In the spring of 1994, I began to apprentice under Chuck Hayes of Xotics in Omaha, Nebraska. Do to the fact that he was at the time active full time in the Air force, we worked mainly on the weekend which meant a great deal of driving back and forth from Des Moines to Omaha.

After checking out on piercing,I began piercing at Creative Images in May of 1994. I always felt that my apprentice was rushed and as soon as I started piercing at Creative Images, I began to revise Chuck's methods of sterilization and cross contamination preventions. I learned very quickly that piercing like all arts, is an ongoing education. To look back to the beginning it is amazing how much I have learned and developed in the past years. Still to this day I research as much information as I can find on an almost daily bases.

The Axiom opened it's doors on March 28th, 1995 after I left Creative Images (May of 1994 through February 1995). The idea behind the Axiom was simple, an open environment that offered professional body art (Body Piercings and Tattooing), to fill the needs and voids in the community but also not be afraid to educate and enlighten the public.

On January 1st, 1997 the Axiom became the first Piercing only studio in the state of Iowa. There is a great deal of reasons why I decided to end tattooing but the bottom line is, that it was to allow me to focus on piercing. In the spring of 1998 the Iowa State House of Representatives passed a bill regarding Body Piercing and it was sent to the Iowa Senate. I wrote a 5 page letter to all the Studios in the State practicing Tattooing and Piercing, my state representatives, The Iowa Department of Public Health, and members of the sub-committee working of the bill. Though the law failed to pass through the Senate, I feel and have been told that my letter did help to end the passing of a bill that would have for the most part not effective.

On October 13th, 1999 I moved the Axiom in to the Skin Kitchenhttp://skinkitchen.com . I did this for a number of reason. One being a better space and increased traffic. The other being that I greatly respect the ability of the artists there. It just made sense. Please feel free to stop by and visits during normal business hours Tuesday through Saturday 3pm to 9pm. We are located inside the Skin Kitchen, on Douglas Ave, just west of MKL JR. PKWY on the North side of the street at 2607 Douglas Ave. It's the lower southeast corner of the Plaza Lanes Building.

Contact:

• e-mail - davo@axiompiercing.com
• Studio Phone # - 515-255-4430
• Mobile Phone / Google Voice - 515-966-4814
• DaVo's Personal Site
• The Axiom Facebook page
• Davo's Facebook Page
• DaVo's Google Plus
• DaVo's Music Site
• Google Talk - davoaxiom
• Yahoo Chat - mwbands
• Spotify Username - davoaxiom

The Axiom was created after I left Creative Images in February 1995. The idea behind the Axiom was simple, to not only create an open environment that offered professional body art (Body Piercings and Tattooing) but also a business that isn't afraid to educate and enlighten the public. The original crew was DaVo piercing and Terry "Casper" Kasper tattooing. We were located at our old location of 412 1/2 E 5th St. in Des Moines just a few blocks west of the State Capitol.

Thanks to the much needed help of Terry and friends with a month of renovating the studio (including new flooring and a dry wall shell) we opened on March 28th, 1995. The first piercing was a nostril piercing about 20 minutes after we opened. When the stress on Terry's personal and business life became too much, he left in June of 1995 and was replaced by Justin "Birdman" Crawford. Justin fit into the where I wanted the studio to go. Bright, passionate and above all artistically driven.

Later that summer that I took on my first apprentice Dianne Smith. At the time she was a RN at Mercy Hospital. She not only was a quick and apt student but she also taught me a great deal in regard to cross contamination prevention and other sterilization techniques. Also she had an incredible bed side manner and a way of brighten up the room the minute she entered it.

It was during this time that the music in Des Moines, that gave birth to Slipknot, began to explode and the Axiom was part of it. Many times after a night of drinking at 2nd Ave Foundry, GTs, Safari or The Love Shack, we would find ourselves in the waiting area of the studio finishing off a case of beer. It was not uncommon to find nearly every member of Slipknot and their friends packed into the studio. My close Friends Lanny and Paul would often begin the night waiting for closing time and then hitting the clubs only to return to the studio for a night cap. Some night we would leave the studio until 5 or 6 am the following morning.

In October of 1995 we had our first Halloween Party and close to 100 people walked in the door at one point. It was an incredible time surfing back and forth between the studio and the local gay bar, the Blazing Saddle. It was a really crazy night to say the least. It was nice to see my clients and peers on a social level for a change.

The Darkest day the Axiom has ever seen was February 20, 1996. I was visiting a friend in Lawrence, KS that weekend and Diane was covering for me. When I called to check in on things on Tuesday, she told me that Jay had passed away. It was like time stood still. It was just so out of the blue. I never in my wildest dreams, would have thought that the Saturday before when I stayed a little late and visited with him and his mother Sandy, that it would be the last time I would see him alive. Something went missing when he left us that will never be replaced. His art, his laughter, his spirit, his passion and his joy were all gone at age 23. If you would like to learn more about Birdman go here.

It was some dark long days following Birdman leaving. I spent the next week contacting Tattooists I knew and finally asked a guy I had met the summer before to move here and take over the tattooing responsibilities. His name was Greg "Butch" Welts. He had been a number of O.C. bands like Mad Parade and Organized Crime and had picked up tattooing after a motorcycle accident. Most of the work I had seen was solid and clean. So I hired him. He also began drumming for the Have Nots, a band that I was in with Paul and Joey from Slipknot. At first Greg seemed like a gifted artist but soon the hobbies took over and his work suffered. After a short 8 months, I had to let him go and become the first piercing only studio in the state of Iowa on January 1st, 1997.

The music scene here in Des Moines has always been a big part of my life and also a part of the studio. Slipknot took many of their first press photos in the alley south of the old studio including the one with me and Greg that was inside the jewel case of their first CD.  In October of 1996 we went into the promotions business. It seemed at the time that no one was willing to do all ages shows in Des Moines. So in my own DIY style, I began doing Sunday all ages shows at Safari. This expanded when Shawn (Slipknot) bought the bar in February of 1997. In the short 8 months he owned the place we did Social Distortion, Reel Big Fish, the Pleasure Fuckers, The Humpers, Agent Orange, The US Bombs and about another couple hundred other bands. The attitude was simple, "Everyone said it couldn't be done, so let's do it." I went on to promote shows under 2 other owners including the last owners under the name Hairy Mary's. It was a great time to say the least and I'm thankful to Tony, Shawn, Jake, John, Jeff and Fathead for giving me the chance to do my thing at the club. For more info visit the Axiom Promotions page and 2307 University.

The Studio went through a few changes in 1997 and 1998 along with my life. ON January 1st of 1998 the Axiom got out of the tattooing business. It was during this period that I also began to focus my jewelry purchases increasing quality and limiting suppliers. Also, I began to stock some fetish clothing/items and t-shirts. Of course the biggest change in my life was the birth of my son Quinn. He's the only thing that comes before the studio and is the love of my life and best friend. In the spring of 1998 the Iowa State House of Representatives passed a bill regarding Body Piercing and it was sent to the Iowa Senate. I wrote a 5 page letter to all the Studios in the State practicing Tattooing and Piercing, my state representatives, The Iowa Department of Public Health, and members of the sub-committee working of the bill. Though the law failed to pass through the Senate, I feel and have been told that my letter did help to end the passing of a bill that would have for the most part not effective.

On October 13th, 1999 I moved the Axiom in to the Skin Kitchen http://skinkitchen.com. I did this for a number of reason. One being a better space and increased traffic. The other being that I greatly respect the ability of the artists there. It just made sense. It has been a joy to work with the members of the Skin Kitchen Crew. On December 2nd, 2003 we opened in our new location across the street from the old Studio. Please feel free to stop by and visits during normal business hours Tuesday through Saturday 3pm to 9pm. We are located on Douglas Ave, just west of MKL JR. PKWY on the North side in the lower level of the Southeast corner of the Plaza Lanes Building at 2607 Douglas Ave / Ste. C. You can reach me by phone through the Skin Kitchen line at 515-255-4430 or by cel at 515-966-4814.

For more photos from Axiom's history go to the Axiom Studio Gallery.

