Stay Gold, Ponyboy: A Discussion Of Gold Use In Body Jewelry

White Gold "Snowflower" from BVLA

   Not a day goes by that I don't hear at least one new client complain about not being able to wear any metal earrings that are not composed of gold. In most of these cases we can link the sensitivities the client experiences back to a gun piercing, most likely during infant or toddler years. And while it is important to note that this is not an uncommon occurrence with gun piercings (or self contained piercing implements like you might see at retail stores and in mall kiosks), in many cases wearing a metal alloy that meets implantation standards solves the problem without the cost associated with gold jewelry. My niece Chloe, for example, has a similar sensitivity and we have combated it by switching her earrings to titanium jewelry that meets the ASTM F-136 implantation standard for alloyed titanium. In other words the metal alloy her earrings are made of meet the same standard as a titanium medical implant device. Furthermore, any nickel content is negligible. In fact the most recent mill certificate I read from the supplier of the jewelry she wears said there is 7/1000ths of a single percent of nickel present. In other words it is virtually nonexistent. That is important to note because nickel is a huge sensitizer for most people, and is most likely attributable for the sensitivities and allergies in many of the clients who can only wear gold. One interesting report said that children who had their ears pierced after obtaining orthodontic procedures like braces have a lower chance of developing these sensitivities. The theory is that while the piercing experience is the same blunt force tearing through the tissue with a spring loaded mechanism, and the jewelry may contain the same impurities, the child has a slower, less invasive chance to adapt to the impurities through their oral contact with braces. In almost every case I have seen personally, when pierced with disposable needles and implant grade materials, no known sensitivities were developed. This alone is reason enough to pay a little more and bring your kids to a reputable piercing studio instead of the lower cost kiosks and retailers. What parent would knowingly risk their child's health and comfort?

Tri-Tone Gold
"Desiree" Septum Ring
by BVLA

   But for those who have already been damaged, re-piercing or even trying implant grade materials may scare them. Many of these clients would prefer to stick with what they know already works, Gold. Many other clients might simply be drawn to the value, the shine, or the coloring of Gold. All of these features are excellent reason to consider Gold body jewelry. In fact for the average person, Platinum will be the most bio-compatible and least problematic material. However for most of us it is a bit cost prohibitive and so we look next at Gold. Gold jewelry is also an alloy much like the titanium mentioned earlier. An alloy is a mixture of two or more metals, usually with the hopes of retaining certain positive properties and losing other negative ones. In the past I have told clients how the term "surgical steel" does not mean their jewelry is body safe. There is a steel alloy that meets an ASTM implantation standard, but not all steel meets that standard. Not even all surgical steel meets that standard. Surgical steel instead usually implies that it is a steel alloy that does not corrode easily. This is important for surgical tools because they are often sterilized under a steam pressure process, and many are also exposed to harsh chemicals known for causing corrosion. In order to achieve this low corrosion steel, certain metals are added in precise measurements that will change the properties of the whole alloy to achieve the desired effects. It is very much like cooking or baking, except you're doing it with metals. A slight change in ingredient amount could turn a cake into a cookie, or cornbread into hush puppies if you happen to be from the South like me. Like the difference between a variety of gravies and sauces, for example, despite them all starting from a roux.

Yellow Gold Set Heart Shaped Gems by BVLA

   Most of the metals we use for initial jewelry are in fact alloys. Just like the Gold pendants and rings you've encountered throughout life. Wedding bands, engagement rings, class rings, etc. Alloys give Gold certain desirable traits like coloring, strength, workable melting points, and the like. So when we are purchasing Gold jewelry it is important to pay attention to the purity of the alloy as this will let us know if there is enough Gold present to meet our needs. For body jewelry we stay in the 14 karat to 18 karat range. Too much gold and the jewelry becomes soft and easily scratched and marked up. Too little gold and we are more at risk of potential reactions to the other metals in the alloy.

