Yes, I know. Another boring monologue of someone stabbing themselves with safety pins. . . But I'm writing it for a reason. I know that piercing yourself isn't all that safe or smart, but if you do it right it's not that bad. After all, aborigines have been sticking themselves with filthy pieces of anything sharp for hundreds of years -- and they've gotten along just fine.
At A Glance Author Fritz Contact Fritz@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Me Studio My room Location Palm Bay, FL. .. . .. The only reasons that I decided to pierce myself were that I am financially lacking and very impatient. I've had previous piercings done with a gun at the mall a few years back, and they actually turned out quite well for me. The random employee that that did them for me was as professional about it as any mall employee is going to get. She managed to make nice straight holes, thankfully, that never got infected.
I've learned that I can stick just about anything in my ear without negative consequences. I've never had an infection and never had any irritation, even from one stupidly inserted semiconductor -- which corroded to a black while in my ear. Anyway. . enough of my ranting. Here's what I did, if anyone wants another rendition of do it yourself experiences.
I've wanted more holes for quite some time, but haven't been able to have them. I'm not willing to pay thirty dollars to some lazy mall employee to stab a few holes in me -- which I wouldn't do for free -- and I don't have the money to have someone professional to use a needle. I also have some very conservative parents -- who did, however, say that I could have three holes in each ear as a MAXIMIUM -- would disagree with going to a studio because 'a gun is just fine'. I really want to have an industrial done. . but that could take a while.
So, sitting here on a Wednesday night, with nobody in the house -- save my father and younger sister (who both have the mentality of two year olds) -- I decide that I'm tired of waiting any longer for something that I can just do myself.
I set out on my search for materials, coming up with only a safety pin as a piercing instrument as no one in this household sews and we had no needles, save a few very small straight pins which wouldn't make big enough holes to fit earrings through. I dug out a bottle of Bactine and a bottle of some ear care solution that they give you at the mall, and a bottle of alcohol to clean things off in. I let the pin and a little white gold piercing stud soak in it for a while, while I scrubbed my hands with antibacterial soap and some Bactine for good measure.
It occurred to me that I didn't really enjoy pain -- most of the time -- so I grabbed an ice cube and numbed my ear for a good five minutes -- this time while clearing off my dresser and laying down a few clean paper towels. I proceeded to scrub my hands again, and douse my ear down with Bactine. I stood and stared in the mirror for a few minutes, and decided on a good spot in my left ear. A little over a quarter inch away from my other hole, and a tiny bit higher to match the curve of my ear lobe.
I held the pin up to my ear, after dousing it in some more Bactine, and started to push it very slowly. I felt it crunch through a few layers of skin. Being paranoid, I pulled it out and checked the spot where it had been going in. Thankfully I was apprehensive, because the spot was a little higher than I would have liked.
Picking a new spot, a little lower, I held the pin up to my ear again. I held a little potpourri tart behind my ear, it being the only flat thing I could find. Of course, this had it's fair share of Bactine, too. I pushed the pin through my ear, feeling each few layers of skin crunch. I'm sure it only took me a few seconds to get it all the way through, but it felt like longer. It stung vaguely, but didn't hurt half as much as having a piercing done with a gun. The only painful part was pushing it through the back of my ear.
I kept the pin in for a few seconds, spinning it around to make sure there was a good hole. I slid it out, of course, and picked up the piercing stud, giving my ear, hands, and earring another good spray of Bactine just for good measure. It wasn't hard to find the path of the hole at all, and it only took a little push to get through the back of my ear. I wasn't feeling any pain from it at all, not even a dull ache. I coated my ear once again with Bactine, (I know it's getting redundant), and stood and looked in the mirror. The position of the stud is better than anyone else could have done -- as I knew exactly where I wanted it.
It's been around an hour since I've put the stud in and I have yet to feel any pain. My ear isn't even red. It was slightly red because of the ice, but that faded away. All in all, I'm glad I just went ahead and did this. I'm not planning on doing one in my right ear, but I may eventually. I'm sure I'll have to wait for a good few weeks longer to see how things turn out in the end, but for right now it's looking like I'll be just fine. My ears heal quickly, so hopefully in a few weeks I'll be able to take out this ugly stud and put something else in.
Just as a final disclaimer -- you probably shouldn't try a DIY, and especially not out of stupid reasons like boredom. If you do decide to go ahead with it, then make sure you're careful and clean things off, even just a little. Good luck.