State guidelines for businesses that offer the body-altering services open the door for abuses, say reputable practitioners and local officials

Tyler Bryan didn’t flinch or blink an eye as the hollow needle was pushed through the skin, muscle and mucus membrane of his chin Thursday afternoon.

Less than a minute later, the needle was withdrawn to reveal a small drop of blood and a metal stud roughly half an inch below Bryan’s lower lip — a body piercing known as a labret.

"I thought it would be a lot worse," said the 19-year-old restaurant worker while gazing at a mirror inside Anubis, an Ashland body piercing, tattoo, record and clothing shop. "It didn’t really hurt. It kind of felt, um, unique."

Reuben Davis, who owns Anubis (formerly Low Down Body Piercing) said business this summer has been booming, averaging up to 30 piercings per week.

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The majority of customers enter Anubis seeking ear and nose piercings, while a slightly smaller percentage ask for navel piercings.

A few more daring souls will opt to pierce their lips, eyebrows or nipples. The bravest of customers, Davis said, are willing to pay more than $45 to pass a metal stud through their genitals, the bridge of a nose or the back of a neck.

"As long as it’s not illegal or unhealthy, we’ll do it," said Davis, a state-registered master of the trade who has been piercing body parts since the early 1990s. "I’m always open to new stuff. People like to get really elaborate."

In Jackson County, the popularity of body piercing has increased over the years, generating a customer base that’s large enough to support a handful of specialty businesses.

According to Bob Gruchalla, chief enforcement officer with the Oregon Health Licensing Office, there are 177 businesses licensed to pierce body parts throughout the state.

In Jackson County, there are 17 licensed businesses. The majority pierce only earlobes, but six offer a wide range of additional piercing services.

Twice a year, the state inspects each business to ensure health and safety standards — from clean equipment to proper piercing procedures to record-keeping — are being met.

The majority of local establishments receive no violations and pass with flying colors, noted Gruchalla.

The notable exception is Body Piercing by Andrew, a Medford business that received its third round of citations from the state in June for numerous violations, ranging from operating without a license to dirty bathroom facilities to unsterilized equipment.

Gruchalla calls the business, owned by Andrew Caucutt, a "problem child" for the state and said the matter is under investigation.

"It’s ongoing and hasn’t been resolved," said Gruchalla, who couldn’t comment on the details of the investigation.

Attempts to contact Caucutt were unsuccessful. Caucutt’s business at Riverside Avenue is now empty.

According to a recorded phone message, Body Piercing by Andrew has moved but customers are urged to call another number for an appointment. Caucutt couldn’t be reached at that number, either.

Gruchalla said that while the state has identified a handful of piercing establishments that continue to break the rules, people who practice piercing with an ice cube and safety pin are the greatest challenge.

He added that the state is hampered by budget cuts, and has only four inspectors to handle all body piercing complaints and conduct annual inspections.

"We do our best to make sure the public is safe," said Gruchalla. "I think there are a few bad apples out there that give the legitimate (businesses) a bad name."

Local public health officials don’t get involved, said Hank Collins, director of county health and human services. "I think it’s fine for the state to do it. I think they’ve got a pretty good program."

But many local piercing technicians disagree, saying the state should take a more active role in regulating body piercing.

"It’s still not where it needs to be. People are getting hack jobs on a daily basis," said Custom Body Art owner Chari Weatherford. "I see so much of it. It’s really frustrating."

Custom Body Art has been operating in Medford for more than three years and has received positive reviews on all state inspections.

However, Weatherford noted that many people come to her shop seeking advice on botched piercing jobs or with horror stories about their experience.

"People just assume everything’s kosher, and that’s not always the case," she added.

Compared to other professions regulated by the health licensing office — including tattooing, cosmetology and midwifery — there are few requirements placed on body piercing.

To become a registered technician in Oregon, a person must: be 18 with a high school or general equivalency diploma; attend a class in basic first aid and blood-borne pathogens; and provide proof of training in post-piercing aftercare.

Licensing a business also has few requirements. The facility and equipment must meet state sanitation standards, and the owner must provide information about sterilization techniques, offer photographs of the establishment and arrange for inspections.

Davis believes the state should require some form of additional training for people who do body piercing.

He added that many refuse to follow the rules by piercing kids under age 18 without parental permission and providing no aftercare instructions.

"If they’re willing to bend those rules, what other rules are they willing to break?" Davis said.

Mori Samel-Garloff, who has owned Mori Ink in Ashland for five years, said it’s often up to customers to take on an aggressive role and research the issue beforehand.

"It’s often difficult to find stuff out beforehand," said Samel-Garloff, who added that a person should just leave an establishment rather than be pressured into getting a body piercing. "Unfortunately, some people are not able to get themselves out of a bad situation."

Despite the potential risks, body piercers and those with the metal adornments say the result outweighs any risks, especially if you’re careful.

"I’ve never had any problems with my piercings," said Kayla Robbins, a 21-year-old Ashland resident with multiple piercings on her ears, eyebrows, lips and navel. "I love them. It’s kind of addicting."

The practice of body piercing, along with tattooing, is more than 3,000 years old and common among early cultures across the globe.

Today, people pierce their bodies to improve or change their appearance, enhance sensory pleasure or undergo a right of passage.

"The desire to beautify and change your body is as old as human beings," said Davis. "It helps some people feel better about themselves. Sometimes it marks the passage from childhood to adulthood."

Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail jbriskey@mailtribune.com

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