Part One: Accepting the Truth

The first and most important thing to note is that while there are some businesses that do hire more noticeably modified people, if you have any type of piercing or combination of piercings that would be considered by a conservative individual to be "extreme" (or any of its synonyms), be prepared to either retire your piercing(s) or pass up quite a few jobs. That's not to say that you can't get a job and still keep your mods, but be realistic and admit that you may have to compromise to achieve your goal.

To those who are just starting out, learning all the names of, and terms related to the piercings that interest you may be nerve-wracking. This is not here to cover everything, but to hopefully correct some common mistakes!

Once again, we are sincerely grateful to John Lopez for his help compiling this information.

A PA wand is a sexual toy. They are worn only for short periods of time to stimulate the urethra as well as the eyes (they a sight to behold). Most people who use wands are turned on by inserting objects into their urethra, but anyone can have fun with a wand if it's the correct size and shape.

Most people can recall a friend that is planning on getting a piercing that has little or no experience with the subject. This same amateur piercee usually walks out of the studio with many questions such as “I wonder if I can change the barbell next week for my soccer game?” or “I know the guy just told me to use the soap in his shop, but my mom used peroxide on her ears and they were fine so I’ll do that.” Most of the time situations like these are a result of poor judgment and a product of improper planning.

As you probably know, body jewelry can come in many different material types. While this may seem very confusing, below is some information on each material type that will make it easy for you to find exactly what you are looking for.

From the APP

You have decided to have your body pierced and you are asking yourself, "I want it done now, so where do I go?" In this era of bloodborne diseases you MUST be very careful who you have perform your piercing! This guide is brought to you by the The Association of Professional Piercers to assist you in making a better-informed decision regarding your piercing because: It's your choice!

If all this fractions of an inch, millimeter and gauge sh*t has you confused, have no fear and read on … Basically, all you need to remember is that gauge refers to the thickness of the body jewelry and length refers to the internal diameter (for rings) or length (for barbells). Other important tips include knowing that:

For those with a more common introductory level piercing, we've compiled this list to help you get more familiar with the world of body jewelry.

Body jewelry can be measured in both inches and millimeters. The charts below show the various gauges and lengths in both inches and millimeters.

The Captive Bead Ring (CBR) is perhaps the most common piece of body jewelry worn in body piercings. There are many variations on the design, but they all have the common feature of using a ball of some kind to close the ring, making it a full circle. (Fig A)