I was looking for an ear piercing that was somewhat different from the usual, and I started perusing pictures of tragus and anti-tragus pictures on BME. Some people had both, and thought it would be neat to get both and have the rings linked together, with the anti-tragus sitting vertical, and the tragus out horizontal. They'd basically form a right angle.
At A Glance Contact gothicphoenixx@hotmail.com IAM gothicphoenixx When Two years ago Artist Jimi Studio Studio 14 Location Toledo, Ohio My boyfriend, Dan (IAMsocial irregular), and I stopped into Studio 14 to pick up jewelry for something else, and I mentioned to Jimi what I wanted. He told me I should have them pierced separately, let them heal, and come back to get a barbell put between them. He thought I meant an orbital, and I didn't try explaining further, because the advice would probably be the same. As we left, Dan told me that he didn't think Jimi understood what I had been asking, but that the orbital itself seemed like a cool idea and he thought I should do it. I figured I'd just go ahead and get them pierced separate, and see what I wanted to do once they were healed.
Later in the week, I decided I was going to go and get this done. I was driving back from somewhere with Dan, my grandma and my younger brother Patrick. Though my grandma, unlike the rest of my family, doesn't give me grief over what I do (she just shakes her head and doesn't say anything), I knew she'd have no interest in going to the studio, so I was going to take her home. I told Patrick that I could drop him off if he wanted. He declined and said he wanted to go with us. He was 16 at the time, plenty old enough to sit and watch. So I let him go. I wouldn't realize until later what a mistake that was.
When we pulled up to the Studio, Patrick was already starting his obnoxious routine. He changed his mind; he was hungry and wanted to go home. I said it was a little late, we were there, and he could stay in the car if he wanted. Grandma was making dinner, and we'd eat afterwards. I should have just made him stay in the car, but he came with us and I hoped he would behave.
Jimi was there to greet us. I introduced my brother, and he said it was fine if he wanted to come back and watch. I filled out the requisite paperwork while Jimi set up. He said it would be best to do them at 16g as they're in a small area, and he'd use hoops with small diameter. I picked my left ear, and he put the dots on. He didn't have me look at the placement (that I recall, Jimi never did, which irked me, but I was okay with where they ended up). My brother started giving me grief, and bickering. Jimi made a comment once in awhile as he progressed, trying to lessen the tension I think.
We started with the tragus. Jimi used a curved needle and put a cork behind the tragus, explaining what he was going to do. He said it was funny I didn't have any other cartilage piercings and I was starting with two of the most painful. I said 'greaaaat' since I hadn't exactly realized that would be the case. He asked if I was ready, and as I said sure. He put the needle in. I heard the crunch and pop as the needle when through, then he put a small CBR in. I'd equate the pain about with being smacked in the ear. It was uncomfortable, but not unbearable.
Patrick used the opportunity to say something about how my mom was going to be pissed, and I retorted something back. Jimi told me the anti-tragus was going to be worse, and it was. He used a curved needle and cork for this one too. The pain was sharper and more intense as he slid the needle through. This time, the crunch wasn't as loud, but I could still hear it, and it hurt much more than the first one. Afterwards, it felt like a cross between having my ears boxed and having an ear infection. This seemed to be the encompassing pain of having both done in the same day. I'm not sure if the anti-tragus hurt worse because of the location, or because it was second, but it's one that I didn't think I'd do again. (Of course now I'd reconsider it, if I wanted another, as I've had my conch done at 10g, and that hurt worse.)
When we got back to my grandma's she asked to see them, shook her head and said to come to dinner. I never heard more about it from her. My parents were another story. My brother told them as soon as he got home where he'd been, and the next time I saw them, they screamed at me for half an hour, telling me that I was never to take their son into "one of those freak shops" again. I didn't, even when he asked to come some other time. He feigned innocence that he hadn't meant to get me in trouble, but he knew what would happen when he told my parents, who hate modification. Besides, though I love these two piercings, the actual experience and memory for me were tainted by his constant complaints. (Though I only mentioned a couple outbursts, he talked most of the time, and I tried to ignore him. Dan was going in a couple days later, and I had him relay an apology to Jimi for me.)
After the freak shop lecture, my mother went into her spiel about not piercing cartilage. She said that Joe Licata (her jeweler who does piercings with a gun and did my ears when I was younger before I knew better) told her that you don't pierce cartilage. I told her that no, he shouldn't pierce cartilage with a gun (of course, he shouldn't pierce with a gun period, but that's another story), and at least he knows this and follows it, which is more than can be said for most places that pierce with guns. I explained to her that with a needle it was much safer, with lower risks all around. Well, she told me that it wasn't going to heal properly, and I'd only have myself to blame. I let her rant and I didn't hear much more about it.
It did take forever to heal (about eight months), and though they weren't oozing anything, they seemed to hurt all the time. I was washing with Dial at the time (which I later found out was part of my irritation before my switch to Softsoap), and doing sea salt soaks, another thing that seems to dry my ears out. I also was using this stuff Jimi gave me SilverAid , which did seem to help a little.
Dan advised me around the six month mark that if they didn't heal soon, I should take them out. I refused to give up on them, however, and it seemed like one day, all of a sudden, they were fine. I haven't had a problem with them since, except with wearing headphones that cover the ear. For me, it isn't very comfortable. I've found that the kind where the speaker sits inside the ear actually work better for me (which is great, because that's the kind that came with the CD player Dan got my for high school graduation), as it isn't squishing the piercings, but resting next to them.
I never did the orbital, though Dan has told me many times I should, just to see how it looks. At work , many customers would see the two and say, "Hey, you should link those with one ring; it would look awesome." I think part of me was defiant; once everyone started wanting me to do it, I wanted to leave them as they were, and I liked them that way.
I also didn't link the rings, as I intended to, not sure that it would work without having one of the rings be a different size. That is, until a couple nights ago. After reading this experience, Dan said 'come here' unhooked one ring, looped it through the other, and closed it again. They did sit at about the angle I'd envisioned. I touched them, and thought at first, now I won't be able to wear my headphones.
But I realized that night (when I thought it would be difficult to clean inside my ear, as the rings now block it) the way they are positioned, if I push them inward, toward my face, they collapse, sort of like a ring puzzle. So, cleaning my ears isn't a problem. Tonight, I collapsed my rings and put on my headphones, and they fit just about as they did before. Sleeping on that side of my ear is not difficult either (which is good because my conch still hurts to sleep on sometimes).
So far, there isn't really a downside to having them linked this way. Plus, though I've seen many tragus piercings since getting this done, and anti-tragus piercing seem to be on the rise, I've yet to see anyone wear both this way. But, I've had them unlinked for so long, that it feels awkward to have them linked, and if the rings shift, I can hear it, which is kind of annoying. Time will tell if they stay this way, but my bet is, they will, so long as I can get used to them, which shouldn't be too hard. After all, this is how I'd intended to wear them to begin with.
