So I have a theory about this that expands beyond reading comprehension. I noticed that a lot of people treat body modifications like fast fashion. Over the last 20-30 years, fast fashion has kinda reshaped the way we think about personal beautification because it disconnects us from the process and labour that goes into making the things we consume. Similarly, it disconnects us from our own bodies and the reality of our bodies because the ritual and patience of body modification have also been lost. So people treat their bodies like a fast fashion product rather than as a body with needs and processes, a body that needs time and repeated care to heal properly. So if someone sees a cute piece of 00g jewellery, they want to get to that size NOW to wear it, even though they only have a fresh piercing. They want an industrial NOW because they have a wedding to go to next week. They want a tattoo NOW because they want to look cute for something they have planned tomorrow. If they can go to the store or order from amazon and get a cute garment NOW, why isn't their body keeping up with their schedule? Clearly something must be wrong with YOU Mx Piercer, because beauty is NOW, not a year from now. This may be a bit of a simplistic take and I may be missing some other factors in this complex issue, but this has been a vibe I have been feeling from piercing content, especially on TikTok.

I don't understand people. Maybe it's just because I'm an anxious person, but with any appointment I have, piercing or otherwise, I make sure to read the rules/guidelines, make sure I have everything I'll need, etc, to allow things go as smoothly as possible for both me and whoever I'm making the appointment with. The fact that some people choose to go do things without any form of preparation does not compute with me. Unfortunately, while I think these things were already problems before COVID, I think COVID has made things a lotttt worse.

I’m kinda shocked that people genuinely think you can just “do it so it doesn’t need to heal”. It’s literally impossible.

i think the change in public perception of piercings and how common theyve become have really made it seem like theyre no big deal and easy to get with a second thought. when literal surgeons think its okay to get a piercing 1 month post op i don't blame the general public for thinking the same. still mind boggling tho how so many people don't realize theyre wounds!

Literally had my cousin message me the other day because her nostril had a massive angry bump. She had the bump because she changed it to a tiny ring after a month because “it stopped bleeding and hurting so that’s healed” 🙃

cant believe im saying this but tiktok is definitely to blame. people see soooo much stuff on tiktok and are so influenced and use that as the only source of information

Im always incredulous at how much people don’t even wanna educate themselves… my aunt asked me for advice about getting my 11 year old cousin’s first ear piercings and I explained to them that needle is best, butterfly backs are a no no, recommended them my APP piercer, told them to ask me anything…. they ended up going to an esthetician who did it with a gun because they ‘heard conflicting information’ and didn’t want to go to a piercer bc ‘what if it makes her want more piercings’… then they were surprised/insulted when I told them they made the less safe choice but I hoped they had no issues…. like….

The piercing studio I go to gives out cards with the aftercare instructions after each piercing, which also contain info about the piercing like the day when it was done, approximate healing time, jewellery size etc. I'm not sure if that's done everywhere but i find it super useful.

I manage the art and photography equipment office at my university. It’s shocking how many students don’t seem to understand or comprehend the rules involved with checking out and borrowing cameras and recording equipment for classes. First year photography students are required to pass a test to prove that they understand the policies and know how to treat the equipment correctly, but still we have students that bring equipment back late (or not at all), leave the workrooms a mess and mishandle things that they should have basic knowledge about using correctly. This goes for students of all ages from gen X to gen Z. It’s not even a young person issue, because some of the worst that I’ve encountered actually came from the middle-aged continuing education students that aren’t as technologically literate but still don’t want to obey the rules and learn how to research what they need to.

Over the past few years I’ve noticed a weird lack of interest/ability to seek out information. I run a pole dance studio, and people will call asking about pricing or location (all things clearly listed and explained on our website) and half the time when I mention that the info is there they say “oh, I’ll just look at your website then!” Like they never even looked! (Which I also don’t get because when you google us our website is right there! How did you find our phone numbers without seeing our website??!) I don’t know how to make people do the work of seeking out info, or at least gathering the specific questions they need to ask.

one good thing about having an anxiety disorder is I do SO MUCH research about absolutely everything. I need to know exactly how things are going to go going in lol. I don't know how people can go through life walking into every situation completely blind.

