(Author’s note: Excuse me while I get all meta on you.)
Full-disclosure time: When I first saw on Lane Jensen’s IAM page pictures of the microdermal he’d put into someone’s eyelid, I was mortified. This was too much, too risky, and, though I had not been apprised of the details of the situation, it read as irresponsible at best and fame-seeking at … well, not quite “worst,” but getting there.
The client, it seemed, was quite young [Author’s note: She was 17 years old and her father was present. My point stands, nonetheless], with minimal visible prior body modification work done — not to say she was too immature, but, in the same way that most responsible tattoo artists will refuse to work on a lightly tattooed client’s hands or face, so should it be when it comes to highly experimental piercings (a distinction which, for the sake of this article, we’ll say includes microdermals). Because, as widespread as microdermals have become (and my God have they become widespread), this is still a new concept. The first images of microdermals (then called “dermal anchors” — oh, memories!) appeared on BME in an image update dated October 27, 2005. The first mention of them on ModBlog was April 15, 2006. On November 6, 2006, an article was published featuring interviews with a number of practitioners who had been performing microdermal procedures.
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| ModBlog’s first microdermals |
So let’s say that microdermals are, in their current iteration (as a modernized and ostensibly simplified version of traditional transdermals), at most, about two-and-a-half years old. In most circles, this would place a project in its infancy — far from having been extensively tested or fine-tuned, and potentially rife with unknown (and sometimes well known) risks. (Very seldom are feature films released, for example, that comprise a series of unedited first takes.) Yet, in the body modification community, infamous for its impetuousness, two-and-a-half years is an eternity. The idea of the “guinea pig” is now largely irrelevant; as soon as something “new” has been done, provided the client doesn’t die on the spot, it’s added to the portfolio, uploaded to all manner of Internet forums and, if it’s interesting enough, it’ll probably even get posted on ModBlog.
Pardon me while I put on my ombudsman hat, but make no mistake: ModBlog takes a lot of blame here, playing the dual role of collective consciousness and enabler. Almost everything posted on ModBlog comes via BME submissions, which are filtered for funny, attractive and generally unique content, given a punny caption and then offered up to be criticized and lauded, copied and adopted.
That is to say, ModBlog is supposed to feature the best that BME has to offer.
Such is our position: We want to promote an environment in which new, exciting and beautiful procedures can be put on display and discussed, yet we’re also an archive, for whom comprehensive documentation is a mandate. Appearing on ModBlog, vitriol of the commentariat notwithstanding, is often a validation of sorts: If it’s good enough for BME to showcase, shouldn’t it be good enough for you?
Well, no. Not always. Sometimes in documenting things, we come off a little too enthusiastic about items that aren’t quite ready for prime time, or that we’ve convinced ourselves are worthy of attention simply because we’ve given them a lot of attention — the state of “being famous for being famous.” (See also: Anything related to Kim Kardashian or Brooke Hogan; Gawker’s tireless efforts to track Julia Allison’s every move; The Hills in its entirety.) Is this really a healthy phenomenon? Making stars out of people because of their physical modifications and creating an environment in which this miniscule level of fame can be achieved by pushing one’s limits further, harder and, quite possibly, dangerously quickly? There’s a fine line between celebrating the community and unduly, unfairly celebritizing its members.
And, like I said, this is, to an extent, our fault — “us” being the body modification media, slight as we may be. There is — be it real or imagined — an element of pressure to be more “extreme,” for lack of a better word (and there are many). On another forum, one commenter recently posted that he’d just passed his one year anniversary of entering the wonderful world of body modification, and posted the following laundry list of work he’d done (consider the entire quote [sic]):
septumx2, smileyx2,tongueweb, Apadravya, lorumx5, fingerwebx3, handwebx3, nipplex2, navelx3, lobex9, conchx2, helix/2g Dermal Punch, tragusx2, eyebrowx6, labretx10, “rhino”/unidentified
Though I definately don’t still have all those and I counted where I re-did piercings, I remember wach one… I wonder what mods are to come in the future?
Fifty-three piercings and six tattoos in one year. His first year. Holy crap. Another poster followed up with their own first-year anniversary inventory ([sic] again):
it all started with a septum piercing … It’s now at 1g … 0g flat punch, 0g conch punch, x4 vertical bridges, x4 horizontal eyebrows, 6 tattoos, 1 chest scarification, 6 lip piercings, venoms (now stretched to 10g), tongue webbing, ears pierced at 8g (now 5/8ths), multiple arm surface, belly button, clavicle surface, x2 nape, x5 lower back surface, tragus, smiley.
AND MANY MORE TO COME.
This isn’t a journey — it’s an obsession, whether it’s instigated internally, by a desire to fit in, lead the pack, or otherwise. A bodybuilder doesn’t start out deadlifting 700-pound weights. A mountain climber doesn’t scale K2 as an introductory ascent. This is unhealthy behavior, regardless of the outlet, but body modification allows for it rather easily — even encourages it, be it to pad a portfolio or to get one’s 15 minutes of ModBlog fame. If I had a nickel for every conversation I’ve had with people who mention the role that ModBlog played in the popularization of microdermals, well, I’d probably be able to afford to have one put in my eyelid.