#disinfection

Below are the basic policies of the Axiom. As a business owner, a responsible employer & Piercing Artist, I feel that these should not be a special case and that all clients should receive the care and consideration outlined below. It's a simply way of doing business, do it right and care about your client's health and well being. If you have any question or comments regarding these, have had a problem at the Axiom in the past or would simply like to make a suggestion feel free to contact me at davo@axiompiercing.com.

Click on the links to Jump to the part of the article you wish to read.

• Education
• Cleaning
• Hygiene
• Gloves
• Controlled and Uncontrolled Substances
• Ear Piercing Devices / Ear Piercing Guns
• Minors
• Sterilization
• Disinfection
• Contaminated Items
• Piercee Consultation
• Employee Conduct
• Jewelry

Education requirements for piercers is as follows:

• No employee may preform or practise a piercings without supervision that has not completed a year or more of a formal apprenticeship outside an Axiom Inc. owned studio. Then and only then if the piercer provides a signed testament from a studio in good standing that the apprenticeship has been completed.
• No Employee or apprentice shall preform or practice a piercing without supervision until they have preformed that piercing correctly under supervision at least ten times.
• Annually piercers must complete correctly an exam covering sterilization, disinfection and cross contamination prevention methods.

Employee cleaning responsibilities:

• All floors are to be mopped or vacuumed daily.
• Bathroom fixtures are to disinfected daily.
• All surfaces are to be disinfected daily or as needed.
• All commonly touched items (light switches, door knobs, phones & etc....) are to be disinfected daily.
• All trash that is not contaminated is to be removed from the studio daily, especially food items.

Employee's hygiene:

• All employees must wear clean & appropriate attire.
• All employees must wash their hands with an antibacterial soap & warm running water when ever:
  
  • Using the restroom.
  • Before & after handling contaminated items (this includes handling items with gloves).
  • Before entering & after leaving then piercing area.
  • Before handling sterile packages and/or items.
  • Before entering or leaving the sterilization area.

Gloves:

• Gloves are to be worn:
  
  • During piercings & changed when ever there is a chance of the gloves causing cross contamination.
  • When ever handling or cleaning contaminated items.
  • When ever changing jewelry or handling sterile items.
  • Gloves are to be removed and replaced with a new pair when ever touching any surface other then the piercing set up area or there is a chance of cross contamination.
  • Gloves are not to be re-used in any situation.

Controlled & uncontrolled substances:

• The uses of any controlled or uncontrolled substance in or around the studio during normal business hours is prohibited.
• No employee is to be under the influence of any controlled or uncontrolled substance during working hours.
• Piercing anyone while under the influence is prohibited.
• Any employee that is found under the influence during his/her working hours will be terminated without notice & will forfeit any and all wages or monies owed and/or apprentice fees that have been paid.

Ear Piercing Device / Ear Piercing Guns

• The uses of ear piercing guns, devices and/or machine is prohibited.

Minors:

• Minors shall not be pierced without one of the following forms of consent:
  • A legal guardian that is present and signs a consent form.
  • A notarized letter of consent signed by the minor's legal guardian.

Sterilization:

• The following items are to be, before using, packaged, autoclaved & stored properly until needed:
  • Singles uses items: needles, cork, all jewelry & cotton
  • tipped applicators.
  • Re-usable items: all forceps, needle receiving tubes, taper pins, tools & calipers.
  • Autoclave cleaning and maintenance must be done weekly or as needed.
  • At least 12 times a year an independent spore test is to be conducted.
  • The following items are to be purchased as single use single wrapped & sterile: gauze, surgical scrub swabs or pads.

Disinfection:

• Surfaces, commonly touched items are to be disinfected using a bleach based cleaner or hospital grade cleaner.
• Re-usable contaminated items are to disinfected before being packaged and autoclaved as follows:
  
  1. Soaked in a hard surface cleaner for at least 60 minutes.
  2. Rinse under warm running water.
  3. Blood, tissue & micro-organisms are to be removed by using one of the following methods:
  4. Placing items in an ultra sonic tank for a minimum of 20 minutes or scrubbed using a brush, hibiciens & warm water with at least 60 seconds of friction.
  5. Rinse under running warm water.
  6. Allowed to dry in an air tight container.
• The piercing set up area is to be disinfected with a hard surface cleaner before & after piercing, jewelry changes other procedures or cases
• of contamination.
• The Hard surface cleaner is to be of an active dildehyde type & to be changed at the end of active cycle.

Contaminated Items:

Contaminated items are to be disposed of using a well marked biohazard container and a licensed medical waste disposal contractor.

Piercee Consultation

1. All piercees are to receive a consultation before & during filling out the release form that covers the following:
2. The minimum healing time for the first and second stages of healing.
3. Risks or hazards involved in getting and healing the piercing.
4. Basic care and cleaning instructions
5. Normal reactions experienced during/after the piercing & during the healing period.
6. Any and all changes that will need to be taken involving personal habits, clothing and diet. Also, any steps that will need to be taken to
7. prevent problems during the healing and after.
8. A discussion for the piercee's health and medical conditions that maybe effected and/or cause complications during and/or after the piercing procedure.
9. What and/or any medications, controlled and/or uncontrolled substances the piercee is under the influence of and what reaction and/or problems may arise during and/or after the piercing procedure.
10. If the piercee is under the age of 25 years of age, they are to ID the piercee to determine if they are above the age of 18 years of age. If
11. the piercee is a minor then documentation is to be reviewed.

Employee conduct:

• All employees must conduct themselves in a professional manner.
• Any of the following actions are grounds for termination of employment, sub-contract or apprenticeship with forfeit of wages due and/or any
• apprenticeship fees collected:
• Any and all comments, actions and/or forms of statements are considered to not be in accordance with any federal and/or state statues
• regarding civil rights, discrimination of any kind based on creed, religion, sex, race and/or sexual orientation.
• Sexual, physical, and/or verbal harassment of a client, fellow employee and/or the general public.
• Misrepresenting themselves and/or their abilities in anyway.
• Committing, being involved with and/or being convicted of a criminal activity during and/or after business hours while employed or contracted in any way by the Axiom.
• Employees have the right to refuse service to anyone if just cause can be shown

Jewelry:

• All Jewelry is new and has never been worn.
• All Jewelry is to be inspected and found to be free of defects before packaging and autoclaving.
• All Jewelry must be made of the following metal and/or material:
  
  • Solid 316L or 316LVM or better implant grade stainless
  • surgical steel. ASTM-F138-86
  • Solid implant grade niobium. ASTM-B392
  • Solid implant grade titanium 614v. ASTM-F136 also known as
  • titanium 6/4.
  • Solid 14kt or better gold.
  • If jewelry is being place in a healed piercing than plastic, lucite, sliver and/or organic materials maybe used.
• Used jewelry may never be resold but if the piercee/client brings in a piece of jewelry it can be used and/or inserted after it has been disinfected and sterilized in the proper manner.

One of the more common question I'm asked is how do you do the piercing? There is a set of steps that are taken for each piercing. There is a lot of thought that went into this, including reducing the chances of cross contamination. 

1. Piercer gives the piercee a pre-piercing consultation.
2. The piercer washes hands with an anti-bacterial soap, warm running water for 30 seconds.
3. The piercer & Piercee select jewelry.
4. The Piercer IDs the Piercee to insure that the piercee is 18 years of age or old or has proper consent.
5. The piercer reads & reviews the release form with the piercee.
6. The piercee then fills out & signs the release form.
7. The piercer then scrubs using a surgical scrub and warm running water.
8. The piercer disinfects the piercing set up area with a hospital grade hard surface cleaner.
9. The piercer lays out a moisture residant towel, drape or dental bib.
10. The piercer places all the packaged sterile items on the towel.
11. The piercer dons a pair of fresh gloves.
12. The piercer unwraps the items need for the procedure & drops them on the towel.
13. The piercer then disinfects the piercing area(skin of the piercee) with a surgical scrub.
14. The piercer cleans off the scrub after has been in contact with the skin for at least 60 seconds.
15. The piercer marks the piercing.
16. The piercer preforms the piercing.
17. The piercer places all contaminated items in their proper place.
18. The piercer Washes hands with surgical scrub & warm running water.
19. The piercer disinfects the piercing set up area with a hard surface cleaner
20. Lastly the piercer fills out and reviews the aftercare instruction sheet.

