode the tissue below them, depending on the anatomy and materials involved. This can sometimes lead to complications down the road, although it is fairly rare, and can be greatly minimized with careful placement. | |
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