Ladders, ladders everywhere!

 The concept of ladders is probably as old as piercing itself. The simplicity of multiple bars however translates into some gorgeous overall pieces. I myself have always toyed with ladders (and corsets) but it wasn't until the past few months that I bought serious jewelry and experienced what a true ladder is. In the picture below my leg has 10 Bio-Flex bars and my arm has 6 45 degree surface bars. Unfortunately the leg bars caught on everything and rejected quickly, so I had to take them out (more on that later). My arm has proven to be rather resilient. It appears slightly pink but there is no irritation or discomfort. They have been in for around two months already and show no signs of worsening. I've also gotten so used to them I can put on shirts without even thinking about them catching a thread. I think the results speak beautifully for themselves.

 You may have noticed my finger in that picture as well. What is shown is a single skin diver with two webbing piercings. It was a nice ring like effect for a short while, but don't be fooled...hand piercings SUCK. The webbing studs lasted about a week before swelling and getting very aggravated with pockets, cigarettes, forks and knives, and basically anything that involves moving your hand. The skin diver lasted a bit longer - somewhere near a month. It was relatively easy to install and healed nicely. Also the profile was small enough to not grab many things. Eventually while moving it caught a crate and ripped out. It didn't hurt, but I was disappointed to have it go. Since then I have played with a few different configurations of finger jewelry. I tried enough that more detail will have to wait until a later post. For now I only have a dermal anchor with a small gem, and have been much more satisfied with it. I do however warn against playing with your hands.

 Getting back to the ladders, I cannot stress the comfort of my arm. I thought they would be short term and relatively painful, but I think they might be my favorite piercing yet. I get tons of questions and positive feedback, and the biggest issue so far is I lost a ball and had to replace it. The bars even twist with my arm (as you can see below) and create a cool effect that gets lots of 'Ooos' and 'Ahhs'. The plastic bars I took out of my left leg were simply moved to my right leg. They are on the outside of my calf this time, and probably more vulnerable, but I couldn't resist. I actually removed and moved them in the same day. And comfort wise you ask? They are so flexible I literally sleep ON them every night, and can walk, run, squat, jump, and more without feeling a thing. The only problem - my pajama pants have loose threads that like to get wrapped around the posts. Nothing a pair of scissors and some cleaning won't fix.

 Before any questions - yes it is very difficult to pierce your own forearm. I used almost all of my tools, long needles, and still had to fish for a few exit holes. I love it now that it's completed, but please don't try it unless you know what you're getting yourself into...