I have been interested in body modification for as long as I can remember. However, even though I was interested, I still thought it was an art that was reserved for "that group" and I wasn't a part of it. I had my ear pierced when I was a freshman in high school with the piercing gun at the mall. Most of my girlfriends had their tongues pierced and a couple of friends had started getting new tattoos. I had actually pierced my ear myself before that but had always kept it carefully hidden. (I don't recommend or condone do-it-yourself piercings or even piercings by young kids that need to be hidden from view.) I finally wore my parents down enough to make a deal with them. I can't remember the specifics but anyways they let me get in redone at the mall and accepted it. By the time I was a senior I had self pierced the other one and now wore a hoop in each side. I guess one day I just got bored and took them out. I also have a couple of tattoos and a retired nip ple piercing, but I was long overdue for some new holes.
At A Glance Author MBee Contact MBee@bme.anon When A month ago Studio Body Language Location Pordenone, Italy Anyways fast-forward about ten years from that first ear piercing. I've graduate from college and am deciding if I want to get a job in the real world or go to grad school. My interest in body art still has not diminished and all through college I was telling myself that it was time to grow up and get these crazy ideas out of my head, but it never worked. Maybe I will go back to school. After all, college students are expected to be a little crazy, right?
I went to check out a local shop after reading their web page and deciding that it looked pretty good. I talked to the piercer and I told him what I was interested in (large lobes & genital piercings) and he answered my questions and showed me everything as well as explaining the procedures. Maybe I just needed a little more time to work up the courage to get a needle shoved through my manhood so I focused on getting my ears redone. I wanted to start at something like an 8 and maybe stretch to a 6 but he said he didn't want to pierce that big and I respected his honesty. Or he said I could make an appointment for lobe scalpelling, but that was not the best choice if I ever wanted them to shrink back to (almost) normal sized lobes. Yeah I know. I admit it. I know that I'm not doing this for anyone except myself, but I guess something inside of me does like the idea of at least appearing to be (almost) normal. And like I said, I still don't have a real job. He said in stead that he preferred to pierce at 10 and stretch to 8 or 6, but that it was probably going to hurt. Again I respected his honesty, and there is just something about a guy with 1 in. lobes saying that something is going to hurt. At the time they only had 8 gauge rings and I wanted some plugs damn it. So I settled for 10 gauge plugs. Looking back at all of the large gauge plugs on BME these 10s look pretty weak and rings might have been a better choice, but it's alright for now.
He took me back and proceeded to lay everything out. Two fresh 10-gauge needles, some lube, the clamps, and a toothpick with some dye. He marked them and said that the marks from the original piercings were a little off and he would redo them even and with a good placement if I wanted to stretch more. We waited a few more minutes for the plugs to be sterilized and then we got ready. I was expecting a count to three or something but after the clamps were in place he just went and it wasn't bad at all. Left side first needle through, plastic retainer type deal in place, trim the excess plastic, insert jewelry and pull the plastic through leaving the jewelry in place. (I believe that this is referred to as the "European piercing method.") Right side went next and was about the same. I felt a little more pressure probably because it had been pierced a couple of times all ready and had a little more scar tissue.
Two weeks later and they are great. At first I did salt soaks daily and kept them very clean. Now its just salt soaks a couple of times a week but mostly I just leave them alone and rinse them well in the shower. I can't wait to get some larger plugs but I plan on doing my stretching slowly and correctly. I also can't wait to get a new and more "extreme" piercing. Thanks for reading and remember to have fun but be careful, you only get one body...