I met Birdman during the summer of 94. At the time the only other person piercing in Central Iowa was Gypsy at Last Impressions in Ames, IA. So we made the 30 minute trip to Ames to check out he's studio and talk. At the time Justin was working there and we hit it off right away. He had an interest in anything different and that was one of the things that would create the bound between us. He struck me right off the bat as the one that stood out not only in his art but his drive out of the number of tattooist working there at the time. There's those artist that you met and go yup another quick bulk maker and then there's those that you known have the drive and the abilities to stand out. Birdman without a doubt stood out as the later.

At the time I was working a part time job and after helping him settle in and going over the basics, I headed to my second job. Jay who grown up in Winterset(Famous for the Bridges of Madison County) had really not experienced Gay culture. The old Studio was in the heart of the Gay area of Des Moines, so it was a bit of a culture shock to see the side walk out in front of the studio begin to fill with drag queens. I guess there was a drag show that night at the bar next door, The Blazing Saddle. When I phoned him later that night, he expressed not only his surprise but profound interest. This was a reassurance that I had pick the right tattooist and would set a preference to us working together. I think it was at that point that I really began to understand how interested he was in everything around him. Often with artist they lose the joy of detail and expression after tattooing for any length of time but this wasn't the case with Jay. Over the period of time I knew who it only grow.

He had this was of being in touch with the world and those around him that was uncanny. He quickly became less of an employee and more of a friend because he had this ability to know something was wrong no matter how much you tried to hide it. There was many a night that we would sit and talk about the personal trouble and life's struggles and as a person that tends to hide this side of myself it was surprising that he could get me to open up. I told him some of the most painful feelings and experiences of my life that I have never told anyone else.

I was heading home from KC and decided to give Dianne a call and make sure everything was OK. She answered and was crying. It took a few minutes to get out of her what was wrong and then it the two + hour drive back to sink in what had happened. I mean I was 26 at the time and death then and now just seems so far away. Jay was only 23 and it just seems impossible that he would be gone. I remember driving home and thinking of all the people I knew that had left a much smaller impression on my life then he had. The death of someone you care for is hard to take but the death of someone you care for who is so young is impossible to take. It was simply hard to understand. There was no period of coming to the realization that the person's time was too short. This was a healthy person, and this wasn't a car wreck or a violent end. This was something that could be considered natural causes.

These instruction are for all above the neck piercings including: All Ear piercings, Eyebrow piercings, Nostril piercings, Spetum piercings, Cheek and Beauty Mark piercings,  Labet piercings, and Lip piercings. With oral piercings you will also need to follow the Oral Aftercare Instructions.

Thanks for choosing the Axiom for your piercing. We have preformed the piercing to insure the best results. Here at the Axiom we believe that our job isn’t done until the piercing is completely healed and that’s why we encourage follow ups and questions. Go to the contact page for information on how to get ahold of DaVo. If you have any question, please contact us or stop by the studio. It’s like my father used to say, “The only stupid question is one you don’t ask.” We do Guarantee our piercing up to a year within normal uses but only if you follow the following after care instructions & have the receipt.

Here’s what you will need to heal the piercing:

1. A Benzalkonium Chloride based solution such as Ear Care Sollution or Sensitive Ear Care Sollution
2. Sea Salt(See details below under What else can I do to help my body heal the piercing)
3. Mineral Supplement of Zinc and a Vitamin Supplement of C(See details below under What else can I do to help my body heal the piercing)
4. With Nostril piercings done with a nostril screw you will need cotton tipped applicators like Q-Tips.

Healing Stages & Normal Reactions:

1. The first stage of is the acceptance period in which the body accepts the piercing and stops trying to reject the jewelry. this can last up to two weeks. During this period it is not uncommon to notice redness/discolorization, heat, swelling, slight bruising and for the piercing to be tenderness to the touch. Also it’s not uncommon to notice slight bleeding in the first five days.  
2. The second stage is the healing stage. This is the period of time that it takes the body to grow encase the jewelry in new tissue. In the first two stages the piercing is an open wound and at risk to infection and removing the jewelry may cause the piercing to close. During this stage of healing it is not uncommon for the body to produce a secretion of a yellowish/whitish fluid that hardens on the ring throughout the healing time called lymph Discharge or the piercing to tighten and loosen on and off during this stage. A majority of these care instructions covers the first two stages of healing and the healing period can vary greatly from person to person based on the person’s health;. Your piercer has supplied an average healing time based on DaVo’s experience. However, you shouldn’t consider the piercing healed until the piercing stops producing discharge and the piercing holes will pull inward as the tissue connects in the center of the piercing. If you feel the piecing is heal but are unsure, please stop by the studio and have us take a look.
3. The Third stage is called the seasoning or toughening period. during this stage your body adds layer upon layer of tissue to the tunnel to make the piercing permanent. This stage can take from I year to 3 years to complete and removing the jewelry for long periods of time can resulting the loss or closing of the piercing. Regardless of the age of the piercing anytime you remove the jewelry, your body will try to reconnect the tissue and close the piercing. So if you want to keep the piercing, leave something in it. 

BASIC CLEANING:
You may begin cleaning the piercing the morning after the piercing was done.

1. Wash your hands with an antibacterial soap.
2. Remove the Lymph discharge by spraying warm water onto the piercing and the jewelry. This is best done under running water in the shower. With nostril piercings uses a cotton tip applicator and warm water for the inside of the piercing. Lymph discharge is your body's way of removing waste from the piercing. The discharge/crust is hard and sharp and will form around the piercing holes and onto the jewelry. If you notice discomfort when trying to move the jewelry. repeat removal until the jewelry moves freely. Never force the jewelry to move because this may draw waste back into the piercing or dislodge the piercing tunnel.
3. Once the jewelry and piercing holes are free of discharge on both sides pore an antiseptic cleaner on to the piercing and jewelry. The antiseptic cleaner needs to have an active ingredient of Benzalkonium chloride. Such as Sensitive Ear care, Ear Care or MDI-ear.
4. Rotate the jewelry through the piercing 6-10 times to work the antiseptic cleaner into the piercing. Always handle the jewelry by the bead or ball. If the jewelry doesn't want to move or it is painful to move the piercing do not rotate the jewelry. Also do not rotate the jewelry the first 3 days
5. Pat dry with a clean towel.

HOW ELSE CAN I HELP MY BODY TO HEAL THE PIERCING:

1. Being in good health, by eating a well balanced diet, getting plenty of rest and reducing stress.
2. Taking a Zinc Orate supplement for the First two weeks only (60mg daily for women/120mg daily for men) and 500mg to 1000mg supplement of Mineral Absorbate of Vitamin C daily(if you smoke you may want to double it). Always take supplements with meals.
3. Hot soaks or compresses with sea salt and warm water (1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon) of sea salt per cup of warm water.(Should taste as salty as your own tears.) One to two times daily. Soaks should be done using an inverted cup over the piercing creating a vacuum. Compress should be done using a clean paper towel. It is best to do this before doing the basic cleaning because not only will it make the cleaning easier but the piercing needs to be rinsed after doing a soak or compress.

CROSS CONTAMINATION PREVENTION:

While the piercing is going through its first stage of healing it is like a portal into the body, so it's important that the following steps be taken until the First stage of healing is complete:

1. No oral contact (including your own salvia) or exchanging of bodily fluids in/on or around the piercing.
2. Handle the jewelry only during cleaning and then only after washing your hands with an antibacterial soap and then only by the bead or ball. Avoid handling the piercing or jewelry after touching surfaces because it will increase the chances of cross contamination. You should wash hands then rinse and touch only the piercing.
3. Make sure that everything (clothing. towels. sheets. pillow cases. hats etc...) that may come into contact with the piercing are clean. Also avoid contact with shampoos. cosmetics, hair sprays & etc....
4. Do not submerge the piercing during the first stage of healing into any body of water (natural waters. hot tubs. swimming pools. etc....) other than your own clean bathtub. Swimming pools are a reduced risk if you are sure that it is maintained properly. Also wearing a water proof bandage over the piercing while swimming and cleaning the piercing after getting out of the water can reduce the risks. This does not insure that cross contamination will not happen, but it does reduce the chances.