Black Rhodium Plated White Gold Crown
Set White Opal by BVLA

   A 14 karat Gold piece of jewelry is 58.33% - 62.50% Gold by mass (however not by volume, depending on metals in the alloy, the volume of gold might be even lower if it is more dense than other metals used). Similarly, an 18 karat Gold piece of jewelry is 75.00% - 79.16% Gold by mass. Which means the rest of the composition in each case has to be made of "other metals". Logic would dictate that 18 karat Gold is more expensive than 14 karat, as it has a higher percentage of the precious metal. However we don't often realize that even 75% Gold leaves quite a lot of room for other metals that could be impurities or cause reactions. 25% by mass in this stated scenario, that's an entire 1/4 of the finished piece. In many cases the Gold is alloyed with Copper and Silver in various amounts to make it malleable or to change the coloring. White gold is very commonly alloyed with nickel, and since we already talked about how sensitive the human body can be to Nickel, it is only common sense to avoid this jewelry. Instead look for white gold that is specifically alloyed with Palladium. It may cost a little bit more, but it reduces the risk of unwanted reactions to the jewelry. If a piece of White Gold jewelry does not state that it is Palladium based, do not assume it to be so unless you have a guarantee from the manufacturer. This is but one of the many reasons we order jewelry from the best manufacturers on the planet. Lifetime guarantees regarding their craftsmanship, and no question about the content of their alloys. 

Rose Gold "Lightspeed" by BVLA

   Keep in mind that Gold alloys are a very proprietary mixture and many manufacturers do not divulge the exact ingredients or amounts of their alloys. This can make purchasing gold body jewelry a much more risky purchase unless the consumer is familiar with quality brands, or retailers refuse to carry lower quality manufacturers. At Anomaly we order most of our Gold or Platinum jewelry from Body Vision Los Angeles, NeoMetal, Anatometal, Scylla, or we make it in house. There are few exceptions to this rule because we have no interest in putting our clients at risk with Gold jewelry we can not vouch for. NeoMetal does make some White Gold pieces that are alloyed with Nickel instead of Palladium, but their catalog easily points them out so that we can steer clear of them in unhealed piercings. Anatometal only makes jewelry in 18 karat because they feel 14 karat leaves too much room for added "other" metals and potential impurities, like us they only want to offer the best of the best. As stated previously 14 karat and 18 karat both should be fine for initial piercings provided they come from a reputable company with a understanding of body piercings. Most of the companies mentioned have former body piercers on their staff so that the intended use of the jewelry is in line with the design and material criteria. 

Rose Gold "Rose" Setting
with Ocean Blue Diamonds
and White Opal Center
by BVLA

   Far too many times than I would like to admit have I seen clients attempt to save a few bucks by purchasing gold jewelry online or from a traditional jeweler. In the end of most of them were unable to wear the pieces purchased. In some instances the materials were not adequate for our needs. In most cases the design is simply unrealistic for a body piercing. Poor angles, rough finish, and even karat stamping on the wearing surface are all reasons to avoid buying jewelry from a website or from a traditional jeweler. A piercer is trained to help you get the safest piece that can meet your needs. Find a local piercer that you trust, who understands all of the issues we have addressed in this blog, and allow them to assist you in your purchases and orders. We love seeing the smile on your face when you are happy, it's part of our job to help get you to that point. 

   Now that you know some of the considerations for purchasing gold jewelry, you can go out into the world as an educated consumer and make your dreams come true without the fear of being taken advantage of. The season for giving gifts is upon us as I write this blog, and I can't help but smile to think of all the great Gold and fine gem stone jewelry that my clients have on order for the special people in their lives. There really is something wonderful about the way Gold accents our lives, our character, our piercings. And the best part of all is that over the long term, the value of the Gold tends to increase dramatically. That's not something that can be said about Steel or Titanium, not even the implant grade versions. Gold body jewelry is becoming such a sought after accessory, that we can even get you an appraisal for your insurance company if you would like to insure your jewelry like any other fine piece you own. I've known clients to save money for months, make payment arrangements, and even use some of their profits from selling their house to get the most fitting and beautiful Gold body jewelry they can design. I have never once heard a single person complain, instead they rejoice when that custom piece finally arrives. Which is perhaps one last benefit of Gold jewelry; the ability to customize, change or create something completely new exists with Gold jewelry. Most Titanium and Steel pieces have to be machined in bulk to be worth their cost, doing a custom one-off design is pretty cost prohibitive for such inexpensive materials. Gold can be worked by hand by fine craftsmen on a piece by piece basis, and typically just increases in value as the years roll by. So it doesn't matter if you want it to have a yellow tone, a rose tone or a silvery one. There is a Gold out there with your name on it, and maybe even some custom stone settings as well.

