What not to do

I pulled this out of a girls ear yesterday. The poor thing, it was so gross.

Ok, I'm back!

Ok, so I have been gone for a bit. I know, I know, sue me. Anyway, we have a lot of changes at Tiki. Sam has moved on and is working in Boston. She will be missed and we wish her the best of luck! Ernie is now tattooing full time and is waiting for you to come see him! The new year is upon us and this year is going to be even better than the last! We want to wish everyone a safe New Year and thank all of our great clients. You guys are the best! So whats the best way to kick off 2009? A tattoo or piercing of course! Come see us and start the new year off right!

Whoomp Here I Is!

The time has come my pretties! I am just about fully recovered and will finally be back at the shop on Wed. Nov. 19th! Come in and see me to get pierced, or just to say hi! I feel like I have been gone forever and want to see you all! See you soon!

Attention Ladies and Germs!

I am officially on leave from the shop. I will be returning on Nov. 17th. If you need questions answered or jewelry Seth will be available for these services. Wish me luck and I will see all of you soon!

Don't forget!

Military Appreciation Week starts on Wednesday October 18th!
All military members with an ACTIVE DUTY military ID will receive 20% off all tattoos over $100! We will be talking all about it tomorrow live at 8am on Jammin' 107.7!

Scarring Video!

As promised here is the video of Seth's scarring. Enjoy!

Play Piercing!

For all of you that don't know, I do offer play piercing at the shop. It is by appointment only. So if You're interested, give me a ring! 860-445-8454!

Nuff' Said

I like to cut the flesh....

It is pretty! Another scarring session, this one turned out beautiful! If you're interested in getting some scarring done, contact me at the shop!






Video coming soon!

Tune In!!!!!!

Be sure to tune in to Jammin 107.7 Tuesday Oct. 14th at 8am to catch the Tiki crew chatting it up and wreaking havoc with Brian Ramm and Miss L. on the Morning Show! Call in with your questions or just to say hi!

Scarring

This is the fun I had this week!

Military Appreciation Week!

October 18th is Military Appreciation Day! So we are celebrating!
All military members with an ACTIVE DUTY military ID will receive 20% off all tattoos over $100! Make sure you come by and book your appointments, we will fill up quick!

www.tikitattoos.com

New Blog!

Hey, check out our new Tiki Blog: I Can Has Tiki! It is totally hilarious! See the sample below:

GO NOW!

You Know You're a Piercer if...................

- Every item of clothing you own is covered in Gentian Violet.

- There could be a gorgeous naked man/woman standing in front of you and all you can focus on is the crooked nipple ring.

- If you had a nickle for every time you heard "Did that hurt?" you could pay for the trip to APP.

- You look at every person you meet as a new pin cushion.

- When someone tells you they pierced such and such themselves, it makes you as angry as monkeys make Seth.

- You couldn't care less about people like Brad Pitt or Lindsay Lohan, but become instantly excited at any mention of Fakir Musafar, Brian Decker, or Jim Ward.

- People who you don't know show up where you live/call your house/send messages to your private e-mail account asking you why their nostril piercing is infected.

- You can't pay a visit to the doctor's office without stealing anything and everything in sight.

- You know that behind every conservative woman in a full length flowerprint skirt is a whole bunch of genital piercings.

- You've seen more breasts than your horny teenage brother.

- You've developed unquestionable skill in the art of pretending to listen to people you don't like talk for too long about things you don't care about at all.

- You've spent considerable amounts of money on aviator sunglasses, Ed Hardy t-shirts, or gold plated piercing tools because if people are going to think you live like a rock star, you might as well indulge.

- Hours of your life have been wasted explaining to fourteen year old mall goths that you can't learn to pierce from an online class, an Ebay kit, or beauty school, and that you don't want them as your apprentice.

- There are holes in the plotline of any DVD or VHS you've seen in the past few years because of incoming customers.

- Any night out on the town or special moment in public is interrupted by someone who you apparently pierced at some point during your career. What, you don't remember Mrs. Johnson's underage lover's sister's cousin's prince albert piercing?

- You can accurately gauge how close you are with each of your friends by how many times they've let you try some experimental procedure on them.

- Your high school and college notebooks consist mostly of doodles of captive bead rings and pierced body parts.

- You're saving your pennies for a foot pedal-operated sink.

- People automatically assume you know their mother's cousin's best friend, who also has an industrial piercing.

- You're familiar with the terms "Squeezy nasal saline," "drooly paper towel," and "feeling wonky."