This isn’t to decry experimentation or having fun with one’s body — Rachel posted a video of Lassi doing a guiche suspension a few weeks ago, for God’s sake. But this eyelid microdermal business is different; these images presented an ethical dilemma. By all accounts, it was awfully unsafe and, while not in direct contact with the eyeball, would potentially be a nightmare for the general eye-region. It’s one thing for a trained professional and experienced body modification enthusiast to throw a hook through his taint, but it’s another matter entirely to risk massive harm to a young, inexperienced client just because the opportunity presented itself and it seemed like an interesting procedure to try. I’m not an expert of anatomy, but one thing I’ve picked up on is that unless you are incredibly certain of your methods and the anticipated outcome, you don’t screw around with someone’s eyes. In a field in which calculated risk-taking comprises a significant portion of the action, simple consent should not be the be-all end-all for a practitioner when deciding whether or not to perform an experimental procedure.
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| The microdermal in question |
On the other hand, though? This was ModBlog fodder in every conceivable way. It was probably the first time it had been done, it looked healthy enough and, most importantly, it was new. Considering our standards, it probably deserved to be posted.
We decided not to post it. ModBlog’s influence is tangible, and we decided that appearing to endorse it in any way would have been irresponsible. Let’s wait, we thought, and maybe once we can see some results, we can determine if this is appropriate to post. It would end up in the BME image archives, of course, but ModBlog, to be sure, is a different beast altogether. This was a test — one that didn’t need to be publicized, and arguably performed on the wrong client. We didn’t want to be nannies or censors — BME would still accept the photos for its galleries — but as for ModBlog? This didn’t yet embody the best that BME had to offer. Body modification practitioners should cherish their guinea pigs — not exploit them.
Of course, being an online company has its drawbacks. Through a miscommunication, it ended up getting published on ModBlog. Naturally, some people loved it, some peopled hated it. Some claimed it was yet another moment in BME’s perpetual decline, while others probably asked their piercers if they could get their own (or, conversely, some piercers likely asked their clients if they were interested in trying it out). This isn’t a criticism of the chain of events: It’s just occurred enough by this point that there exists a recognizable pattern and, for the most part, we love it (see also: mustaches tattooed on fingers, etc.) — that’s why we do this. Body modification is a passion, and dealing with it professionally every day would be impossible if we weren’t legitimately excited by people’s experimentation and determination to modify and beautify themselves.
But that’s not an absolute, and it doesn’t mean that everything must be supported or looked upon favorably. Just because something can be done doesn’t mean it should be; there may be no right reasons for modifying yourself, but there are sure as hell wrong ones, and those are made substantially worse when the client is being used — whether it’s by the one performing the procedure or the one publicizing it.
(Ed. note: While Jordan is an editor for and a valued member of BME, this is an editorial and does not necessarily reflect the views of other BME staff or BME as a publication. As well, Lane has been invited to do an interview and defend his position. This will be published as soon as possible.)
Comments
207 responses to “On Eyelid Microdermals, ModBlog and Turning Body Modification Into a Contest.”
Awesome editorial! Serious props, dude.
…as to not resurface anything, I will be vague:
It’s the “more modded-than-thou” mindset that will truly ruin the community and alienate those here, in mainstream society, and the ignorant.
Great article. (I will link it on my website.)
As a piercer (I work from home now), I don’t do much “risky” procedures for the simple reason is that a lot of people (not ALL) can’t even take care of 1 inch of their body, So doing something of this kind has too much risks involved. I rarely meet customers (or people in genral) who would FULLY understand those risks. If I ever meet some body who wants something more risky and completely understands what’s involved, I will do it. But as I said, not many people understand.
Personally, I would not pierce a minor, even if it’s legal and with parental consent. I have done this on some occasions (rarely), except ear lobes, navels and nostrils. The only reason is, is that I know they want it, and they want it NOW, so if I don’t do it, they will go to another place which will butcher them. But as I said, this is MY choice and MY ethics and morals, and mine only.
Also, I don’t consider myself “heavily modified”- some people do though, and even years ago, no one ever talked to me with disrespect because of my “lacking” in mods. Maybe I was lucky with the people I met. I think it depends of how you present yourself (as in personality) that people will “judge”, maybe they are jerks and “elite” bitches around, but as I said, with the many people I met, I’ve never experienced it. And jerks in the mod scene, even without mods, they would be jerks anyways, no matter in what field. And for sure I don’t see getting modified as a competition.
This is my two cents. And sorry for the shitty spelling, (and weird grammar, I’m not english and you can tell) I’m tired and just came home, so I hope it’s “readable”.
re: 131… I think you’ll find every human culture, including subcultures, causes a “herd” effect. I see it constantly with all the ugly lil American who rape my culture when they copy ta moko kanohi (numerous examples on BME, NYCNick being one of them he didn’t even know his facial tattoo was ripped off from te ao Maori).
We’re animals. We follow what’s popular. Or we follow what’s unpopular because we don’t want to be part of the “mainstream”. We’re disgusting. It’s just how we are.