REMOVING JEWELRY:

Until the first stage of healing is complete do not remove the jewelry for any reason. Once the first stage of healing is complete, remove the jewelry only to replace it. Do this for up to 2 to 3 years. I suggest for the first year that you have a professional change the jewelry. It can be a little tricky and often forcing the jewelry in can tear or dislodge the piercing tunnel. The Axiom and most studios will change & sterilize the jewelry for free, regardless of where it was bought. We strongly suggest that even with a healed piercings you have it auto calved before inserting the jewelry.

ABUSE AND IRRITATION:

A good rule is, the more you baby it and the less contact with the piercing, the faster it will heal and the less problems you will have. During the first stage of healing avoid:

1. Clothing that are too tight. abrasive irritating and/or may limit oxygen flow to the piercing that are in contact with the piercing.
2. Sleeping on the piercing or other abuse and long term contact.
3. Using harsh cleaning agents like Alcohol. Witch Hazel. Hydrogen Peroxide. Hibiclens. Betadine. Listerine(or other alcohol bases mouthwashes) and anti-bacterial soaps.
4. Using antibacterial and other ointments. They tend to block the flow of oxygen to the piercings, block the natural discharge and/or provide a place for contaminants to collect and breed.

INFECTIONS CAUSES:

Infections are caused by contact with bacteria, fungi and/or other pathogen. This can be caused by contact with dirty hands,. oral contact (including your own salvia). Exchanging of bodily fluids, hair, cosmetics, oils, unwashed clothing/towels/bedding and/or submerging the piercing into Natural waters. hot tubs. swimming pools and/or unclean bathtubs.

SIGNS of Infection:

Redness, discoloration, swelling, heat/fever, on or around the piercing, pain the is throbbing and/or shooting/travels, pus and/or discharge that is unnatural in color like grayish. yellowish and/or greenish.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?

First off contact your piercer or a medical professional so they can take a look at it. The two worst things that you can do is put off getting it taken care of and/or removing the jewelry. Both can cause the infection to spread if not taken care of and/or other problems. Whenever in doubt see your doctor.

1. A non alcohol based antiseptic mouth wash. I suggest Biotene Antiseptic. Yogurt(see "What kinds of food are best")A good Antiseptic cleaner with an active ingredient of Bezalkonium. such as Sensitive Ear Care Solution, or Ear Care.
2. Non-iodized Sea Salt(see details below under, "What else can I do to help heal the piercing")
3. Mineral Supplement of Zinc and a Vitamin Supplement of C (see details below under, "What else can I do to help heal the piercing")
4. ogurt(see details on page 2 under. "What kinds of food are best")A good Antiseptic cleaner with an active ingredient of Bezalkonium. such as Sensitive Ear Care Solution, or Ear Care.

1. During the first stage your body produces a tunnel of tissue around the piercing and the jewelry It is during this stage that the piercing is in fact an open wound and more prone to infections and growing shut. This information will cover the steps that need to be followed to reduce this. Due to the fact that everyone heals at different paces the healing time could be shorter or longer then the minimum healing time then listed. So if the piercing seems healed but you are unsure. stop by the piercing studio and ask a professional.
2. The second stage is called the seasoning or toughening period. during this stage your body adds layer upon layer of tissue to the tunnel to make the piercing permanent. This stage can take from I year to 3 years to complete and removing the jewelry for long periods of time can resulting the loss or closing of the piercing. A good rule is if you like the piercing leave something in it. Oral piercing are more prone then other piercing to closing even after a number of years.

1. 1.Slight bleeding off and on for the First few days.
2. Tenderness. itchiness, slight bruising and slight redness for the First week to two weeks on or around the piercing.
3. A secretion of a yellowish/whitish fluid that Hangs on the ring throughout the healing time called lymph Discharge.
4. tightening around the jewelry throughout the healing time.
5. swelling for the first 3-5 days.
6. A white ring of tissue around the piercing holes. This is scar tissue.

1. Being in good health, eating a well balanced diet, getting plenty of rest and reducing the amount of stress in you life.
2. Taking a Zinc Orate supplement for the First two weeks only (60mg daily for women/120mg daily for men) and 500mg to 1000mg supplement of Mineral Absorbate of Vitamin C daily(if you smoke you may want to double it). Always take supplements with meals.
3. fter the swelling has reduced warm sea salts rinses can also be helpful (1/8 teaspoon of sea salts per cup of water should be as salty as your one tears).

1. Swelling can greatly be reduced by reducing you intake of alcohol, tobacco, spicy foods or foods that are hot in temperature and/or other irritants.
2. Also gently sucking on crushed ice and drinking ice water.
3. Taking ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin). Do not take ibuprofen on an empty stomach. SWELLING (especially with tongues)..

1. Cold items such as smothies, apple sauce, frozen yogurt, ice cream, mashed potatoes (at room temperature) baby food, jell-O and soup broth (not tomato based and at room temperature).
2. It is also best to stay to a soft food diet until the swelling reduces and then only eat solid food when comfortable and always be careful to take your time. If it takes you half an hour to eat one meal it’s better then causing damage to your teeth and/or gums.
3. Also, I strongly suggest eating 2 to 3 cartons of yogurt a day. Yogurt can reduce the likelihood of Thrush.

• Check the tightness of the balls if the jewelry is a barbell before and after every meal and before and after you sleep to avoid ball loss.
• Do not play/pull or over handle the piercing until it is fully healed. Do keep in mind that playing with the piercing even after it is healed will increase chances of damage to teeth, bones and gums.

• No oral contact/wet mouth kissing and sexual contact with the piercing for the first 8 week. Understand that even with a well healed oral piercing that you are more acceptable to S.T.D.s during oral sex. So, please practice Safe Sex.
• Also avoid putting things in tour mouth that may introduce harmful bacteria including unwashed hands, pens, tooth picks, etc......
• Always wash your hands with an antibacterial soap before handling the piercing or jewelry.

• First off contact your piercer or doctor so they can take a look at it.
• The two worst things that you can do is put off getting it taken care of and/or removing the jewelry. Both can cause the infection to spread if not taken care of.
• Whenever in doubt see your doctor.

These instruction are for all above the neck piercings including: Nipple piercing, Navel Piercings and all Genital piercings. 

Most people overlook the ears when it comes to body piercing, but there is a lot to work with. Piercings that I perform on the ear include the Lobe (from 18g to 8g), Cartilage (from 18g to 14g), Tragus (from 18g to 14g) which is the piece of cartilage at the front of the ear, rook (from 18g to 14g) which is the ridge in the center of the ear, the Helix (from 18g to 14g) which is the outer ridge that goes across the top of the ear, The Daith(from 18g-14g) which is the cartilage above the tragus wear the helix begins, Conch (from 18g to 14g) which is through the base of the cartilage, the Anti-Tragus (from 18g to 14g) which is the ridge of cartilage at the top of the lobe, Orbits which is two or more piercings with one ring running through the piercings, and Industrials (from 16g to 12g) which is two or more piercings with one straight barbell running through the piercings.

For Aftercare information go to Aftercare Instructions for Above the Neck Piercings

Please click on the links below:

The eyebrow is a modern piercing that came about in the last 10 years or so. They are prone to migration due in part to the fact that they are (to a degree) a surface to surface piercing. Many have had a great deal of luck piercing with a standard or curved barbell, but the barbells tend to make cleaning a great deal harder. Also the added weight and pressure from the barbell can lead to some migration. Often it really depends on how the brow is formed. I tend to have better luck with a 18g or 16g Captive Bead Ring and then replacing the jewelry with a curved barbell after healing. The fact is, that even in the best cases there is always a chance that the piercing will migrate within the first 5 years. Average healing time is 8-12 weeks. Eyebrow piercing is located traditionally on the outer brow on the edge of the eye.

