About three years ago I got my belly button pierced. Because my parents wouldn't let me get it done, I did it myself all four ways (typical safety pin & rubbing alcohol). Finally they found out and I got it done normally professionally. Since then I have self-pierced my nose, labret, ear lobes, nipples, & eyebrow (which I didn't like so I took it out). All turned out well and never got infected. Even after all this, my pain tolerance is very small. I even passed out twice from self-piercing (which although was successful for me is still generally not a good idea).
At A Glance Author Jaymes Contact Jaymes@bme.anon When A week ago Artist Ken Studio Maine Tattoo Location Bangor, Maine I began looking at BME about a year and a half ago. I noticed Industrials and decided I had to get one in each ear. For my birthday my dad decided to let me get both ears done, but I haven't gotten the second yet. About a week ago I went to the same place that pierced my belly button. It seems amazing to me when I read that people are spending upwards of $30 on piercings, because it only takes a few minutes of a piercer's time... and piercing needles and jewelry when bought in bulk are very cheap. This place uses an autoclave etc., etc., etc. & is very clean yet only charges $8 for any piercing ($16 for an industrial because of the extra hole).
Anyway, I woke up very hungover that morning I went in feeling not very spectacular. I wasn't very nervous because I knew what to expect--extreme pain. My dad filled out the papers while the piercer checked out my ear and held up a barbell for size. He was covered with piercings and told me that the industrial was his most painful. Still not very nervous I waited while he marked my ear. Although he didn't ask me if I liked the placement I figured because industrials need to be balanced correctly it didn't really matter if I did or not.
Now for the piercing itself.
Without telling me he was going to (so I wouldn't get nervous) he started pushing the needle slowly through the bottom hole. I wasn't expecting this so I was wondering what he was doing. It was pretty intense pain but I figured it was just the clam or something. When the pain got bad enough I remembered that they don't use the clamps on this piercing anyway. Whereas most piercings take about 2 seconds for the needle to go through I am guessing the bottom hole took about 45 seconds of the needle pushing through. It was very hardkore pain but still tolerable. After sliding the barbell through the bottom hole finally it was time for the top...
Although he started piercing the top pretty much directly after finishing the bottom hole, the brief pause between the two was very relieving and I could still feel a small amount of pain but mostly warmth. About 5 seconds after finishing the bottom hole and without warning again Ken started with the top hole. I'm assuming it was pretty tricky because this took about 60 complete seconds of pushing, possibly because my ears are so small. Finally when the needle was through the top hole he said that the worst was over with and put the barbell through the top. After showing me it in a mirror they asked me if I was alright, but I was perfectly fine.
After we paid and left there was constant intense pain through almost my whole ear. Also, it was exceptionally cold outside which made matters 17x worst. The next few night it was impossible to sleep on my left side (the side w/ the Industrial). The morning after I woke up with an incredible amount of dried blood in my ear. The entire upper crease of my ear was caked in it and it was hard to even see the barbell. It took me about a half hour to clean this all up and I was feeling pretty nauseous. The next night was about the same, but the one after that was even worst. After about a week I can sleep on it and there is no longer blood, but increasingly more and more crusties, especially when I wake up.
At the piercer's I bought a $5 bottle of "Love My Piercing", which is colloidal silver with tons of minerals and junk. A few days ago the pain was so unbearable during the day I came home from school desperate (although right after spraying some of that stuff on it the pain goes away a little temporarily) I tried a sea salt soak, which worked pretty good. For about 2 or 3 days the pain was so intense I couldn't ignore it so I'd try soaks again. They worked fairly well but the pain would come back. I am guessing the pain subsides because the salt kills the germs that cause the pain, then they come back.
Overall I would say this is the most painful piercing, probably tied with my nipples, although they were done myself. I am still going to get my other ear done when this one heals a little further. So obviously, it wasn't THAT bad. Happy piercing and don't pay ridiculous prices for what you're really getting--an oversized hollow yet clean needle shoved through your body by a guy wearing rubber gloves.