” As well, Lane has been invited to do an interview and defend his position. This will be published as soon as possible.”
what is actually left do discuss? I think he already explained his opinion very well. and why should he defend himself? is this going to be lawsuit, jordan ginsberg found guilty of critizining modblog? that’s ridiculous.
I still say all this is just a question of who should be responsible for who here. To me it’s always going to be you are responsible for your actions, and I’m responsible for mine.
What does age really matter in the end?
I’ve talked to guys and girls past the age of 30 who gave close to no thought about risks and long term effects.
And I’ve talked to people under the age of 15 who were so mature and thoughtful about that decisions and so aware of the risks and long term effects that I felt they should be looking down at me for some of my risky behavior in the past.
We know nothing of this girl in the picture, she is simply put out as an example. Stop thinking she isn’t fully aware about what she is doing simply due to her age (or supposed age. Do we even really know her real age?). She is an example, not the poster child for a new movement.
What I got from the article is the question of where our own responsibility starts and where Modblogs ends.
My two cents on the whole thing is this..
We are the only ones responsible for ourselves, no one else.
Modblog/BME might be playing a big part in todays mod trend but it still isn’t THEIR responsibility to hold our hand and tell us what to do.
Personally I would like to see a link at the bottom of most pictures that link us to a list of risks, benefits, artists who are able to do this etc.
If for no other reason than to have an easier time finding information about what I’m looking at, and to have an easier time pointing people in the right direction when they are curious about a mod/thinking about getting it.
But, again, that is also OUR responsibility to read up on stuff and do our research before we do something to ourselves that is quite obviously risky in one way or another.
I would be thrilled if something like that got added to Modblog, but I certainly wont blame the staff if they don’t want to do that, don’t have time for it or simply aren’t able to make such an extensive risk/benefit list for every single picture they choose to add here.
Again, we don’t really know anything about the girl in the picture, her level of maturity, the reasons behind her desire for getting this mod or, as far as I’ve been able to see, the reasons why the piercer decided to do it.
So let’s stop this witch hunt on these two people and wait for them to reply here and in the meantime focus on the real concerns some people have here.
“As well, Lane has been invited to do an interview and defend his position. This will be published as soon as possible.”
Well ain’t that just a bunch of shit. Hey Rachel and Jordan, who the fuck made you the mod police? Defend his position? Against whom should he defend himself?
Do you guys have cool lil badges and certificates presented to you by the Mod State? Have you been legislated in our culture as the defenders, to serve and protect? Are you the Mod Pigs now?
That’s some bullshit. Lane shouldn’t have to defend himself. If some stupid lil kids gonna walk in and get wet cos she’s getting some new placement for free, then go for it. If it turns to shit, serves the bitch right.
“Defend his position? Against whom should he defend himself?”
Against the numerous people who have criticised his actions? I’m just guessing.
“If some stupid lil kids gonna walk in and get wet cos she’s getting some new placement for free, then go for it. If it turns to shit, serves the bitch right.”
Some practitioners think that way, too. That’s the problem.
opinions are like assholes, everyones got one.
Can’t jordan post his? I hardly think he’s trying to be the mod police. This picture obviously inspired him to write what was on his mind. I also don’t think he is trying to regulate the body modification world, he just doesn’t agree with some peoples persuits.
“While Jordan is an editor for and a valued member of BME, this is an editorial and does not necessarily reflect the views of other BME staff or BME as a publication.”
You read this Jon P? maybe not, but then you feel the need to go on to insult anyone you can? You have some thorn in your side, huh? Some personal vendetta against all that is bme? Seems like it…. yet you still post here. Are you trying to be the mod police?
“I see it constantly with all the ugly lil American who rape my culture when they copy ta moko kanohi ”
seems like mod police to me. You quickly bash jordan, yet your expressing the same feelings he is… just from a different perspective. Don’t you see it? Atleast he doesnt turn everything he says into a stereotyping childish insult. Atleast he doesnt get so overwhelmed with anger that he turns every post into the exact same point. Are you accomplishing anything? We know how you feel… and Jordan is expressing how he feels. That is fucking it.
Somewhere along the line a jock / meathead mentality crept into body modification. It happens.
If Jordan or anyone is going to slag someone by name, I feel it leaves him open to be equally slagged. Get off the guys dick. I love the piece he wrote, but naming names is stupid unless you’re going to publically air the grievances which lead to the slagging. Are we to just take it at face value and say, “Hey, this Lane guy sounds a bit naff, let’s stay away from him”? Fuck nah! But perhaps we should all be privy to the background as well as the name calling?
And I have as much right as anyone to criticize BME. Ask any IAM from New Zealand. Once you put in as much groundwork OFFLINE as I did here in Aotearoa, then maybe you’d see things from my perspective. I don’t hate BME, I hate what it’s become. If I hated it, I’d have to cover-up a third of my back. Ass.
Fact of the matter is regardless of who actually performed the procedure, it was wrong.
