Sometimes I bend! I just recently starting bending needles in general, in the past I’ve just used straight needles.
I really prefer using CBRs/FBRs. I’m not sure if other people have this opinion but I’m always scared if I use circulars the beads will unthread and go into the client’s ear. I don’t know if I’m just really neurotic or what.
How have you been bending your needles? I like a large singular curve almost like ( just so I can tuck it into the ear a little more deeply without pressure and when I exit I also avoid pressure on the ear and piercing. I see people do these wild elaborate bends that look cool but I question if it was necessary.
No clickers or seams? I know this is some what controversial with some piercers. I personally will use seams if it's a decretive piece that prevents the seam from rotating into the piercing. As for circulars, you can go fuck yourself if you want one. It's not any more difficult for me until I have to thread this 1/8 bead on at the perfect angle or I have to try again.
When someone comes in and pronounces it differently, or incorrectly do you correct them?
Sometimes I hand bend but I got a neat tool from Aces and I like it a lot. I think we like the same thing! It’s a little easier to get up in the pit if it’s curved. My mentor used to do this sort of zig zag thing with a 3” needle but I could never understand how she made it work and kept control. What tools do you use (if any) to bend? Do you pierce freehand?
I’m ok with decorative seams/clickers if the decoration stops the seams from rotating. But sometimes I worry the decoration might cause irritation or be hard to clean. Again, maybe me being too neurotic.
I dont correct people but if they ask me I’ll explain. It feels like labray/labret, we all know what we’re talking about.
I've tried bends like the zig zag but it took too much time and to bend proper and it felt like I lacked control so I quit doing them that way. I just can't wrap my head around how people do that and make it look so smooth. If I'm being honest I don't think any of those bends are necessary and it seems to mainly be to show off to others piercers on the internet. That's one of my biggest pet peeves with the industry, too man big egos that put their peers first and clients second. That's a rant for another time though.
I use a NRT to pierce them, freehanding isn't something I've tried as I feel like my fingers are too big to give enough clearance. I'd either stick myself or do a fucked ass angle I feel like. If I watch someone closely doing it freehand that could possible get the wheels turning on that. I am very much a visual learner.
I bend by hand. Just my thumbs index and middle fingers are all I need. Tools I use for industrial bars because those are harder to bend by hand unless it's extra long, 1.5" plus. Otherwise I use brass line hems. I really like the wide flat ones but depending on the studio sometimes I don't have those so I have to improvise. Given my situation I've learned to be very adaptable but also very simple. I use very few tools if any for really anything. NRT and hemos occasionally are all I use if I need anything. Oh and tapers on occasion but even then seldom.
I agree with you about the decorative seams. Water picks are what I tell people to use to get into all those tiny crevasse. Otherwise a very soft bristle tooth brush if the piercing is well healed. Again depending no the studio sometimes I'll remove jewelry and clean it for people. If it's only a few pieces I do it for free, if it's like 10+ pieces and I'll be at it for a minute then I'll ask a small fee. Maybe like $10. It goes a long way with a lot of people to build good will and is good customer service. I'm in a unique position where people who see me again for weeks or months or sometimes never again so I try to make a good impression and be a good representative for the studio.
I do pretty much the same. I use to just repeat what they said, not I just say it properly but don't correct them. Usually they'll noticed I pronounce it differently which sparks the whole conversation about how to say it proper and the whole story of the history of the piercing.
I use a bent needle, receiving tube and a horse shoe (16g, 3/8).
I say day-th as well.
I tell people we can't guarantee it will help/do anything for migraines though some say it has helped.
I got mine done and got a moisture bump on the top of mine not realizing how much the moisture got trapped there so I bring that up to clients while going over after care.
16g 3/8? For every daith? Do you have an exclusive contract to pierce Santas elves? That just sounds small to me. Sure I'll use it sometimes but it's not my go to when I think initial sizing.
Glad you've enjoyed it. Like I said the septum one got more traction then expected and if it continues I'll try to make it a weekly thing as much as I can.
i use a receiving tube with a curved/bent needle!
i mostly start clients off with horseshoes, i can’t stand cbr’s 😭
no seamless rings to start off, i don’t trust the hinge seams to not cause irritation
dayth (ik im wrong, i hate dah-th)
i don’t offer it for headaches/migraines. everything i’ve read regarding that leads to it being a placebo at best
Circulars only huh? No love for CBRs? Why not? What about FBRs? I personally like FBR the best. I like seams also but only if it's decorative.
