The piercing talk

To pierce or not to pierce? That is the question.

Oh, the dilemma…

Most of us, Millennials, have probably thought at some point in our lives about this. It was most probably in your teen years, when your well-adjusted parents didn’t let you do it. Or maybe you were one of those weirdos with the hippie parents that let you do anything as a kid. Lucky you, I guess. But for us, the “normies”, this was not an option, up until at least 16 years old, or even 18. Anyway, you’re an adult now, so you can do whatever you want, right? Your own knowledge and will to do it should be enough. Wrong. Just like any other decision you make in life, you should always, always get educated first. Ask around, search the internet, talk to somebody. Whatever it is, you should always do your homework before taking a decision.

And yes, you probably guessed it by now…I didn’t. I didn’t talk to anyone, I didn’t ask anything, I didn’t even read anything about piercings online. I just got the idea, searched for a few pictures on Pinterest to see which one I like the most and then, a few days later, I went in and got it (them).

And this is why I’m saying that it is important to know what you are doing to yourself. Now, don’t get me wrong, nothing tragic happened to me, but I haven’t got the exact expected result either. Yes, things could’ve been worse, I know, but they also could have been so much better.

So, let’s get into the story, shall we?

As of December two years ago I had two holes in my earlobes. You know, the ones almost every little girl gets shorty after she is born. Which is weird enough, if you come to think about it. To poke holes into a newborn’s ears. Why? So that people would know that your baby girl is not a boy?  I wonder who came up with this idea and why.

Anyway, it is December 2016 and I wake up one day thinking “I really like ear piercings”. And it made sense, since I’ve always been obsessed with accessories and earrings especially. Also, more holes means more earrings! After no more than 3, maybe 4 days, my brain made the decision and there was no going back. Now, you must understand that this is very rare for me. I NEVER make up my mind and I take forever to make a decision. This was one of the few moments in my life where I just felt like doing something, so I did.

And so, the same week, I find myself going in to the nearest jewelry shop I knew that did ear piercings. Just like that. I never looked up how it’s done, how much time it takes to heal or how I should take care of it. I have no idea how it never crossed my mind to do so, since I am the most concerned, non-spontaneous and thought through person with every other aspect of my life. I take 20 minutes to decide what beverage to order when I’m out. Therefore, no, I did not get informed whatsoever.

And this is how I end up on a stool in the middle of the shop (with customers inside, of course) getting my ears pierced by a middle-aged lady with a piercing gun. And it doesn’t stop here. You’d think I went and got one piercing. No, no, no. You see, I wasn’t going to go through that fear and pain and all those emotions twice. And so, I got four. At once. And no, while I was sitting there, in that completely unprofessional setting, not once did I think that maybe I should only get one, just to see how it goes, and then, if everything if fine, come back again. I was gonna get everything done that day. I’m surprised I didn’t ask for lip injections as well, while we’re at it. I’m kidding, of course. Those suck. So, I got two piercings in the upper lobe of each ear and two cartilage/helix piercings on my left ear. For more information on what these are, see my last article.

Now, let’s talk a bit about the experience itself.

What’s the procedure? First, they brought up a box of medicinal earrings, that are supposed to help the hole not get infected, and asked me to choose my preferred studs. After that, they gave me a hand-held mirror and asked me to point where exactly I want the holes to go, which then, they marked with some kind of a marker. And the last step was to sit me down on a stool and click, click, click, click. I was done.

Did it hurt? A little bit, but not really. The first lobe went absolutely fine, with no pain at all. However, the one on the left, hurt the most out of all. The pain is like a sharp sting (for a few seconds) and then you are left with a pulsing sensation (for a few minutes). The cartilage didn’t really hurt with any of the piercings. I was out the store in less than 20 minutes and most of that time I was either deciding what jewelry to choose or where exactly the piercings should go. Now I was in my car studying myself in the rear mirror. I noticed then that the cartilage ones feel really soar, but I figured that’s normal. Problem was, that feeling never fully stopped. Ever…

So, of course I was expecting a little discomfort for a few days. But, after those few days, when the pain didn’t go away and sleeping on that side was impossible…that’s when I thought “hmm…maybe I should look up how much time does it take for a cartilage piercing to heal”. And it turns out it can take up to a year. That’s a lot for a tiny hole, isn’t it? Well, the deal was done, so all I could do was wait.

The problem was, not only did the lady-piercer tell me that I can change my piercing after just two months because by then it would be fully healed, she also never gave me any instructions on how to take care of it and even told me I should rotate it from time to time (which, I found, only helps bacteria to enter the wound and spreads it around). For a simple lobe piercing, this would have probably been completely fine, but for cartilage… You guessed it.

It’s been two years now. My upper-most cartilage piercing is not yet healed, it still bleeds and gets swollen from time to time and hurts whenever something touches it (be that the pillow while sleeping, or my hair on a windy day). All in all, a pain in the ass. Also, the two cartilage ones are just a bit crooked, because the woman didn’t get the same angle with both of them. You probably wouldn’t tell, but I do and it bothers me a little. Since then, I have changed my piercings a few times, hoping to find something that would help with the healing process.

I admit, 3 out of 4 piercings are fine, but had I gone to a professional piercer I would’ve had 4 beautiful piercings that would’ve been healed completely by now. All of this could have been avoided if only I got informed first. But I didn’t, so I’m paying the price. For me, it’s become an instinct to watch out for my left ear every time I brush my hair, put on a hat or any kid of headphones, hug someone, or sleep.

To help you avoid this stinky situation, I want to pass my knowledge on to you. So, here’s my advice:

1. If you really want to get a piercing, do it. They are not really permanent, like tattoos are. The holes close up if no jewelry is worn, although sometimes there may remain a tiny scar. Also, even if the cartilage doesn’t close up per se, the skin around does, so it still wouldn’t be visible after a few months without the piercing.
2. However, DO your homework before you go and get it. Find out how long and painful is the healing process, how to care for it and what are the risks for that particular piercing.
3. Always, ALWAYS go to a professional piercer at a professional salon, because they should know how to punch the hole with a special piercing needle without hitting any veins and they should also get it nice and straight and with a minimal risk of infection.
4. NEVER get your piercing done with a piercing gun (except maybe for the lobes) because, especially for the cartilage, it does a lot of damage to the tissue and thus, makes it harder for the wound to heal. So, it hurts more and heals slower. The gun could also break the cartilage and cause irreversible damage.
5. Ask around for recommendations. Choose your piercer wisely, after you have talked to some happy customers.
6. After you get it done, learn the proper way to wash and take care of it.
7. Patience is key! There’s no shortcut, but if you do it right, your ear should be fine in about 12 months.

After this interesting experience, to say the least, I am planning to get yet another piercing. This time however, I am going to follow my own advice. I have learned my lesson and after all, mistakes are the best teachers. Therefore, hopefully, my 7^th ear piercing (the rook on the right ear) is going to be done as all of the others should have been. Professionally and risk free.

Credit foto: etsy.com