Ive just come to realize that when anything with Lane Jensen’s name appears anywhere, its followed with a whole parade of controversy. In the situation where your piercer has to weigh out the pros and cons to decide whether or not they’re actually going to do it, its just a recipe for disaster. If a procedure ever has any “cons” then it becomes irresponsible to perform. And that should be practice for anyone calling themselves a professional piercer. Modifications have enough risks associated with them as it is, its plain stupid to create more. Modifications are meant to better our lives or make us happier with ourselves and not put us at the risk of going blind. Yea, Ill admit that an eyelid micro-dermal is really fucking cool… But is it really worth potential blindness or other severe complications down the road? If she wasnt old enough to consent for this procedure for herself, if she actually had to get her father to sign for her that should have been the first and only red light saying to the piercer that they shouldnt be doing it. I also happen to know FOR A FACT that Lane is notorious for putting the mod first and the client second
I really enjoyed reading that. A very thoughtful & poignant viewpoint !
we make it what it has become.
the internet is not reality….
Jon P, I think you and I can agree that all this “debate”, solves squat shit. That stupid girls and boys alike are going to walk into places, that to others, are places that they shouldnt be walking.
anything media based is going to sway our blob of a consiousness into an opinion of indentity. Either it be opposing or embracing. Either it be a picture of a mod, a news brief on global warming, or a music band. Modblog has nothing to do with this reality. Our culture is media saturated. I fail to see many points that are constructive. I agree with not naming names… It calls for false impressions, an identity completely defined through a virtual reality, which a lot of stupid people unfortunatly make as their reality. That Lane is a bad person because of something that they judge instantly through a photo of a girl, but I think you need alittle more faith that we’re not all sheep.
People who make it their reality make other people upset naturally… You feel offended by someone that you feel has no right to relate to or know. I don’t use social networking websites and I don’t blog. I’ve been looking at BME for 14years and I’ve always been anonymous and never used IAM, for that exact reason. I would rather be doing stuff that is OFFLINE. I would rather experience for myself. But coming off as just insulting, helps make BME what it’s “become”.
People that rant on about how modblog is going into a decline and only post on things that they hate,blah blah blah my sandy vagina hurts blah blah blah… It just sounds like that annoying kid yelling at his, used to be favorite band…. “I liked you before everyone else did. you’re sell outs now!!! ”
Lame, move on.
It’s crazy to think that one microdermal set off so many opposing views. But for Christ’s sake…they’ve posted so many worse things. What about self amputation? Needless to say that’s a bit worse than an eye microdermal. I do agree that the piercer displayed improper judgement when he agreed to give such a young and immature client an eye microdermal, but ModBlog has posted worse things and probably will continue to do so.
i think there should be some kind of cagefight. winner is right loser is wrong. now, whos gonna be in the cage i think would be the real debate here.
Just my two cents here.
Is it just me , or did modBlog just echo every anti mod argument ever by saying that people who get the mods that Rachel/ Jordan don’t personally approve of are only doing so for “attention”/ ” competition”/ “jock mentaily”/ [ insert wring reason]?
Who the hell are the owners of BME to judge what one ought to do with one’s body?
The seventeen year old young woman had her father present, and it is HIS call, not Rachel/Jordan’s to decide what she ought to do with her body or not.
This entire diatribe smacks of corporate arse covering in case of a lawsuit to me, but then again, I’m not surprised. Long live BME corp, where what sells is what’s acceptable.
The number one most important thing is the safety of your client. It does not matter if they are 17 or 77. It does not matter if they are legal or if their legal guardian(boyfriend?) gives consent. It does not matter how many modifications they have or want. It does not matter how experienced the piercer/mod artist is. It does not matter how cool you are or want to be. Bme,Modblog, Rachel,Roo,Jordan,Shannon could not have changed this situation. I personally do not feel it is acceptable to perform this procedure because it is in my opinion way too dangerous!!! Why risk something like your eyesight? Informed or not?
And I am referring to this specific procedure:)
KJ: I agree wholeheartedly. It’s a shame the brown-noses don’t want to get in trouble with Rachel. Cos she might go threatening legal action against them too.
I’m surprised that in almost 250 comments between the two posts, nobody has discussed just how fundamentally anatomically STUPID placing a microdermal IMPLANT beneath the eyelid is. For those who don’t know, this isn’t the first time Lane has placed dermals with complete disregard for both his client and logic, seemingly just to be the first and stretch that dick a little longer. Anyone who’s browsed the male genital piercing galleries will have seen his almost comical attempts at placing a series along the shaft – really brings the dick measuring analogy home.
What it comes down to is that microdermals are NOT body piercing jewelry, they are miniturized transdermal implants. Unlike regular jewelry, they are specifically designed not to sit inertly, and require a subcutaneous fat layer to grow around their sharp edges, which is not possible in the thin, internally mucosal tissue of the eyelid, or the penis for that matter.
If this were truly a case of experimenting and pushing the boundaries, new jewelry would have been created before this was ever considered. The eyeball tattooing experiments were carefully thought out and great consideration was given to the best methodology for the mod. If people want to start single point piercing eyelids, we’ll need something like a fine gauge silicone based labret stud before it becomes even remotely safe. Hell, even a regular labret stud with a nice smooth flat base would probably have beat a microdermal in this instance.
