At A Glance Author aniorange Contact aniorange@bme.anon IAM aniorange When Five years ago Artist Robert Studio Dogstar Tattoo Location Durham, N.C. A payday or two after this experience, I find myself back at Dogstar Tattoo again. I wanted to add one more to my "ear project." I wanted to pierce my inner helix. I wanted to continue a project I had started with my first ear piercing experience. I wanted to basically line the rim of my ear with rings. I had always loved the look of multiple piercings running up the helix of ones ear and wanted to do the same myself.
I had, for many reasons, decided to go one step, or one piercing, at a time. So, back we go to Dogstar Tattoo and Robert. I walk in and tell him what I want pierced today. He had to autoclave some jewelry and as is often the case. He told me he was going to go smoke one and we would get started. I was hungry so I walked down the street to get a slice of pizza. When I returned Robert was ready and the jewelry was ready.
This was going to be my second cartilage piercing. The first one introduced me to a different feel to piercings and a new kind of sound. It was a change for me, and for a moment it bruised my complex, but once again I survived and was back for more. I was invincible.
Robert invited me back to the room as usual. He began to get things ready. By this point we had started to make some small talk. Robert was telling about his scooter that he drove around on. He was rather protective of that thing. The small talk passed the time while he got things ready. With clean gloves Robert set to work. He marked my ear and asked if that was where I wanted it. It looked good to me. Then he got his clamps with rubber bands on the handle and put them on my ear. He positioned the needle where I wanted a new hole in my head, or ear, and asked if I was ready. "Do it," I responded. I could feel Robert push. This time was taking a second or two longer than before. The experience was still pretty quick. I expected a more intense burning sensation like I had with my last cartilage piercing. I was not at all disappointed. If anything I was almost surprised. Once again I heard a sound like someone pulling apart a crisp head of lettuce. I found it quite amusing and exhilarating.
After the needle was though, Robert picked up the jewelry and without an additional word began to push it in and pull the needle out. There was another sting, not quite as bad as the first. Sadly there was no more amusing crunch. It wasn't the most painful thing in the world, by no means. It's not one of those type pains that haunt you like smashing your finger in the door or biting your tongue. It stung but before I knew it, I had already forgotten about it. I did notice my ear feeling warm though.
Robert once again handed me the mirror and gave me a peek of my new addition. I carefully brushed my hair back to take a peek. It looked wonderful. My ear was a bit red and warm. You wouldn't think getting an ear piercing like that would be too exciting. Dreaming about it was one thing, but to see it there was incredible. I could feel the piercing high setting in slowly. I was proud once again of my new adornment.
I was given the same instructions as last time. I was to clean it with antibacterial soap two or three times a day. No problem. As with my other piercing I kept it clean with antibacterial soap. It took two or three months to heal it. It didn't bug me much. It didn't ache or irritate. Sleeping on it was no problem unlike my other ear piercing. The way it was pierced it laid flat against my ear and was no problem to lie on that side. Also, unlike my previous ear piercing, this one would swing in my ear. I could often feel it when I bent over or turned my head quickly. It reminded me of its presence and made me smile.
It seemed to get tender from time to time. I had to be careful combing my hair. The brush would easily catch the ring if I were not careful. I can't tell you how many times I hurt myself catching that ring in my brush. It would greet me with a nice stinging sensation followed for a while with a burning red ear.
Just like my other cartilage piercing it would be fine for a few weeks and start to turn red and I would go back though my cleaning ritual. Once, a little over a year after getting it, my wife (now ex-wife) took the ring out to clean it good because she said it looked really bad. It had turned red and swelled up a bit. She pulled out the ring and cleaned it with Provon and squeezed some puss out of it. Then, with a bit of trouble, she put the ring back in. After that my ear felt much better. I was learning that, for me at least, the cartilage piercings never really healed. They always needed some extra TLC.
I had to take the jewelry out a couple of times for surgeries. Just like with my other piercing, it was very slow to close up which was good. It caused me no problems after having it out for 3 hours. After some time I made this strange decision to get rid of all my piercings. I told people that my cartilage piercings stayed irritated, but it was just an excuse. In reality I was cleaning up my image for an office job. I took out all my piercings and this one healed up just fine. With that being said I never did finish getting my ear lined with rings, I only ever had those two. I miss them now.
I was proud of all of my piercings including this one. It didn't matter if I hid under my hair most of the time. It didn't matter if anyone else saw it. I knew it was there, and I am the reason I did it.
I did it for me.