Once upon a time, I was working in a bookstore and one of my coworkers saw my own tragus piercing and proceeded to inform me that the piercing was incredibly dangerous because there is a nerve there and if they pierce it, it will paralyze your face. “No, there isn’t,” I said dryly, trying to extract myself from her eager jabbering. She continued to explain that this was dangerous and then did something that I really, really hate. She reached out and put her grubby finger on my piercing while asking, “Doesn’t that hurt?” I actually flinched and likely responded by telling her that yes, it hurt terribly and I was in constant pain, followed by a roll of my eyes.
What’s the purpose of this trip down memory lane? Urban legends, myths and misconceptions. We’ve all heard them, I’m sure. The dreaded nerve that will paralyze your entire face. Piercing your tongue will cause you to lose all your sensation of taste. If you have a tattoo over your spine you can’t get an epidural. Some of them are funny, some of them are ridiculous but the point is, people believe them and that can have consequences.
BME has always tried to serve not only as a documentation of body modification but as a platform for education. Here’s where you come in readers. Tell me about what urban legends, myths and misconceptions you have heard regarding body modification and if you have the knowledge, feel free to also debunk the myth with solid facts. The information we all come up with is going to be included in the new Misconceptions FAQ on the BME Wiki.
So let’s have them! And just so you don’t think I don’t love you, here’s a gratuitous photo of a beautiful woman pulled from the moderation queue.
Meizy’s piercings were done by Mike French and Spider. Her stone trinity spirals are by Oracle.
Comments
288 responses to “Pop rocks and soda pop!”
I have 1″ lobes(only piercings) and am very heavily tattooed. I’ll do mine in point form. Here goes:
-I can’t take my earrings out. Only a professional piercer with special tools can do this.
-The tissue on the inside of my earlobe has never healed and I’m in constant pain.
-through age, gravity, and jewelry my earlobes will probably be somewhere near the ground in my later years.
-Eventualy my tattoos will be indiscernible blobs because you’re skin changes that much as you age.
-You can’t tattoo your palms
-Coloured pigment is more painful than black ink when applied and vice versa.
-All heavily tattooed/modded people LOVE pain.
-All heavily tattooed/modded people are into fetish, bdsm, etc.
-That I want to see your shitty tattoo.
-That I paid too much for mine.
-No matter what we’ll all have a change of heart and reget this later. WHAT WILL WE DOOOO?!?!?!? hahaha
I have 1″ lobes(only piercings) and am very heavily tattooed. I’ll do mine in point form. Here goes:
-I can’t take my earrings out. Only a professional piercer with special tools can do this.
-The tissue on the inside of my earlobe has never healed and I’m in constant pain.
-through age, gravity, and jewelry my earlobes will probably be somewhere near the ground in my later years.
-Eventualy my tattoos will be indiscernible blobs because you’re skin changes that much as you age.
-You can’t tattoo your palms
-Coloured pigment is more painful than black ink when applied and vice versa.
-All heavily tattooed/modded people LOVE pain.
-All heavily tattooed/modded people are into fetish, bdsm, etc.
-That I want to see your shitty tattoo.
-That I paid too much for mine.
-No matter what we’ll all have a change of heart and reget this later. WHAT WILL WE DOOOO?!?!?!? hahaha
that having piercings makes you sick/ill
that having piercings makes you sick/ill
that having piercings makes you sick/ill
that having piercings makes you sick/ill
My housemate recently told me that when people put plugs in their ears, it rots the skin away. That’s why they smell so bad. I tried to be tactful and say “I’m not sure that’s true, it’s a stretching process that takes advantage of skin’s naturally stretchyness” and she was pretty sure I was wrong. I didn’t push it.
