What is the APP Position on Piercing Kits?
As an association of dedicated, educated, highly experienced piercing professionals we are adamant that piercing kits for sale to the general public represent a serious potential health hazard. Much piercer education and training is necessary in order to perform a safe, sterile, accurate piercing. Simply providing such tools to an inexperienced consumer is a dangerous act of negligence. The use of these piercing kits by untrained consumers results in significantly greater potential for the transmission of bloodborne pathogens and diseases than do piercings performed by skilled professionals. An area of particular concern is that of underage individuals performing body piercings on themselves and their friends using readily available piercing kits sold through mail order, on the Internet, or by calling a toll free telephone number. Young people are particularly at risk because, without parental consent, minors are denied professional piercing services in virtually all states where legis