Healing Time is 8-12 weeks

Common Jewelry 18g to 14g 5/16 to 3/8

Axiom base price with 18g surgical steel - $40.00

For Additional photos go to the Eyebrow Piercing Photo Gallery

For additional Information on Jewelry go to Eyebrow Piercing Jewelry

For Aftercare information go to Aftercare Instructions forAbove the Neck Piercings

The nostril is a very common piercing that can be traced back to many cultures. Often done with 20g or 18g but can be done up to 12g. Best placed on the ridge in the middle of the side of the nose. It can be done with a nostril screw which is a curved piece of wire that sits against the inside of the nose and a stud like end, which can be everything from a gem setting to disc and cone ends. For healing and cleaning, the nostril screw tends to be harder to clean or care for. I prefer to do the piercing with a Captive Bead ring ,then If wished changing to a nostril screw after this has healed. Average healing time is 8-12 weeks.

Healing Time is 8-12 weeks

Common Jewelry 18g to 14g 5/16 to 3/8

Axiom Base Price with 18g surgical steel - $40.00/$45 with Nostril Screw

For Aftercare information go to Aftercare for Above the Neck Piercings

For Additional Information on Jewelry go to Nostril Piercing Jewelry

For Additional Photos go to the Nostril Piercing Photo Gallery

The septum is represented in many cultures. It is the only facial that can truly be hidden with little or no detection. This piercing can be hidden with a septum retainer which is a U-shaped piece of metal that can be flipped up into the nose. The Septum can be pierced using a retainer but caution is needed to insure that the retainer does not "fall out". The placement should be as far forward as possible between the ridge at the bottom of the Septum and the Septum bone. Average healing time is 8 to 12 weeks.

Healing Time is 8-12 weeks

Common Jewelry 14g to 10g 5/16 to 3/8

Axiom base price with 14g surgical steel - $45.00

Pain level on a scale of 1-10 is between 2-3

For Aftercare information go to Aftercare for Above the Neck Piercings

For additional information on Jewelry go to Spetum Piercing Jewelry

For additional Photos go to the Spetum Piercing Photo Gallery

This Section covers oral piercings including:

• Tongue Piercings
• Lip Piercings
• Labret Piercings
• Cheek and Beauty Mark Piercings

For Aftercare information go to Aftercare for Above the Neck Piercings and Aftercare Instructions for Oral Piercings

Click on the links above or below form more information:

HISTORY:.Nipple piercing is said to date back to the time of the Roman Empire but there is no documentation to back this up. However there is a good deal of documentation about the fad of Victorian Ladies getting their nipples pierced in England and France during the late 1800s.

As far as modern times go, the piercing's popularity began in the BDSM and Gay community in the late 60s and early 70s and then slowly began to enter into the mainstream culture in the 1990s as piercing became more popular.

ADVANTAGES:
Many have found (including myself) that nipple piercing increases sensitivity. Before I got mine pierced they were just these two bumps on my chest after the piercings healed, suddenly they were alive and reactive. I have had a number of Female clients that have stated that they noticed a return of the sensitivity lost from Breast feeding. With men and women the nipple will grow in size and become more pronounced when healed. Often with men, the nipple is small or not formed and for this reason the most common placement is behind the nipple through the aureola (the darker area around the nipple).

DISADVANTAGES AND CONCERNS:
The number one concern among females is migration and breast feeding.

Women with large breasts are more prone to migration and this can be reduced with extra care to reduce stress to the piercing and piercing with Standard Barbells. To reduce stress on the piercing I would suggest wearing a sport or jog bra during healing and flipping the jewelry up to reduce pressure.

There should be no problem with breast feeding, except the baby swallowing the jewelry, beads and/or balls if they becomes loose. I suggest that the jewelry be removed before feeding. As far as affecting the nipple itself and the natural workings of it, there should be little or no change. Since the piercing is placed at the base of the nipple which is for the most part spongy tissue and free of milk ducts, the production of milk should not be affected.

Another concern is the fact that the nipple can not have any contact during the first stage of healing. So your partners has to stay free of the piercing and it tends to be too big of a temptation for some people. The number one cause of migration and infection in nipples, is contact from partners during moments of passion. I suggest that you talk this over with him/her before hand and decide if it would be best to do one at a time. This will give them one to work with, so to speak, during the healing time. That is the advantage of doing one at a time but the disadvantage is the placement of the second one may be different and you have to go through the whole healing thing twice.

MAIN HASSLES & HEALING TIME:
For Women you're looking at a change in bras. With men avoiding shirts with pockets full of stuff over the piercing. Both need to avoid swimming in natural waters and hot tubing, sleeping on the stomach, cross contamination and keeping your partner and others away from the piercing. You must clean the piercing twice a day and I strongly suggest hot soaks with Sea Salt twice daily. Healing time can take on an average of 6 to 12 months.

Healing Time: 6 months to a year

Common Jewelry: 14g to 10g 5/8 to 3/4

Axiom base price with 14g surgical steel CBR:
$45.00 for one or $85.00 for both

Pain level on a scale of 1-10:
For Women between 4-7
For men between 5-10

For Aftercare Instructions go to Aftercare Instructions for Below the Neck Piercings

For additional information on Jewley go here.
For additional photos go to the Nipple Piercings Photo Gallery

HISTORY:

It has been said that the navel piercing dates back to the time of ancient Egypt and was a sign of royalty. However there is no proof that this is the case. The piercing seems to be a modern invention that since the 1990s has grown to be very popular and helped to bring Body Piercing out of the Underground and into popular culture. Except for the ear lobe it is the most common piercing today. 

ADVANTAGES:
Other then adornment the navel piercing really has no other advantage or use.

DISADVANTAGES AND CONCERNS:
Due to the location of the piercing it is more prone to migration, becoming affected and/or infected. Due to a large part because of clothing that is in contact with the piercing.

MAIN HASSLES & HEALING TIME:
The piercing must be cleaned twice daily, clothing must have a waist band that is well below the navel, can not sleep on your stomach, cross contamination prevention and no swimming. Average healing time is 6-12 months.

Healing Time: 6 months to a year

Common Jewelry: 14g to 10g 7/16 to 1/2

Axiom base price with 14g surgical steel CBR = $45.00/with curved Barbell = $50.00

Pain level on a scale of 1-10: between 2-4

For Aftercare Instructions go to Aftercare Instructions for Below the Neck Piercings

For additional information on jewelry go to here.

For additional photos go to the Navel Piercings Photo Gallery

Aftercare Instructions for Below the Neck Piercings

This Section covers genital piercings. If you are minor or easily offended, than do not enter this section.

By clicking on the links below you are stating that you are of legal age and not a minor in the country that you are located in:

• Female Genital Piercings
• Male Genital Piercings

Though The Axiom uses a number of Manufacture to keep jewelry quality up while keeping prices down. Since we no longer do special orders or stock some of the more exterme jewelry, here is a couple of links I would suggest if you are looking for jewelry on line. The reason I like both of these sites is that they list who in fact manufactured the jewelry which gives you a better understand of the quality of the jewelry. Also last I checked both of these sites will sterilize the jewelry before shipping it.

Whenever in doubt about buying jewelry or if you have just would like a suggestion, please contact me at davo@axiompiercing.com or through the contact info page.

Retail online sales:
BMEshop.com - http://www.bmeshop.com If you are looking for plugs, glasswear and organic jewelry, they have one of the best sellections.
Tribalectic - http://www.tribalectic.com/Home.asp Stock the best manufactures in the business, Anatometal, Body Circle and Industrial Strength.

Gauge is the thickness of the jewelry which is based on the American Standard Wire Gauge. It starts at 36g and goes to 0g. The larger the number the thinner the wire will be. When choosing a gauge to be pierced at, the piercer must decide which is thick enough to reduce migration and tearing but thin enough to not add too much weight. See gauge to mm/inch conversion chart below for more information.

The other factor that goes into choosing the correct jewelry is the width or length of the jewelry. The width is area between from the inside of the ring or barbell at it's widest point. When picking the correct jewelry a few standard factures need to be addressed:

1. How much swelling will happen during the healing?
2. How flat will the jewelry be in the distance between the two piercing holes?
3. How will the jewelry lay or hang with the body?

