aupp conference day 1
slept from 12-2am. jumped in uber at 3.30am. arrived at airport at 3.55am. plane departed 5.05am. landed in sydney at 7.45, found a cafe, had coffee and breakfast and then arrived at conference!
hid our bags under some tables. wandered, mingled, socialised, looked at jewellery vendors. met with old friends, made new ones. check in & expo access went from 9.30-11am
class #1: orientation/welcome [11.30-12]
• introducing and thanking sponsors
• introducing the AUPP board of directors (suzanne, eden, bree, kel) in depth and thanking them & the volunteers for putting on the event
• invitation to join a scavenger hunt - piercer pair up to help make new friends over the course of 3 days and a prize of $770 in the form of a Gorilla Glass voucher
class #2: 90s and 00s Flashbacks - Piercing History [12.00-13.00]
• presented by Duncan van Luyt (Sydney)
• admittedly this class had more of him flexing the people he knew than the difference in piercings then and now
• very interesting to see old fashioned piercing guns, how they came up with the idea of blade needles, where they'd buy materials
lunch break - 1 hour [13.00-14.30]
• got into hotel room early to check in and dump bags
• walked around, found a cafe next to a hole in the wall sushi store, grace ordered a wrap and i got a scallop & salmon box (noteworthy information: sydney does raw fish incredibly well, so fresh and amazing despite being a hole in the wall sushi store)
Class #3 - Needle Drift and Bevel Theory [14.30-15.30]
• presented by Jef Saunders (Michigan)
• amazing and in depth talks about bevel theory, techniques, what to avoid
• difference in bevel up vs. bevel down, what works best for what piercings
• 90° angle is not always desired - industrials need to be not perpendicular to heal
• discussion of needle crushing and benefits - Jef really loves to crush needles
• his cats named are Leela and Cheeseburgers
Class #4 - Yeah, Nah: The Art Of Saying No [16.00-17.00]
• presented by Jess Evans (Auckland)
• when to say no, how to say no, what to do when customers don't like hearing "no"
• three different techniques on how to say no gently
• bad news sandwich - good news, "no", good news (piercing alternatives, etc)
• traffic lights - good news, slow it down, "no" (love the idea, your anatomy might make this an unsafe piercing, i can't perform that one today)
• straight to jail - be firm, not assertive or confrontational, but don't let them push or change your mind (i appreciate that it's upsetting to not have the piercing you have your heart set on, but due to my care for your safety i will not be performing this piercing)
• side note: Jess is one of the first people i met at the conference because we have the same colour hair (dark blue currently) and she is one of the most wonderful and beautiful people ever
Class #5 - Under The Hood: Tune Up Your VCH and HCH knowledge [17.30-18.30]
• presented by Joeltron (Perth, Sydney)
• in depth discussions of history. anatomy, techniques, jewellery requirements, and demonstration videos
• HCH piercings started as the more popular vulva piercing in the 90s, but due to anatomy often not being correct they had a high rejection rate which lead to VCHs becoming much more popular
• clitoral piercings are found dating back to BC times, especially in Borneo (they then disappeared for a while after, leading to the joke that Jesus got rid of the clitoris)
• the clitoris was only fully properly mapped in 2005 (what the fuck)
• VCH: an in depth anatomical knowledge is vital. locate the apex of the hood using a cotton tip or the 45° angle side of an NRT. mark according to position of the apex, ensure it is centred, has enough room and will be comfortable. use the flat side of the NRT. brace the tissue on either side and pierce down. bevel faces client.
• HCH: often easier to freehand. lift and roll the tissue to ensure you've found the apex - and then go above it. do not pierce through the part of the hood that covers the exposed clitoral glans.
• 12g minimum for jewellery. VCHs can accomodate for bars from 1/4" - 7/16" (6-11mm). HCHs will need rings in sizes 5/16" - 3-8" (8-10mm)
• healing is way easier for VCHs!!
Class #6 - Advanced Fundamentals of Navel Piercings [19.00-20.00]
• presented by Jef Saunders
• back to basics class on anatomy, jewellery, history and techniques
• SO INFORMATIVE
• really good points on anatomy and jewellery, some demonstration videos on piercing bottom to top
• history of floating navels & regular navels and popularity in the 90s
• navels were originally done with a ring, as showcased in Aerosmith's music video Cryin' (which also heavily increased the popularity of navel piercings!)
• not much new information but an amazing refresh on what i did already know
history of floating navels & regular navels and popularity in the 90s
• navels were originally done with a ring, as showcased in Aerosmith's music video Cryin' (which also heavily increased the popularity of navel piercings!)
• not much new information but an amazing refresh on what i did already know
After Classes [20.00-22.00]
• all attendees got one free drink at a local bar and we had a floor booked out to ourselves, stayed and chatted for a while, then went home and fucking slept.
