The future of body art arrives in Lebanon

(Originally published May 7, 2018 in the Lebanon Daily News) — Whether your child needs a simple piercing or you always wanted a cybernetic enhancement, Holey Truth Body Arts can perform the procedure.

There are many things that set Holey Truth apart from other studios, according to the owner. It’s one of the only places in Lebanon that’s insured to pierce anybody under the age of 16. The shop also sells its own line of soaps designed to aid and quicken the healing process. 

Then there is biohacking, a relatively new procedure in which an electronic device is implanted underneath the skin.

Owner Eric MacFaline has just such a device in his left hand. Roughly the size of a grain of rice, the computer microchip can be used to perform tasks such as locking and unlocking doors, sharing medical information or sending a digital business card to a cellphone, all by touch.

“There’s a huge range of biohacking,” said MacFaline. “What I do is something that’s very simple and not very invasive.”

The functions are defined by the user and easily modified. The chip’s settings can be accessed at any time using near-field communication, a standard feature of smartphones. Keyless entry remains the most common use.

“It’s really the best kind of security because you would know if your hand is missing,” said MacFaline.

MacFaline stresses the procedure is completely safe. The chips cannot be tracked and won’t break under the skin. And after the passage of Pennsylvania House Bill 456 in April, all procedures performed at studios like Holey Truth are now regulated by the Department of Health and Human Services.

In fact, biohacking is more mainstream than many people probably realize. Even some employers around the United States are experimenting with its potential benefits.

“It’s really cool to be able to communicate with electronics that way,” said MacFaline. “We often say we have five senses. Not true. We have way more senses than that.

“We’re augmenting the senses. I don’t want to say this a step in evolution, but we can kind of spoof it.”

MacFaline’s fascination with biohacking doesn’t come as a surprise. In addition to having numerous piercings of his own, the Myerstown resident is a self-professed “nerd.” Comics books and toy robots adorn the studio at Holey Truth. His business card is designed to look like a Pokémon trading card. And he can be spotted frequently next door at AA Comics and Cards, probably judging a competition or teaching young people to play games.

MacFaline will tell you this is also what makes Holey Truth a great place to choose for your child. The oldest of of nine siblings and a father of two himself, MacFaline caters his business to kids.

“I pay twice what the average is for a shop in insurance so that I can pierce children,” said MacFaline. “I love kids. I have two of my own. I wish I had like 10, but my wife won’t do it.

“Everything I do is less painful, faster healing. Plus, I’m going to sit with your kid and I’ll take however long it takes to make them happy and comfortable.”

November will mark 10 years as a piercing artist for MacFaline, who first learned the trade as an apprentice across the street at A Touch of Ink Tattooing. He promises that everything inside the studio at Holey Truth is single-use and sterile, of the highest quality available and kept in its original, sealed package until the procedure.

Afterward, MacFaline will recommend the soap, which he says can help reduce healing times, while simultaneously making the earth a better place.

“I call this a perfect soap because when you buy commercial soap, it’s all detergent based,” said MacFaline. “Mine is real soap. It’s saponified oil. I have it made by a professional soaper, Soaps By Elizabeth makes the soap.

“The recipe is my personal thing. It’s vegan friendly, no animal testing, even the wrapper is biodegradable. All the proceeds go to women in Ghana who produce the actual ingredients.”

Equal parts kind and intelligent, it’s extremely important to MacFaline to do good in the world, especially in his own backyard. Holey Truth has already sponsored the Easter Egg Hunt held by Making a Difference of Lebanon, paying for a bounce house even though the shop only opened on May 2.

Holey Truth will continue to stay involved in the community by participating in area coat drives, food drives and toy drives. MacFaline says the shop’s downtown location makes it a perfect place for people to stop by and drop off their donations.

“I just love helping the community,” said MacFaline. “If everybody in our community had that same mindset, it would be a utopia.”