Swelling is a factor with all piercings. It is normal for non-oral piercing to swell anywhere from an 1/16 of an inch to an 1/8 of an inch. So if the piercing is going to be roughly 3/8th of an inch it is best to add an 1/8 of an inch and use a jewlry with a width of at least 1/2. With oral piercing, especially tongue piercings. the piercing can swell as much as a 1/4 or 3/8 of an inch. So it's best to pierce with jewelry with a much wider length and then downsize after healing. Rings, of course are a great deal more forgiving when it comes to swell than barbells or labret studs and will allow for a long more swelling. So often with rings the width is smaller than with post style jewelry. Having jewelry that is much longer or wider than the piercing during the healing period is much better than the painful experience of having a piercing swell beyond the width of the jewelry. Often after the piercing is healed, you can down size the width or change to a different type of jewelry. 

The length of the area from piercing hole to piercing hole also needs to be at least an 1/8 shorter than the jewelry to shorten the distance. We all know the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, a short distance means a short tunnel of tissue that your body will need to grow which mean a shorter healing time. This is especially true of piercings done with rings or circular jewelry. Roughly only about an 1/4 to 1/3 of the ring should be inside the piercing. So if you are piercing a nipple that is about 7/16 of an inch wide it should be pierced with a ring that is at least 5/8 of an inch wide. Jewelry that is too small or too tight will cause longer healing time, migration or rejection, scarring and other problems.

The point of getting a piercing is to enhance the body. When done well it should fit the body and fit the shape of the area, Often if jewelry is too small it will stick staight out or look out of place. For example, a nipple piercing if jewelry is too small the rings will stick straight out instead of laying against the body. 

After the piercing is healed you still want the jewelry to be larger than the piercing area, this is especially true with piercings in areas of the body that expand and contract. For example, tongues, nipples and genital piercing all tend to expand and if the jewelry is too tight it can be very painful when they do. This is even the case with a well healed piercing.

Below are some standard jewelry sizes and types used when piercing. People come in all kinds of shapes and sizes so this is by no means a set size but just a general guide of what I have found works best for healing these piercings.

No matter how well the piercing is placed or how well it is taken care of, if the jewelry is substandard, the wrong size and/or made of a material that is improper, problems will still present themselves through out and after the healing. Over the first 4 years or so, the Axiom was in business, I did business with at least 20 different manufacturers in the search for the best quality jewelry at a good price. A lot of work goes into a good piece of jewelry, it takes proper metals, well manufactured ends/tips, true bends and high polish finishes. Each piece of jewelry sold at The Axiom is individually inspected against defects and flaws, placed in a sterilization pouch and then placed in an autoclave to be sterilized. The Axiom does, has and will always stand completely behind any and all jewelry that is sold here. If a defect is found on any piece of jewelry we will replace the jewelry free of charge for up to one year.

Choosing a metal that will not cause a reaction and/or stand up to the abuse of the body is very important. If the piercee has a reaction to the metal it could cause the piercing to migrate or refuse to heal altogether. The jewelry we stock is of metals that are Body placement friendly then high polished to reduce wear and reactions. We require that our suppliers provide the ATSM(American Society of Testing and Materials) http://www.astm.org information. The ASTM is the bench mark for metal alloys and testing. They are a non-governmental organization that set standards and compiles information for manufacturing, materials, and methods of production .

See ASTM# below, when "F" is included in these #s that means that the metal has met the guidelines for FDA approval of materials used in medical products. The "1" or "2" that follows the "F" refers to the metal being of implant grade 1 or 2. Our jewelry is also solid, not plated or filled because plating can chip or flake with wear and cause reactions. The metal types we stock are as follows: 

Click to jump - Steel / Niobium / Titanium / Gold / Other Metals / Acrylic / Novelty Jewelry / Monfilament Nylon & Teflon /Organic Materials /Hardwoods / Ivory, Horn, Antler / Glass/Pyrex

316L OR 316LV STAINLESS SURGICAL STEEL ASTM-F138-86:

Often referred to as SSS or Stainless it is the same metal used for needles, medical replacement such as pins or hip replacements, and medical equipment. There are a number of stainless steels being sold as body jewelry but 316L and 316LVM are the best for body jewelry. Understand that just because it is labeled as 316L or 316LVM doesn't mean that it is implant grade. When in doubt ask for the ASTM info. The L refers to the alloy being of low-carbon variety of 316. Since it is of low-carbon it should not trip metal detectors, which are set to detect high-carbon metals(this may have changed in this post 9/11 world). LVM means that it is vacuum melted. Vacuum Melting prevents air and other airborne contaminants to attach to the molecules in the metal. This creates a more consistent steel.

The Axiom only stocks 316LVM ASTM-F138-86. However, the specific composition of 316L / 316LVM allows for very little exposure to the nickel molecules, thus reducing the risk of sensitivity. It should be avoided if the piercee is prone to reactions to nickel. If you are unsure if you are sensitive to nickel a cheap and easy test is to tape a nickel to your arm for 10 to 12 hours and if a rash occurs then you should stay away from SSS. 316LVM does however allow very little exposure to Nickel Molecules. Do to the fact that lead is part of the alloy, however if the finish is not of the highest grade problems could occur when the lead leaks from the jewelry. A good way to judge the finish is to look at the inside of the ring because this is the hardest area to polish. When polished to a reflective shine or mirror finish the jewelry should have a white, not grey color. We stock only annealed( a process of controlled heating and cooling in a vacuum. This yields a more flexible steel, and jewelry more resistant to metal fatigue. Thus uses of pliers is not needed on jewelry under 12g which could cause scratches or marks in the finish. Also the jewelry should be free of rough edges, pitting and wire-drawing lines. 

NIOBIUM ASTM-B392: 

Often referred to as Nb or Ni(which is wrong Ni=Nickel). Niobium is a pure element that when electric current is applied to the metal it will become anodizing and produces oxide layer on the jewelry. The jewelry is submerged into an electrolyte solution and then voltage is applied. This produces about 15 or 16 different shades of colors and color combinations. The color is caused by refraction of the light through the oxide layer. The different colors are produced by the difference in the voltage applied during the anodizing. The thicker the layer usually the darker the color. Black Nb is created by heating up the jewelry till it is red hot and then cooled. This called blacking and black Nb will not fade like anodized Nb. Also Nb reactions are rare and no dyes or paints are used and because it is a pure element it is not toxic. The main problem with Nb is that it is a soft metal(like most elements) and tends to erode from normal wear over time and loses it's color. Since it is nontoxic the body will not react but if given time it will erode to it's natural color which is a dark grey. A good rule is the darker the color the deeper the oxidation and the longer it will take to wear off.

Due to the fact that it is a rough or porous metal (especially with matte black oxidation) it can trap contaminates. This can be combated with a high polish. Matte finished jewelry should never be placed in a fresh piercing. It should always be of a high polish. It is important that your jewelry manufacture is proficient with the polish, this is due to the fact that Nb is porous metal it can trap polishing compound residue which can be toxic. At the Axiom we nolonger stock Nb. Lastly is that it's heavier then SSS, 14kt and 18kt gold, and Titanium and could add to migration. 

TITANIUM 614v. ASTM-F136 also known as titanium 6/4: 

Often referred to as Ti it is quickly replacing SSS as the material for body placement because it has no lead content. Ti is a extremely light metal alloy of 60 parts Aluminum and 40 parts vanadium. 136 is the best grade because of it's total resistance to erosion. Unlike when Ti is used in surgical implants where the tissue is encourage to attach to the implant, with jewelry it should be of the highest polish to combat how porous Ti is. When Ti is exposed to air or water it reacts with the oxygen to create a thin, inert oxide layer. This oxide layer does not contain any traces of the elements(aluminum and vanadium) contained in the alloy. This creates the most biocompatible of all body piercing jewelry. Reducing reactions to almost nul.

Like Niobium Titanium jewelry comes in a large range of colors. These colors are produced by anodizing the jewelry in the same way as Niobium. Also this oxide layer can just like with Nb erode over time by normal wear. Titanium carbide can be coated on to the titanium to create Black-colored titanium this process called Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD). Since Titanium carbide is not biocompatible and the coating will create a surface or finish that is not smooth a finish, it is not a good choice for Body Jewelry. 