I hope this post has been informative and fun, if you have any questions feel free to email me at anomalyart@gmail.com.

Wado (Thank You),
-Brett Perkins

On the Current State of an Outbreak: Ebola.

   Whenever I pierce someone, we have a discussion regarding the care they will need to take for proper healing. One of the bullet points we regularly discuss is the avoidance of contact with other people's body fluids. Sometimes when this topic comes up, I'll get some weird looks of disgust from my clients and I realize they are only thinking of the obvious. You wouldn't want to let someone's blood, tears, sexual fluids or saliva have contact with your fresh piercing. But one of the things we often don't think about is sweat. I would tell my clients "while it isn't likely you will catch a disease from someone else's sweat, the differences in pH alone may irritate your piercing or disturb the healing in progress." For this reason we try to avoid sharing pillow cases, telephones and headphones when there are fresh piercings on our ears for instance. Today though there are more serious implications to consider with sweat and other body fluids. It's in the news, all over the television and internet. I would be hard pressed to find a single American who is not aware that we are currently facing a new potential threat from a couple of viruses we formerly thought couldn't touch us. A disease that is spread by contact with body fluids. Including, but not limited to, sweat. A disease we call Ebola.

   According to the CDC, Ebola is the biggest threat to health care workers and their families, and air travel workers. That's because until recently Ebola outbreaks had been pretty well restricted to a few countries in Africa. Most of the people who had interactions with those infected were usually their caretakers, medical personnel. When someone who is infected tries to travel (usually because they don't realize the severity of their illness and believe they just have a cold or flu), travel personnel become the next most likely to become infected as they are the ones in the most contact. I can recall from my own experience traveling about a year ago. I had started exhibiting flu like symptoms the night before, after waiting in an Emergency Room while my niece was treated for some bug that we probably jokingly told her at the time was Ebola. Up until recently I'm not even 100% sure that I knew Ebola was a real thing and not a fictitious virus made up by Hollywood for movie purposes. The next morning I had an early flight home to Los Angeles, and although my symptoms had increased to extremely uncomfortable levels I knew I had to be back home. I could not simply stay away because I had a fever and felt fatigued and needed to be close to a restroom at most times. I got on the flight, and for the first time in my life used one of those little wax lined bags they keep in the seat pocket. I never vomit. Ever. So you can imagine my dismay and slight confusion. My first instinct was to ring the bell for the flight attendant, while I sat there in shock and embarrassment hoping to God I had contained the smell and spared the strangers in the surrounding seats. I felt clammy, I was extremely tired and uncomfortable, there was turbulence (which probably helped hide my illness and just made me seem like I had motion sickness), I wanted to be 10 years old and have someone wait on me and tell me I'd get better soon. I didn't know what the attendant would do, but I thought maybe she could at least give me a napkin or a wet wipe. I didn't blame her for just instructing me to go to the bathroom. It wasn't her mess to clean up, I wasn't her child. But now in the light of this Ebola outbreak, I realize just how incredibly smart that was for her not to get close or touch anything near me. I'm sure they are taught this in flight attendant school. Surely it is part of their Standard Practices for executing their job duties. Unfortunately, nobody knows what I touched or did once I was in the restroom. Nobody knew I was a body piercer that typically has a handwashing ritual in every place he goes that he has very little direct contact with any public surfaces. I could have been the average Joe and spread trace amounts of my sickness all over the restroom in microscopic proportions, unwittingly infecting the next few people that use the same restroom until we landed and *hopefully* a crew disinfected the restrooms. I'm not even sure how frequently airplane restrooms get disinfected. It was a simpler time only a year ago.

   Two imported cases have brought Ebola to the United States - one of which being fatal already - where two more reported cases have been locally acquired. There has been a lot of opinion and speculation on the current state of preparedness in the US, and the potential likelihood of a mass outbreak happening here. We all want someone to blame when we no longer feel safe. We have lived such a life of privilege and luxury as contemporary humans in a modern society, we tend to think it preposterous that we should be responsible for our own part in our survival and well being. And we tend to relax a lot on the rules established for the good of humanity. This can be proven very easily in the case of Ebola in America. While health care workers point blame at hospitals for not supplying correct precautionary equipment to treat Ebola patients, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration released a newly updated Fact Sheet on Ebola. This fact sheet is designed to helped limit occupational exposure to the viruses that cause Ebola. The problem is, NONE OF THIS INFORMATION IS NEW. Let me clarify, none of this information is new information for reputable body piercing establishments. All of the precautionary practices and equipment recommended should already be in place at your local body art facility, or else you should immediately STOP GOING THERE. And this has been standard operation since before Ebola was on our radar. Maybe not before the outbreaks of the 1970s in West Africa, but definitely since the beginning of Anomaly's history over 10 years ago. Let's take a closer look at some of the OSHA recommendations to see what I mean...

