h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Years ago, I saw a picture of a man who appeared to have many ball bearings under the skin around his penis. Since you seem to have a passing knowledge of this stuff, do you know what that is called? I've always wondered if it was that individual's unique way to express his love for a woman or if this is a common practice with a name for it...

Brad

This is an ages old technique sometimes called pearling due to its popularity in japan to increase sensation and pleasure during intercourse. Now done mostly with surgical steel beads or teflon beads, it is an advanced technique and should only be attempted by a experienced professional. Implants can be done many places (not just the penis) I have seenbarbells and rings implated under the skin on the back of an arm or on the chest. Adornment is a vary personal and varied thing.

yes, there is a sub-sub-culture of 'pearling', or 'beading'. however, it should be noted that this is practise is widely denounced by health care professionals as highly dangerous. as a person with an assortment of piercings, i dont always listen to healthcare professionals, but sometimes they might be right. there is a difference between piercing, in which the wound more or less heals, and insertion, in which you imbed a foreign body permanently under the skin. this significantly increases the risk of serious infection and irreperable scaring. i am not one to dictate what people should and shouldnt do with their own bodies, but from everything i've heard, this particular form of adornment is riskier than most.

While i can't remember exactly what i've heard it called now adays, i have seen people with balls, stars, rings, etc in their skin usually on their arm. Not only does it look painful but of the few people i've seen it most certainly was painful. The area wasn't healing right, it was all red and gross looking, and appartently very painful to the touch. I could never do something to myself that is constantly causing me pain.

well, you know some people get off on the pain, which is fine, but it's the risk of serious infection that scares me the most. the chances of infection-free "healing", when you've implanted a (probably unsterile)foreign object into your body are slim. especially since the people doing this are not surgeons, working in a hospital setting with all the available resources, but piercers who, despite the fact that they may be very good, are not medical professionals. like i said before, i try fairly hard not to impose my beliefs/opinions on others, but if having a distinctive body decoration really worth the risk of blood poisoning, muscle damage, gangrene-induced amputations (all of which I have heard about related to pearling)?

Surely there's a little bias going on here. Obviously theres a huge risk with inserting teflon and the suchlike underneath the skin BUT the small number of people I have seen with that particular style, have had little to no problems with healing. Its just a matter of how the body copes and the level of skill of the artist doing the inserting. Seems to me that the horror stories take presidence over the success stories!! As with EVERYTHING you do with your body, you should get the best possible service you can get. If you cant, dont do it! You wouldnt let a poor-quality doctor swing open your ribcage and tinker with your ticker would you?

I think that you're being a little paranoid.

The piercing equipment and the jewellery *are* sterilised - most piercing parlours are licensed by the local council. You're right, they aren't medical professionals, but even doctors get it wrong sometimes. And these people take a great deal of care to make sure every thing is perfect. Out of the 8 piercings I have had, I've only had an infection because I've replaced the jewellery I was pierced with too soon, and with the wrong kind.

Spreading horror stories isnt a pleasant way to exchange information.

Has anyone ever thought about making a specific list of reputable and licensed tatooists/piercers in the UK and the US (completely free from advertising) for h2G2? It would be a great help to all newbies...Im lucky enough to live around the corner from one of Bristols best, so my first tattoo (which I'll be getting on my 18th in 10 days!?) will be in completely comfortable surroundings...but what about those that dont have a place to gather information from?


Happy hamsters folks!

i don't think we were being paranoid. we were not talking about piercing, we were talking about the insertion of objects under the skin. it's a procedure that is more complicated then piercing.

we may be sharing horror stories, but for some of us these stories are the only conttact we've had with these implants. if i had seen perfectly fine ones i would've shared those.

and just for the record i have always wanted the implants on the top of your head that you can screw spikes into. i always wanted a metal mohawk, but not only is it expensive, it seems just a little to risky to me. i'll just dream about it.

Have you ever thought about researching the implant process, and finding out about the numerous successes; instead of scaring yourself senseless with the horror stories?

The one prominent individual I can suggest looking up is the Enigma. He's a travelling freak (his description, not mine), not sure whether he has been with the Jim Rose circus. But he is tattooed head to foot in a blue jigsaw pattern (and consequently holds the world record for non animal themed whole-body tattoos) and also has horn shaped implants in his forehead.
Which makes him look like a blue demon...which is fantastic! His wife has whole-body tattoo's in the theme of a cat, and whisker implants. Neither of them experienced difficulty...

