A few days ago I posted one of the small number of ultra-rare piercings, the eyelid ring, and I wanted to follow that up today with the even rarer, and arguably more dangerous, Achilles tendon piercing. This piercing literally passes through the small gap in between the Achilles tendon and the junction of the fibula, tibia, and talus junction — it goes without saying that if problems arise, they can be literally crippling… This particular example was done by David Bendele of On The Edge Body Art Studio in Findlay, Ohio.
Comments
152 responses to “True/Deep Achilles Piercing”
Actually, I think I’ve seen that image before, and the alleged wearer claimed it wasn’t a true achilles piercing, but rather a pair of cleverly placed microdermals.
Actually, I think I’ve seen that image before, and the alleged wearer claimed it wasn’t a true achilles piercing, but rather a pair of cleverly placed microdermals.
I’m gonna comment on the idea of this piercing and the piercers responsibility.
I think that piercings like that (where there are so many things that can go wrong… even if it heals properly, id imagine that the constant rubbing in that area is likely to have some affect on the muscles there) would seem to be a large part of the reason that legislation comes up against piercers.
That, I think, if not safety, should come to a piercers mind.
I’m gonna comment on the idea of this piercing and the piercers responsibility.
I think that piercings like that (where there are so many things that can go wrong… even if it heals properly, id imagine that the constant rubbing in that area is likely to have some affect on the muscles there) would seem to be a large part of the reason that legislation comes up against piercers.
That, I think, if not safety, should come to a piercers mind.
Shannon, thanks for replying, but I think I made it clear in my second comment that I didn’t consider ‘looking’ and ‘being’ as being the same thing 100% of the time for everyone, just that they were for me. That my corset is part of me looking the way I want to be and BEING the person I want to be.
However, I think we agree that people strive for different things when they modify, some for aesthetics and some as you put it for ‘the experience or fundamental change to the body’. I think I made it clear in my comment that I thought both were OK.
Shannon, thanks for replying, but I think I made it clear in my second comment that I didn’t consider ‘looking’ and ‘being’ as being the same thing 100% of the time for everyone, just that they were for me. That my corset is part of me looking the way I want to be and BEING the person I want to be.
However, I think we agree that people strive for different things when they modify, some for aesthetics and some as you put it for ‘the experience or fundamental change to the body’. I think I made it clear in my comment that I thought both were OK.
(#20) I have a really hard time believing that -any- piercer is ‘qualified’ to perform this piercing… and any piercer that says he/she is, is full of shit IMO.
(#11) I, as a piercer, turn away a lot of piercings that we all know don’t have a chance of doing well and healing. Protecting the clients from themselves? You bet! There’s a reason people go to piercers, if they already had the knowledge themselves, they’d do it themselves.
(#20) I have a really hard time believing that -any- piercer is ‘qualified’ to perform this piercing… and any piercer that says he/she is, is full of shit IMO.
(#11) I, as a piercer, turn away a lot of piercings that we all know don’t have a chance of doing well and healing. Protecting the clients from themselves? You bet! There’s a reason people go to piercers, if they already had the knowledge themselves, they’d do it themselves.
Good points well made, cellfire.
Good points well made, cellfire.
And what about your own reputation? I would think that being reputable would make you strive to be conservative, client well being aside, and avoid things like this. If this goes bad you won’t be remembered for years of successful work, you will be remembered as the guy that fucked up so and so’s ankles. Even if you don’t give a crap about your client this is like playing russian roulette with your career.
And what about your own reputation? I would think that being reputable would make you strive to be conservative, client well being aside, and avoid things like this. If this goes bad you won’t be remembered for years of successful work, you will be remembered as the guy that fucked up so and so’s ankles. Even if you don’t give a crap about your client this is like playing russian roulette with your career.
‘you can’t walk anymore? oh god, what happened?’ ‘oh, [insert piercer name here] pierced my achilles and the rubbing damaged my tendon permanently.’ who wants their name attached to that, really?
‘you can’t walk anymore? oh god, what happened?’ ‘oh, [insert piercer name here] pierced my achilles and the rubbing damaged my tendon permanently.’ who wants their name attached to that, really?
#4 captured my response exactly.
I have a hard time believing that someone skilled enough to pull off a piercing of that magnitude is hanging out in NW Ohio. I lived in the area for 5 years and it seemed that decent shops were very few and far between.
#4 captured my response exactly.
