I have been a big BME fan for a year or two. I just love looking at all the piercings and wishing I had them. The first time I saw a tragus piercing I was in high school and some girl that I vaguely knew walked past me with a tragus ring and I thought it was really pretty. But I figured it hurt really bad and didn't have too much interest in it at the time, so I dismissed it. I didn't even know the name of that part of the ear.
At A Glance Author Emily Contact Emily@bme.anon When A week ago Artist me Studio my bedroom Location Wisconsin Fast forward two years...my cousin Lauren who is two years older than me and has always been my idol turns 18. Suddenly she has a tattoo, a tongue ring, and various other piercings. By this time I had warmed up to the idea of body piercings and had already aspired to have a tongue ring and navel ring the second I turned 18 (conservative parents...you all know the story.) She also had a tragus piercing which was the second time ever that I saw one of those. Since Lauren had one, all of a sudden it became 67% cooler. I really wanted one. But, I had to wait. (Waiting really is the worst part of piercings, isn't it?)
Fast forward two more years...18 at last! The day after my birthday I went out and got my tongue pierced to the dismay of my parents, but what could they do? I was 18. I got too impatient to have my navel pierced, so I did it myself when I was 17 (Although I took it out recently). I'd been 18 for about half a year and was getting the urge to get another piercing. It's a rush of freedom when you can get it done and your parents can't do anything about it. I'd wanted one, but I didn't really know what I wanted so I didn't really take it seriously. But after one of those really shitty weeks that just depresses me as all get out, I really wanted one. When I get the urge to do a DIY, it's usually out of self hatred (I suffer from depression) and rather than cut, I decide to do something more productive, like a piercing. After much deliberation, I decided I wanted my tragus pierced. I wanted to do my nipples, but knowing me I'd get them infected or something (and I bet an infected nipple is NOT fun) and I'd probably do it crooked or something stupid like that, so I decided to leave my precious little nippies to a pro. I would go out and get it done professionally, but I had no money at the time, and I had this burning desire to get a piercing. I'm no stranger to DIY's. I had done the second holes in my lobes and those healed beautifully (considering I didn't sterilize too well, and I used a sewing needle – ah, stupid stupid.) and I had done my navel. So, I went to Fleet Farm (which is like a hardware store/hunting gear store/farm supplies store for those who don't know what Fleet Farm is) and went to the hypodermic needle section. It's a section of needles for administering shots to livestock, like so they don't get sick or whatever. I don't really know, I don't have cows :-). But they're not like human needles which are really skinny, these were like 14 ga, 16 ga, stuff like that, which for the most part are normal piercing gauges. They have beveled edges, stainless steel, sterilized, and everything. For the most part, "\ÃwØR« they are exactly like professional piercer's needles. So I picked up a pack of 16 gauges. Then I headed to Walmart for jewelry (haha). I got two stainless steel labret studs, with small silver balls that weren't too noticeable to the 'rents. I did this in the morning, so I still had three classes until I could go home (college.) I was so excited all day to go home and do it. I couldn't believe my very own little tragus would be pierced, they were such cute piercings!
Finally, it was time to leave. I went home, boiled a needle, then took it out and went up in my room and locked the door. I rubbed down everything with rubbing alcohol. I set up a mirror and poked myself ever so slightly in what looked like the center. It looked good to me. I sat down in my rocking chair and put a Family Guy DVD in my computer to distract me. Now, I'm not the person who can usually just "shove it in". I'll let professionals do that, because they can aim. I usually just push really slowly, which to some would seem more painful, but for some reason I can tolerate it. So, I sat down in my chair, and for an hour or so kept a gentle but firm pressure on it, and slowly it went through...most of the way.
Finally, I stuck my finger in my ear, and could feel a tiny poke. That's the best feeling in the world to me, that means I'm in the home stretch. Well now I was getting sick of the whole thing and just wanted it to be over with, so I started pushing harder, but not shoving. I didn't want to stab myself in the inside of my ear. It came through a lot more in back, but I still couldn't get the beveled edge all the way through, but it was good enough for me. I unscrewed the ball on the labret stud. Then I took the needle out, and quickly put in the labret stud (backwards, mind you – the flat side was on the side of my head) I didn't want it to close up quickly on me or anything which is why I put it in the most convenient way. I had to push a little bit because the needle didn't go completely through like I said before, but since it was most of the way through it didn't give me too much grief. I tried to take the stud out and quickly put it in the other way – NOT easy. Its very hard to get those little buggers in there. You have to take a tiny ¼" stud and stick your big humongous fingers to find the little tiny hole in your ear. It wasn't easy. For fear it would close up on me, I just put it in the other way and rubbed a sea-salt water soaked q-tip on it. I rinsed it off like that for a few days, and left the labret stud in there the way it was. A few days later it was Thanksgiving and I was determined to get it in the right way. I was so frustrated, but by some miracle of God I got it in. Then I screwed the tiny little ball on (which wasn't easy either) and had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
That was about a week ago, and it hasn't given me much grief. It swelled up and got sore for two days but has since settled down and hasn't hurt at all. It hasn't bled yet, and only hurt to sleep on for the time it was swollen. It looks completely normal now, and I'm still doing the sea salt every day twice a day. I love how it looks! Its so pretty! And I'm proud of it. It's not bad for a DIY.
Now, I don't recommend doing DIY's. I think that in order to do it successfully you have to be comfortable with your body and know how it works and heals. Please, if at all possible, get it done professionally! I was lucky that mine went without a hitch but you may not be so lucky! Take care!