I had to wait until I turned 18 to get anything but my earlobes pierced; my mom simply wouldn't let me, and I really didn't feel comfortable with a home-job, so I tried to be patient. She knew that I was probably going to get my cartilage pierced right after my eighteenth birthday, which I did. She actually tried to scare me out of it (told me that it would hurt a lot, etc.), because she comes from a very conservative family, but I kept telling her that it wasn't a big deal, and she finally relented.
At A Glance Author monet Contact monet@bme.anon When Six months ago Artist Seth Studio Area 51 Location Crystal Lake, IL
I got my second cartilage piercing about 6 months after my first. At the time that I got my first, I didn't know that you shouldn't get cartilage pierced with a gun, so I simply went to Claire's, and had a girl there do it. While I didn't have any major problems, I later found out that you really should not get your cartilage pierced with a gun, and that was probably the reason for the little bump I had on the back of it, as well as the few minor infections that I had had to deal with.
At the time I got my first cartilage earring, I didn't think twice about not being able to talk on the phone using that ear, sleep on that side, or generally put any pressure on my ear without it being sore. I had been told by friends who had the procedure done, as well as the girl who pierced me at Claire's, that this was normal and to be expected. Then, I found out from my roommate that hers' had healed much faster (despite the fact that she had gotten two done at the same time, not just one), and she, on advice from a friend, had gotten done at a tattoo shop, with a needle. The thought kind of scared me at first, but she assured me that it wasn't a big deal. Then, I talked to a friend who has had a few assorted piercings, and he pretty much freaked out at me for getting my cartilage pierced with a gun. He went on and on about how bad they are for it, and how you should never get anything but earlobes pierced with a piercing gun.
So, when I decided to get another cartilage piercing, I knew to get it done with a needle. To be honest, at first I was a little scared (because I'm just a wimp like that), but by the time I went, I had already gotten my bellybutton pierced, so I knew (or at least hoped) that another earring wouldn't be too bad at all.
I just randomly decided to go one day, when I was driving from my mom's house back to school. I knew that I wanted it, and this time I knew how I should get it done, so I just kind of impulsively went. I didn't have to wait very long for them to set up, and the guy who pierced me was really nice. I went to a little room in the back, and sat in a chair that kind of resembled a dentists chair, but it obviously didn't need to be reclined in order to just pierce my ear. He made small talk as he got everything ready, showed me the ring he was going to use (18g), and even gave me advice on my recent navel piercing (which I hadn't even gotten done there). I was very impressed with how cool, nice, and professional he was.
I had still been a tiny bit nervous when I first sat in the chair, but by the time he was ready to do the piercing, I was totally relaxed. Most people ask me if he numbed my ear at all before doing it, but he didn't. And as it turned out, numbing wasn't necessary at all. He told me that he was going to do it, then he counted to three, pierced me, and it was over in a second. My main fear about getting my cartilage pierced with a needle was that it would take a long time to go through, but it didn't at all. In fact, the worst part was putting the bead onto the ring!
So, not only was the process of getting my cartilage pierced with a needle about the same (pain-wise) as the gun, but it healed 10x better and faster than the first one. I have no bump on the back, I've had no problems with infection, and it has just generally been less painful and more comfortable than my first one.
To anyone worrying about getting your cartilage pierced with a needle, DON'T. Take it from me, it's not as scary as it might sound, and definitely better than getting it done with a gun. I love mine, and I think if you want it, you should just go for it! I'm a pretty big wimp, and if I say it's nothing, it really is nothing!