It’s difficult to pierce hands successfully, because they come into contact with all sorts of contaminated surfaces, which means they can easily become infected with bacteria. Jewellery can catch and snag on things, too, and some piercings could remain red and raw.

To increase the likelihood of a piercing healing well, you should elevate the hand above the heart after the procedure, in order to reduce swelling. You should also cover the area with sterile gauze to stop contaminants getting in, and keep everything clean and disinfected while avoiding harsh antibacterial solutions that might aggravate the skin.

Treat them carefully, and hand piercings can heal in 6-8 weeks – although I’ve seen them take up to three months, even with scrupulous care. Even if a hand piercing heals in double-quick time, you shouldn’t expect it to last forever. These mods usually stick around for nine months to a few years.

HANDS UP WHO WANTS ONE
If you’ve accepted that hand-based piercings are high maintenance and temporary, you’ll need to decide what type of piercing to go for. I’d say that any area of the hand could withstand a microdermal implant, also called a ‘surface anchor’ (see p83). This involves the insertion of a tiny flat plate that sits beneath the skin, with a single screw emerging above the surface, onto which you can attach a jewel, ball, or other charm that lies level against your hand. The flat plate sometimes has holes in it, designed so that scar tissue can grow through them and help hold the jewellery tightly in place.

Piercings with two separate entrance and exit holes are also possible, to hold bars or rings – but they’re more tricky. I’ve seen ‘transfinger’ piercings, with a straight bar running horizontally right through the tip of a digit, but I prefer to stay behind the first knuckle. The number of nerves and tendons above that makes things risky. You also have to take great care when piercing the webbing between fingers; an inexperienced modder could cause nerve damage.

THE DIGIT-AL AGE
If you want to push things even further, you could try linking several rings together with chains, stretching web piercings with different shaped plugs, or having beading or silicone implants. Heck, you could even make a finger ribbed for your lady’s pleasure! The technology is at your fingertips.