But putting a microdermal implant in an eyelid makes about as much sense as a septum transdermal or a subdermal dome placed under the side of the nose. It’s a bloody big square peg trying to fit in a round hole, no one with even the most basic understanding of physiology would consider it. By comparison, I have no objections to eyeball tattooing experiments.
Lane has gone too far this time, and finally exposed himself to the world as the egocentric hack he is. If it really was done for free, it’s the worst case of mod before client I’ve seen on Modblog (as opposed to BME). I’d be very surprised if that girl has no permanent damage unless it’s removed immediately. Never mind the fact that the eyelid was quite likely dermal punched and could hence lead to chronic health issues for life if it doesn’t close up.
I mean I know he’s a reckless wannabe superstar, but what was he honestly thinking?
I don’t know about this whole attitude of “the internets isn’t real”.
While I do agree that this specific discussion in this specific corner of the net is not going to *solve* anything, the net definitely affects people’s reality.
Like any modern subculture, the mod community uses the internet to build and reniforce real life networks.
People use IAM and BME to exchange experiences, form decisons and find practitioners as well as people with similar experiences.
People get married through IAM, for fuck’s sake.
So while BME is not representative of the whole body mod community, it’s definitely an important medium for real people in different corners of the real world to communicate and exchange information, and that’s as real as it gets.
Like any medium, BME is not solely responsible for things that happen with the info they give. But like any medium, BME/Modblog should not be treated too lightly.
And even though a lot of people already said it: Excellent piece, Jordan. I too enjoy a lot of your writing, you sure put a lot of thought in it.
Redeye, makes one’s head spin, dunnit? LOL
It’s not just artists who are turning BME into a contest, but some of the members as well. I have to admit that even I’ve had impulses to go get something done because I see it on ModBlog, but I don’t because that would be stupid. BME is meant to share ideas and experiences (both good and bad) so that people can learn and be inspired. Body modification itself is very personal and not everyone’s personality fits all the new more “extreme” mods. People have to take into consideration that body modification is not a race or a competition and that essentially it has everything to do with self-expression (while keeping your own health in mind), which obviously this girl did not do either.
Now it’s my turn to stand on my little soapbox and be important.
I’m currently sitting in my office. The little girl with the eyelid peircing? Lives down the road from me, past the hay feild, on a little farm with her grandmother, grandfather, and two horses. Her ‘father’, was probably her boyfriend, who is twice her age. Her best friend is the younger sister of my best friend. Her knowledge of body modification extends about as far as ‘if it’s sharp, it will peirce, and if it’s bigger, it will stretch’. Many, if not all, of her other peircings, were self done. Lane’s CLEAR irresponsibility in performing such a risky procedure on such an obviously inexperienced girl (note the irritation, dry skin, oversized and poor-grade jewlery in her snakebites, as just one -or two- example[s]).
And COME ON.
THE EYELID? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Aside from being an incredibly thin membrane that is supposed to sheild your eyeball – YOUR MEANS OF SIGHT – from outside elements, it isn’t well known for its masses of tissue and probably makes for a very unstable mechanism for healing the microdermal in a stable, anchored way. I’m no eye doctor, but I’m relatively certain this may cause issues with such simple mechanisms such as blinking and…I dunnoo…vision somewhere along the road, such as, if by perchance, it were to get infected.
The girl does competitive horseback riding, it’s inevitable that dust, hay, sweat, etc, will get into the anchor and irritate it. I work in a measly hot kitchen and my microdermal gets irritated from the heat and humidity.
Just saying.
The fact that we are debating whether or not lane is irresponsible shows that it is not clear. I prsonally STILL find nothing wrong with what he’s done. Once again, if the client was informed and consent was given then lane was completely responsible and ethical. The only way he stands culpable for what people are saying about him
On this thread is if he lied about the risks to the client. And since none of us were there when he had his consult with her, none of us can talk all this shit.
And Lane knew the risks of an eyelid dermal anchor???? how would he know that? He doesn’t seem to know (or care) about a lot of important issues in this industry.
If he had done it on a member of his staff or someone who would have seemed to at least be able to take care of piercings in general, let alone a very delicate, experimental procedure on the face – it may not have been such uproarious occasion that this was posted.
He IS irresponsible, Cere. I get that you have a thing with age of consent and whatnot in the area we’re in and I can respect that idea. But it just doesn’t work for everything. It’s not black and white.
Miss Meg posted a VERY nicely written stand on it in the Learning Forum (a forum of dedicated, professional piercers who are determined to move forward in a safe, ethical manner)
I’d like her to post it in here….
And everything you stated above was merely your OPINION. Of course its not black and white because we are talking about something that is rooted in ones FEELINGS, not facts.
My feelings on the subject are very black and white. One should be free to do whatever one wants to to your own body. Nothing Lane did in anyway, shape or form was wrong.
I wouldnt mind reading what meg wrote, but i cant find the learnign forum anymore. Its no longer on warrens age? And btw, calling the learning forum a “a forum of dedicated, professional piercers who are determined to move forward in a safe, ethical manner” definately gave me the best laugh i had in a long time.