It’s less of a misconception, but I get the ‘did it hurt’ question a lot. I say ‘of course it did, that’s part of the point [for me].’ That tends to take people aback…I think they want to hear that either a) it hurt but I got through it because I’m strong/image is that important to me or b) it didn’t hurt at all. I try to explain the whole endorphin thing, mixed with the fact that when things get overwhelming, I use mods (primarily piercings) to bring my focus back, but they’ve either stopped listening or don’t believe me.
My housemate recently told me that when people put plugs in their ears, it rots the skin away. That’s why they smell so bad. I tried to be tactful and say “I’m not sure that’s true, it’s a stretching process that takes advantage of skin’s naturally stretchyness” and she was pretty sure I was wrong. I didn’t push it.
It’s less of a misconception, but I get the ‘did it hurt’ question a lot. I say ‘of course it did, that’s part of the point [for me].’ That tends to take people aback…I think they want to hear that either a) it hurt but I got through it because I’m strong/image is that important to me or b) it didn’t hurt at all. I try to explain the whole endorphin thing, mixed with the fact that when things get overwhelming, I use mods (primarily piercings) to bring my focus back, but they’ve either stopped listening or don’t believe me.
My housemate recently told me that when people put plugs in their ears, it rots the skin away. That’s why they smell so bad. I tried to be tactful and say “I’m not sure that’s true, it’s a stretching process that takes advantage of skin’s naturally stretchyness” and she was pretty sure I was wrong. I didn’t push it.
It’s less of a misconception, but I get the ‘did it hurt’ question a lot. I say ‘of course it did, that’s part of the point [for me].’ That tends to take people aback…I think they want to hear that either a) it hurt but I got through it because I’m strong/image is that important to me or b) it didn’t hurt at all. I try to explain the whole endorphin thing, mixed with the fact that when things get overwhelming, I use mods (primarily piercings) to bring my focus back, but they’ve either stopped listening or don’t believe me.
My housemate recently told me that when people put plugs in their ears, it rots the skin away. That’s why they smell so bad. I tried to be tactful and say “I’m not sure that’s true, it’s a stretching process that takes advantage of skin’s naturally stretchyness” and she was pretty sure I was wrong. I didn’t push it.
It’s less of a misconception, but I get the ‘did it hurt’ question a lot. I say ‘of course it did, that’s part of the point [for me].’ That tends to take people aback…I think they want to hear that either a) it hurt but I got through it because I’m strong/image is that important to me or b) it didn’t hurt at all. I try to explain the whole endorphin thing, mixed with the fact that when things get overwhelming, I use mods (primarily piercings) to bring my focus back, but they’ve either stopped listening or don’t believe me.
Because i have (or anyone has) a genital piercing is a slut, loves sex, etc.
Because i have (or anyone has) a genital piercing is a slut, loves sex, etc.
Because i have (or anyone has) a genital piercing is a slut, loves sex, etc.
Because i have (or anyone has) a genital piercing is a slut, loves sex, etc.
that by having my dick pierced i am compensating for something.
even if that were true, heck yea why wouldnt i want to make sex better?
that by having my dick pierced i am compensating for something.
even if that were true, heck yea why wouldnt i want to make sex better?
that by having my dick pierced i am compensating for something.
even if that were true, heck yea why wouldnt i want to make sex better?
that by having my dick pierced i am compensating for something.
even if that were true, heck yea why wouldnt i want to make sex better?
–People constantly ask if my split tongue is natural, as if I just happened to be born that way! And the expectation that everyone will instantly see it when I talk!
–Also, the classic idea that the more exotic the piercing, the more it must hurt.. God, my tongue split hurt, sure, but the only thing to have ever made me shed a tear was getting my nostril pierced!
–My partner works in a court, and the security guys always look startled when her abundance of piercings don’t set off the metal detectors..
–The assumption that having your penis pierced, however it is done, is a Prince Albert, like there isn’t anything else to be done down there, same with having a VCH means that it’s through your clit..
–You’ll regret that when you’re older!
–People constantly ask if my split tongue is natural, as if I just happened to be born that way! And the expectation that everyone will instantly see it when I talk!
