User:Brian.skellie/Association of Professional Piercers

created wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Professional_Piercers

Content as follows:

The Association of Professional Piercers is a California-based, international non-profit organization dedicated to the dissemination of vital health and safety information about body piercing to piercers, health care professionals, legislators, and the general public.

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 that freely shares information to help fellow members, piercers, health care professionals, legislators, health inspectors, and the general public get the best and most up-to-date information about body piercing.

APP Outreach

 * The 16th Annual APP Conference and Exposition will be in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 5-June 10, 2011.
 * 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 drafting appropriate legislation in the industry.
 * Provides piercing technique, business, and health education classes at our Annual Conference for piercers, health inspectors, and others related to the industry.
 * Provides educational and informational materials, including consumer-oriented brochures and our Health and Safety Procedure Manual for piercers.
 * Attends and is involved in health related conferences.
 * Provides information and professional opinions to the media, when requested and in response to erroneous information and articles about body piercing.
 * Presents lectures to students, health care professionals, and other related groups.
 * Publishes The Point, 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, in addition to those falsely claiming membership.
 * 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.
 * Does not allow piercings performed at its annual conference, nor does it teach people how to pierce. The APP provides supplemental education to piercers and has a number of Corporate Sponsors 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.
 * Does not have a position on tattooing, branding, scarification, dermal punching, scalpelling, 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.
 * Staffs an email/phone response system for individuals with questions regarding piercing.
 * Maintains a comprehensive website with information for piercers, piercees, educators, legislators, health care professionals, and anyone else with questions about body piercing.

Minimum Standards for Jewelry for Initial Piercings
Products with an ISO or ASTM designation are so noted and a statement specifying the finish requirements particular to body jewelry has been added. In addition, several materials designated for applications other than implants have been proven through historical and practical application to be suitably biocompatible for initial piercing.

Minimum Standards for Jewelry for Initial Piercings
The Association of Professional Piercers has developed safety standards for body jewelry based on research and historical experience.

Products with an ISO or ASTM designation are so noted and a statement specifying the finish requirements particular to body jewelry has been added. In addition, several materials designated for applications other than implants have been proven through historical and practical application to be suitably biocompatible for initial piercing.


 * Steel that is ASTM F-138 compliant or ISO 5832-1 compliant
 * Steel that is ISO 10993-6, 10993-10, and/or 10993-11 compliant (EEC Nickel Directive compliant
 * Titanium (Ti6Al4V ELI) that is ASTM F136 compliant or ISO 5832-3 compliant
 * Titanium that is ASTM F-67 compliant
 * Solid 14 karat or higher nickel-free white or yellow gold
 * Solid nickel-free platinum alloy
 * Niobium (Nb)
 * Fused quartz glass, lead-free borosilicate or lead-free soda-lime glass
 * Polymers (plastics) as follows:
 * Tygon® Medical Surgical Tubing S-50HL or S-54HL
 * Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) that is ASTM F754-00 compliant
 * Any plastic material that is ISO 10993-6, 10993-10 and/or 10993-11 compliant and/or meets the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Class VI material classification.

Minimum Standard for Jewelry Threading for Initial Piercings:

 * All threaded or press-fit jewelry must have internal tapping (no screw threads on posts).

Minimum Standard for Jewelry Surface Finish for Initial Piercings:

 * For body jewelry purposes, surfaces and ends must be smooth, free of nicks, scratches, burrs, polishing compounds and metals must have a consistent mirror finish.

History

 * 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.
 * The APP is now a California non-profit dedicated to providing accurate and relevant education about body piercing, with members all over the world.