Laura Ljaze
Body Piercing

The Industrial Piercing, also know more recently as the 'Scaffold' piercing gained popularity in the 1990's, popularised by Piercer Eric Dakota.  This piercing was first pictured in a 1992 edition of Body Play Magazine.  The practice of scaffold piercing is when the top of the ear is pierced in two places so that a bar can span the ear and be anchored with a ball stop on each end of the bar. 

Will it hurt? Just like all helix and cartilage piercings, the pain levels will probably be higher than a lobe piercing. It is also worth remembering that you will be getting two piercings, so you will be being pierced twice. However, pain is totally subjective and varies from person to person.

Healing: There is a large amount of cartilage pierced with this procedure so complete healing takes 6-12 months, and the pierced areas must be cleaned effectively to avoid infection. Cleaning is the only time that you should touch the area, again reducing the likelihood of infection.  You should always wash your hands before cleaning the area, and make sure that you do not rotate the bar. Instead, just make sure that you thoroughly clean both holes and the jewellery to remove any bacteria. 

When caring for your Industrial Piercing, ensure that you:

• Refrain from touching the piercing to allow the tender tissue to heal and to reduce the risk of inflammation and pain.
• Sleep on your back to reduce pressure on your ears.
• Avoid applying lotions, moisturisers, perfumes to the area.
• Avoid swimming until after your piercing has healed.
• Try to keep your hair tied up and away from the piercing wherever possible during initial healing.
• Clean both exit holes of your piercing twice a day.
• You should not remove your jewellery during the healing process. The jewellery must be kept in at all times or you can risk the piercing closing over.

You can dramatically reduce your risk of any problems by following this advice.

Jewellery: There is an extensive range of barbell jewellery available and you can add decorative pieces to the middle and ends of the bar which come in many colours, designs and emblems. There's also a vast array of end balls in almost any colour, design and shape. When you are first pierced you will be pierced with Titanium Jewellery, this jewellery is a lot bigger than needed. This is to accommodate any swelling you may encounter post piercing, however rare it happens its always best to play it safe to ensure a stunning healthy healed piercing.  All of Our Titanium Body Jewellery is made from Ti6-Al4-V ELI Medical Grade Titanium, the only grade conforming to ISO 5832-3:1996 and comes from UK suppliers direct, only the best available for our clients. 

DISCLAIMER: Each body is unique and healing times vary considerably. If you have any questions, please contact your Piercer. These guidelines are based on a combination of vast professional experience, common sense, research and extensive clinical practice. This is not to be considered a substitute for medical advice from a doctor.