Things like this are exactly the reason I’ve directed dozens of people firmly away from Dragon FX. The jewelry I’ve seen from there is of terrible quality, and yet goes for the same amount as top notch jewelry. So many of my friends got their first piercing there, and came out of it wondering what the hell had gone wrong with their piercing. Sure, some of it was probably just poor aftercare on the clients’ part, but you can’t attribute every ruined piercing to that. When I see how many unsatisfied people come out of there compared to the other shops in the city, it’s pretty clear to me. I’m just glad that I work with so many young people getting their first piercing – I’m the first person they ask for advice before getting it and I’m happy that I know exactly who I can trust to send them to.
Cere, you’ve never even posted in the forum. It’s a forum for piercers.
Laugh all you want, but I’ll give respect to any piercer who’s asking questions and learning ANYTIME over someone who’s just making a quick buck doing hand web and eyelid piercings for modblog cred on teenagers using tin-quality body jewelry.
Cere mentioned in passing that the “…fact that we are debating whether or not lane is irresponsible shows that it is not clear.” which I must disagree with. The fact that people are debating whether or not piercing an eyelid with a microdermal implant is acceptable or irresponsible shows that there are widely ranging viewpoints on the topic. These range from the sensible (e.g. “Perhaps piercing the only membrane protecting your eyesight isn’t the best idea in the world?”) to the completely ridiculous (i.e. “Seventeen year olds wanting to get pierced should be able to get a 0g barbell in their prefrontal lobes!”)
My opinion is that regardless how well its done, a piercing in contact with the scleroid is going to have to come out pretty quickly barring very special circumstances. I’d like to hear more about those circumstances but its pretty telling that other than the initial post nobobdy involved in performing this procedure (apparently on a minor, apparently for free, possibly without ‘confirmed’ consent), certainly hasn’t shown up in these forums defending doing it. Tout est juste dans l’amour et piercing, but honestly… perhaps a bit more responsibility could be exercised?
I don’t think its entirely ethical for someone doing procedures like this to pierce anything they think will be okay, because what if it isn’t? To illustrate, lets imagine this eyelid pierce heals really well. Great! No problems, both piercer and piercee got very lucky for a procedure never before attempted. But if it doesn’t? Well… the possible medical rammifications could lead to state-sponsored lawsuits banning procedures the community performs commonly and knows are relatively safe.
Pushing the envelope this way isn’t brave trailblazing, its bravado and stupidity in combination and could lead to the legal system and society at large pissing on everyone’s bonfire.
ummm, I know I don’t post in the learning forum. That’s pretty easy to deduce since I didn’t even know it moved off of warrens page….
Thanks for keeping track of my comings and goings though!
“One should be free to do whatever one wants to to your own body.”
Cere, I couldn’t agree more. If you want to throw yourself off a bridge, or pierce your navel with a bread knife and use disposable chopsticks for jewelry (or your labret with rusty chain link..), or inject yourself with 20 tylenol, I’m honestly not bothered in the slightest. Age doesn’t even really come into play for me.
But if you want to go into business throwing OTHER people off bridges, chopsticking their navels, destroying their livers with drugs, or whatever other grievous bodily harm may be in question, that’s another thing entirely. Allegedly offering services for free to tempt the poorly informed client and accepting dubious parental consent only makes things that much worse. And for reasons stated above, I don’t care what you say – anyone agreeing to have a microdermal placed in their eyelid is either NOT informed or seeking to deliberately damage their eyeball.
A consent form doesn’t abdicate you from your legal and social obligations to not harm or kill another individual deliberately or through negligence. Your ideology is sweet, but it amounts to anarchy – this incident is completely unacceptable as an “experiment” on SO many levels. I don’t know about North America, but I believe here in Australia any cosmetic surgeon performing elective surgery for free would immediately lose all liability coverage and legal standing were something to go wrong.
In a sense you’re right though, it’s not black and white – I’m merely operating on the presumption that anarchy is socially undesirable, which of course warps my opinions so I feel that risking or causing permanent damage on someone else unnecessarily in a “professional” capacity is morally bankrupt. Online, I’m nothing more than a manifestation of my beliefs…
Does anybody remember when surface bars were the newest infallible invention? haha.
redeye and lexci… word to you guys. i think this type of editorial is long overdue and kudos for including it on modblog. people can disagree, of course, but i think opening up the debate and the thought process on the ethical / health ramifications of modding is essential.
Jesus, I have so many problems with the tone of this whole thing.
I actually feel uncomfortable to be on BME now…
somehow, being underage and having your boyfriend sign for you, that just doesnt scream maturity to me. if they dont have the maturity level to wait it out a couple months, then I dont hold it in high regard that she’ll take care of her “experimental” piercing very well. Just saying.
redeye quote “Allegedly offering services for free to tempt the poorly informed client and accepting dubious parental consent only makes things that much worse.”
I agree. Knowing fully-well that the majority of teens (and this is not a stereotype, but a FACT) are not overadbundantly swimming in disposable cash, the fact that this procedure was touted as “free” screams a fat red flag to me.
I think that everbody who disagrees with this has a reason. But you know what, I AM THE ONE WHO HAD THE EYELID DONE. THIS PICTURE IS OF ME. IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE ME WHATEVER, THAT IS YOUR OWN CHOICE, I CAN PROVE THAT THIS IS MYSELF.