I teach at a university and what you describe is prevalent amongst students. I have students who do not look at the calendar and then are shocked that they can't take a class because they didn't take the prerequisite or they make assumptions about offerings. We publish a lot of information and it pretty much all gets ignored by many. Course outlines are not read and then students get upset when there are consequences and i ask 'didn't you read that in the outline?'. There seems to be a lot of 'fake it till you make it' style amongst many folks. I think there is an feeling that benefits should be attained without paying the price. If there was a saying that could characterize many (not just students or the young) is 'all gain, no pain'. I think you're also correct that there has been a marked decline in attention to detail since the pandemic. Definitely. And an fyi: I do have piercings and tattoos and i follow aftercare processes strictly.

This is so SO connected with reading comprehension and literacy. I even see it as a postal worker. “I didn’t know I had to do this this or this!” Well you could have easily just Googled it.. you could have read the instructions we provided you. They just expect someone else to fix it or do it for them. If they’re expected to read something, it’s seen as optional. Personally, I let them deal with the consequences.

i just want to say how much i appreciate you and your content. i've been following you / reading your blog since the beginning of my body mod journey about a year and a half ago, and your advice on research, proper jewelry, anatomy, etc has been a major factor in me now having several happy & healthy piercings as well as getting interested in the history and culture of this field. this situation sounds super frustrating, and i've definitely seen this behavior having worked several different service industry jobs myself, so i just wanted to say thank you for keeping us informed and for all you do!!

as a math tutor, i’m honestly thankfully but quite concerned that i recognized this issue more in customer service😭 it drove me wild when ppl asked me to read the whole menu for them, i could never. but i’m young so i can’t say how i’ve seen things change over time, but i do notice a lot of people’s issue is comprehension. many students are fine with numbers they just can’t grasp the concepts, and vice versa but mostly that. i have noticed this more with older folks actually, just bc they’ve been out of school for longer so specifically math slips. interesting take thanks!

There should be a written test about each piercing before you can get it like the pain level, healing and stuff like that

This is so incredibly frustrating. I have a lot of clients come in who have a friend who has pierced themselves and "it was fine" and all that poop, and also not want to pay for quality services, these are, obviously, just a couple of examples but I am noticing more and more that the majory of people don't realize just how difficult piercing is. I see so many people who still think the "old school" info is correct and hear stories from random people about getting pierced and then carry that information for themselves, even if they haven't had any other piercings besides their lobes! As much as I want to be that piercer who is like, "yeah, you'll love this piercing, try it out!" If someone is on the fence or is flabbergasted by the necessary care required, I am all about getting into the nitty gritty and if they are hesitant, I suggest they think on it for a week or so. I really appreciate this video 🖤

I remember getting my eyebrow pierced in 1998, tongue pierced in 1999 and navel pierced in 2000, all done with a needle there was no consultation nor anatomy check and it was from reputable piercing shops, they just pierced you as long as you have enough skin and tell you how to care for the piercing with alcohol and ointment and Listerine for my tongue piercing and if there's problems, come back to them to remove the piercing. Over 20 years later I've got a dermal on my chest, septum and surface tragus piercing, I got my anatomy checked before the piercing and the piercer told me to clean them with saline solution spray and no oil or ointment on them. The saline is better because no piercing bumps at all. Would be nice if there were anatomy check and consultation in the 90s and early 2000s.

This is crazy to me! I always feel like I did SO much reading and research before getting the piercings I have and thinking about it for a long time before going out to get it done. It's so sad and scary that you're seeing this. You are such a good resource on information!

Hi Lynn, greetings from Australia and I've been a longtime follower of your channel and your blog. Without generalising, I am inclined to say this could be more common amongst younger clients. I'm almost 40 and got 3 new piercings last year ( adding more this year). I have done so much research on them, how compatible with my lifestyle etc. When I started getting piercings 20 years ago, I barely did any research. Definitely older and wiser now

I’ve had the same experience a couple of times in my career as a piercer. I always give them instructions verbally and written. I had a client come in for a pair of lobes once, and after giving verbal instructions as well as the paper, they just up and left in the middle of me giving instructions on how to take care of it, and left the aftercare paper I gave them on the piercing table & didn’t bother to take it with them. a piercing is a wound & you need to take care of it as such.