GOLD:

Gold must be 100% pure 14kt or better. The Karat weight is based on 1kt equals 1/24th of the alloy being pure gold. So if a piece of jewelry is 18kt it is 3/4th pure gold. The lower the karat weight the higher percentage of other metals in the alloy, commonly nickel, silver, zinc and/or copper. So, if the karat weight is say, 10kt(the weight that most rings are at to reduce wear) then there is an increased likelihood of a reaction. Most manufactures use reduced nickel or nickel free gold. Whenever in doubt request nickel free and the higher karat weight is best. Some manufacture also plate the gold with Platinum to reduce nickel reactions (especially with white gold which has a higher nickel content).

The fact that it has nickel in it gold can cause reactions with some people. With white gold it is best to substitute palladium(an inert metal of the platinum group) for nickel . Green or pink gold increases the chances for reaction because of the higher concentration of copper and zinc used to produce the color. Plated or filled jewelry is not a good choice because of normal wear and bending of the jewelry during insertion can cause clipping and wear of the thin plating. Always spend the money and go with solid gold.

Gold is soft and porous, so not only can there be problems with losing shape but it can trap contaminates. Also, Gold is prone to tarnish and tarnish is a fungi which could cause an infection. If iodine comes in contact, it can stain the metal (just one more reason not to use Iodine based antiseptics). If a persons perspiration is acidic enough to corrode the non-gold alloys in karat gold, causing darking of the jewelry and discoloration of the area around the piercing. Exposing the jewelry to urine can cause the jewelry to get a rough and dull surface. This caused by the acids in urine leach into the surface of the jewelry and drying to form a hard crust. Discoloration can be reduced by surface depletion, or pickling. Pickling is a process in which the jewelry is heated or submerged into a weak acid to remove the oxidation of the non-gold alloys from the metal's surface. . Do to the cost of Gold we no longer stock it.

Lastly, many who feel that they can only wear gold may find Titanium or Niobium better and even Implant grade steel because of the nickel content of most gold jewelry. 

Other Materials Novelty Jewelry: 

Over the past few years there has been an increase in the uses of non-metal materials and sub-standard metals for novelty jewelry. Neither of these types of jewelry work well in healing piercings. There is a number of reasons, like the increased likelihood of harboring contaminants because of the porous surface, improper shape, the fact that most if not all these material can not be sterilized in an autoclave or substandard metals are used and the increased likelihood of the jewelry eroding, breaking or shattering. There is also the increased chances of reactions to the metal and tarnishing.  This is most common in Barbells for the Navel and in most cases the packaging has stated that the jewelry was Surgical Stainless Steal even though only the post section was steel while the setting and ends where made of everything from Sterling to chrome plated plastic.

ACRYLIC: 

Acrylic is a hard plastic that comes in a variety of colors and styles. It is often worn in large gauge piercings because it is lighter then most other materials. It also tends to be cheaper then other materials, making it idea as a low cost alternative for stretching piercings. Since not all Acrylic has not been clinically proven to be safe for wear in the body and the jewelry is more prone to scratches and deterioration, though acrylic styrene copolymer is FDA approved. The jewelry should be checked regularly for scratches and cracks because they can irritate the piercing and trap bacteria and other pathogens. Do to the fact that Acrylic is brittle, it can shatter under stress making it not the best option for long term wear in oral piercings. Also Acrylic can not be autoclave(sterilized) and prolonged contact with Alcohol can speed up deterioration.

The following is Industrial Strength's "Acrylic Jewelry Care Instructions:" - "Acrylic jewelry is very fragile. It is not as strong as stainless Steel or Titanium jewelry. Acrylic jewelry should be worm as a novelty item instead of everyday wear. We recommend cleaning acrylic jewelry with antibacterial soap and water only. To ensure the longevity of acrylic jewelry: DO NOT AUTOCLAVE THE JEWELRY, DO NOT SOAK IN ANYTHING CONTAINING ALCOHOL OR HARSH CLEANSERS, DO NOT STORE IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT OR EXTREME TEMPERATURES, DO NOT BEND, TWIST OR CHEW ON."

Glow-in-the-dark Acrylic is not a good choice especially in oral piercing such as tongue piercing were the acrylic is a great deal more prone to shatter. The phosphorescent material that makes the material glow is carcinogenic, in layman terms, it can cause cancer. This material should not be never be in contact with the body. UV or Black Lite acrylic that reacts under a black light and has effect of glowing is safe for body contact because it is not carcinogenic.

OTHER METAL AND NOVELITY JEWELRY/SILVER 

In the last few years there has been an influxes of jewelry made of both sub-standard material including lower grade SSS and Sterling Silver. These are often referred to as "novelty jewelry" and are not designed to be worn in fresh piercings or for long periods of time. A large majority of these are for navel piercings and usually are curved barbells and created to target the explosion of Navel Piercing. A good reference to what kind of a market these manufactures are targeting is something I saw on recent catalog I got, "You don't need to know anything about body piercing to sale body piercing jewelry."

Do to the fact that each person is shaped differently and changing the jewelry to a different type can cause reactions. When in doubt as weather or not the jewelry is going to not be a problem, ask your piercer. Also understand that a majority of this type of jewelry is not intended to be worn in the body for long periods of time. Curved barbells with high fashion ends are really popular and can cause problems. Since the shaped ends(flowers, butterflies, hearts and etc...) are usually made of sterling or some other material other than SSS they can cause reactions. Silver has a number of problems including reactions to the copper content. Since, Silver tarnishes very quickly, if worn in a fresh piercing, the tarnish can deposit into the skin causing it to darken or turn grey. Though this discoloration often wears or washes away, it can in some cases be permanently. Also since, Tarnish is a fungi there is also a possible infection or reaction caused by wearing silver.

The other problem with the shaped ends is the size or the shape of the object itself. Always, take into account the size of your navel. Chances are that your navel is not going to increase or stretch to fit the end. This will cause the barbell to be forced outward against the piercing. This can cause a reaction in even a well healed piercing or even migration. Also, consider that if the end has sharp edges or points and how that is going to feel inside your navel. Lastly, if the jewelry has objects or a chain hanging from the jewelry or the end, consider what it is going to feel like and the amount of damage can be caused if it were caught on something and quickly tugged.

There have been an on going debate for years over weather a curved barbell in a navel is the best choice for a new piercing. Through my experience, I have found that with a majority of piercees are not shaped correctly to heal with a curved barbell. Additionally, curved barbells are harder to clean(because of the limited movement of the length), are heavier(adding to the chances of migration of the piercing) and depending on the piercee's body type can increase the possibility of the piercing become effected. It is best to heal the piercing out with a Captive Bead Ring and then once it is healed if you wish switching to a properly sized curved barbell. 

MONFILAMENT NYLON & TEFLON: 

Monofilament nylon and teflon can be used to keep the piercing open when for medical or other reason the jewelry must be removed. Neither show up on x-rays or react to other medical procedures or products. They both can be autoclaved or sterilized. The ends can be secured by simply tying both ends or threading on a externally threaded barbell end. A less safe practice is flattening the ends into a disc shape using a hot knife. This can cause rough edges and discomfort. A great source for Monfilament Nylon is fishing line and since it comes in a variety of weights it is not to difficult to match the gauge. 

ORGANIC MATERIALS: 

Organics are used mainly in large gauge plugs worn in lobes. They come in a large variety and are becoming very popular as has stretching lobes. Though they are at times very high priced, they make a good alternative to metal and acrylic plugs. Also, natural materials are too a degree more in harmony with your body. 

Hardwoods:

 Woods can "breathe" with a piercing and interchange of oils. the bad odor that is common with larger gauge jewelry and especially with Acrylics, tends to not develope with wood jewelry. Also the wood doesn't cause the temper changes that occur in other materials. Hardwoods are defined as a broad-leafed, deciduous trees (angiospermous). The material used for jewelry comes from the heartwood which is darker and more dense then the sapwood surrounding it. There are a few species of wood used in jewelry that are on the Endangered Species of the CITES. These are Commoner (Guaiacum officinale) Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra), Mexican mahogany (Swietenia humilis), Carribean mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni), Holywood lignum vitae aka "Tree of Life" (Guaiacum sanctum), Bigleaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), and American mahogany (Swietenia meliaceae). We would hope that these materials are from salvage or control harvesting but always keep this in mind when buying rare woods.