I think that everbody who disagrees with this has a reason. But you know what, I AM THE ONE WHO HAD THE EYELID DONE. THIS PICTURE IS OF ME. IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE ME WHATEVER, THAT IS YOUR OWN CHOICE, I CAN PROVE THAT THIS IS MYSELF. I had asked Lane if he would simply pierce my eyelid, as I think that piercing is goergous. He knows I do not like to take my piercings out as I get very attatched, so he suggested a micro dermal, I was all for it, even after he told me he hasn’t done one in that place. I have a saying, “I NEVER WANT TO BE DIFFERENT, I JUST WANT TO BE ME”. and it is true.. I love piercings with a passion, and no matter what any of you think, this is not just for publicity, I wanted it because I thought it was beautiful. I think that people should stop worrying about my own personal decisions and start worrying about their own lives. I dont tell you what to do or judge you, so why am I being judged and accused of something that I have not done wrong……
I as well did know ever risk possible, I signed for myself, I wanted it and seeked it out. this is nobody’s doing but my own. I WANTED IT. I have been forced to live on my own since I have been 10 years old, because my mother is to much of a drunk to even take care of herself. I am a very responisble person and can make my own decisions. From what people are showing me here is that I am more mature than they are because NONE of you have actually asked me anything about any of this, and for all any of you know is that this could be all one lie. I find it rather annoying when people judge me, and they havend even met me. they have no clue who I am or what I am like, and I find it VERY rude
FURTHERMORE if you all feel the need for censorship, why dont you do it yourselves… if it looks gross, or in-appropriate, then dont read it….. it was your choise to read it. Just because I cookie is put in front of you it doesn’t mean you need to eat it….. And as for parentals???? My mother is a drunk, always has been. She could care less about me. She has beaten me, kicked me out in mid winter without a coat, threatened to kill me with a knife while I sleep. I have not talked to her for well over 2 years. My father is a pot dealer, he smoked it in the house WHILE i was there (which is so immature, especially with your child in the same room) he never cared about me at all. I haven’t seen him since I have been 7. I live with my friends, and when i was younger, I lived at their parents houses with them. I tought myself how to be resposible and to learn everything a know on my own. Dont get me wrong, i’m not an agery person, my parents made their own choices and in reaction I had to make my own as well, to leave and find somewhere safe. I pierce because I want to. Why do women put on makeup in the morning??? to make themselves feel good. I pierce to make myself feel good. It is nobody’s choice but my own. And the people that have said, somebody would have done it, are right. If Lane would not of done it, then I would have found somebody else that would.
and my lip looking improperly healed, is not true, it is healed perfectly fine. I CHEW ON IT, as that is why it looks wierd in this picture. It is NOT red, OR SWOLLEN in person. that day i had been chewing on my rings more than usaual and it got a bit tender after some jerk wilking through the mall taking off his coat whacked me in the face…. ALL OF MY PERCINGS ARE HEALED AND IN GOOD CONDITION.
And tattoos…. how are they any better than this. How do you know that those needles are clean and your not going to get aids… how do you know its not going to get infected… or the tattoo artist is dumb and pushes it to deep, scaring everthing…. or that they are actually going to follow the lines correctly….. or when you remove them and destroy your skin…. TATTOOS AND PIERCINGS, ALL OF THEM, EVERY ONE all have risks…. so why pick on this one. does nobody have anything better to do…. can you suggest somewhere better for me to go?? Lane has never done anything wrong than go that distance to be different, so whats the problem?? are you saying everybody should be the same??
And exploiting me…. how is this picture exploiting myself?? tattoo and piercing artists have portfolios of work they have done, WITH PICTURES OF THEIR CLIENTS IN THEM, so why are you not all complaining about that?? why is this picture so much worse…..
the whole, ‘ it was free’ is another issue…. I WOULD HAVE PAYED $300 TO HAVE IT DONE, being free was a bonus. I could care less if it was free or not, if it makes you all happy do you want me to go see Lane right now, and pay him for it…. WHAT DIFFERENCE WOULD IT MAKE, you will all still find a reason to complain because nothing is ever good enough.
If it is so horrible, why dont you just ignore it. If you are complaining ots for publicity, DONT RESPOND TO IT, dont take action to it. If you dont make a deal, it wont make it a big thing… but you all seem to have no problems with supporting it and making it such a big deal……
And why make so many theories withouth even asking the person that had it done… You are the immature ones in my aspect of this. Nobody even gave us a chance…
i honestly dont think your responses have changed anyones view on you, what with you flipping your shit like a child. People are ALLOWED to critique, and thats exactly what they do and they do it often. As for your shitty life, honestly, at this point, I dont think anyone cares. Everyone has their problems, but that doesnt justify doing stupid shit.
Cheryl,
You know every risk and that’s why you have piercers who AREN’T reputable pierce your lips with NON-implant grade jewelry and leave the jewelry entirely too big for your anatomy?
If you’re chewing on your lip piercings enough to make them that angry – you’re not a candidate for an experimental piercing. Period. (That’s why reputable piercers likely turned you away when you asked for risky piercings….or did you just ask ONE piercer in the mall you worked at and since they agreed you let them have at your face?)
