If you want to break into the exciting industry of body modification, you’re going to need to get into an instructional body piercing apprenticeship program. The trouble is that completing a body piercing apprenticeship can be a lot easier said than done. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be difficult. You just have to be smart in how you go about it.

Here’s how to become a piercing apprentice.

• First things first, you need to find a reputable studio led by a respected, skilled, experienced professional. Search online for shops in your area, make a list, and visit each one. It also helps to ask around to get a feel for which studio is the most respected.
• You’re also going to need to take a bloodborne pathogens training class. The National Safety Council, Red Cross, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration each offers this sort of training class.
• Your schooling doesn’t stop there. You also have to take a First Aid/CPR class, which you can do at a Red Cross or YMCA.
• Your training should take at least three months. During that time, you’ll learn about sterilization, disinfection, cross-contamination, and other health and safety issues.
• Once you’ve been trained and have found your body piercing apprenticeship, you need to spend about a full year there under supervision before you can call yourself a piercer.
• Don’t rush things, either. Spend your time as an apprentice observing each and every procedure before you even think about attempting. When you do think that you’re ready to take a crack at things, have a senior piercer supervise you.
• Body piercing isn’t just about knowing how to pierce, believe it or not. You’re also going to need to get experience in customer service, learn about the quality and selection of jewelry, know how to troubleshoot, and be able to advise customers about what to do after they’ve been pierced.
• Last — but far from least — you should also take a reuptable training seminar that lasts a minimum of four days. This seminar should have classes on anatomy, safety, hygiene, techniques, and hands-on piercing experience.

Getting a body piercing apprenticeship doesn’t have to be a mountainous task. If you have any questions about how to get a body piercing apprenticeship, feel free to share in the comments.