- You can spot a fainter a mile away.

- You can accurately gauge a client's eating and drinking habits by the color and consistency of their blood.



Byeeee.

Don't Forget...............

This is the last week of the infamous $20 piercing sale! Come on down and get the piercing you wanted, without paying the price!

On another note, I will be taking some leave from the shop November 5th - November 15th. Seth will be here for jewelry changes and such, but if you want to be pierced you will have to come see me beforehand! (or after, I always love to see my customers!)

See you soon!

You've Got The Cutest Dimples!

Well, SHE does now.

A quite pleasant young woman came into the shop yesterday and wanted her dimples pierced. I was happy to oblige! This is one of my favorite piercings, but one of the toughest to heal! I do have a client who I dermal anchored just because of this, I will post pics once he comes back! Until then, we will wish her the best of luck in healing hers!

I know it's been Blog-O-Rama today......

But this was just so inspiring

You Have Got To Be Fucking Kidding Right?

This can't be true?! I can pierce MYSELF in the privacy of my own home? And for only $8.99? Goddamn that is effin' sweeeeeet!!!! That will save me a ton of money to pay my medical bills after!

I am not kidding! I ran into an EBay store that touts 'We specialize in offering the highest quality Body Piercing Kits and Supplies at the most affordable prices.'
Well geeze, I am SURE they come with years of experience in anatomy, dermatology, aseptic technique, and proper size and placement of jewelry! I mean, it's $8.99 for Christ's sake! But wait! There's more! Check out the AFTERCARE
It's all fancy shmancy in the beginning, that is what draws you in, then comes the grand finale.......BLAMMO! Anbesol! WHAT?!!!! I have seen some bad aftercare in my time but this is just horrendous, borderline life threatening even!

Here's a tip, don't get your piercing on EBay! I should make that into a fucking fortune cookie! They are always filled with obvious shit.

If you feel like taking a look at their fantastic, high quality, guaranteed to give you an infection merchandise CHECK IT OUT!
Notice they put their private email address right on the page *wink*

Hey! Douchebag selling piercing kits on EBay! 100% positive feedback does not qualify you as a member of the piercing profession!

Yeah I Am Stereotyping, So What!

I just have to go there. I am having a piercing special so I get a lot of clients I normally wouldn't have. Those 'I guess I will do it because it's cheap and my friends talked me into it' types. Now, and I am only drawing on my years of experience, I will explain these types of clients. They always come in 3's. ALWAYS. They are as follows:

The Scared Girl(TSG)This is the one who wants to get a piercing but is scared to death and is only here because her friends told her it was cool.

The Pushy Friend(TPF) This is the one standing beside her saying 'just do it, we're here already and I drove' but would never get pierced herself. TPF probably doesn't really even like TSG and would love to just see her in pain.

The I Know Everything About Piercing Because My Mom Took Me To Get My Tongue Pierced Two Years Ago(TIKEAPBMMTMTGMTPTYA) She is my Favorite. Everytime TSG asks me a question SHE has the answer and it is always WRONG. Then I take great pleasure in belittling her in front of her friends.

So now that we are familiar with them, let's go through a typical encounter.

-Girls walk into the shop looking scared as hell-
Me: What can I do to help you?
TSG: How much does it cost for a lip piercing?
Me: $20
TSG: Wow! Does it hurt? (side note, I NEVER get tired of this question)
TPG: Don't worry about it, just do it!
TIKEAPBMMTMTGMTPTYA: It doesn't hurt at all. When I got my tongue done the only thing that hurt was all the Listerine I had to use after, but drinking milkshakes through a straw helps with your swelling.
Me: What?! No! Of course it hurts, but pain is relevant so what doesn't hurt her might in fact, hurt you.
TSG: Really? How bad will it hurt?
Me: I can't tell you that.
TSG: I'm not sure I want to do it.
TPG: Goddddd....just do it! It's not going to hurt and will be quick. Stop being stupid!
TSG: Will you do it with me?
TPG: I can't, I don't have my ID. (yeah right)
Me: Do you want to or not? Don't do anything you are not sure about.
TIKEAPBMMTMTGMTPTYA: (this is where she gets into cahoots with TPG so she she can show the Piercer just how much she knows) Just do it! It doesn't hurt and is super fast.
TSG: Ok, I guess I will do it.
Me: Can I see your ID?

