The ‘hole’ truth

By Teddye Snell, Press Staff Writer

As early as 10 years ago, having your navel pierced was hardly a typical Saturday, mother-daughter outing.

Today, it’s a common occurrence, according to Karen Smith, co-owner of Safari Body Jewelry and Accessories.

“We want to dispel the stereotypical perception of the business,” said Smith. “We’re family-oriented, we’re not rude. We allow family members back with the client. We have a lot of moms and daughters who come get their bellies pierced together.”

Burt Smith, Karen’s husband, is co-owner of the shop. Both have completed nursing school. Burt has a healthcare administration degree, and Karen is a physical therapist.

“Having the healthcare background helps us out a lot when it comes to interpreting state laws and health codes,” said Burt. “Which is why we’ve never had a violation since we’ve owned the business.”

In the four years since Safari opened, business has grown due to increased acceptance of piercings, becoming a part of mainstream Western culture.

“We get all ages of customers, lots of college kids and high-schoolers” said Karen. “But most of our business is older folks with kids and grandchildren. It’s hard to find someone without a piercing or tattoo these days.”

The Smiths, parents of three children, have a combined total of 18 piercings and 16 tattoos.

“Why?” you might ask.

“I just like the way it looks,” said Karen. “It’s sometimes hard to go certain places in public, but why conform? It’s our business uniform. Would you want to be pierced by someone who wasn’t?”

Good point (pardon the pun).

Although piercing seems to be a newer trend, some people might be surprise to know it’s an ancient art form, practiced in most cultures for thousands of years.

The earliest known mummified human remains displaying piercings is over 5,000 years old - a man with large-gauge plugs in his ears. To implement a “plug,” the piercing has to be enlarged slowly, using a series of increasingly larger-gauge discs to achieve a larger hole. Plugs are increasingly popular among young men in the area. (They don’t use gigantic needles to accomplish the large holes, so you can relax.)

The degree of pain involved seems to be a commonly asked question of the Smiths.

“When folks come in they’re usually nervous, so we ask them if they have any questions,” said Karen. “They almost always ask if it hurts. Not, ‘Are you licensed?’ which we are.”

The Smiths will pierce anyone 18 or older who has a form of photo state ID. State law allows piercing at any age with parental consent, but the Smiths won’t pierce anyone under age 13.

Aside from eyebrows, ears, noses, lips, nipples and bellies, Karen will also pierce women below the waist, but not men.

“It’s all according to the customer’s personal hygiene,” said Karen. “I’m sorry, there’s just no tactful way of saying it, but it has to be done. Cleanliness and providing a sterile, sanitary environment is our first concern.”

Karen learned piercing and was licensed in North Carolina before moving to Tahlequah.

“Anyone who does [piercing] in Oklahoma usually learned in another state,” said Burt. “Oklahoma is the strictest state on body piercing - which is good - the state won’t have people piercing who don’t know what they’re doing. Public safety and public health is a must in this line of work.”

Tattoos seem to go hand-in-hand with piercings, and Matt Westmoreland has both.

“I don’t have that many piercings, though,” said Matt. “Just my ears and my tongue. I had my ears pierced, well one of them at first, when I was 11. I got my tongue pierced for my 16th birthday.”

According to Westmoreland the gauge needle used to perform a standard ear piercing is a 16; he has a gauge 4 hole in his ear (refer to the aforemention “plug”).

Westmoreland has his own reasons for his body art.

“I use it as a separation from society,” he said. “You stand out more as a person rather than blending in. I like to look different.”



Post-piercing tips

• Keep your hands away from your new piercings. Constant fiddling will prolong the healing time.

• Healing times for various body piercings range from a few weeks to a year. You will need to wait at least six weeks and up to 10 months before considering a jewelry change.

• Seek immediate medical attention if you experience throbbing pain, prolonged swelling, lasting heat spots at the piercing point or prolonged redness.

• Never remove your nose ring if you suspect infection, unless under a physician's recommendation. The bacteria causing the infection may get trapped in your system as the hole begins to seal.

• Consider any infection to a nose piercing serious. The nose and brain share the same blood supply, so bacteria infecting the nose may travel up to the brain.

Source: www.ehow.com, April, 2006.

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