InkSpired Magazine Issue No. 34 | Page 63

SD: What is your favorite piercing to perform and why? JV: There are so many, but I think philtrums are my favorite. I love the look of them. I also am a big fan of multiple ear piercings when people come in and they're not sure what they want, you can go over some ideas with them and a lot of times they are excited about getting two, three, or even four piercings. Even if they don't want that many, and they just want one, I still enjoy it. SD: Are there any procedures that still make you nervous to perform and why? JV: I don't think so. I have been told piercing in front of other piercers, and piercing other piercers is nerve racking, but I love to do that. SD: What do you think are (if any) problems within the piercing industry? JV: I think that in this day and age with the all of the social media being used, piercers shouldn't be cutting corners at all, or saying that you didn't know the information is out there. There are plenty of us that have been doing this for years that are willing to help, if you're willing to ask and not just assume things. There is still a problem with doing things that are safe for yourself and safe for your clients. People just do things without thinking. It's unnecessary to put you or your client at risk, especially when the information and knowledge to keep people safe is available. Even simple things like using the best quality jewelry, and appropriately sizing pieces so they don't cause problems, are often overlooked and shouldn't be. SD: What do think is something positive that comes from the piercing industry, if anything? JV: I think that one of the biggest things is that we help each other grow as professionals. We can take what one person's idea is and build off of it fairly easily. From there we can work together to create new ideas that can help the industry further. It helps that a lot of us keep open doors about almost all aspects of piercing. Also, there is a lot of education that we share, both with clients and other piercers. We can help others to understand why the little things, such as mirror finish, are really big things. Most of the general public doesn't know that it matters, but it does, and we can help to educate them about it. INKSPIREDMAGAZINE.COM 61