Author Archives: Nici Holmes

about us, jewellery

ONLINE STORE NOW HERE

Posted on by Nici Holmes
25
Jan

We wish with all our might we could be piercing you and helping you adorn your person – but as that’s not always possible we want to be able to assist you at home as well.

The new online store will continue to grow as we add more and more jewellery to chose from.

Measuring up for your own jewellery can be intimidating

that’s why we created a system that can be utilized via any social media where we can assist you and help you find the right size together

 

 

aftercare – ATTACHMENTS- posts

It will all be available, whether you want a spare or an upgrade, advice or an appointment – we got you!

JEWELLERY PURCHASES COME WITH:

Instructions on how to change your jewellery at home
Cleaning wipes and lubricant

 

Quick View

Glasswear Labret Retainer

£15.00
Quick View

Spellcraft – 14k Gold

£345.00
Quick View

Infinity – 14k Gold

Quick View

Princess Cut Prong- Titanium

Quick View

Tree Frog – 18k Gold

£119.00
Quick View

Crushing – 14k Gold

£108.00
Quick View

Mishka – 14k Gold

£117.00
Quick View

Lindsey – 18k Gold

healing

THE STAGES OF HEALING

Posted on by Nici Holmes
23
Apr

The healing process of any body piercing is remarkable and complex, and it is also susceptible to interruption due to local and systemic factors, including moisture, infection, and maceration (local); plus age, nutritional status, body type (systemic).
However when the right healing environment is established, the body works in wondrous ways to heal and replace devitalized tissue.

HOMEOSTASIS & INFLAMMATORY

(Swelling and redness)

It’s unlikely for your piercing to bleed, but immediately after being pierced and the next 24 hours are when it’s most likely. This is a natural reaction from the body and is necessary to clot the wound. Apply pressure with a clean tissue for a few minutes and dry after, just don’t over clean and knock the scab away as this will cause more bleeding.

The inflammatory stage peaks around 24 to 48 hours after being pierced. This stage of healing allows the body to flush the area of debris and facilitates growth factors and proteins that attract immune cells to facilitate tissue repair. 

PROLIFERATION

(Dry skin or crust)

This stage consists of 1) filling the wound; 2) contraction of the wound margins; and 3) covering the wound (epithelialization).

During the first stage, shiny, deep red granulation tissue fills the wound bed with connective tissue, and new blood vessels are formed. During contraction, the wound margins contract and pull toward the center of the wound. In the third stage, epithelial cells arise from the wound bed or margins and begin to migrate across the wound bed in leapfrog fashion until the wound is covered with epithelium. The Proliferative phase often lasts anywhere from four to 24 days.

MATURATION

During the Maturation phase, the new tissue slowly gains strength and flexibility. Here, collagen fibers reorganize, the tissue remodels and matures and there is an overall increase in tensile strength.

The Maturation phase varies greatly from piercing to piercing, often lasting anywhere from 21 days to two years.

When this stage is complete, know as the total heal time for your piercing as advised by your piercer. THIS is when you can begin to change your jewellery over as regularly as you wish.

 

 

healing, standards

100% NITRITE GLOVES

Posted on by Nici Holmes
a tattooed lady in a white vest putting on black gloves
25
Jan

While there is a price difference between the standard use examination gloves and the safer Nitrite or non-latex gloves we will be using. There is a clear difference in safety. We hear of so many lovely clients suffering from this common allergy and having to remind health care workers, partners and dentists on a regular basis to take caution.

We decided since there is such a straight forward solution, an easy alternative: we are making the permanent switch.

latex-imgIt’s understood that numerous people have an allergy to latex and many more are sensitive to it, resulting in possible skin complaints and discomforts or worse.

We discussed at the end of the last year the option of going fully latex free throughout our store. Both to prevent ourselves from developing issues and furthermore to stop and incidents regarding yourself, our client.

 

However the journey has not been easy, with all new equipment there can be a trial and error stage of finding suitable suppliers in strength, quality and availability as well as the many things a piercer loves: stretchiness, comfort, grip etc

 

But it gives us great pleasure to announce that now and forevermore all services undertaken in Blue Lotus will be made with Nitrite examination gloves or similar. Never latex

There is no cure to a latex allergy, those with it can only avoid contact with latex

about us, app, standards, ukapp, Uncategorized

THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL PIERCERS

Posted on by Nici Holmes
11
Jun

proudmemeber

 

WE ARE THE FIRST PIERCING STUDIO TO ATTAIN APP MEMBER STATUS IN THE UK FOR MORE THAN A DECADE

 

As of this today, Blue Lotus are proud members of the APP – Needless to say this has been huge cause for celebration at the studio.

Whats the APP I suspect you wonder? The APP has been around since 1994. Yet its existence is not as widely well known as it could be. Beginning as a political action group in California to address legislation concerns, it has grown to become a nonprofit  health and safety organization dedicated to the decimation of information regarding body piercing.

The Association of Professional Piercers [APP] is an international health and safety organization. It is a nonprofit voluntary alliance dedicated to the dissemination of information about body piercing. Governed by a voluntary elected Board of Directors, the APP is a united group of piercing professionals that freely shares information to help fellow members, piercers, health care professionals, legislators, health inspectors, and the general public get the best and most up-to-date information about body piercing.

“During the first week of my apprenticeship which started in 1999 I was handed copy of the APP health and safety procedure manual. 
Although it didn’t contain much looking back [but] at the time it was gold dust. A bible. I must have read that worn copy cover to cover over a dozen times.
I knew back then that my future contained the APP. That I’d eventually run my own studio and be responsible for the decisions that would include APP membership”  … Nici

The APP do not constitute as ‘the piercing police’ telling piercers how to pierce or judging their technical abilities – rather – actually ensuring that stringent environmental criteria are set, maintained and updated accordingly. Becoming an APP member does not mean a studio has better piercers. It means the environment you are being pierced meets the highest of safety standards currently required of any professional piercing body.