–Also, the classic idea that the more exotic the piercing, the more it must hurt.. God, my tongue split hurt, sure, but the only thing to have ever made me shed a tear was getting my nostril pierced!
–My partner works in a court, and the security guys always look startled when her abundance of piercings don’t set off the metal detectors..
–The assumption that having your penis pierced, however it is done, is a Prince Albert, like there isn’t anything else to be done down there, same with having a VCH means that it’s through your clit..
–You’ll regret that when you’re older!
–People constantly ask if my split tongue is natural, as if I just happened to be born that way! And the expectation that everyone will instantly see it when I talk!
–Also, the classic idea that the more exotic the piercing, the more it must hurt.. God, my tongue split hurt, sure, but the only thing to have ever made me shed a tear was getting my nostril pierced!
–My partner works in a court, and the security guys always look startled when her abundance of piercings don’t set off the metal detectors..
–The assumption that having your penis pierced, however it is done, is a Prince Albert, like there isn’t anything else to be done down there, same with having a VCH means that it’s through your clit..
–You’ll regret that when you’re older!
–People constantly ask if my split tongue is natural, as if I just happened to be born that way! And the expectation that everyone will instantly see it when I talk!
–Also, the classic idea that the more exotic the piercing, the more it must hurt.. God, my tongue split hurt, sure, but the only thing to have ever made me shed a tear was getting my nostril pierced!
–My partner works in a court, and the security guys always look startled when her abundance of piercings don’t set off the metal detectors..
–The assumption that having your penis pierced, however it is done, is a Prince Albert, like there isn’t anything else to be done down there, same with having a VCH means that it’s through your clit..
–You’ll regret that when you’re older!
I had a pharmacist say that I was going to regret all my tattoos, he was going to get into the laser removal business and he’d remove all my tattoos for $50,000.
I asked for my prescription back and went to another pharmacy, and haven’t gone back to that one. He wants to be an asshole, well, my prescriptions are about $1000 (paid by insurance) a month.
One thing I thought myself, was that you had to remove all piercings for ECT (shock therapy, yes they still do it, yes it worked). I removed a few piercings, and surprisingly the ECT doctor told me I could leave everything in except for my tongue piercings. So a bit backwards there!
I had a pharmacist say that I was going to regret all my tattoos, he was going to get into the laser removal business and he’d remove all my tattoos for $50,000.
I asked for my prescription back and went to another pharmacy, and haven’t gone back to that one. He wants to be an asshole, well, my prescriptions are about $1000 (paid by insurance) a month.
One thing I thought myself, was that you had to remove all piercings for ECT (shock therapy, yes they still do it, yes it worked). I removed a few piercings, and surprisingly the ECT doctor told me I could leave everything in except for my tongue piercings. So a bit backwards there!
I had a pharmacist say that I was going to regret all my tattoos, he was going to get into the laser removal business and he’d remove all my tattoos for $50,000.
I asked for my prescription back and went to another pharmacy, and haven’t gone back to that one. He wants to be an asshole, well, my prescriptions are about $1000 (paid by insurance) a month.
One thing I thought myself, was that you had to remove all piercings for ECT (shock therapy, yes they still do it, yes it worked). I removed a few piercings, and surprisingly the ECT doctor told me I could leave everything in except for my tongue piercings. So a bit backwards there!
I had a pharmacist say that I was going to regret all my tattoos, he was going to get into the laser removal business and he’d remove all my tattoos for $50,000.
I asked for my prescription back and went to another pharmacy, and haven’t gone back to that one. He wants to be an asshole, well, my prescriptions are about $1000 (paid by insurance) a month.
One thing I thought myself, was that you had to remove all piercings for ECT (shock therapy, yes they still do it, yes it worked). I removed a few piercings, and surprisingly the ECT doctor told me I could leave everything in except for my tongue piercings. So a bit backwards there!
