[lucizoe]

miss_jane, go to your favorite piercer and ask her/him if they would be willing to take you on as an apprentice. Because there is no formalized training organization for body piercing (at least in the US), most people just ask around.

My piercer taught pretty much all of his current competitors the trade, so he has stopped taking apprentices. As far as I could tell, though, they were just people he knew who wanted to learn.

Have fun!

[culturehandy]

I did the nipple thing, and it turned out fabulously!

Miss_jane, I thought that for any sort of apprentice ship you just went out and did it. I could be wrong, but I thought you just went and asked about learning. There probably is a formal process though.

[miss_jane]

I'd say its probably best to wait for one open wound to heal before gaining another. No logic behind that but gut instinct =)You don't want to overload your body, especially if you did get any sort of infection.

[postsecret]

I know i should've asked the dentist but i totally forgot. I just got a few teeth pulled today, how long should i wait to get my tongue pierced?

[miss_jane]

Try putting half a teaspoon of sea salt into a cup of boiling water and letting it cool until you can bear it on your skin. Then do soak a cotton pad in the solution and hold it over it. This will draw out any impurities there could be. Infections usually hurt though (or at least all mine have!) so I'm not really sure what it is. I guess it could be scar tissue. You're best bet is to go and ask your piercer.

ETA: Does anyone know anything about piercing apprenticeships, i.e how to go about getting one!?

[indigo_black1]

I've had both ears pierced on the cartilage for several years and I can tell you that what you described has happened to both my ears and recurs whenever my ears are knocked or bumped. Sometimes they make my ears tender but the thing to do is NOT take it out. Honestly, the only way to get rid of a minor infection like that without losing the piercing is to just ride it out. Nothing bad has ever happened to me from ignoring the lumps. Eventually many of them have released pus and/or gone a bit crusty but those that haven't have just disappeared on their own. If it feels a bit sore, clean it with an antiseptic (your piercer should have given you one but if not, try to buy one in Claire's because that's what I use and it works great) about 3 times a day. Just dab a bit on a cotton pad and hold it against your ear for a few seconds then wipe away.

My earrings have also cut into the lumps but I've just left it alone, cleaned it daily and turned the stud once a day to stop it sticking and it's been fine. Trust me.

I had a granuloma on my face last year and it was totally different. A granuloma is a proliferation of blood vessels in one spot. It starts off looking like a blood vessel is growing, then it turns into a spot that looks like a pimple. It will be VERY red in colour and not a rounded lump but a sharp little nub that looks like it's filled with blood. They bleed profusely if touched or picked too. I would guess it's unlikely that you have a granuloma but probably just a little reaction to the piercing that will go away if you leave it long enough. The same thing even happened with my nose piercing and I just rode out the grossness until it disappeared.

Let us know how it goes though! Good luck.

[clairebear3]

Can someone help me out with a funny ear? Years ago I had my ear pierced at the top (cartilage) but after a while I had this strange lump on the back which slowly got bigger and bigger until I had to take the earring (regular stud) out because the back was 'cutting' into the lump.

Now about 2 months ago I had it done again in the other ear. Everything was going perfectly but it got knocked really hard and now the same thing is happening again. A bump of the the front and the back but next to the hole not on it. There's no pus and it's not particularly sore. It kind of feels like a bubble but thicker and definetly not poppable.

I found one site that suggested granuloma and to hold a hot compress on it twice a day. I don't think it's keloid.

Anyone have any clue? thx