Since the wood or the piercing may swell, it is best to have a piece that is slightly smaller then the piercing. Some woods can collect bacteria, dirt and shed skin and should not be used, especially open grained woods. Just like any type of jewelry the finish should be free of scratches and defects. This means running down to the local hardware store and picking up a doll rod is not the best choice. Hardwoods can not be sterilized and great care should be taken that hands and etc.. are clean. The jewelry should be cleaned using a non chemical soap or tea tree oil or a regular bases. Since people do have reaction to tree tea oil and it tends to dry out the tissue in the area, I suggest doing a test area before using and diluting the oil. After cleaning it is best to oil the jewelry with an oil or sealant. It's best to use a non-toxic oil or wax. Food grade oils such as olive oil or peanut oil can be used but they turn rancid with heat and time and need to be repeatedly re-oiled to avoid this. With waxes try animal or vegetable based. It is always possible to be allergic to hardwood or even develope one with long term exposure. This is most common in woods within the Dalbergia genera, or the rosewoods: African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon), Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra), Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa), Indian rosewood, aka Bombay blackwood (Dalbergia latifolia), Kingwood aka Violetwood (Dalbergia cearensis), Tulipwood (Dalbergia frutescus), Teak (Tectona grandis), Purpleheart aka Amaranth (Peltogyne spp.); and possibly Greenheart and Satinwood (Chloroxylon swietenia). 

Ivory, Horn, Antler:

 Since these materials are porous they can absorb moisture and skin oil, they can crack. This can be avoided by coating the material with bee's wax or a hypoallergenic sealant. With Mammoth ivory it is softer than most stone and is flexible which makes it ideal for intricate and delicate carvings. The problem with aged or fossilized ivory for body jewelry is that, s it absorbs skin oils causes it crack. Dall Sheep Horn Dall sheep horn is semi-transparent material with an opaque white grain. Though Sheep horn tends to distort or bend when exposed to moisture or skin oils it is more flexible then other organic making easier to work with. When polished, water buffalo horn looks a great deal like ebony. Do to the fact that the grain it will crack with exposure to skin oils and It must be stabilized before it can be used for jewelry. Moose, Elk and Deer Antler Antler can be a good choice because it is less likely to crack when it comes in contact with moisture and the skin oils but it is softer and more prone to fractures.  

Glass/Pyrex: 

Pyrex jewelry is gaining acceptance as an alternative to Acrylic and organic jewelry for a number of reasons. Glass is body friendly or hypoallergenic and can be autoclaved or sterilized. It is also very light and comes in a variety of styles and types. Pryrex also is not as prone to temperature changes like other materials. A common question is will glass break? The answer is yes and no. The chances are that it will not. This is the same material that science equipment like beekers and test tube are made of. It is next to impossible to break but there is always a chance. However, instead of shattering it will break into two pieces. Usually, the jewelry will have to be dropped on to a hard surface like concert from a height of at least 3 feet. It can crack if the jewelry is subjected to extreme levels of heat and then cooled very quickly. Also, it has a very smooth finish which means it is ideal for fresh piercing especially if the piercee is sensitive to metals. Since Glass jewelry is made of Clear Medical grade Pyrex, it is completely non-porous, hypoallergenic and lead free. There are a number of designs and types available including designed that are inside the glass.

There is a great deal of different shapes and styles of jewelry on the market and when it comes to piercing. The piercer has to decide what will work best. Which may not be what the piercee would like to have. Always remember when choosing jewelry style that after the piercing is healed the choice of styles that you can wear will increase. I've list the most common types:

CAPTIVE BEAD RINGS: 

Often referred to as CBR and is the most common jewelry used in body piercing. It is a ring with a bead made of either SSS or a stone that is counter sunk on each side and/or has a hole through it. The tension of the the ring locks and holds the bead in place. Rings are the best for cleaning during healing. The main problem is the amount of space the ring takes tends, to make the jewelry more prone to abuse and the beads can be a pain to remove and replace.

BEADED RINGS OR FIXED BEAD RINGS: 

Same as the CBR but the bead is made of the same metal and can not be removed. Draw back is that the ring must be pulled apart and then twisted to remove and replace. 

SEAMLESS RINGS: 

The Seamless in most cases is not the best choice for piercing jewelry because many are just a ring with blunt ends that are pushed together. If the seam gets into the piercing tunnel there is a chance the body will try to grow tissue through the seam in it attempt to reconnect the skin. 

Screwball or Monster Rings:

Just like a Captive Bead Ring but instead of the ball or bead locking into place, it threads into one end of the ring. Usually comes in larger gauges where removing the bead from a captive bead ring would be near impossible. 

STANDARD OR STRAIGHT BARBELLS:

Often refer to as BB it is a straight post with two balls that screw in to the post. The Axiom handles both internal threaded BB where the balls act like a screw which threads into the post and externally thread where the ball acts like a nut and screws on to the post. The externally thread barbells tend to cause damage during insertion and loosen more quickly then internal threaded BB. We stock or can order 16g through 0g. 

CURVED BARBELLS:

Same as BB but have a 1/4" curve to them kind of like a banana. 

CIRCULAR BARBELLS:

Are also the same as a BB but are shaped like a ring or horse shoe. 

Labret Stud:

A Barbell that has a disc on side and a screw on ball on the other side

Fishtail Labret:

A L shaped piece of wire with a ball on one end. Work best with Labret piercing that are placed in the center of the chin. The long piece of wire set between the lip and the gums. The main advantage is reduced abuse to teeth and gums and can be adjusted to fit each person. 

SEPTUM RETAINERS:

An U-shaped piece of wire used with Septum piercing that can be tucked up inside the nose and be hidden. 

NOSTRIL SCREW:

A question mark shaped piece of wire with a ball, disc or gem on one end. Based on an Eastern Indian jewelry design. For those who want a stud like look, to their nostril jewelry. 

L Bend:

An L shape piece of wire with a setting or ball on one end.  Basically a Nostril Screw without the curved part.

Plugs & Eyelets:

Usually worn in the Ear and come in a large variety of shapes and materials. Since the weight of CBR and Cir BB can greatly increase when you get into larger gauges, many piercing collectors will wear plug while stretching. Not to mention how hard it is to get a bead off a 0g CBR. They usually start at 8g and go up in some cases 1 inch and larger. They are disc shaped or hollow tubes and usually use rubber o-rings to keep the jewelry secure or are flanged shaped.

Retainers:

There are a number of retainers on the market from No-Cum barbell ends for Tongue piercings to Monofilament nostril screws and 1/4 circle metal wire retainers. Most are just as visible as smaller jewelry and since they often rely on O-rings to hold them in place they tend to fall out. The Monofilament can be flexible and hard to put in piercings. The biggest thing to think about when you decide to try a retainer is that they are all designed for short term wear. Often a cheaper solution is buying Monofilament line aka fishing or weed eater line and then tying off both ends. If the jewelry needs to be removed for medical reasons than you best bet is Monofilament line or retainer because it will not be effect or effect by x-rays, medication or MRIs. 

Jewelry types that I do not suggest:

Nostril Bones:

A nostril Bone will usually have a setting or ball on one end and then either a cone shaped ball or ball on the other. They go in pretty easily because often the ball is the think ness of the most common 18g. The problem is getting them out. Since the post section is often much thinner than the ball, the piercing tunnel conforms to the thickness of the post and to remove it you either have to pull the larger ball through or have them cut out.

Nostril Pins:

Some times label simply as "nose jewelry" and often has no back or an ear piercing stud style back. The pins without backs are likely to fall out and the ones with backs tend to want to tighten and can cause the jewelry to impact into the piercing.

Navel Curved Barbells with charms and dangles:

These are basically the same as curved barbells but they have shaped and often really large charms or settings and dangles that hang off the jewelry. Too often even if the jewelry is labeled as Surgical Stainless Steal, Implant Grade Steel or Titanium, they are only referencing the post of the jewelry. With shaped objects often they are made of substandard metals which could cause a reaction. Also the sharp points of the shaped charms can cause discomfort. The dangles tend to get caught on everything. Remember that the basic jewelry is always the best choice even with a healed piercing.