Who doesn’t love the triple forward helix? Yeah, we didn’t think there was anyone either. And of course, the most obvious/common way to do them is with a series of different-sized gems…like you see in our original blog post about ye’ ol’ triple forward helix piercing.

But, as you can see here, that’s not the only way to go. Nate and his client pretty much killed it with this variation on the standard triple forward helix; using rose gold ends. While symmetry/similarity is important to some people, this set of piercings is a great example of the beauty that can be achieved if you allow yourself (and your piercer) a little creative freedom.

We didn’t make this, or do these piercings, but we couldn’t agree more.

We understand that everyone has to consider the cost of a piercing. But, what we want everyone to remember is that, just like anything else you buy, you are probably going to have to pay a bit more for higher quality and better service. And, when it comes to your body…you’re health and safety…do you really want anything but the best?

We strongly believe that the desire to modify one’s body is something that is natural and instinctual, not limited by race, gender, culture or……species.

And it was with that belief in mind that we helped this very enthusiastic and surprisingly civil, gorilla find his way in the world with a nipple piercing. As with all things cutting-edge these days, there was video documentation. We hope to be able to provide that to all of you at some point.

We put this up a while ago on our Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter pages. Seems like this would be a good place for it too.

triple forward helix done by Derek

UPDATE 11/3/12
There are a few companies who make very low-quality jewelry that are trying to cash in on the increased popularity of the triple forward helix piercing. Sadly, the jewelry they are marketing for these piercings is both low-quality (i.e., not safe to have in your body long-temr) and/or looks like crap. Please be VERY SKEPTICAL if you find this type of jewelry being advertised on-line and the price seems too good to be true…we can pretty much guarantee you that it is.

UPDATE 11/2/12
We are still happy to make suggestions for studios in your area to have this done. However, we are starting to get a lot of repeat requests. Before leaving a comment asking for a studio in your area, please take the time to use the search function on your browser to search the comments for your city, or other major cities in your area. We may have well already answered the question.

We have also made some recommendations in another of our blogs related to triple forward helix piercings:

Triple Forward Helix: the next level

UPDATE 10/9/12
We just wanted to remind everyone that many people are not anatomically-suited to have all three of these piercings done. Ears, and their various folks, nooks and crannies, come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Because of this, not everyone have the room or the necessary shape to accommodate all three of these piercing.

In some cases, you may only be able to have one or two of them done. It’s also possible that some people won’t be able to have even one of these done.

While it can be disappointing not being able to get the piercings you want, trying to force piercing into locations they don’t want to go is usually uncomfortable, unattractive and usually results in the piercings having to be abandoned.

Fortunately, there are lots and lots of other three-piercing options available in the even this combination doesn’t work for you.

UPDATE 7/20/12
We are getting a lot of questions about where to get the jewelry for this piercing. If the piercers in your area can’t find the jewelry (something that should be VERY easy for any piercing ordering jewelry from reputable, high-quality jewelry companies), we would be happy to sell the jewelry to you. You can email us at: jewerly [at] saintsabrinas dot com for further information.

If you can’t find a piercer in your area, we would be happy to try and suggest a studio/piercer for you. Please understand that we may not be able to recommend someone for everyone and the person we can recommend to you may also require you to drive a few hours. Unfortunately, not every town, and not even every larger city, will have a reputable, experienced piercer. But, when it comes to the health and safety of your body, shouldn’t you be willing to put forth a little effort and money to ensure you are getting pierced by someone who will take good care of you? Yeah, we thought so too.

If you want to ask us for help finding a piercer, please leave a comment to that effect. Also, include the name of the town and state you would like the piercer to be in, but please also include one or two larger cities near you. It saves us a lot of time.

UPDATE 7/15/12
We have started receiving some emails, as well as a few comments, saying that piercers are telling folks that this picture is fake. *sigh*

We can assure you that our picture, as well as the pictures of other well-executed triple forward helix piecings are most definitely NOT fake. You can visit our Facebook page and see pictures of other triple forward helix piecings, and similar variations on that piercing. It’s pretty obvious the piercing aren’t fake.

Any piercer that is telling you that this picture is fake falls in to the category as the same type of piercer as we’ve mentioned in our previous updates. They either don’t have the skill/knowledge/understanding/experience to figure this piecing out or they do, but they don’t stock the jewelry required. Therefore, they are either tell people it is fake to avoid looking inexperienced or they are straigh-up lying to people.

Either way, you need to RUN AWAY. Do not be pierced by anyone who is spewing false information like this…information they most likely know is false.

UPDATE: 6/7/12

In addition to the information in our last update, we have also been seeing a lot of photos of these piercings online, as well as getting comments, about piercers telling people that these piercing needs to be done with rings. If a piercer is telling you this, we strongly encourage you to find a different piercer. Any piercing saying that these piercing need to be done with rings clearly doesn’t have an understanding of what can work in these piercings, or what is actually best for healing.