I have a hard time believing that someone skilled enough to pull off a piercing of that magnitude is hanging out in NW Ohio. I lived in the area for 5 years and it seemed that decent shops were very few and far between.
This piercing has been well documented as completely healable and there are examples of it that exist not only healed, but healed well enough to SUSPEND FROM (see the feature on Angel in PFIQ, as well as photos in the book Apocalypse Culture and other media).
I don’t have a problem with piercers choosing not to do this themselves. People can and should set their own limits… Just please don’t speak for others!
To be very clear, this has been shown as a viable piercing for 20+ years.
This piercing has been well documented as completely healable and there are examples of it that exist not only healed, but healed well enough to SUSPEND FROM (see the feature on Angel in PFIQ, as well as photos in the book Apocalypse Culture and other media).
I don’t have a problem with piercers choosing not to do this themselves. People can and should set their own limits… Just please don’t speak for others!
To be very clear, this has been shown as a viable piercing for 20+ years.
personally I consider myself to be a Progressive Conservative Piercer
This means that I tend to have a conservative view on piercings however I’m not opposed to something different, so long as its backed by sound facts as being a viable/safe piercing.
Much like Badur’s middle finger piercing, nobody expected it to last but he kept it for a year before retiring it.
I don’t think somebody CAN’T heal this achilles piercing, but they’d have to live a certain lifestyle (no socks, flip-flops/thongs footwear,etc)…But again I suspect the person would not be able to keep the piercing for multiple years, because they’d be fed up with it and remove it.
The risk: we don’t know the exact discussion that came about this piercing, we can only speculate…So maybe it was mod over client, maybe it was money over client, maybe the piercer flat out told them they’ve never done it before so they might end up walking with a limp for life if they fuck up…again we don’t know.
In terms of how I perceive the statement: “Nobody can dictate to you what you can and cannot do to your body” is this:
You can want whatever you want done to your body, but because you’re not doing it yourself, its up to the person you ask to ethically/morally weigh the options and decide if its something THEY should or should not do.
Now if this person decided to pierce their own Achilles heel area, that’s their call and they can do so if they choose to…Because nobody can dictate what they can and can’t do to their body….
The only flaw on that is when they ask someone else to do it.
Personally I’d never perform this piercing, nor would a large number of piercers out there…But because of no standardized training nor standard model of ethics to follow,etc we can’t really attack people for doing this…Sure governments might look at it and it might make us “look bad” but hey this is the nature of the beast with our work…
also though as clients are able to want what they want.
we as artists have the right to refuse doing our work on somebody if we feel it will not work/look right,etc.
Once again the age old argument…Are we only service industry or are we artists? the balance beam continues….
personally I consider myself to be a Progressive Conservative Piercer
This means that I tend to have a conservative view on piercings however I’m not opposed to something different, so long as its backed by sound facts as being a viable/safe piercing.
Much like Badur’s middle finger piercing, nobody expected it to last but he kept it for a year before retiring it.
I don’t think somebody CAN’T heal this achilles piercing, but they’d have to live a certain lifestyle (no socks, flip-flops/thongs footwear,etc)…But again I suspect the person would not be able to keep the piercing for multiple years, because they’d be fed up with it and remove it.
The risk: we don’t know the exact discussion that came about this piercing, we can only speculate…So maybe it was mod over client, maybe it was money over client, maybe the piercer flat out told them they’ve never done it before so they might end up walking with a limp for life if they fuck up…again we don’t know.
In terms of how I perceive the statement: “Nobody can dictate to you what you can and cannot do to your body” is this:
You can want whatever you want done to your body, but because you’re not doing it yourself, its up to the person you ask to ethically/morally weigh the options and decide if its something THEY should or should not do.
Now if this person decided to pierce their own Achilles heel area, that’s their call and they can do so if they choose to…Because nobody can dictate what they can and can’t do to their body….
The only flaw on that is when they ask someone else to do it.
Personally I’d never perform this piercing, nor would a large number of piercers out there…But because of no standardized training nor standard model of ethics to follow,etc we can’t really attack people for doing this…Sure governments might look at it and it might make us “look bad” but hey this is the nature of the beast with our work…
also though as clients are able to want what they want.
we as artists have the right to refuse doing our work on somebody if we feel it will not work/look right,etc.