Just a quick note for #53 Sergey about the whole silver-myth.
I don’t know if silver is recommended as a starting jewellery for piercings, but it is true that silver in the colloidal form is a bactericide. Colloidal silver has been used in bandages when treating surgical wounds to protect them from infection 🙂
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15126971 (link to an article concerning the use of silver in wound care. Only the abstract can be read for free though.)
On topic. I’ve usually gotten the “Don’t you Frighten all the patients?!?!?!” question. Mainly from older nurses or doctors when I’m at school/during clinic or at work. I always tell them “Nope, apparently the only people I make uncomfortable are elderly nurses and doctors.” Which -so far- is the truth. I’ve never had problems with patients, only with nurses and other doctors. Apparently it’s not possible to be simultaneously smart/career-minded and modified.
Besides that I also get the “Does that go All the Way through?” about my 20 mm lobes (just shy of 1″ if I remember it correctly)
And back when I had four dermals by the sides of my eyes people always thought that they went from one side of my face to the other… Sigh.
Just a quick note for #53 Sergey about the whole silver-myth.
I don’t know if silver is recommended as a starting jewellery for piercings, but it is true that silver in the colloidal form is a bactericide. Colloidal silver has been used in bandages when treating surgical wounds to protect them from infection 🙂
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15126971 (link to an article concerning the use of silver in wound care. Only the abstract can be read for free though.)
On topic. I’ve usually gotten the “Don’t you Frighten all the patients?!?!?!” question. Mainly from older nurses or doctors when I’m at school/during clinic or at work. I always tell them “Nope, apparently the only people I make uncomfortable are elderly nurses and doctors.” Which -so far- is the truth. I’ve never had problems with patients, only with nurses and other doctors. Apparently it’s not possible to be simultaneously smart/career-minded and modified.
Besides that I also get the “Does that go All the Way through?” about my 20 mm lobes (just shy of 1″ if I remember it correctly)
And back when I had four dermals by the sides of my eyes people always thought that they went from one side of my face to the other… Sigh.
Just a quick note for #53 Sergey about the whole silver-myth.
I don’t know if silver is recommended as a starting jewellery for piercings, but it is true that silver in the colloidal form is a bactericide. Colloidal silver has been used in bandages when treating surgical wounds to protect them from infection 🙂
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15126971 (link to an article concerning the use of silver in wound care. Only the abstract can be read for free though.)
On topic. I’ve usually gotten the “Don’t you Frighten all the patients?!?!?!” question. Mainly from older nurses or doctors when I’m at school/during clinic or at work. I always tell them “Nope, apparently the only people I make uncomfortable are elderly nurses and doctors.” Which -so far- is the truth. I’ve never had problems with patients, only with nurses and other doctors. Apparently it’s not possible to be simultaneously smart/career-minded and modified.
Besides that I also get the “Does that go All the Way through?” about my 20 mm lobes (just shy of 1″ if I remember it correctly)
And back when I had four dermals by the sides of my eyes people always thought that they went from one side of my face to the other… Sigh.
Just a quick note for #53 Sergey about the whole silver-myth.
I don’t know if silver is recommended as a starting jewellery for piercings, but it is true that silver in the colloidal form is a bactericide. Colloidal silver has been used in bandages when treating surgical wounds to protect them from infection 🙂
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15126971 (link to an article concerning the use of silver in wound care. Only the abstract can be read for free though.)
On topic. I’ve usually gotten the “Don’t you Frighten all the patients?!?!?!” question. Mainly from older nurses or doctors when I’m at school/during clinic or at work. I always tell them “Nope, apparently the only people I make uncomfortable are elderly nurses and doctors.” Which -so far- is the truth. I’ve never had problems with patients, only with nurses and other doctors. Apparently it’s not possible to be simultaneously smart/career-minded and modified.
Besides that I also get the “Does that go All the Way through?” about my 20 mm lobes (just shy of 1″ if I remember it correctly)
And back when I had four dermals by the sides of my eyes people always thought that they went from one side of my face to the other… Sigh.