• Immediately clean and disinfect any visible surface contamination from blood, urine, feces, vomit, or other body fluids that may contain Ebola virus. One of the good habits of asepsis is making sure that contamination is taken care of immediately. Long before Ebola was a concern, Anomaly instated practices that specifically do this very thing.
•  After disinfecting and removing bulk material, clean and decontaminate the surface using [a suitable] disinfectant. Anomaly has been concerned with limiting any potential spread of infectious matter since our inception, not just Ebola, and for that reason we have always employed the best disinfectants on the market. We choose to use the ones that are least damaging to our environment whenever effective. Products like SciCan Optim 33TB which has a very short one minute contact time for effectiveness against non-enveloped viruses. Possibly the shortest contact time for effectiveness available. 
• Ensure adequate ventilation in areas where workers are using disinfectants, including by opening windows and doors, or using mechanical ventilation equipment. Anomaly incorporates the use of UV air filters and cleansers in our procedure room.
• Use appropriate protective equipment: Nitrile gloves, fluid impermeable gowns, goggles or face shields, and face masks that cover the nose and mouth. Anomaly has always used liquid proof aprons and sleeves, full facemasks including eye shields, and the best Nitrile exam gloves on the market for cleaning and disinfecting in our studio. To take it one step further, almost exactly one year ago we incorporated a "fully disposable" business model that does not disinfect or reuse any critical implements or tools. Meaning even though we have a functioning autoclave sterilizer, we still do not reuse tools or items from one client to another like most studios.
• Avoid cleaning techniques, such as using pressurized air or water sprays, that may result in the generation of bio-aerosols (aerosolized droplets containing infectious particles that can be inhaled). Anomaly uses disinfectant wipes that are impregnated with Optim 33TB for most of our hard surface disinfecting. The contact time for this product to be effective is astonishingly only one minute, beating many other products by about ten full minutes yet still remaining safer for the environment. Since we use products only in wipe form or waterpick style spray bottles, the hazards of bio-aerosols are practically eliminated. Products in spray bottles that mist like glass cleaners, for example, or hard sprayers, can kick up particles of potentially harmful materials that are then spread around to surfaces thought to be clean, or inhaled into the body. Our studio also does not reprocess tools, so equipment like ultrasonic cleaners that create additional bio-aerosols, are not employed in our studio.
• It may be necessary to dispose of contaminated objects with porous surfaces that cannot be disinfected. As mentioned previously, our studio operates on a disposable implement basis. We keep critical tool and equipment usage to a minimum, and dispose of used objects like clamps, pliers or tapers, never allowing them to come in contact with more than one client. In terms of Ebola, this means clients as well as employees are spared potential infection from used tools. Reprocessing tools can be a big risk for employees of studios and must be done in a very specific order with very specific materials. We are proud to have eliminated that risk, making our work environment a little safer for our employees and our clients. Even if it does cost more to function this way. 
• Employers must ensure that they comply with OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, to protect workers who may be exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials. The Bloodborne Pathogen standard mentioned here is the EXACT same standard that body art facilities are required to follow in order to operate in the State of California. This standard is established to help protect employees from contracting any number of potentially harmful diseases from body fluids. It is refreshing to know the same standard is fully effective for Ebola, but once again we have been following this for the last decade since our studio opened. EVEN BEFORE IT WAS A STATE LAW. And as required by law, we update our training annually.

   So you may be asking yourself, "If the guidelines to keep me safe from Ebola are guidelines body art facilities should be following, why are people getting infected?" And honestly that is a great question to ask. I don't think I can answer it completely as many factors exist, but I would surely care to venture a guess or two. First off, I think the biggest culprit we have to blame is human nature. Without admitting publicly to anyone else, how many times have you slacked off out of complacency or boredom with the same routine at work? How many times have you accidentally made a mistake simply because you weren't paying attention? How many times because you were under the gun to produce something quickly and the overload of stress inevitably left something overlooked?

