Well, I guess my piercing started actually a month ago, when I was bored on a Sunday night. At the time, I had one hole in each earlobe, which was done at Claire's when I was in 5th grade, and unfortunately they were done slightly uneven, but it's only noticeable if I'm wearing dangling earrings... Currently I keep 14g curved barbells in them, and I plan to gauge them out, but no more than 6g since I don't want overly droopy ear lobes when I'm older.
At A Glance Author Phoenix When A week ago Artist Me Studio My bathroom But that night I decided I wanted a double piercing. I walked over to my dresser, got a brand new safety pin - and also checked to make sure it was SHARP - and then went and grabbed an ice cube, a lighter, rubbing alcohol, and a few q-tips.
I started by dousing the safety pin in flame for twenty seconds, and then rubbed it down thoroughly with q-tips and rubbing alcohol. I washed my hands, rubbed my ear with the rubbing alcohol, and numbed my ear with the ice cube, gathered up my courage and put the pin where I wanted it. After finding a good place to put the needle, I stuck it through. It probably took 5 seconds to get the pin through, with minimal pain and no blood. I closed the safety pin and let it be, and then re-washed the ear with rubbing alcohol. The same safety pin I pierced it with stayed in the ear for about 24 hours and then I decided that I should put in a good stainless steel earring for it to heal with. I got a 16g curved barbell that I had bought from Hot Topic, let it soak in rubbing alcohol and put it in. It hurt a slight amount, but other than that it healed pretty much perfectly, within 4 weeks. No infections [I cleaned it at least twice a day with rubbing alcohol until it no longer felt like it was open] and it is absolutely fine.
Now, a week ago, I decided that I wanted my ears to be symmetrical. I decided I'd to pierce my ear, following all of the same steps I used the month before. Did it, it was fine. However, the one change is that the next morning I tried to put the 16g curved barbell in, instead of waiting more than 24 hours. I guess it still needed more time because it would not go in, and it hurt a fair amount... So I put the safety pin back in, and put rubbing alcohol in it. The next day, it hurt, and was red and puffy and pus-y. Shit, it was infected. I cleaned it with rubbing alcohol in the morning, and at night I spent a good half hour with rubbing alcohol cleaning it very thoroughly. The next day it was very noticeably better and less infected.
A few days later it's still a bit infected. For some reason the hole is over 14g, although i keep a 16g curved barbell in it. I clean it out with rubbing alcohol at least twice a day.
Now last night, I was bored again, and decided that I wanted a total of 3 holes in each ear. So I repeated the same procedure that I did the other times I pierced my ear, although I messed up on my left ear and pierced a bit to close to the edge, so I had to take it out and redo it.
Unfortunately the 16g curved barbells aren't going in the newest piercings right now and I don't want to really force it, so I have to have some slightly cheaper earrings in which is something I really don't like... I want them to heal with stainless steel, silver, or gold since those metals are much, much better than cheap metal. So I'm waiting until I can put my stainless steel barbells in, and will let them heal without the barbells. I clean all of my piercings [including the healed ones, might as well be safe right now] regularly with rubbing alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide since I'm currently running out of the rubbing alcohol. I also try to refrain from touching my piercings, especially when I haven't washed my hands well.
My piercings are pretty much in an even and straight line, my right ear looks absolutely perfect, my left ear looks just a millimeter out of alignment, but I don't mind. If there's one thing I recommend when doing your own piercing, it's to make sure you clean the piercing at least twice a day and refrain from touching them when you don't need to.
As for other piercings, I want a cartilage piercing but will get that professionally done since I've heard those things can hurt an insane amount and get really badly infected. I'm not too fond of facial piercings on myself, although I'm contemplating getting a nose piercing. But any piercing other than an earlobe I would definitely get done professionally.
"Note: Rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide are not good for fresh piercings."