Downsize

Downsize (Shorten) why is it so important?

After a fresh piercing there will be a slightly longer piece of jewelry inserted, this to give you enough space for any swelling of the skin and to heal more effectively.

Appropiate size for fresh lippiercing
(enough room for swelling)

For example, you have a lip piercing, but it feels like you have an extra antenna, this was not the expectation that you had. Why do I not have a precisely appropriate piercing jewelry ? And why is it that I can not have a ring right a way?

Irritation can cause grow out

The length and thickness of a piercing jewelry is carefully chosen for a new piercing, because of the swelling space in the first period of healing. How long a piercing jewelry is, depends on different factors, other places may have different swelling, some places just require additional space to breathe.

A ring can often reject in a fresh piercing, unless the ring has a large enough diameter and gives enough room for the swelling. The disadvantage of a ring is that the ring moves more and turns what does not advantage the healing .

Wearing a longer piercing jewelry too long can be risky for some places, for the health and the end result therefore downsize is important.
After healing you can downsize to a more appropriate fitting piercing jewelry 

Appropiate size fresh tongpiercing
( Tong can swel big)

Appropiate size for fresh helix
( enough room for swelling)

Bump/bulge

Bump/Bulge

I see a infusion bag under my piercing!
That's not a scar, keloid or infection, it is an infusion bag caused by irritation, this may be transparent or red. an infusion bag is mostly filled with fluid or blood. Many different causes can cause this bulge to form. wearing a much too long jewelry or wearing your first jewelry after it healed to long, a moving jewelry, you play with your jewelry, bump or got caught behind, sleeping on the piercing, poor after care, or too excessive aftercare as cleaning. too much touching etc

Extreem to long size jewelry

as an example a too long jewelry in a helix can give more irritation with sleep, and can by pressure also skew or grow out.
If a piercing is too thin, and gives irritation, it can be replaced for a thicker jewelry, which can help to give it some more strength and stability.

When should I downsize?
That differs for each person and healing. It's not necessary for every piercing. based on the average, a tongue and lip piercing can be shortened after two weeks, An ear piercing 2/ 3 months.

It is therefore important that you are aware that a downsize sometimes is necessary.

Good size after healing and
downsizing the jewelry

Please ask for more information about this at your piercer when or if you need to downsize.

-Text & Photos: Angie
Angie
-Published Tattoo Planet eMagazine 117/ Januari 2017

Interview Kim van Rensch

Kim van Rensch

Name: Kim van Rensch, owner and piercer at Skin-a-matic in Nijmegen (NL)

Can you describe yourself in one sentence?
Driven, exact and honest, which is not always the most convenient features together ;)

How long have you been piercer?
23 years

Why this profession?
I  rolled in to it, through a jewelry shop where I worked, piercing was still quite unknown and people in the store were asking about this, I started to look in to it.  I've always had an interest in jewelry, as a  child I sat for hours in my room making jewelry. later I started a fashion and clothing training  and from there I got to work in a jewelry shop.




How or from whom did you learn the skills?
In those days there wasn't  much to find and there were just a few shops. I came to the address of a club, that did piercing I wrote a letter and from there, it came together,  I gained contacts. The rest I learned from books, shadowing and travelled  to meet people and learn from them.

Your first piercing was a ? A belly button

Who or what inspires you?
People with a passion for what they do inspire me, I love the feeling of passion if someone talks about his ambitions. Piercing related  are Luis Garcia and Maika Karremans

Can you tell something about your studio/workspace?
My studio skin-a-matic is almost 19 years old. I started with my now-ex husband, after our separation I 've bought him out and  moved on alone. At the moment we work with two tattoo artists and one piercer. It's a relaxed studio we try to help everyone correct but honest. People walk out  with hopefully a beautiful tattoo or piercing and a nice feeling. We are in Nijmegen on the edge of the city centre in a ring street, the advantage is that you can easily reach us on foot, by bike but also by car. It 's a street with mostly stores and catering.

What type of piercing do you prefer?
Ear projects and nipple piercings are my favorite.



What's the best piece of advice you ever got when you started out and think it would help other starters in this industry?
Never gotten any,  but begin this profession or any profession because you love to do it and you would like to continue to develop yourself. You never learn anything if you stand still.

Do You have a nice or weird experience as a piercer you'd like to share with us?
The nice thing about this job, I do so long, is that I now when I get parents in who have been pierced by me now bring in their sons or daughters to be pierced. Nice to know that they still know you after all these years.


Does your work involve more then just piercing?
Yeah, I'm the owner and do everything besides tattoo in the shop I clean, sterilize, get the people in and book the appointments.

How do you see yourself in 5 years? 

I hope that skin-a-matic keeps on going,  and that everyone  still likes to visit / hang out
here,  for those who work here and the customers.

 www.skinamatic.nl


-Answers and photo's: Kim van Rensch
Angie
-Published Tattoo Planet eMagazine 117 / Januari 2017