Rings can be used in these piercings. HOWEVER, rings will tend to move much more than studs do and they will also tend to get bumped/snagged on many more things. This combination makes the piercings MUCH harder to heal with rings and greatly increases the likelihood of healing problems and excess scar tissue formation.

UPDATE
We’ve been getting a lot of emails and questions about whether these are “dermals”, microdermals or some kind of surface piercing. No. These are just standard forward helix piercings done with standard piercing jewelry.

While we don’t wish to speak ill of anyone, if you consult a piercer about these piercings, and they tell you that they are some sort of dermal anchor piercing, or that the jewelry to do these as a regular piercing doesn’t exist or something similar, we would strongly encourage to find another piercer. While this particular configuration of piercings has recently become very popular, it isn’t “brand new” or overly advanced. If a piercer can’t figure out what is going on by simply looking at the picture, it probably says something about their experience and/or understanding of basic body piercing.

Some of you may have been expecting a blog about metal sensitivities as they relate to body piercing. That blog is coming soon, we promise. Some recent changes to some Minneapolis regulations has prompted us to make this our newest blog.

Hopefully you’ll find this informative as well.

Return of the What?

Microdermals (also know as dermal anchors and single-point surface piercings) have been around for about 5 years. So in the realm of all things body piercing, they are still pretty new. However, in that short period of time they have become quite popular, so chances are good you’ve seen one even if you didn’t realize you had. If you’ve ever seen a piercing that is a single ball or gem inserted in a flat area of someone’s skin, then you have seen a microdermal. (more…)

There’s no question one of the most unique, striking and interesting ear piercings is the Snug piercing. A quick bit of anatomical background: a Snug piercing goes somewhere along the ridge created by the antihelix and the antihelical fold.

While usually done in the area of the antihelical fold, snug piercings can also be done on the anithelix

In the picture below you can see a double snug piercing, even less common than a single snug piercing. This piercing was done at the Saint Sabrina’s and ultimately, ended up not working out for the young lady wearing it.

Double snug piercing with curved barbells

The main “problem” with snug piercings is the prolonged healing time. They typically take 6 months, sometimes longer, to heal even when well cared for. They usually stay swollen and sore during much of the healing time also. Snug piercings are so challenging to heal for a number of reasons:

1. A snug piercing goes through cartilage which is simply a harder type of tissue to heal.
2. The fold the piecing goes through tends to be fairly thick. This means the piecing goes through a lot of tissue which takes longer to heal.
3. The shape of the fold the piercing goes through is rounded/curved. This results in a bit of constant pressure on the piercing from the jewelry, which prolongs the healing.
4. The piercing is on the outer part of the ear, meaning it is more likely to get bumped, snagged and knocked around in the course of daily life.

All of these factors combine to make snug piercings very tough for many people to heal. A large percentage of people who get snug piercings end up abandoning them due to the prolonged and uncomfortable healing.

Because snug piercings are so great-looking, I really wanted to find a way to make them a more viable option for my clients.

While I can’t claim to have invented it, I (and the other piercers at Saint Sabrina’s) have become very big fans of an alternative to the snug. Maybe there is already some whacky, animal-related name for it like Panda Nibbles, Rhino Cuddles or Tadpole Hugs, but we prefer to just call it the Faux Snug.

A faux snug made up of a helix piercing and a conch piercing

A Faux Snug is a helix piercing and a conch piercing placed in such a way that they look just like a snug piercing. While healing two cartilage piercings at the same time isn’t always easy, it tends to be significantly easier than trying to heal a snug piercing. With the faux snug, healing time is typically around 2-4 months and the healing period tends to be much more comfortable than a standard snug.

The one potential “downside” to the a faux snug is that it’s two piercings and two pieces of jewelry, so the cost is a bit more than a standard snug piercing. However, all the piercers at Saint Sabrina’s are such big believers in the faux snug, we have chosen to waive the second piercing fee. You will still have to purchase a second piece of jewelry, but we truly believe the time, effort and pain you will miss out on will more than make up for a little extra money spent on the jewelry.

So if you’re looking for a unique new piercing, definitely keep the faux snug in mind.

by Derek Lowe

Disclaimer: We totally stole the title for this entry from our friend Shawn over at Scar Wars. We hope he will see our blatant theft as the flattery for which we intend it.  Shawn’s blog is about the art of scarification (cutting designs in to the skin) and does contain some graphic images.  While incredibly tastefully done, click the link at your own risk.

Over on our Facebook page, we recently asked for topics that folks would like us to write about. We received a few requests for information about piercing, or re-piercing rather, through scar tissue from previous piercings.  This is a great topic, because many people end up having piercings re-done after they remove them for any number of reasons.   (more…)