I remember reading about dermal punching a long while back. My mother has worked at a Veterinary hospital since I was a kid, so whenever I have a medical question that would somehow cross species, such as in the case of equipment, I ask her. It's a handy little piece of fortune to have someone in the house that knows the proper technique for suturing, removing foreign objects that somehow get embedded in skin as well as tending to burns, lacerations and the like. I wonder how I got so interested in body modification? Hmm...
At A Glance Author Stephen DeToma Contact Stephen DeToma@bme.anon IAM Sacred When Five years ago Artist Self Inflicted Studio After Hours, Closed Studio. Location 508 MA I asked her what they were used for, how they can be sterilized and the like. She kind of looked at me cockeyed when I began, inquiring as to why I would want such information. I told her honestly that I was exploring the option for large gauge piercing; she rolled her eyes and we continued.
I set about trying to come by some biopsy punches. I don't remember if they were being sold on BMEshop at the time or not (being near 7 years ago), but I'm inclined to say not. In any case the way I actually come by them, which was for free, put an end to my search. I very well may simply have not made it that far. I remember doing fairly crude and inaccurate web searches for them, trying to find a site that I could buy a few from, with little luck. Almost by accident, I came across a website that was offering free samples of their biopsy punches to potential buyers. I sat back for a second and thought about if this would actually work, and I decided to give it a shot. I filled in the pertinent information honestly and when I arrived at the line that read 'Business', I simply filled in the name of the Piercing Studio I was working at. I sent off the request for free samples and basically forgot about it, as I never really expected anything to come of it.
Within 10 days a small bubble wrapped envelope appeared at my door. I opened it and withdrew a form letter from the company I had requested punches from, "Dear Sir, thank you for your interest in our products" and other such small talk. I tossed it aside and dug into the envelope and came out with a handful of assorted punches in various sizes, prepackaged and sterilized.
I was stunned. I had simply filled out some information and a medical company had simply shipped me a handful of biopsy punches. Granted, they weren't the classy Miltex ones that I've come to know and love, rather, the crappy brightly colored handles which shall remain nameless. But, this being my first foray into the world of punches, they may as well have been made of gold.
My mind was racing with the possibility of placement for my new devices. One thing I had always thought about doing was punching my conch at a large size, especially as my first attempt at a conch piercing had met with such disastrous results. Friends had also inquired as to the chance to have some punches used on them, but being wary of the technique, I was only ready to use one on myself first as a test of their power. Upon my return to the studio, I considered jewelry for my conch and settled on a simple captive bead ring. Once again, the table was set; all I had to do was sit down and eat.
Well, carrying out the plan took longer than I had thought. It was a week before I had worked up the nerve to actually take a punch to my own ear. I had a few of my friends with me one evening after I closed up shop; they wanted to watch, I was perfectly willing to have them there in case I became too light headed to continue. I set up and stripped to an undershirt in anticipation of the blood that I had read would be present. I went through my normal cleaning regiment, but forwent the marking in place of simply standing in front of the mirror and placing the punch where I wanted to the hole made.
Here's where things get interesting. If you have never had the pleasure of wielding a biopsy punch, let me give you a brief description. A plastic handle holds what could best be described as a circular scalpel at its end. In a skilled hand, the circular blade is twisted in a swift circular motion, quickly cutting a smooth hole through the tissue applied to. Got that? Sound simple? Ok. Here we go.
When I first read about punches, I though they must be sharp as lasers. So sharp in fact, that pushing a punch straight through tissue would be a breeze. Twisting, that never even entered my head as an option. And so, I took the 6mm punch and rested in the inside portion of the very same ear that was now wracked with scar tissue from an old infection. With a cork behind my ear to catch the punch that would, no doubt, come blasting through the back, I readied my hand.
I began pushing the punch straight into my ear, no twisting. I was amazed how quickly the blade cut through the first few layers, but it soon got hung up on the scar tissue in the middle of the ear. I kept a constant, steady pressure on the site and moved to a chair so that I could get more leverage. As I put more of my weight into the punch, I kept hearing sounds that reminded me of the deck of a ship splintering as it landed on rocks. Of fresh celery being snapped between teeth. It was not a comforting sound, to say the least.
About half way through this endeavor, I remember stopping and saying that I didn't think I could continue. I was reassured by my friends that I had gone so far, I needed to finish. I settled back in, hands still on the punch and cork, and applied pressure. More snapping, more popping, more intense pressure. It felt exactly like you would think it would to have skin removed by a grade school hole punch. I dug my heels in, so to speak, and swung for the fences. With one more good hard push, I felt the punch hit the cork.
After a few pictures of the punch all the way through, I withdrew the punch and inserted the jewelry. The blood flowed as freely as I had anticipated, but it was invigorating. I stood up and looked in the mirror to see the hole that I had created in my body and I was quite pleased. Years later, I don't wear jewelry in my conch anymore, but I still have a substantial hole in the cartilage. Since my first time, I've become quite comfortable using the biopsy punch, but nearly every time I use one, I hear that snapping in my head.