Once again the age old argument…Are we only service industry or are we artists? the balance beam continues….
my name is david bendele. i performed the deep achilles tendon piercing. i assure all of you that i did my home work. people who say that if i had donethis piercing before it would have been ok to do over and over. if that was the case then we wouldnt be here discusing what is ethicaly sound. the person i pierced was my apprentice marcus miller. i made him fully aware as to the potential hazards this specific piercing would cause. in regards to whether or not this is authentic i assure you that it is. also the piercing is causing him no harm at all. he was able to walk as normal as if he had never gotten it. over the next two months i personally watched the healing process and there were no problems. i do live in findlay ohio and unfortunately this piercing was done in findlay. if you have any questions whatsoever feel free to contact me through myspace.
http://www.myspace/daveontheedge.com
or at Studio 14 125 n. main st. bowling green oh 419-352-8288
my name is david bendele. i performed the deep achilles tendon piercing. i assure all of you that i did my home work. people who say that if i had donethis piercing before it would have been ok to do over and over. if that was the case then we wouldnt be here discusing what is ethicaly sound. the person i pierced was my apprentice marcus miller. i made him fully aware as to the potential hazards this specific piercing would cause. in regards to whether or not this is authentic i assure you that it is. also the piercing is causing him no harm at all. he was able to walk as normal as if he had never gotten it. over the next two months i personally watched the healing process and there were no problems. i do live in findlay ohio and unfortunately this piercing was done in findlay. if you have any questions whatsoever feel free to contact me through myspace.
http://www.myspace/daveontheedge.com
or at Studio 14 125 n. main st. bowling green oh 419-352-8288
thank you shannon for you posting my piercing and for your support
thank you shannon for you posting my piercing and for your support
i apologize i gave the wrong myspace address.
the correct one is
myspace.com/daveontheedge
im not trying to reap the rewards or whatever people want to call it. i like feed back. call it vanity call it what you will
i apologize i gave the wrong myspace address.
the correct one is
myspace.com/daveontheedge
im not trying to reap the rewards or whatever people want to call it. i like feed back. call it vanity call it what you will
Well, coming back to this, I agree with you Shannon that in many cases “Knowledge is power”, and that if all the information is given to the client then its more or less their decision to get a procedure done if the artist is willing and definately able. Good to see a lot of feedback on these issues.
Well, coming back to this, I agree with you Shannon that in many cases “Knowledge is power”, and that if all the information is given to the client then its more or less their decision to get a procedure done if the artist is willing and definately able. Good to see a lot of feedback on these issues.
This will never cease to be amazing. It is a huge risk, yeah. In middle school I got pushed down two flights of concrete stairs and the backs of my ankles got cut up a bunch.. very deep at that. I still have huge scars and tendon muscle damage, and will for the rest of my life, but it never impared me from walking. It just made it unpleasant for the next couple weeks. Which leads me to believe that it is very possible to do this safely.. because it seems as though it takes a bit more of an error than it would appear to actually lose mobility.
Not that I’m advising that everybody go out and try it.
This will never cease to be amazing. It is a huge risk, yeah. In middle school I got pushed down two flights of concrete stairs and the backs of my ankles got cut up a bunch.. very deep at that. I still have huge scars and tendon muscle damage, and will for the rest of my life, but it never impared me from walking. It just made it unpleasant for the next couple weeks. Which leads me to believe that it is very possible to do this safely.. because it seems as though it takes a bit more of an error than it would appear to actually lose mobility.
Not that I’m advising that everybody go out and try it.
I’ve seen someone with a big gauge version of this.
Let’s see…
… found it:
http://mr-tetanus.deviantart.com/art/Post-Show-Ankle-70339095
I’ve seen someone with a big gauge version of this.
Let’s see…
… found it:
http://mr-tetanus.deviantart.com/art/Post-Show-Ankle-70339095
it’s fully yucky….anyone remember that scene in Pet Cemetary where the kid slices this on the back of (i think) his fathers leg?
YUCK!
however, this person consented, and they are educated about it….so…do what cha like! (just my twocents)
it’s fully yucky….anyone remember that scene in Pet Cemetary where the kid slices this on the back of (i think) his fathers leg?
YUCK!
however, this person consented, and they are educated about it….so…do what cha like! (just my twocents)
#35 – Why would the person not be able to wear socks? Thats kind of crazy considering that people wear shirts and bras over nipple piercings, pants over navel piercings, undergarmets over genital piercings…I don’t think I really neeed to go on…
#35 – Why would the person not be able to wear socks? Thats kind of crazy considering that people wear shirts and bras over nipple piercings, pants over navel piercings, undergarmets over genital piercings…I don’t think I really neeed to go on…
eternalsunshine…..Holy shit. What people can accomplish with their own bodies will never cease to amaze me. It needs to be put on modblog.
eternalsunshine…..Holy shit. What people can accomplish with their own bodies will never cease to amaze me. It needs to be put on modblog.
