Temporary Piercings

The following document was offered to Iron Rose by Rose from Black Rose. We are incredibly grateful to the people in the scene who continue to donate their time, effort, and ideas to Iron Rose. Our sincere thanks to Rose for making this document available to us. We're sure you'll find it valuable!

TEMPORARY PIERCINGS
A Primer
ŠRose The Black Rose - Washington DC, 1996

For me all blood sports have a high degree of spirituality. I am so turned on by a sub who trusts me enough to let me spill her/his blood. Let's face it, we in the scene are not repressed sexual beings. We are generous with our sexual orifices. We seem to grant trust for entry into them rather easily. Not so with the rest of our beings. It takes an incredible amount of trust, care, understanding and time between play partners to develop enough assurance for blood sports. When a sub lets me into her/him in a place where no one has gone before (except maybe a doctor or nurse, but not for pleasure), into her/his very essence, it symbolizes the trust s/he has for me. It fills me with pride and lust and a kind of natural high that other SM games do not. It is true intercourse between players. It is beyond pain and pleasure.

Needles are one of the most frightening things to many individuals. Whether it as a result of some childhood illness, or that hateful sharp pain of having a lancet thrust into your thumb for a blood smear, or some other trauma in life, people tend to eschew needles. It takes a lot of courage for a sub/bottom to agree to a temporary piercing scene. It is not something to be approached lightly by either top or bottom. And it is an activity that requires instruction from someone with knowledge. Unfortunately, like most SM games, this is not something you should try alone the first time. What follows is a short how-to for piercing. I recommend that you read it through and still have someone with experience watch when you do your first few piercings.

I. Supplies: Obviously you need needles. The higher the gauge, the thinner the needle. I routinely use 21's or 22's. Get them fairly long -- 1-1/2" to 2". Medical supply stores sell them, but state laws control whether you can buy them over the counter without a prescription. Most medical supply catalogues will sell to anyone. Gloves are also a must.

You also need cleaning supplies. Lots of cotton or gauze pads for cleaning the skin and wiping any drops of blood. Alcohol, betadine, peroxide, neosporin and NewSkin are musts for your blood sports bag. I also have a bottle of antibacterial soap for emergency cleaning.

I keep towels in my toy bag and sometimes drop cloths or tarps. You can buy cheap plastic picnic table covers for about $2.00 in lots of party supply houses and they work well to cover the area so spills don't get on carpets, furniture or dungeon floors.

Small corks are used for capping off the point of the needle after insertion to avoid sticking yourself with a blooded needle, or having the poor sub get stuck accidentally. Most craft stores have these. If you can't get small ones, get any they have and cut them.

Finally, you need a sharps container. You can purchase these off the shelves in most pharmacies in the DC area. Local laws probably govern these items as well. Any plastic soda bottle with top also works well. Put all your used supplies into the bottle -- including needles and corks, cotton, wrappings, etc.

II. Preparation: The first step to piercing is getting the subject ready. After you have discussed the idea and feel very comfortable with each other's agreement to the scene, set a date. At the appointed hour, place the sub in a very relaxed position -- prone works best for me, but sitting or tied to a cross or other support is fine as well. Speak softly and sensuously to your subject. Have her/him begin rhythmically breathing deeply, slowly exhaling. Keep reassuring him/her with touches whispers, etc. how beautiful, how much you appreciate her/him, how brave s/he is, etc. Giving these little reminders throughout the scene can be very helpful to your subject's ability to get into subspace and stay there.

Pick your spot carefully. Don't try going through the nipple on your first attempt. If you want to pierce the breast, do it over or on the sides of the nipple in the fleshiest parts. Other good areas include the upper arm, just below the shoulder, around the navel, inner thighs, upper back. Scrotum, labia, even cocks can be pierced, but you should be real sure of yourself before trying these. One of my favorite scenes is butterflying open the labia by piercing the outer labia onto a cork board. This can also be done with the outer flesh of a cock - but these are advanced techniques.

Have your supplies at hand -- if you have enough space, set them out on a small table next to your workspace. Put on your gloves. Take a cotton ball or pad and soak it with betadine. Wipe with circular motions in the area that you intend to pierce. Next, do the same with alcohol, working from the inside point of the betadine toward the outside. Take the needle out of the paper wrapping and lay it on the body of your sub where it won't fall. Be sure s/he is ready. Go through the breathing ritual with her/him again as you pull the needle from the plastic casing (discard the casing). Pinch up some skin between you thumb and index finger (this is my preferred method. Some people stretch the skin taut, but that does not work well for me). Make sure the "eye" or bevel side is facing up and place it lightly against the pinched skin. Remember you are only going to go in a few layers -- less than 1/16". Have your sub take a deep breath and hold it. As you say, "Release it," push the needle through the skin (be very careful to avoid sticking yourself. Remember once you have broken the skin with the needle, it has blood on it). By pinching it up you go in and out with one stroke. (Look carefully to be sure you have not inserted to shallowly. If you can clearly see the needle through the skin, chances are it will rip out. Gently pull it out and, if your sub can take it, try again). Once in, cap off the end with a cork.

Needles can be left in for hours, depending on the sub. Endorphins begin flowing immediately and your sub may begin to simulate a drug high, especially the longer the needles are left in. Watch carefully. Often the sub will feel dizzy or lightheaded. If that happens, don't let him/her walk around without aid. You can tap around the needle with your fingers and watch more endorphins flow. This can also be done by gently twisting the needles in a circular motion.

III. Removal: This is easy. Take off the cork and discard it. Stretch the flesh slightly, and gently pull the needle out. Put it in the sharps container immediately. The sub may bleed a few drops. If you like to play in blood do so carefully. Wipe a drop with your gloved finger and allow the sub to taste her/his own blood. (Of course if you are body fluid monogamous, taste some yourself. The first time my partner tasted my blood, I had a spontaneous orgasm!) If you don't, dab the holes gently with an alcohol wipe. With a bit of pressure, the blood should stop. If not, a drop of new skin will stop it.

Let your sub stay down and relax a while before getting up. See how long it takes before s/he asks to do this scene again!

Last revised: January 07, 2004.