This is my first experience submitted to BME, so ill try and make it interesting for you. This is about my plain old boring cartilage piercing that I got done about 3-4 weeks ago.
At A Glance Author cathy When A month ago Artist didnt give me her name Studio Electric Ink Location Redcar, North East England I've had my cartilage pierced before, but it went horribly wrong. Long story short, I was young and naive and went to a hairdresser in my lunch break at college and got it pierced with a gun. Bad idea. I knew it was as soon as I walked out the shop, even the wind hurt it (and considering it only cost a fiver and was done with a shitty stud). Later that afternoon I started getting bad headaches and I noticed it was really swollen. 5 days later it was really bad and I was crying in pain so I took the stud out and felt heaps better immediately and closed over after about 30 seconds, I was a little upset as I thought it looked great, but it just wasn't worth the pain. I can't believe I was so stupid.
This experience was so much better, and so much more professional (kind of goes without saying though) I always think of stuff to do and never do them, due to either lack of money, or I just cant be arsed, or I forget about them. This time I was determined to go through with it, after all, it was only a minor piercing. I rang up the studio and told them id be in later that day, there was no need for appointments. I arranged to meet up with a friend and we went. I was a little apprehensive of the studio, as some people had told me it wasn't very hygienic, but can I just take this opportunity to say how wrong they were. This place was great, very hygienic and very professional. So anyways, me and my friend went upstairs and I filled in the form and looked at all the tattoo designs whilst we waited for the girl to come back, I then gave her my form and we went into the tattoo/piercing room bit. We had to stand around for a bit whilst she got the bed thing ready, putting tissues where my head would be, so I watched this girl having her ankle tattooed with a black daisy chain design which looked gorgeous, but she looked like she was in so much pain! There were a few other getting tattoos done, and in fact, I was the only one getting pierced. The girl turned back to me and she told me to lie down so that my head was aligned with the tissues, and she cleaned and marked my ear. After confirming I was fine with the placement of the dots, she told me to lie back down again and she sprayed me with freeze spray, which was so unbelievably cold. It was so cold it hurt! Then I could feel her tugging at my ear a little, which I guessed was her putting the ring in, and then she claimed it was all done. Well I was thrilled with it, I paid her my £15 and she gave me an aftercare sheet, which I knew all about anyways as I had done research on BME. Then we went away and can I just say, it was a boiling hot day and my ear was still numb. What a weird sensation! As soon as the hot air hit my ear I was in pain. I started to panic a lit tle as I thought it might be a repeat experience of before.
We then went back to my friend's house and watched videos, it was very tender all that day and I couldn't touch it let alone rotate it or sleep on it. I was worried as it wouldn't rotate and I thought it would stick, but the next day I got it to move. I started washing it religiously morning and night and sometimes when I just felt like it with boiled and left to cool water with table salt mixed in. 3-4 weeks later (I cant remember) and its fine! I was able to sleep on it after 2 weeks, and she said it would take 2 months. I got one hell of a headache for a few days after about a week, but it went away, I'm so glad! I think sterilising the water I was bathing it in helped a lot.
So anyway, this piercing was just in preparation for getting my tragus pierced which I've heard hurts like hell. I've still got to do more research on BME first though. I recommend this piercing to anyone, and I think it looks gorgeous, and I'm getting it done again soon just under where it is now, so I'll have twins!