Bro. You’re putting wounds in your body. You have to take care of them. I’ve known that since I got my ears pierced at seven years old. I cannot fathom why someone would think that you don’t have to do anything to take care of a wound

I think people want immediate gratification, its never in history required less patience in order to get something you want.

Hi! I bought a gague kit at Spencer's at the mall the other day. It was a 😅whim -- only been thinking about stretching my lobes for 40 or 50 years. 😃 Started reading & watching videos for about a day, now. Your videos are very informative & super easy to understand 😊 I think the people you're talking about must all be vegans.... 😝 (Just saying... idk..) I showed up in Virginia, about 1989. Started wearing my nose piercing out in public, for the first time. Women at the store or my kids' school would stare at me in shock. When they could finally speak, they would gasp, "did that hurt???" My cool calm response became, "steel through flesh? Yeah it hurt." People are funny... 🤷‍♀️ Thank you for your advice; I took a shower, put the tapers through, lubed the 14 gages with the Jojoba oil I bought with the kit. Bam, got them in, just because you told me I could 😃😁😎 Thank you so much for sharing your many years of experience. It helped me a lot 💖💖💖

1) i am always so grateful for piercers relaying info to me even if it's not exactly what i wanted to hear! piercing is an art form and a way to connect with my own body through the artisanship of others, not changing clothes. 2) i feel like we live in this "post-truth/information" era (which goes back decades to like even before the cold war tbf) where we're so suspicious of all info, often correctly because misinformation and misinformation is so rampant, but too indiscriminately. thus people prioritize their own opinions and wants above any information that they did not originate. so even if skepticism generally is warranted, it's taken so extremely that it's not longer pragmatic skepticism, it's just intentional obliviousness.

Sometimes I think it’s just pure laziness and stupidity. I see it every day too, and I’m not even any type of service industry. It’s just like, every day all the time and it’s shocking! How are we enabling people to get this far in life just being this ignorant?

I've had a kind of similar experience (altho more annoying than alarming) working retail with customers just never reading signage or tags in the store so half the time customers stop me to ask a question I just end up reading the sign too them cause it already answered their question

Sounds like there’s a lack of research and an instant gratification issue. Piercings are a commitment and some of them take years to heal. Some of my older piercings still get bumps and crusties. It’s not an easy, painless, low commitment thing.

My friend just got 5 piercings at once (2 one ear, 3 the other) when she hasn't healed any piercings in a very very long time. She insists they'll heal in 2 weeks at most. Piercer didn't offer any caution or healing advice about 5 new piercings. After asking her for pictures: 4 butterfly backs and one flat back, none had enough swell room. She went and got the jewelry changed to all flats when I flipped. Cost her more than $850 total in the end.

One long covid symptom is actually brain damage and I think it is contributing to this kind of thing. Irritability, impatience, etc are not helped by basically getting the equivalent of a concussion.

I love the CGRWMs no matter the topic. I too wish an industrial would only take 2 weeks to heal lol

i work in customer service and i can confirme: ppl don´t want to read!!! i´m happy to help!!! always!!! i can´t tell you how many times i have to tell ppl that are threatening with a lawer where they can find the information / rules they have agreed upon... kindly!!! i don´t know why someone whould think it´s just a stab and they are done when they get pierced... it´s not that deep... it´s hygine and woundcare... but still... you are doing a great job putting out information!!

love your glasses so much. thanks for at least attempting to comprehensively educate the public at large.

Yes! I am a tattoo artist and I’ve had a few instances of clients showing up no ID or expired IDs…and I think what blows my mind the most is how unsafe that is. If you get in an accident on the way here for example, and you can’t be easily identified…that is wildly dangerous. You NEVER know what could happen and having ID on you is for your own health & safety.

If you don't want to go through the healing process or have a permanent scar then get fake piercing jewellery???