Lane going the distance to be “different” IS the problem, lamb. THAT’S what the article is about.
Furthermore, how can you know “every risk” on a piercing which has never been done before?
The people who are concerned are posting negatively in response to the picture of a minor’s eye aren’t going to “ignore” the situation. IF anything happens to you as a result of having anesthetic injected into your eyelid (something that’s ILLEGAL to do to someone without a licence) God forbid (!!) and having an experimental piercing done around a very sensitive organ I will speak out against people who are doing risky procedures on people who don’t understand the risks EVERY TIME it happens. I will NOT stay quiet to avoid sounding like a bitch or hurting feelings because some piercer is trying to “do something different” Nope. Get used to this kind of reaction in regards to foolish procedures. After this article came out, Lane deleted his IAM page and didn’t respond. I know him well. It’s something I wholeheartedly expected him to do after this kind of uproar. If you can’t stand up with your peers and be able to eloquently explain your actions – don’t do stupid shit. You’ll find yourself with no choice but to run away with your tail between your legs because you can’t take the heat.
It’s NOT your job to have to explain yourself. You, as the trusting client, did NOTHING wrong. This article and these posts aren’t a dig at you. It’s an uproar against someone who should’ve known better.
(PS. You don’t get AIDS from body modification. Do some more research.)
(PPS. The picture isn’t exploiting you. You telling the ENTIRE WORLD that your parents are substance and child abusers is exploiting yourself. Shit! Even *I* don’t air THAT kind of laundry!)
can i just add simply this: let others assume youre a fool, rather than opening your mouth and confirming it.
Cheryl. I know how shitty it is to have grown up in a rough backround, while it is important to express your emotions about what you went through i don’t know that it was a entirely applicable responce to this thread.
As a piercer i would not have considered you as a canditate for an experimental piercing for a few reasons:
* you are underage, i don’t really care how long you have been living on your own: you are still underage.
*How the piercing is going to affect your life. i don’t mean aftercare- i mean getting a job or changing jobs, you are still young and while you may be heavily pierced that doesn’t really change the fact that a micro dermal is an implant and hard to remove… i cant imagine how horrid it would be to remove should you need to.
As to your comment: “no one even gave us a chance”… we are debating the ethics of this pierce, not your existance as a person.
Lexci Million is a brilliant poster, and i couldn’t agree more.
WE as piercers and tattooists must feel priviliged that clients place their trust in us, we should never abuse this trust by doing stupid mods to further our “kool” factor.
I would like to thank those who pointed out the bit that I couldn’t help but notice, and ultimately what I wished to comment on. If anything else the professional might have suggested replacing the ill fitting jewelry already prevalent in the existing piercings before continuing a new, possibly riskier mod. Not to mention the clients standard vocabulary and high school education.
Something else that I noticed is that this critisizing is only happening to piercers people dont like. Where is all the arguing about scarification? Lexci I seen a picture with you and your friend, who has a piece of scarification across her lower chest. That was something considered risky and stupid at the time, not it is not. You are cutting yourself open, open to infection. The scar on my eyelid, if it does get taken out is minimal and I knew there would be one if I took it out, but scarification? That is permanently there… Cutting your nerve endings, your skin right off. I think that is sick personally. And how do you know the artist doing the scarification is experienced at it if it is new. That is what I am saying. Every piercing and procedure is new and risky the 1st time, no matter who it is on. You cant trust anybody because nobody has done it. You just have to put fiath in them as I did in Lane. Everything in the begining gets critisized, thats ok, but bashing people and shops is just low. Either way I think this is overblown in the fact that when things are new, yes they are risky, but as time goes on they are less risky, this is just the first step, as it was the same for scarification. Nobody knew how deep to cut down, or what method to use, they jsut went with their knowledge and what they thought was right.
First of all, I look at the young people with enormous lists of tattoos and my first thought isn’t “they’re too young!” or “they’re obsessed!” but, “holy hell, where did they get all that MONEY?”
Now to more relevant stuff: I’m 22, untattooed anywhere, and the only thing I’ve ever really considered getting would be microdermals in my hands. I just think they’re beautiful and would “fit” with me. And the first place I did see them was, in fact, here, on Modblog. But I wondered a lot about them, because I just saw them on here with no real explanation of healing times, how they were put in, etc. (I started reading like, a few months ago so I might have missed that information, lol.) Before/if I got one, I’d end up doing a hell of a lot of research. I know you all are a community that pretty much knows this stuff already, but I was very glad to see some context around this procedure that confirmed my suspicions that it was very new and possibly risky.
My bf is 19, with two “snakebite piercings” on his lower lip. He told me he did them himself, because he wanted them so badly–before he was 18. Really, all you can do is put disclaimers on things–and, I might add, include as much educational information as possible. Think about it as teaching safer sex in a world with HIV: if people want them badly enough, they’ll find a way to do it, no matter how risky it can be. All you can do is try to explain the risks as much as you can for the n00bs and hope that they’re smart enough to read it, becoming as aware of the dangers as they are of how to minimize them.