ALT-1 How to become a Piercing Artist
Becoming a body piercer is a great goal, but can be difficult to attain. Laws on becoming a piercer vary from country to country and state to state. In the United States, there is not a country wide governing body or any sort of large scale vocational training available to become a body piercer, and the standards for what is required from a piercer varies state to state. Most piercers begin as an apprentice under an experienced piercer, learning one on one, though some piercers are self-taught.
There are no accredited piercing schools in the United States. Classes are available, but they are often meant to teach people who have never been pierced more about what to expect, or to hone the skills of existing piercers, teaching improved methods or new techniques. Most people have an apprenticeship, a one-on-one learning time with an experienced piercer. It's easiest to get one by knowing piercers. Hang out in shops. Get pierced. Learn who in your town is good at their job, who might take an apprentice, and when they might need one.
In order to get a piercing apprenticeship, you have to first find a piercer willing to take you on. Most piercers only take on apprentices when they are ready for more piercers in their shop because business is busy, or when they are considering moving or retiring. Others will teach anyone, but may not have any openings available once you are able to pierce on your own. Some charge a fee for it, others will do it for free-in exchange for a contract with a no-compete clause, stating that you will work for their shop for a set amount of time, to make up the cost of training you at no expense to you.
Once you've found an artist who will take an apprentice, you have to convince them to take you. For some, it's just a matter of money. Can you pay for the training, their time, and the materials you will use during the time of your apprenticeship? For others, it's a combination of their fee (think of it like tuition, and it is a good investment), your willingness to learn, and your natural skills, both with people and in the industry.
After you've found a piercer to teach you, you have to learn. There is more to this job than just 'sticking in needles'. You will spend months learning about cross contamination, blood borne pathogens, anatomy, proper placement, aftercare, possible complications, when to pierce and when not to. You will need to learn the body modification laws specific to your state, county, and city, and get any licensing that they require (if any). During this time, you'll probably need a second job, because apprenticeships don't pay. You will a lot of time just watching, or cleaning and sterilizing the area and the tools so you know what to do, before you are ever allowed to pierce anyone.
Eventually, you will start piercing people. In the beginning, you may want to ask your friends how they feel about being pincushions, or other shop regulars that you are comfortable with, but most shops also offer a free or inexpensive piercing if walk-in customers are willing to take the risk of letting an apprentice do their work. In the beginning, you will be completely supervised, and walked through each step of each piercing. As you progress, get more skilled, and more comfortable, the piercer will begin stepping back from the involvement, only helping you when you make mistakes (and you will, and it sucks, but they are very important to the learning process). Some piercers have a set number of piercings you need to do well on your own to finish your apprenticeship, others judge based on how proficient you are.
In time, anywhere from 6 - 12 months on average, you will be a piercer. A trained, possibly licensed (laws vary by location), full time, piercer. After your apprenticeship, you can grow your clientele and focus on learning more exotic and advanced piercing and procedures that may not have been included in your apprenticeship, either because you weren't ready, or because the piercer you learned under didn't know how to do them, sometimes because the procedures changed or were created after they taught you.