Now this is the time I get her paperwork ready and they stand in the lobby bickering about how it's not going to hurt and she is being stupid etc etc. I set up and come back to get her. Now the following conversation was short and just going to cover my interaction between TIKEAPBMMTMTGMTPTYA because the piercing actually went quite easy.

TIKEAPBMMTMTGMTPTYA: This is so cool, I really want to be a piercer one day!
Me: Yeah?
TIKEAPBMMTMTGMTPTYA: Yeah I know SOOOO much about it! I even do all my own piercings!
Me: Oh My God, you do what?!
TIKEAPBMMTMTGMTPTYA: Well I do a really good job and everything is sterile.
Me: Do you have an autoclave?
TIKEAPBMMTMTGMTPTYA: A what?
Me: Nevermind
TIKEAPBMMTMTGMTPTYA: So is it just an online course or something? I want to start as soon as possible.
Me: (this is where I struggle hard to maintain my composure and my professionalism) No, it is a hard profession to get into. You have to be very driven and need to find someone who will teach you.
TIKEAPBMMTMTGMTPTYA: Do you make a lot of money?
Me: I would rather not discuss this.
TIKEAPBMMTMTGMTPTYA: I am SO going to do this!
Me: *cough* no you're not

Anyhoo, I just had to get that off my chest. If it is you I am speaking of, I apologize (well, not really) If you have encountered it you will know exactly what I'm talking about.

Raise your hand if you want to hang from meat hooks!!

So Seth introduced me to a gentleman by the name of Mason out of Maryland. He runs a suspension group out there and I have been dying to learn. So Seth calls him up and guess what? He sent me a list of supplies and should be here in a few months to teach Seth and I how to rig. I am SO FUCKING EXCITED!!!!! Ehem, did I mention I was excited? Seth and I eventually want to start our own team right here in little ol' Groton. If your interested in suspending, or just want to watch, keep an eye on us. We just might be hanging your Mom from hooks in the near future! If you have no idea what I am talking about, check out this link:

BMEzine Encyclopedia: Suspension

And just for you who don't like to read:

Photo courtesy suspension.org
God that's beautiful! Hope I 'hooked you in' Mahahahahaha!

I have a new Apprentice

I am sooooooo excited! I have finally got a new apprentice since Kendra's quick exit a few months ago. His name is Seth, and he is AWESOME!

Isn't he handsome?

You guys should all come down and meet him, because pretty soon, he will be piercing when I'm not there. Check out his Blog for more info about this righteous dude!

Holey Man-Chronicles of a Piercing Apprentice

Needles, needles everywhere and not a drop of blood!

So twice a year I always have this special. All basic piercings are $20. That special has started now. So come in and get a piercing, or two, or three.....come on, I'm bored! You won't get a deal like this again for another 6 months so hurry your butt up! It ends on Sept. 30th. For all the details like restrictions and such, CLICK HERE!

You can also use this special to fill up your stamp card. See below:

So come in and let me stab you, you know you want to!

It is NOT infected!

If I had a dollar for every time someone came to me to freaking out that their piercing is infected, I wouldn't have to work! Let me tell you, if you follow your Piercer's directions, and take care of your piercing, you have a better chance of getting the plague than dying from an infected piercing. Most the time, the piercing is in the second stage of healing i.e. swelling, redness and oozing. This is not infection. The cream colored fluid that leaks from your piercing is called Lymph Secretions, it is NOT pus. Trust me, if you had an infection, you would KNOW IT! Most people make the mistake of confusing irritation and infection. Infections usually present themselves first with a fever. Then you will have tenderness around the piercing with a brown or green colored ooze that smells terrible. If in doubt, go see your Piercer. Granted, we are not Doctors, but we usually can tell the difference between infection and irritation. Irritation can usually be remedied by saline soaks or something as simple as a jewelry change. Infection on the other hand must be treated with antibiotics you can only get from your Doctor. This can be in the form of oral antibiotics or Bactroban cream. Do not remove your jewelry if you think you have an infection. Doing this can make it worse and cause something called an abcess where the infection gets trapped under the skin. DO NOT EVER TRY TO TREAT AN INFECTION YOURSELF! Using antibacterial substances such as alcohol or iodine will actually make your infection worse. When in doubt, contact your Piercer for advice!

You can DIE!

