WHAT IS THE APP?

The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) is an international health and safety organization. It is a nonprofit voluntary alliance dedicated to the dissemination of information about body piercing.

Governed by a voluntary elected Board of Directors, the APP is a united group of piercing professionals which freely shares information to help fellow members, piercers, healthcare professionals, health inspectors, and the public to get the best and most up-to-date information about body piercing.

"WHAT IS THE APP" BROCHURE

THE APP…

• Provides a professional association for piercers

• Encourages piercers to meet and/or exceed the APP set standards and provides an avenue to show the public that this standard is being met.

• Provides piercers, legislators, and the public with support and assistance in writing/passing appropriate legislation in the industry.

• Provides piercing, business, health and safety education at our Annual Conference for piercers, health inspectors, and others related to the industry

• Provides educational/informational  materials, including a Health & Safety Procedure Manual for Piercers, and Consumer oriented brochures.  See Publications, Products, & Educational  Services section.

• Attends and is involved in health related conferences

• Provides information and professional opinions to the Media, when requested and in response to erroneous information/reports

• Presents lectures to students, healthcare professionals, and other related groups

• Staffs an email/phone response system for individuals with questions regarding piercing

• Maintains a comprehensive website which addresses issues for piercers, piercees, educators, healthcare personnel, etc.

• Publishes a quarterly newsletter dedicated to piercing related news and information for individuals in the industry.

• Does not police the piercing industry or piercers.  The APP will respond to and resolve complaints against its members and claims of membership which are invalid

• Does not license or certify piercers.  Members do receive a certificate of membership which must be renewed every year.  Attendees of APP classes receive a seminar certificate

• Doesn’t perform piercings at its conference, nor does it teach people “how to pierce.”  The APP provides supplemental education to piercers and has a number of Corporate Members who provide basic piercing education

• Does not dictate the piercing technique(s) its Members use, what aftercare they suggest, or what specific piercings they may choose to perform

• Specifically addresses the practice of body piercing. We do not have a position on tattooing, branding, scarification, dermal punching, scalpeling, implants, or other types of body art. Members are not precluded from also practicing these types of body modification where they are allowed by law

MEMBERSHIP:

The APP has five types of memberships:

• Professional Business Member
• Professional Business Member-at-Large
• Associate Member
• Corporate Member
• Patron Member

Professional Business Members and Professional Business Members at Large:

• Are body piercers
• Uphold a set of safety and hygiene standards that are equal to, or more stringent than those established by state or local governments
• Have at least one year of piercing experience
• Have knowledge of appropriate sterilization and cross-contamination prevention through Bloodborne Pathogens Training, required annually for membership

• The studio meets a rigorous standard of environmental criteria for health, safety, and sanitation
• Undergo training and certification in CPR, and bloodborne pathogens and first aid certification; which must be renewed according to membership requirements.
• Must send in monthly spore test results for their studio’s autoclave (sterilizer)
• Must answer an extensive questionnaire and sign a Health and Safety Agreement.

Associate Members:

• Are either piercers with less than a year’s experience; or non-piercing employees in a piercing studio (owners, counter people, etc.)
• Must meet the same standards as our Business Members, if they are piercers; non-piercer Associates must meet studio requirements.
• Must work in a Studio which has at least one APP Business member.

Corporate Members:

• Are companies who provide piercing related services to the industry
• Educators, Medical Supply Companies, Jewelry Wholesalers, Insurance Companies etc. are examples of these type of members
• Must provide a letter of intent
• Must provide extensive documentation regarding their business; and provide jewelry samples if they are wholesalers

Patron Members:

• Those individuals who work outside the Piercing Industry, but who want to support our efforts and the APP as a whole.

Publications, Products, and Educational Services:

• Brochures
• For piercers, educators, consumers, healthcare personnel
• Titles:
• Picking your Piercer
• Body Piercing Troubleshooting for You and Your Healthcare Professional
• Suggested Aftercare Guidelines for Body Piercings
• Suggested Aftercare Guidelines for Oral Piercings
• Oral Piercing Risks and Safety Measures
• Health & Safety Procedure Manual
• For piercers, legislators, & health inspectors
• “The Point” Quarterly Newsletter
• For piercers, piercing related companies, piercees, educators, healthcare personnel
• Public Service Announcements
• available on CD or in written format
• APP T-Shirts – new designs every year!
• APP Annual Conference and Exposition

• Piercing related, industry specific classes offered in Techniques, Equipment Management, Aftercare, Studio Set-Up, Portfolios, Business Documentation, Bloodborne Pathogens, CPR, First Aid, and more
• Week long conference with round-tables, social events, networking, etc.
• Largest Body Jewelry and piercing-related product exposition in the U.S.
• Package and individual class prices available

• Website: www.safepiercing.org

• List of current members
• Getting Pierced: everything you need to know, including Aftercare info.
• FAQs: Piercing and Minors, Pregnancy, Piercing guns, Genital Piercings, Oral Piercings and more…
• Job Board: free listing of jobs available and those looking for jobs

THE ORIGINS OF THE APP

In 1994, representatives from several piercing studios organized as a political action group to address concerns with legislation (proposition AB101) in California.  The organization quickly grew to accommodate members and provide valuable representation for the piercing profession. 

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