I didn't start acquiring piercings until earlier this year. Up until I decided to get my tongue pierced one night after wanting to for several years, the only piercing I had was a set of decade old gunned lobes. A month after my tongue piercing, I got my first cartilage piercing. I've had quite a few problems with it but really enjoy it, and I wanted to add to my ears.
At A Glance Author Anonymous Contact Anonymous@bme.anon When A week ago Artist Chris Studio Hot Rod Piercing Company Location Pittsburgh, PA I looked through the galleries on BME and although I considered a standard helix piercing as well as the tragus, the snug was what I really wanted. I just thought it looked very nice when done with a bent barbell, and it was a little bit unusual, which I enjoy because it often leads to discussion about modifications when people notice something they're not familiar with. I read some of the experience stories after that to get an idea about the snug, and two things repeatedly came up: pain and complications. I reconsidered and decided to get something less high maintenance because I didn't know if I was up to the challenge of a difficult piercing. I just kept coming back to the idea of a snug though and thinking about it, so I finally decided to just do. I have a pretty decent pain tolerance, I'm knowledgeable about proper aftercare, and I hoped that if I were careful and diligent with it, it would heal without too many issues.
The other night while sitting at home considering it, I decided I was definitely going to get the snug done. I was off from work the next day, so in the afternoon I went down to Hot Rod Piercing Company to get it done. On the way there I was very nervous because so many people had described the pain as being excruciating and horrible. I even hesitated outside of the door for a moment before going inside. I walked into the shop and Brendan, who was at the counter, asked if he could help me. I told him I wanted to see if doing a snug would be possible on my ear, although I was pretty sure it was, and he told me that it would definitely be possible on either ear but it'd have to be placed somewhat high. That was totally fine with me, so we decided to go for it. He asked me which ear I wanted it on and what jewelry I wanted it pierced with, and then he went over their aftercare with me (which, by the way, is EXCELLENT aftercare information). He asked if I had any questions, so I asked him how temperamental this piercing tends to be. He told me that it can become irritated if you bump it and that all cartilage piercings are somewhat fussy, but that it wasn't too bad. I then signed the consent form, and he told Chris, the piercer, what I would be getting, so that he could set up.
Chris called me back to the piercing room and confirmed which ear I wanted it on. After discussing placement, my ear was marked and I looked in a mirror to approve the location. He then had my lay back and turn my head to the side, and quickly put the needle through. There was just a small amount of pain for a brief second as the needle went through, but it was nowhere near the level I was expecting. I wouldn't even describe it as a painful piercing.. it honestly was not bad at all. He put the jewelry in and I was done. The whole thing only took about two minutes, but I don't feel like it was rushed and I think he did a good job. I forgot to actually look at my new piercing before leaving, haha, so I stopped and looked at it in the reflection of a store window and I was very pleased.
My ear began to get warm a few minutes later, and become pretty sore to the touch throughout the day, but there was no throbbing or rather noticeable pain. I accidentally touched it once, forgetting it was there, and it was tender but had none of the extreme discomfort that came with my rook. I cleaned it that night with Satin with no difficulty, although I didn't try to move the jewelry. Sleeping wasn't a problem at all.. I alternated between sleeping on my back and sleeping with the newly pierced ear inside of a U shaped travel pillow. They're VERY useful if you have a new cartilage piercing! You still have a pillow to lay your head on without your ear having to touch anything.
Since then I've just been washing with the Satin once a day, and then using a cotton swab dipped in warm sea salt solution to wipe around the piercing once or twice a day as well. When this first week is up, I'll begin to do sea salt soaks, which I now swear by for healing(and, when needed, calming) cartilage piercings.
My new snug is cute, hasn't presented problems so far, and wasn't at all the painful experience that I expected it to be. I'm very happy with it, and in a few months when it settles in, I can't wait to add a new addition to my cartilage piercing family.