1. CHOOSE A REPUTABLE BODY PIERCER
As someone who struggles with mental health issues — specifically obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) — I experience frequent anxiety prior to piercing procedures. OCD is a mental illness that causes unwanted thoughts or sensations (obsessions) or the urge to do something repeatedly (compulsions). I’ve concluded that choosing a reputable body piercer who has honed their craft and has great bedside manner is half of the battle. Most of my fears are the OCD talking. I have contamination fears and struggle with a form of ‘just right’ and symmetry OCD, frequently doubting whether things are straight or aligned properly.
Here at New Flower Studio, within the first five to ten minutes of sitting on the exam table in the piercing room, I begin to relax. I’ve been pierced by John Johnson, who does a great job alleviating any pre-piercing anxiety I have by explaining each step of the process and educating me on things such as discomfort I may feel during or after the procedure, swelling, and jewelry size and style. It helps that he creates small talk, distracting me from the impending doom, and together, we always practice deep breathing. There are no surprises when it comes to the actual piercing which helps keep me calm. Even the exam room is cleaner than my own doctor’s office! As a result, my OCD is easier to manage.
2. RECOGNIZE DIVERSITY WITHIN THE BODY PIERCING AND MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITY
It’s important to note that everyone experiences a little pre-piercing anxiety. The difference, however, is that mental illnesses such as OCD often exacerbate anxiety. They cause a client like myself to ruminate on potential problems or engage in harmful ‘checking behaviors,’ such as frequently looking in the mirror to scrutinize a healing piercing. I’ve even replayed a piercing procedure over in my mind to ensure that the piercer donned fresh gloves, performed hand hygiene, or used new needles for the piercing itself. Often, my OCD lies to me, nagging at me about a fresh or healed piercing appearing crooked. Sometimes it tells me that a piercing is migrating or rejecting.
Along with medication and the help of a licensed therapist who specializes in diagnosing and treating mental health issues, a reputable piercer will explain the process the body goes through as it heals, help clients better understand piercing migration, and finally, show them how to love a piercing whether it’s slightly red and crusty or happy, healthy, and fully healed!
3. UNDERSTAND WHAT SETS A GOOD STUDIO APART FROM A GREAT STUDIO
A good piercing studio will use decent-quality jewelry and sterilize jewelry as well as tools in an autoclave. They will have piercers on staff who perform hand hygiene before, during, and after the piercing procedure. These piercers will also don fresh examination gloves throughout a client’s appointment. A great studio, however, will offer superior service to its clientele.
Great studios like New Flower use high-quality, implant-grade jewelry, invest in sterile gloves, and encourage piercing check-ups for clients to help additional anxieties subside. There is also solid communication between front of house staff and the piercer. This is crucial when it comes to managing mental health issues. It’s also important to note that there is no such thing as a ridiculous or silly question. What seems silly to one person might seem really important or even urgent to a client like myself who struggles with their mental health.
4. KEEP LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN
Additionally, if you plan to get a piercing and are taking medication for a mental health diagnosis, communication is key. Speak with your doctor and piercer about any questions or concerns you may have. You should also communicate specific side effects with your piercer. For example, I take a medication called Fluvoxamine, generic for Luvox. A common side effect of this drug is increased bleeding.
Fluvoxamine is an antidepressant which is frequently prescribed for the treatment of OCD. It is not in the same category as anticoagulants, commonly referred to as blood thinners. It does, however, cause an increase in skin sensitivity and can affect the rate at which the body heals. Seeking a piercer who is licensed in first aid, CPR, and blood-borne pathogens certified such as John Johnson of New Flower Studio has provided extra comfort during the piercing procedure.
I’ve made sure to communicate the name of the drug I take and the side effects with John. A reputable studio will appreciate the heads-up as well as respect the initiative it took on your part as the client to put your own health and safety and that of the piercer, above instant gratification when it comes to getting that new piercing you’ve wanted for SO long. Because let’s face it — we’ve all been there and can relate to the feeling of walking up to a full-length mirror in the exam room, admiring a gorgeous new piece of jewelry that is well-placed in the body.
5. THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH AND CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
One of my favorite things as a children’s book author is showing how my book characters manage their fears and anxieties. Growing up, I experienced anxiety over everything from blood draws to getting my ears pierced. As someone who struggles with mental health issues, it has been a journey for me to become comfortable expressing my thoughts, feelings, and emotions prior to, and after, any uncomfortable procedure.
I frequently include mental health topics such as OCD and anxiety, piercing procedures, information on piercing organizations such as the Association of Professional Piercers (APP), and tips on managing needle phobias in my books, as readers will come to learn in my latest release. It’s a young middle grade fiction book about an 11-year-old girl named Riley Wringer who struggles with OCD and anxiety.
Piercings are definitely a passion of mine — specifically cartilage piercings like the rook, daith, conch, tragus, helix, and forward helix — and they are super fun to include in my writing. In case you were wondering, my favorite piercing is my flat piercing performed by John Johnson at New Flower Studio in Long Beach, California.
Learn more at missmclements.com.