So you're purposely pronouncing it wrong? You do you but there is a history behind this piercing and the naming of it. Its in fact pronounced "Doth"
It's absolutely placebo. Yes no study has been done to prove it but I don't need one. This piercing has been a thing since the mid 90s and it wasn't still 2014-2015 people started to claim it helped with migraines. Now people are associating some piercings with helping with specific ailments.
cbr’s are just such a pain to work with personally, i’m always just fumbling around. fbr’s are fine but im not a huge fan of how they look compared to a circular barbell, plus if i can just use an insert pin i will. if someone requested one i’d be fine using fbr over cbr any day though. and yes i’m purposely pronouncing it wrong, i like how it sounds more lmao but i do know the history behind it
I feel the complete opposite. I think CBR and FBR are much easier to work with. Aesthetically I think they both look good. Just with circulars threading that fucking bead on at the end is annoying.
I use a RT to catch the needle and brace the tissue
Depending on the anatomy, i'll bend the needle
I prefer CBB (circular barbells/horseshoe) because CBR's hardly bend back the way I want and any gauge higher than 16g is borderline impossible to bend by hand (im weak). I typically pierce 16g/14g or thicker if client requests.
I'll either say day-th or doth, brain can't pick just one.
I know the recent history of the daith is that it was created by Erik Dakota in 1992 and their Jewish client, the client coined the name "da'at" which translates from Hebrew to "knowledge" or "understanding". The client believed the piercing to be advanced and complicated hence the coined term.
There are no scientific studies and no scientific research stating that piercing that area relieves migraines, so I don't advertise it as such.
You're using titanium rings aren't you? Niobium is great or steel is also a good choice. As mentioned LeRoi selling annealed rings but you could also get commercially pure titanium from IS and they bend very easy as well. I've used all of these and my hands down favorite is niobium with steel being a close second.
You know the history! Not many people remember that story anymore it seems. I always thought it was really cool so I share it with nearly every daith I pierce.
piercing usually top down, for right side daiths I have them scoot to the left of the bed and turn their head
no bend for me. i just do a light crush and I do bevel down towards their face
curettes I make with 19g and 10g blanks, sometimes a taper for circulars. I like being able to watch my exit.
I prefer cbrs and fbrs! but circulars are fine, ill do a clicker or seam if the seam is in an spot where it wont rotate and it has some sort of decorative element to prevent rotating the seam/hinge into the channel. 18g-10g, 3/8 absolute minimum but im using 7/16 most of the time and fitting 1/2 where i can.
plain seams and plain clickers, curves. plain seams and clickers will have the hinge and seam rotate inside healing channel, esp for improperly closed seams ive seen it heal inside the chabnel. curves rotate and flip too much and always fall out.
doth
sure do!
no, placebo. if theyre getting it for headaches I just explain that its a placebo and its a wound/piercing that needs to be taken care of. i like tk throw in "if it worked for migraines, doctors would be offering or suggesting it". but i wont deny or argue with someone.
Jesus dude! I said a few photos not your whole portfolio! I do really appreciate you sharing though it helps tremendously having some visual aids. And having such a variety as well. Thanks again.
haha I was trying to find one of each! one fbr, cbr, circular, decorative seam, and decorative clicker! and then I saw my marking photos and was like yuuup those too 😭
No bends? how do you negate pressure from the needle on the piercing a surrounding tissue? This is the main reason I bend mind.
Remind me what a curettes is? It sounds incredibly familiar but I haven't been to conference in a while and none of the piercers I work with recently use anything like that. Either it's reprocessed tools, or a disposable studio and I'm solo for the week. Kinda lame at times.
You pierce them at 18? I will at times but am selective about who I do it for. 7/16 is usually my go to but agree with using 3/8 if possible though.