All I have to say is WOW. I can’t believe you would willingly do that. Earlier last year I severed my right Achilles Tendon in a freak accident at work. It was like Hostel. It was the most painful thing ever, I have a wicked scar, and I will never walk the same again.
All I have to say is WOW. I can’t believe you would willingly do that. Earlier last year I severed my right Achilles Tendon in a freak accident at work. It was like Hostel. It was the most painful thing ever, I have a wicked scar, and I will never walk the same again.
Hi.
I did this piercing about 12 years ago. A little higher though. I stretched it up to 13 millimeters, but found that it was pushing my achilles out a bit too far, so took it back to a more sensible 10 mm.
I’ve suspended myself from it, and as part of my show, regularly lift 2 bowling balls from meat hooks that I get audience members to put through the hole.
It’s got a fair whack of scar tissue around it, cos it’s copped it’s fair share of abuse over 10 years of performances.
I don’t wear boots!
Mr.Tetanus
(Google Mr.Tetanus, and that will take you to my myspace/ deviantART sites where you can see some shots of it)
Hi.
I did this piercing about 12 years ago. A little higher though. I stretched it up to 13 millimeters, but found that it was pushing my achilles out a bit too far, so took it back to a more sensible 10 mm.
I’ve suspended myself from it, and as part of my show, regularly lift 2 bowling balls from meat hooks that I get audience members to put through the hole.
It’s got a fair whack of scar tissue around it, cos it’s copped it’s fair share of abuse over 10 years of performances.
I don’t wear boots!
Mr.Tetanus
(Google Mr.Tetanus, and that will take you to my myspace/ deviantART sites where you can see some shots of it)
Casey: Consider movement compared to the nipple…Your ankle area is MADE to move, nipples, not so much.
Also in terms of say your feet compared to your chest there is a HUGE difference, if you can’t view that with a cursory glance, might need to look and feel harder.
Soaks collect a lot more sweat, bacteria,etc then shirts due to being lower to the ground…Plus socks sit a lot snugger to the body then any shirt.
I find it HILARIOUSLY amusing that you’re trying to associate an achilles heel piercing to the likes of nipples, navels or genital piercings. As Shannon said at the very beginning before posting this piercing: “I wanted to follow that up today with the even rarer, and arguably more dangerous, Achilles tendon piercing.”
but I guess people just don’t read modblog text and let it stick, they just come for the pictures.
Casey: Consider movement compared to the nipple…Your ankle area is MADE to move, nipples, not so much.
Also in terms of say your feet compared to your chest there is a HUGE difference, if you can’t view that with a cursory glance, might need to look and feel harder.
Soaks collect a lot more sweat, bacteria,etc then shirts due to being lower to the ground…Plus socks sit a lot snugger to the body then any shirt.
I find it HILARIOUSLY amusing that you’re trying to associate an achilles heel piercing to the likes of nipples, navels or genital piercings. As Shannon said at the very beginning before posting this piercing: “I wanted to follow that up today with the even rarer, and arguably more dangerous, Achilles tendon piercing.”
but I guess people just don’t read modblog text and let it stick, they just come for the pictures.
SHIT!
why??
SHIT!
why??
I read the text, I just don’t think it’s going to hinder your ability to wear socks. And if you think that my socks are tighter than my sports bra you’re mistaken too 🙂
I read the text, I just don’t think it’s going to hinder your ability to wear socks. And if you think that my socks are tighter than my sports bra you’re mistaken too 🙂
Has anyone checked out this guy’s portfolio!!!??? If you have not I implore you to google search On The Edge Body Art Studio and check it out.
David, if you as a piercer can’t perform surface piercings properly OOOOR a tragus (!!!) you should not be sticking needles deep behind something that determines whether or not the individual walks for the rest of their life!! Leave these procedures up to people who actually know somewhat of what they are doing.
Has anyone checked out this guy’s portfolio!!!??? If you have not I implore you to google search On The Edge Body Art Studio and check it out.
David, if you as a piercer can’t perform surface piercings properly OOOOR a tragus (!!!) you should not be sticking needles deep behind something that determines whether or not the individual walks for the rest of their life!! Leave these procedures up to people who actually know somewhat of what they are doing.