I gave birth at the end of January via c-section, and asked about the epidural/spinal and lower back tattoo thing, since I have ink covering most of my lower back. They told me that they won’t give the spinal or epidural through ink (at this hospital), but would either try to work around it, or else make a tiny incision through the layers of skin that have ink, before putting in the spinal (tiny enough that it wouldn’t need stitches, just a Steri-Strip, maybe). They don’t have proof either way about ink molecules going into spinal fluid, so have to be safe, but spinals and epidurals can be done. They were able to work around my ink, no incision needed. Lawsuits for tattoo damage aren’t an issue, since I had to sign to give informed consent first – obviously, I knew I had a tattoo there, so damage is at least a remote possibility most people would tend to think about, and in my case, decide that it was worth risking it to be awake for the birth.
I gave birth at the end of January via c-section, and asked about the epidural/spinal and lower back tattoo thing, since I have ink covering most of my lower back. They told me that they won’t give the spinal or epidural through ink (at this hospital), but would either try to work around it, or else make a tiny incision through the layers of skin that have ink, before putting in the spinal (tiny enough that it wouldn’t need stitches, just a Steri-Strip, maybe). They don’t have proof either way about ink molecules going into spinal fluid, so have to be safe, but spinals and epidurals can be done. They were able to work around my ink, no incision needed. Lawsuits for tattoo damage aren’t an issue, since I had to sign to give informed consent first – obviously, I knew I had a tattoo there, so damage is at least a remote possibility most people would tend to think about, and in my case, decide that it was worth risking it to be awake for the birth.
I gave birth at the end of January via c-section, and asked about the epidural/spinal and lower back tattoo thing, since I have ink covering most of my lower back. They told me that they won’t give the spinal or epidural through ink (at this hospital), but would either try to work around it, or else make a tiny incision through the layers of skin that have ink, before putting in the spinal (tiny enough that it wouldn’t need stitches, just a Steri-Strip, maybe). They don’t have proof either way about ink molecules going into spinal fluid, so have to be safe, but spinals and epidurals can be done. They were able to work around my ink, no incision needed. Lawsuits for tattoo damage aren’t an issue, since I had to sign to give informed consent first – obviously, I knew I had a tattoo there, so damage is at least a remote possibility most people would tend to think about, and in my case, decide that it was worth risking it to be awake for the birth.
I gave birth at the end of January via c-section, and asked about the epidural/spinal and lower back tattoo thing, since I have ink covering most of my lower back. They told me that they won’t give the spinal or epidural through ink (at this hospital), but would either try to work around it, or else make a tiny incision through the layers of skin that have ink, before putting in the spinal (tiny enough that it wouldn’t need stitches, just a Steri-Strip, maybe). They don’t have proof either way about ink molecules going into spinal fluid, so have to be safe, but spinals and epidurals can be done. They were able to work around my ink, no incision needed. Lawsuits for tattoo damage aren’t an issue, since I had to sign to give informed consent first – obviously, I knew I had a tattoo there, so damage is at least a remote possibility most people would tend to think about, and in my case, decide that it was worth risking it to be awake for the birth.
okay so i have a question, i want to get my cartilage done but i dont have the money for it, my friend has done hers and she will do mine, if she does do this could i have a chance of getting my face or ear paralyzed?
okay so i have a question, i want to get my cartilage done but i dont have the money for it, my friend has done hers and she will do mine, if she does do this could i have a chance of getting my face or ear paralyzed?
okay so i have a question, i want to get my cartilage done but i dont have the money for it, my friend has done hers and she will do mine, if she does do this could i have a chance of getting my face or ear paralyzed?
okay so i have a question, i want to get my cartilage done but i dont have the money for it, my friend has done hers and she will do mine, if she does do this could i have a chance of getting my face or ear paralyzed?