<< The piercing truth

By Julissa Espinoza, 18, Los Angeles HS
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Rick Oehler says that pierching should be safe, fun and the choice of the piercee

I interviewed Rick Oehler in the piercing parlor called Thirteen B.C. on Melrose Blvd. It looked like a museum to me because it had a variety of African masks and pictures of piercings on the walls. It had a mellow feeling, as if when you walk in the parlor, all your fears stay outside. Off to the side, the piercing chair was waiting for its next victim.

Rick seemed really nice and friendly. The parlor has a policy of not piercing anyone under 18. I think it’s a good policy. As Rick said, "even 16-year-olds are still developing."

He said that the amount of pain depends on the person and the type of piercing. "When I’m doing a piercing I try to tell them to relax and concentrate. A lot of times people say, ‘Oh, that wasn’t as bad as I expected,’ " he said.

Rick’s advice:


Talk to your friends with piercings. Ask them where they got theirs done and what the place was like.

Ask the person who does the piercing how long they have been doing it. There are schools throughout the country, but the best-trained people have had an apprenticeship in a shop, Rick said.

Make sure the parlor is clean and that all the materials they use are new and sterilized. Needles should be used only once: "One needle per person per session." There should be an autoclave on premises—that’s a special machine used to sterilize things.

Take good care of the piercing. Follow the cleaning instructions. Above all, don’t touch it unless your hands are perfectly clean.

Teens must be 18 or older, or be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and have some type of ID.

Don’t drink alcohol or use drugs before the piercing. You should make the decision with a clear mind.

Some people want to have metal or other things implanted under the skin. This poses a much greater risk of infection and should be approached with caution.