Literacy is definitely 85% (coming from someone in public education) the other 10% is from digital overstimulation. There is so much reading for so many things in people’s lives. Most of which is some form of advertisement, misinformation or Family/work/business documents. By the time they get to their “self care/ me-time” piercings, tattoos, hair, nails etc they have reading fatigue. That last 5% is miscellaneous/…🤷

I’ve been doing appointments at my barber shop since after the shut down. I had a big sign on my door about it for 3.5 years which I then moved to the window. No matter where it is people still come in expecting to walk in. If I have the time I’ll take them. If not I ask them if they would like to schedule an appointment. The amount of middle aged men that have yelled at me is insane. Younger ones usually are like ok thanks! Old guys usually say nevermind or walk out. I’ve been cursed at too for it. I also enjoy when they’re all smug “I see it says appointment only but do you take walk ins?” Like do you need a dictionary? Or “yeah I’d like one right now.” One guy sat down and when I asked if he wanted an appointment he yelled at me because “why put out an open sign if you’re not open?!” Sir, the shop IS open. You’re welcome to come in to schedule an appointment if you would prefer that over calling or messaging. Some of my old guys blame it on the microwave😂 (You don’t have to take time anymore, it’s ready right away)

I think there is a lot to unpack in this topic. First and most importantly, humans are animals who seem to have forgotten that we're animals. Secondly, the middle and below breed at a higher rate than the intelligent. So we have several generations of baboons thinking just because they walk and talk, they somehow automatically get to use tools without having the mental capacity to use them safely. I recommend the movie idiocracy for further thoughts in this direction. Another issue is that too many piercings have always been done with more money in mind than sense. My first piercings were common lobe piercings and because they were done with a gun at a mall with so little attention to how this new wound should be taken care of I ended up losing them. Yes, I was told what at the time was good care technique, but neither myself as a young child nor my mom who never had piercings knew much. A year or so later I had them done again and have those holes (now at 00) today. It's taken me actually having piercings and living with them to understand. For example, I have oily skin. I think I might start my own channel on this because there is nothing I have found which details the issues one can have with oily skin and piercings. There are several piercings I'd love to get, but I know that with my oily skin and refusal to put extra effort into piercing care that I won't have good luck. It has also made my stretching journey a touch more difficult but not enough to abandon what I now love. Even professional piercing shops have not touched on this issue, I had to learn it the hard way by losing several piercings. I also don't see much information about keloid formation, which my skin is prone to. This also is something I had to learn about the hard way, get crazy cartilage and skin removal and finally get the second piercings I wanted. I am very grateful that there is so much more information available and those of us who know why we need to be educated on piercing maintenance appreciate it. But with ever so many baboons breeding more ignorance it's going to be an escalating problem.

Thank you for posting this, I was wondering if I was the only one dealing with this.

At some point you gotta just recommend they stick rhinestones on their ear

The amount of clients that are SHOCKED they can’t submerge their piercing while it’s healing is.. alarming. “But I want this navel piercing to show off on my cruise next week!”, insane

If getting a piercing that didn’t need to heal was a thing, my ear projects wouldn’t be on year 3 with 2-3 years left to go until they are done 😂 I think people see those of us with a bunch of piercings and think they are all done in one sitting without downtime. When in reality, it’s a trial of patience, dedicated care, and waiting. Especially financially, a lot of savings and discipline has gone into curating gold and custom titanium. I don’t think the general public understands how much time, money, and healing goes into the aesthetic curation pics they see online on Instagram and TikTok.

Maybe a bit of a separate issue, but I hear different healing times from different body piercer as well. I got told by the piercer I go to that some of my cartilage piercings will take about a year to heal, but then I hear oh be healed in 4-5 months from another. I trust my piercer so I'll taking that it'll be a year to heal and expecting it. Just wondering how there is such differences in information even from professionals!

maybe it’s just ur location cuz this isn’t the first time i herd u talk about people being rude about having to have or needing there ID cuz that’s not very common here yes people or really it’s parents being not understanding why we need a birth certificate but not rude they usually understand also i most definitely have had the clients that don’t and refuse to get it and probably will never get it so im just as frustrated there with u 😢 hopefully it gets better friend 😊

I think people are becoming much more reliant on audio/video to feed them information. Does this tend to be an issue with younger clients or all ages?

me listening to the person who came in to get an industrial: hmmm yeah ok those are pretty popular, they prob won’t be able to get a traditional one though, maybe they get super mad or something?? me when they came in to get an industrial so they can have an “easy” heal: 👁👄👁 what

I think this all got worse because of piercing guns and things like that, automating the process of getting pierced takes away from the ritualistic aspect of mindfully changing your body and working to make your body accept the change

💛💛💛

Not me being called out.

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Just wanted to be first (I'm never first)