Well this is a strange and not always so pleasant experience that I would like to share. Especially if anyone is planning on conducting a piercing on themselves or someone who trusts you, even if you're only about 10 and have never intentionally stuck a needle through someone before.
At A Glance Author apekrazy Contact apekrazy@bme.anon When N/A Artist moi A little background is necessary, but alas, it's still very hard to explain things like this if you haven't really heard of it, like many. I'm from Southern Africa, as close as it gets to being South Africa without being inside it. Anyways, the country is a fairly new one and people are still a bit nervous when it comes to non-traditional body mods, because, there are people who live outside our technological society and even some people's grandma's whose ear lobes are stretched down to their necks! I have no idea why this is so.
The story starts with a 10ish year old me and an older brother who had to be about 16 at the time and wanted to pierce his ears. This was fairly popular and basically nobody in my family had any professional piercings done(my mom claims the hole in her nose was necessary, for medical reasons). Anyways, one day my brother calls me into the bathroom and reveals his pierced ears to me. "One's skew and I need you to re-pierce it!" What? I was reluctant to do this and it was pretty weird for such a youngun, but I fixed it for him and it healed perfectly, with my help and advice(how does that happen? my brother's crazy, but you gotta love him). Thankfully, he moved out of the country when the president stated that all males with ear piercings were gay and wanted the police to pull them out of teens they see around, sticking to their 'No Gay' policy (it's better now).
With that I became crazily obsessed with body mods and I'm planning on getting a few more soon. I unfortunately don't have that many, but I would love to become a piercer one day, at least get the qualifications! I want to do it! I thought one night a few years later that I could pierce my own ears and get second holes. The only problem is that I am extremely sensitive to certain metals ( which never stopped me from putting random metal objects to my ears and irritating them for my own personal amusement, NOT SMART). I thought things would go well as I was living with my mother and she, her mom and all the ladies in the family were experts at piercings. I mean she had given me my firsts at like 8months and I think she claims -i never cried! All I knew was that I was in good hands if I chose to listen to them!
So one night I did all the things to prepare. It was the night before my school photos and I decided that I wanted them done! So what I did was I found some new needles, took out the piercings I knew I was allergic to, but that was okay because I had the protective plastic tubing that didn't always prevent the reaction! Man, was I smart back then. I boiled them in hot water and threaded them ( this is how they do it, sometimes). I then went in front of the full length mirror, put the light close and made various arrangements for where the holes were going to be and also reciprocate the process on the other lobe, making them identical. This is one thing I am very good at, however, this perfect placement soon became my perfect placement of suck!
I pierced my ears, STRAIGHT, to avoid a situation like my brother's and have my mom going "I told you so" and "I know better than you, I should've done it". Again my mom's an expert on it and she's also an expert on cleanliness due to her extreme allergies, so she's real safe! I ran out and showed her and she liked the look of it, but also warned me of the various things that could happen and how to take care of my holes. I really wasn't in the mood, was I ever back then, and ignored some of her more important rules.
The first few days went kind of okay. I took out the irritating jewellry for obvious reasons and did found some clean wood and fashioned some little stick things that I would be able to put through. Apparently the wood is very dry and really helps in the process, just be careful and this is all the way my mom and some others do it, so it's best to do what your piercer tells you. I would put them in at night and for several days ( making new ones every few) and would twist them in my ears.
I grew impatient and my method of sleeping in the little stick things and then forcing the earring with the plastic tubing over it through the ear hole every morning. I mean it was not good, I also took off the tubing sometimes and this would just make things worse. I mean why purposely create an allergic reaction on an open wound! Of course I now know this is very stupid and wouldn't do anything like that again. I might be some sort of closet masochist. Still thinking that if things worked out with my brother, they would with me. Right? WRONG!
Long story short, of weeks( almost months and it shouldn't take that long! at least not with me) filled with pain and continuously stretching, and irritating my holes, I finally made a decision to take them out. Partially because of all the pain and also because I was growing this huge mass at the back of my left ear.
A few years later. I definitely have learned from my experience. Not listening to my mother and all her advice was probably the single most stupid thing I have ever done. I really do not recommend self piercing if you're not an experienced 'know-it-all'. yes, I mean know-it-all! Better that, than 'know-too-little' The keloid has subsided, but it's still there. I hope one day with some oils and creams it will disappear totally. Mostly because I want to re-pierce the area, but safely this time, by a professional!
People be careful. Even more common piercings can get out of hand and this can be shocking and disappointing. Take care of all piercings because frankly, they're just too much fun to mess up!