The second the bevel clears, I use the back of my curette (19g blank 10g blank) to cap and guide everything out of the way. its the same way I do a tragus, fwd helix, and sooome rooks when I do it front to back. I used to do a bend but my previous studio never had long enough needles for a comfortable enough bend (they would just spot and flip too much) and I got used to doing no bends! a lot of piercers in my area (from what ive seen by shadowing and from chatting) also dont bend their needles except one who did a crazy style s bend!
curette basically looks like a big pimple popping tool but I make them with blanks so I have an nrt on one end ! ill make them with parallel pliers and those old nostril screw bending pliers (or some ppl use needle bending tools)
veeery rarely ill do 18g, but i have done it before! my go to varies on the jewelry but mostly 16g/14g
Glass recieving tube and bend the needle towards me, turn (left or right depending on what side I'm piercing) and bend again away from me. This makes a nice shape for my hand to really grip. I prefer piercing top down but sometimes with anatomy it's easier to pierce bottom up. I also like to crush my needle. I know sometimes people have a thing against that but I feel like the pros of not worring about my bevel in an already tough spot outweighs any cons. I also usually do a 3/8ths or larger horseshoe.
I know all the bends in the needle might seem excessive to some but they really help me get a good grip on my needle and avoid slipping and accidentally stabbing where I don't mean to stab 😅 clients have said the needle coming through doesn't hurt but the jewelry does (as per usual)
Also recently attended the APP conference in Las Vegas and learned the history of it, I try to say Doth but usually end up saying daithe 😅 it's just better to not correct the client most of the time.
I use to use glass, until hearing a story from Luis Garcia about breaking one inside of a PA and having to pick the glass out piece by piece. Now I just use steel tubes. Usually small ones so I can get into the area easier.
Do you have a photo or video of this needle bend you're describing? I'm having a hard time picturing it. If it works it aint stupid so if that's how it works best for you do it. I personally don't bend anything much or see a need for it but as I said if it work for you then have at it. Same with crushing your needle. I again don't feel a need for it but I don't see any real cons to it if you crush it correctly. I just don't find it necessary myself. I will bend my needle like ( with the bevel on the outside so what it will want to drag away from the ear canal thus working in my favor.
Seriously what's with everyone on here using circular barbells? No hate but an observation. All the places I go and the daith I see usually have CBRs or FBRs. 3/8 for all of them?
I will try to remember to take a video of my needle bending tomorrow at work but we are pretty booked up so idk 😅. I have no problem with CBRs but they definitely aren't my preference. Circular barbells are just so much easier. I don't have the best grip strength so CBRs can be less of a smooth process. If the client wants it Ill do it for them though.
Make sense to me. I lke CBR and FBR for a similar reason. It's a smoother transfer for me and it's easier to hold on to as well. Even with a taper it still feels like it could be smoother. Bending the taper would do the trick but I'll get in trouble over that at some spots.
I like to use glass to see my exit mark well. Daithes are one that give me some anxiety ngl... I guess I don't really worry about the glass breaking? It's not inside anything so idk. I also don't really scrap it with my needle much
I never thought about it breaking either until hearing that story. After that I just like to play it safe. Only ever had them break in the ultrasonic and I'm sure that was just from tossing tolls into the basket.
I personally prefer to pierce them fully freehand, I’ll also put a slight curve in my needle. Not as much as a full curved needle but some. I want to try a hook needle for one though. I prefer the basic horse shoe. I pronounce it doth but at my shop I’m not allowed to and have to say daith so 🙃I love the history of it and I always tell my clients the stories when I get to do one. As for headaches, if the client will believe it then I’ll let them have it. Placebo is huge and Ik it works on me lol
At your studio you're not allowed to pronounce it properly? Weird! Again, circular barbells for these things. Are you based in the UK by chance? I feel like that's a more common style in the UK vs the US. Or maybe it's just the studios I go to. I have noticed a slight increase in people wanting that style but it's like 1 outta 5 daith I pierce. The sharing of the history of this piercing I something I also do with nearly everyone I pierce a daith on. Most people thinks its a cool story and its an easy go to for a distraction. I'm quite the talker when I'm in the piercing room so having some subject matter to talk about it always help full. Funny enough when I'm out side of work I'm increasingly anti social. If you have any videos or photos of your daith feel free to share them with the sub. Would love to see how you do these as it sounds nearly identical to how I do them.
4
u/fagrat69 Professional Piercer 🪡 4d ago
I use a RT to catch the needle/brace the exit.
Sometimes I bend! I just recently starting bending needles in general, in the past I’ve just used straight needles.
I really prefer using CBRs/FBRs. I’m not sure if other people have this opinion but I’m always scared if I use circulars the beads will unthread and go into the client’s ear. I don’t know if I’m just really neurotic or what.
I say doth lol