According to many articles by so-called health "professionals", if you get your tongue pierced, you will most certainly die. Bah! What I am seeing is a trend of hell bent conservative fascists who think that body piercing is the Devil. Seriously, DIE? Come on! There has been no facts proving that a tongue piercing is dangerous if done properly. These are my favorite:

A study from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in New York presented results on 4,500 adolescents aged 12 to 21 and found that teens with body piercings are more likely to smoke cigarettes, use drugs and exhibit other types of unhealthy behavior.
TWEENS & TEENS News January 2006

Ok, so I think I am going to go get my tongue pierced than wreak havoc on Society! Really, I am sure the cause of their behavior is not due to the fact they have a barbell in their tongue!

Here are the fatal dangers of tongue piercing:

* The barbell of the jewelry can become loose and can go down in a wrong way i.e. it can wind up in your lungs. Now you can imagine clearly the consequences, if it really happens with you.
* Your mouth is full of bacteria and it contains major blood vessels which can spread deadly infection to the brain which can easily kill you.
* Chances are there that you can get a serious infection like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, if the artist by chance uses unsterilized equipment.
* In extreme cases it may cause blood poisoning which ultimately leads to death.
* It may cause oral cancers.
* Your tongue can swell so large blocking your airways, and ultimately leading to death.
* It can cause speech impediments.
* Deep cyst formation
* Severe damaging of veins and nerves
* Neuromas i.e. overgrowth of nerve tissue
* Endocarditis, it’s a disease caused when bacteria enters the bloodstream and damages the heart valves.

Here are some dangerous consequences of tongue piercing:

* In one case, a 25-year-old woman who was admitted to hospital after her tongue swelled up. She was found to be suffering from a rare condition called Ludwig’s Angina which did not respond to antibiotics. This news came in the British Dental Journal.
* In one case, a teenage boy in England died of blood poisoning after getting his lip pierced. This news was published in the London’s Telegraph in November 2005.
* In another case, a young girl died from Brain Abscess following a tongue piercing. This condition is rare, but it can happen to you too.

Think hundred times before you go for a tongue piercing!
YgoY News December 17, 2007

Now for the second part. Yes, you can swallow the jewelry, I have a dozen times, but I have yet to hear of anyone dying from it. Now as for all the bacteria that easily kill you. If that was the case, you could die from biting your tongue! As for Hep C and HIV, there have been 2 confirmed cases of Hep C TOTAL in the country and not a single case of HIV! Blood poisoning and cancer, for Christ's sake! The lists goes on and on. As for the "Dangerous Consequences" There are no facts showing that the cause of the conditions presented are related in any way to the tongue piercing. Information like this is rampant on the internet and in the media! There have been cases of tooth damage and gum recession. This is mostly from Piercers with lack of experience or the Client not following proper aftercare. There is always risks associated with body piercing. As long as you have a Piercer who knows what they are doing and follow the instructions, you will be fine.

Over 80 Million Ears Pierced Worldwide!

That's what my Arch Nemisis CLAIRE'S likes to advertise. How I see it is, that is over 80 million ears put through the blunt force trauma of an ear piercing gun wielded by some 17 year old girl trying to make some cash on summer break. Face it people, ear piercing guns are NOT SAFE! They can damage the delicate tissue, the jewelry is not meant for initial piercing and then the aftercare they give you, *oh the horror* is just asking to give you an infection. If you have never seen their so-called professional ear piercing aftercare video, please don't. It really is the exact opposite of what any real body piercer worth their salt will tell you. Don't get me wrong, it is not just them. Some "professional" piercers actually use guns in their studios to pierce not just ears, but other body parts as well! Check out the example below:

This poor girl came to me for some help. You see her Tragus was pierced at a "professional" studio with a gun. You can't tell, but the gems on her earrings are BLUE! I had to dig those crappy pieces of jewelry out of her ears and replace them with high quality cbr's. She finally healed, but learned a valuable lesson. It may be cheap, but will cost you a ton in the long run! If you really want a piercing, go see a reputable piercer. A great place to start is The Association of Professional Piercers They have a ton of great information and links to qualified piercers in your area.

Welcome to the House of Pain!

My name is Niki and I have been a Body Piercer for 5 years. I have had the pleasure of seeing some amazing body modification and some not-so-good examples. I love my job. I mean I LOVE it! Body Modification is my life. I eat, breath and sleep it. I have dedicated my life to perfecting my skills and being the best artist I can be in this ever changing field. I decided to start this blog to enlighten those souls that are drawn to body modification in hopes of educating them. You will find bits and pieces of everything here from my own work, to work that should have never been done. I am sure you will also find a funny story or two (my job can be quite humorous) and even a few touching moments. Welcome to my House of Pain!