   It happens to us all at some point in our lives. For many of us, that means an incorrect number on a spread sheet or an extra character typed in a line of code, or forgetting to tie the trash can liner tight so that heavy items don't suck the bag inside. But if your "every day" is in a health care setting, the smallest mistake at the wrong time could lead to serious complications. We read stories of surgeons accidentally leaving tools inside patients, operating on the wrong side of the body, or using skin preps the patient has an extreme allergy to. None of these things were done out of malice, in fact quite the opposite. Out of the desire to help save and heal someone. Yet "accidents will happen" Elvis Costello says. And even beyond the simple fact that we all make mistakes as flawed humans, consider also how many thankless hours medical professionals spend at work and on call. It's truly an inspiration that anyone chooses to do it for a lifetime. But imagine also if mistakes were made during the training of said individuals. What if certain practices meant to keep them safe were not expressly pointed out to be as important as they are. Surely a nurse or doctor or other worker wouldn't even realize that some break in their aseptic technique - from a lack in understanding just how important that one thing is - is the weakest link in a chain of protection from what could be the next big outbreak. Imagine if an error in accounting at the hospital did not budget enough for the protective equipment needed to handle serious issues. That doesn't stop potentially infected people from requiring treatment. Imagine what an error or a typo in supply orders could do. I've seen piercers and nurses who don't even wash their hands effectively. It's not that they want to get sick or spread illnesses. It's usually that they either don't know better or they have become so complacent relying on the rest of their protective equipment and fancy sterilizer to do the work and make them seem "clean", they forget that HANDWASHING IS THE FIRST STEP in breaking the chain of infection. The first line of defense in protection.

   Speaking of piercers, one of my oldest and dearest friends recently asked me how I make sure my employees follow practices and protocols like those outlined in this blog. In other words, what sets my studio apart from the many others as well as the many clinics and health care settings where illnesses are often contracted instead of stopped (remember the story I told about getting sick on the airplane? I contracted my stomach bug from a hospital Emergency Room, sitting in the waiting room the whole time). My friend's question really made me think. Why am I not as concerned about my health in my studio? Why do clinical settings worry me more? And a few ideas hit me almost immediately. First, I know the cleaning regimen for my studio and the protocols and products used. Most of the time I am the person doing the cleaning, at least in the critical areas like procedure rooms for sure. Secondly, I oversee the training of my employees when it comes to these procedures, and I don't skimp on getting the best product for the task. Third, our studio handles minimally invasive procedures people are electing to get of their own free will. Meaning the clients are in good health, and we have no limit on the amount of time needed to do the procedure correctly and to minimize potential contamination. We don't do anything that is life saving (although some people may feel emotionally at times that it has been life changing), we do not ever have a true emergency. We are not rushed to resuscitate a client or to stop a fountain of severed artery. We are merely piercers and that affords us the ability to slow down and do things with precision every time. Fourth, we don't create much waste. We use the least amount of materials needed for a single piercing, we do not reuse any critical items, and we rarely see very much residual bleeding or other body fluids present during our procedures. I'd hate to jinx myself, but it's been years since a client has vomited from excitement or nervousness. Years. Lastly though, and this is the biggest one, I don't hire anyone who doesn't have the drive to be the absolute best piercer possible. I don't settle for piercers who are too lazy to do things right. Anomaly has a tradition of piercers who want to continually learn and grow and strive to be the best. This mentality keeps our piercers fresh and hungry to do things right every time. It also keeps us constantly re-evaluating how we are doing things and evolving our procedures and approaches. We don't need to be threatened by the negative media scare of Ebola, we have the positive desire stay on the forefront of our industry and to keep all of our employees and clients safe and healthy. And all of this at an extremely competitive price when you take into account our much higher cost of doing business the right way. But I have always said my clients are a part of my life, I believe they all deserve the best. Thank you once again for your time and your thoughts. I truly appreciate all the feedback I get from these blog entries. As always you may reach me at anomalyart@gmail.com if you have any further questions or suggestions.

Wado (Thank You),
-Brett Perkins