I just suggest you research it a little. Its an interesting topic more than anything...

Quick note : metal mohawk. I've seen that done. Dont like it personally. Anything too close to my skull, with an overwhelming anxiety of brain damage seems a little TOO scary for me. Also seems a little awkward...sleeping and other human processes...

Happy hamsters!

There's also the lizard man - he's making himself look like a lizard!

I saw o telly a couple of months back a guy who was making himself look like a tiger. Has the tattoos, the implants the hair and nails, everything. He was having his ears reshaped when the documentary thing was made. Very nifty, if a bit , but hey, if the guy was happy

Odd thing was he works as an analyst or something, his boss doesn't care as long as he doesn't frightent he customers *lol*

I've seen the Lizard man. He's with the Jim Rose circus! Very cool. If I remember rightly he does the old regurgitating trick. Fantastic. Im not too keen on the tongue-splitting thing. Although it would be interesting, because either side of the tongue moves independantly, I would have to draw the line at the processes. Can we say PAINFUL!? Im testing my boundaries with next weeks tattoo...god help us all if I can put up with it

Quick non-subject question : can somebody tell me what GatorAid is? I know it's a green drink...but what does it taste like?

GatorAid? is this like a pun on the sports drink? i've never heard of it...

the lizard man rocks he was on some show i watched...he showed his tongue and the way he can twist the seperate sides...many people i've known have wanted the split tongue but have yet to take the plunge..it's like getting downstairs pierced they're all big talk until it's time to get it done and then they back out

No pun! I've seen Gator-Aid mentioned in a few American films...predominantly Kevin Smith's "Clerks"...and us Brits dont have it on our shelves, and I was wondering what it was. Completely off the conversation target, so apologies!

Getting back ON topic, I really dislike genital piercings. They look OK...but when it comes to certain bedroom activity the phrase *hospitalised with torn flesh* comes to mind...

I personally think that pearling is good, but on other people. As with most things. I think it makes the perfect accessory for the hardcore goth. I wouldn't have it done because I'd be there for an age deliberating over what to have and where and how many, I'd even argue over the colour (yes, I know it won't matter!) I am however, looking forward to getting my hood pierced, I wonder, with that and my patner getting the tongue split, hmm, should make and interesting evening

Time for my two cents worth, I think...
I've been pierced three times, by three different people. One naval and both nipples. The naval was first and the only negative part of that experience was that I wasn't allowed to watch. The pain was miniscule; I've been in more pain by catching my finger on a splinter. The only reason I didn't go back to the same guy for my first nipple was that he'd moved to another city.
Instead I had a much dodgier job done on my friend's couch, with my recent ex (she was the one paying for it; she wanted to see me in pain) standing over me holding a torch for extra light. Despite this amateur setup, the job was very well done (my friend was a professional piercer, and just happened to be working at home that once, to save on cost for his friend and flatmate - my ex) and I had no trouble with infection or anything at all. My ex was annoyed that I didn't scream or swear in pain, and in fact only squirmed and said "ooOWWww!".
Despite the pain (probably about an 8, and was wearing loose shirts for a couple of weeks!) I had my other nipple done about a year later. It was going to be by the same guy, but when I turned up for the appointment he was busy branding my best friend (and current flatmate! ) so he organised for a visiting trainee piercer to do it instead, rather than keeping me waiting. I'm not sure wether it actually hurt more or if my memory had faded, but I almost went into shock that time. Looking at it later, it seemed that this last piercing was further 'forward' than the other one, closer to the tip of the nipple. They look even now though, so that's okay.
I have no plans for any more piercings, mainly because I can't think of anywhere else I'd want them. Three is enough for me, and I'll probably follow them up one day with three tattoos. I also have plans to have my tongue lengthened, by having an oral surgeon cut the ligament under it (does anyone know what that ligament's called?). If that goes well, I might consider having my tongue split too. We'll see.
Phew! What a post! I'll leave the descriptions of my best friend's modifications for another time... apart from saying that if anyone knows anything more about that 'screw-in metal mohawk' concept, please tell me. I might just organise it for his birthday, if I can.

Catch you later!

My other half introduced me to piercing and has done all my holes, nine so far, two more planned. When I had my nose stud done I scratched it a bit and developed a scab around it. If I'd not nursed it carefully the skin would have grown over the stud and given me an involuntary implant. Not a pretty way to achieve the same effect.