The ear is a wonderful human mechanism. It allows for the sounds of the universe to be cupped by a cartilaginous arc and travel to the control station of the body. Not only does it allow one to hear, but it serves as a great place to adorn various types of jewellery and piercings. Three years ago I began to forage into the territory of lobe stretching and thought that nothing would compliment my lobes as well as an inner conch piercing. So, my journey began; totally unbeknownst of the calamity that would pursue.
At A Glance Author eat yo greens Contact eat yo greens@bme.anon When A month ago Artist tania Studio Anatomic Adornments Location Vancouver, BC Before I decide to implement my body to any sort of physical change, I like to have my information and research in order. The BME site would have to be my main point of reference. When I first came across it during my lobe stretching quest, some of my previous notions of body modification became enlightened through the process of educating myself on this subject. After receiving a more multi faceted perspective of the conch piercing experience, I went to work to book an appointment at a local and reputable studio by my home.
I asked my best [unsqueamish] friend to come with me. When I got to the studio, the piercer greeted me warmly. She had me choose my jewellery, and since this was my first time getting anything done at a professional studio I wasn't prepared to have to choose the appropriate gauge. I just knew what was appropriate for the amount of money I had. In retrospect his was my first mistake. I opted for a 16 Gauge ring. She went over the procedure and risks calmly and patiently, did all the sanitation rituals, marked the spot which I wanted poked, stuck the needle in, and ta-da, it was done. It was quite exciting.
I went home being told to exercise the epsom salt regiment 10 minutes, twice a day. My ear seemed alright for the first few weeks, and then it got cranky. I changed to sea salt. I went for my monthly check-up and was told that it looked like it had migrated a bit, but to continue my cleansing routine. A few months later, scarring had formed, and my piercer said she had never seen a conch try to reject before. She said I could take it out and try again later. A few more months had passed and I was ready to re-pierce.
After a year had gone by, I found myself in the same conditions as before. My application of tea tree oil and lavender didn't help either. I had a second opinion from another piercing studio. I got a barbell, because the ring may have been causing pressure, and also it wouldn't intrude as much during rugby games [2nd mistake, rugby is not friendly to piercings].
A little under 2 years had passed, my hole was still red despite little pain. I went to a third studio, where I had heard of their professionalism and serious devotion to the art. They told me to take it out and start from scratch. The thin gauge was one reason for why the piercing was not working. To prevent rejection Anatomic adornments sticks to 12 Ga minimum. By that time my plan was to get two conch holes side by side. I saved up lots of money and decided that I wanted it done right this time. My body is my temple and I would not want it to become harmed through any unnecessary trauma, therefore cost should not be too concerning when it comes down to health and modification. When I was ready to go, I got a brief consultation on whether I should get the two holes done at once and had to fill out a form with my vitals and what I had eaten prior to attending. THEN, the piercer asked for ID. I don't drive and I don't carry a passport with me everywhere I go. I had my health care card, however she told me that it would not suffice. We were both disheartened and I said I would be back in a few days. The piercer explained that it wasn't a matter of distrust, but this was a simple matter of being responsible in a business sense. Despite, some irritation which some people would feel in a scenario like this, I was fully appreciative of their responsibility. This level of seriousness reflects their legitimacy and care, rather than making a quick buck off any fellow who carelessly walks off the street for a quick initiation into the realm of "cool."
I made an appointment and returned two days later with my passport in hand. I again, filled out the form and was finally ready to enter the piercing room. Tania was really nice and responsive and made me feel pretty comfortable. She went through a long list of possible risks, no-no's, and how to care for my new piercing. She resonated a genuine sense of knowledge and professionalism on the subject and answered my questions quite thoroughly. She had me put bobby pins in my hair, away from my ear and began the task of proper mark making. This process she carried out very carefully. She apologized for taking so long, but I told her that she should take her time in ensuring she had everything set in the right place in regards to the structure of my ear. This took more than double the time of my initial piercing experience and made me feel safer. Since I was getting two 12 gauge barbells diagonal from each other, Tania thought the punch would be most effective. I laid on my side and began to assume the deep breathing patterns and one after another crunch, pause, CRUNCH. The sound of the thicker cartilage being punched through was a horribly grotesque sound. The pain wasn't much. After I stopped bleeding, I sat up and admired the little silver spheres perched along the my inner conch. I was told that it is harder to come across people who have original piercing placements anymore, and that this was an exception. After chatting with the staff I merrily set off for home with a bag of goodies in hand, including an all natural cleanser for the shower and some lavender/ eucalyptus infused sea salt.
Knowledge, safety, and comfort are key elements n respecting the body and now I truly know the consequences of that. The body is beautiful, don't abuse it!