I've always had this obsession with my ears. I've always hated them. I guess one would think it'd be stupid to pierce them (because it draws attention, right?) wrong. Not in my case, anyway. I'd been looking at various ear mods for awhile and started out by stretching my lobes. Right now I'm only at a 6ga, but I haven't made an honest effort to get them any bigger at this point. And all the stretching I've done as just come from spikes I keep shoving through my ears..I'm sacred of that scalpel..
At A Glance Author Lisa Contact Nosebleed88@hotmail.com When A year ago Artist Dustin Studio Local show Location Baltimore, Maryland Anyway..I was at this local show around Baltimore, MD. It was my friend's bands first show with a new line-up, so everyone was all fired up and ready to go. Dustin (who works as a tattoo artist @ a shop in Baltimore) offered to do $25 piercing anywhere above the belt. I couldn't decide what I wanted, and finally decided that I would have my left tragus done.
--THE NIGHT BEFORE--
I knew I was getting pierced, so of course, I stay up all night looking at photos on BME and talking to people. I seriously don't see why I even both asking people how if felt..if it got infected.. Everyone is different, and every time I get something pierced, it hurts wither way less or way more than I was prepared for. So many people were telling me it was nothing...oh lord..keep reading.
I can't even tell you how many times I would reach over to my ear and feel how hard the skin was..just shivering thinking about how painful it was gonna be. I sat on a table with this blank look on my face..ignoring everyone. I love getting pierced..really I do..but I just can't talk to anyone before the poking!
My friend Mike was nice enough to go before me, he got his eyebrow done. He's not nearly as sensitive as I am when it comes to being pierced, and that's why it scared me when I felt how hard he grabbed my hand as Dustin pierced him. When it was my turn, I sat down. I was shaking and about to faint without even seeing the needle. I'm such a wuss. I grabbed onto Nikki. I could feel the sweat dripping from my palms as he got all this stuff ready for me. People talking..bands playing..drunk people..I just wanted to get out.
He cleaned the area, and then clamped my tragus. Feeling the cold metal against my face made it so much worse. I can just remember him laughing at me (we're good friends) telling me to calm down. I couldn't..there were people around, and loud music which was making it so much harder to just relax.
Anyway..my friend Nikki noticed that my eyes were rolling in the back of my head (yes..already) and that I just looked sick as hell.
"Dustin..watch her." She was rubbing my back and talking really soft to me, which was so helpful and comforting. :) She's really good at that type of stuff.
What the crap? I was making myself sick for real.
It didn't help that he said "Here comes the pain train" seconds before he pierced me. :) haha
I layed down and let Dustin lean over me while he slid the needle through the clamp and into the hard skin that is my tragus.
All I really have to say is that I heard..every..single...pop. I bled a little bit..not too much, but feeling blood dripping inside my ear wasn't cool. I definitely had a HUGE headache when I sat up. I wish I didn't make such a big deal out of it..cause it wasn't the worst ever...it's just..my ears..they hurt!
I can't wait to get the other side done. More cartilage and mabye a conch or two.
In all seriousness though..it's helped me. I've got some serious issues with tiny parts of my body..and if I can put a piercing or tattoo there...damn straight I'm gonad do it. If my job allowed it, I'd have more mods, but right now..paying the bills is what I need to do.
They were not lying when they said Tragus healing time 2 months - 1 year. That's a long time..but when I started to feel mine get all hard in the middle..I knew it was starting to get infected.
I definitely heard him tell me not to touch it without washing my hands, but I didn't think it was a huge deal. Ever sit and think about how much nasty shit we touch everyday? Imagine all that bacteria on a fresh open wound. Definitely want to add that the sea salt wash worked very well on this piercing..it stings a bit, and it's pretty much a pain in the ass..but it helps. I just used a Dixie cup with some hot water in it..mixed some sea salts and blotted it over the piercing with a q-tip. Good times!