First thing I'd like to mention is that when I first was starting my journey into the world of body modification I thought some of the procedures were even "extreme" for me. The dermal punch was one of those that I couldn't fathom ever getting on myself. I had seen several dermal punches in tattoo and piercing mags but I had never thought of actually going through with this procedure. The funniest part is that when I finally decided to get it done it was mostly just so the piercer could have the practice and at that moment not as meaningful as I had wanted it to be.
At A Glance Author MidwestPiercer84 Contact midwestpiercer84@yahoo.com When Six months ago Artist Ian Studio Scorpions Den Location Iowa That all changed when I actually got the balls to go through with it. I was still terrified at the thought of getting a large gauge chunk of my cartilage taken out but then I thought, "This can't be any more painful then the god-awful feeling of stretching cartilage". The first thing the piercer did was sit down and we both examined every piece of equipment we were going to use. It wasn't as many tools as I had thought it was going to be. We had a 0 gauge disposable dermal or biopsy punch, a cork, and a butt-load of paper towels cause Ian knew from the first dermal punch he did how much blood there was really going to be; I didn't. Ian also explained to me the process on how he was going to do this. Mostly for two reasons, he didn't want anything to surprise me and make me jump, and I also was about ready to start my apprenticeship to be a pierce myself. I was a little nervous when I learned not only do you have to push the dermal punch but you also have to twist it at the same time.
Marking the piercing was simple. I simply pointed to a spot and that's where he put the punch. It was 3 different times that he got the punch lined up and ready to go and I made him give me a few more seconds. When I finally stopped being a sissy I just told him to go ahead and "go for it". Initially I didn't really feel too much pain; instead it was an intense pressure on the entire right side of my head. I felt the punch pop through the first layer of skin and I could feel him twist it into the cartilage. That's when the intense pain flowed to my head. I had put myself into my little trance that I do before all my piercings but I still could barely keep myself from tensing up and moving away from him. After that is also when I felt the warm rush of blood start to flow down the entire right side of my face. That was actually one of the coolest things I had felt. I had done some blood play before that but never ha d I actually felt that much blood flow that fast at one time. After about 30 seconds of pushing and twisting I heard Ian say the punch was through; that's what he thought. Apparently the punch had gone through but had not fully taken out the back skin. Ian had to put the punch back into the hole and twist it to get the last layer of skin off. All this time though Ian's apprentice Brett was soaking up paper towel upon paper towel of my blood. Well, it was actually only 3 full paper towels but it didn't feel like it at the time. Once Ian put the 0 gauge single flared eyelet into the hole he noticed some of the skin was still attached in back. Luckily it just kind of peeled away with tweezers and he didn't have to bust out the scalpel.
Usually after every piercing I get I have this feeling of euphoria or a sort of high I'm sure a lot of people who are seriously into body modification get. I had that feeling ten fold with this. I don't know if it was from the loss of blood or the fact that the pain from the punch was one of the most wonderful feelings I had ever felt, but it was a little different than usual. That feeling soon subsided because all of a sudden I became extremely light headed and almost passed out on the piercing room floor. I assumed it was probably because I got myself completely worked up and nervous about this and also because being the idiot I am sometimes I did this on an empty stomach with absolutely no sugar or energy in my system. The nausea and light-headedness only lasted for about ten minutes and then I was ready to admire my freshly punched cartilage.
Needless to say its been about six months since I had the dermal punch and I still love it as much as the day I got it. I get my modifications for my own personal reasons and not just for the shock factor but this is the most fun I've had freaking out my family of all the mods I have. I used to have people freak out about my stretched ear lobes but nobody can quite grasp that I would have a 0 gauge hole just punched out of my ear. The healing of the dermal punch is not one of the most pleasant experiences though. It's been 6 months and the hole is still completely not healed. It still is very tender and I still don't really enjoy waking up after a night of sleeping on it. I do think however anyone that is considering a dermal punch should go for it. Remember your going to have a permanent hole in cartilage if thats where you get it but the feeling of this is wonderful. I think whoever gets it should probably make sure they are energ etic and have plenty of sugar in them because it is quite a bit of blood to lose with no energy, but the pain is well worth it. I'm planning to get a 4 gauge punch right below the 0 gauge and I think that will be it for punches. I'd get some on my left ear but I have a scar from falling off the playground equipment when I was a kid and tearing my upper ear in half. But I do know that there are many more new mods I'm planning on experiencing and hopefully helping others to experience as well.
Derrick
Flashback Body Piercing and Novelties
Davenport, IA