It's taken me just over a year to write about getting my daith pierced. When I first got it done, I was convinced that I didn't NEED to write about it or share it, as it was something that was done for me. Well ... it WAS done for me, but at the same time, it wasn't ALL about me, and although I'm very happy with it now, I went through a lot of bullshit, mixed feelings, and healing problems over the past year.
At A Glance Author d'Latta Contact d'Latta@bme.anon IAM d'Latta When A year ago Artist Tiffany/Robbie/Marea Studio Piercology/Mike's Tattoos/Metamorphois Location Columbus, Ohio/Terre Haute, Indiana/Indianapolis, Indiana I got it done the Sunday just prior to Memorial Day. I once again went to Piercology, in Columbus, Ohio to have it done. Tiffany, who had pierced my (now-retired) tragus, performed this procedure as well. As was the case with my tragus, she answered my numerous questions about the procedure, what jewelry she would use, and so forth.
The day arrived, and my ex-friend and I arrived at the studio just a few minutes early; we looked at some of the jewelry in the case to kill some time. A few minutes later, Tiffany came out and asked if I was ready. I wasn't, of course (who ever IS?), but we went back into the piercing room anyway.
Prior to being pierced, Tiffany and I had decided on an 18g CBR with a jeweled ball, so at least I didn't have the added pressure of having to decide on the spot what I wanted.
So anyway, the person who went with me held my hand (I'm such a wuss!) to try and calm me down, and Tiffany informed me that she'd bent the needle to resemble a fishhook. She also told me that on the fourth exhale, she'd pierce it. She tricked me – she did it on the second exhale, and I wasn't ready. Regardless, it was being done, and oh, did it hurt, along with a huge amount of pressure on top of that.
It really didn't take very long (my guesstimate is less than a minute), but it felt like it took forever, of course. She got the jewelry in, and we went out to the lobby, where she went over aftercare yet again (they are always adamant about this part). I'd already paid, so I tipped her, and we left.
I was so high on endorphins that I didn't care about anything at the moment: my ex-friend's bullshit, the fact that it was over 90 degrees that day, and we were walking, etc. It took me about six hours for the effects of that to dissipate, and for me to come back down to planet earth.
After that is when the real test started.
A week after getting it done, I should have recognized that something wasn't right: it was still very red and painful. Even more so that my now-retired tragus. I thought that it was normal though, and was told it would be fine; to take ibuprofen and drink lots of water. So I did that, and still not a lot of improvement.
Fast-forward to eight months later, in January of this year. It was not healing at all, was painful, and felt very tight and pinching. I was going crazy, because I had done everything correctly, and it was still just being obnoxious. Finally, one cold and snowy day in the middle of the month, I got ants in my pants and took the ring out, and stuck a straight barbell (without the other end on it) in there temporarily, before calling a local piercing parlor (in fact, the only one that was open on Sundays here in Terre Haute).
Robbie, the piercer at Mike's Tattoos, agreed to see me, and determined that he could insert a curved barbell into my piercing. I was thrilled! He put in a 5/16" 16g curved barbell into my piercing, so yes, it stung a little. What I WASN'T thrilled about was the fact that the jewelry was externally threaded, but it was either that, or put that damned ring back in, and there was no way I was doing that.
I wore it for about three weeks before I had a chance to be in Indianapolis. Well, when we arrived, we got to see Marea. My friend had her nipple jewelry changed, and I took the opportunity to ask if I could have my tragus repierced (the answer was a resounding 'no', much to my disappointment, but better that she tell me the truth up front), and if I could have my daith and helix jewelry changed.
The latter two were doable; the helix change was in fact very easy (and we actually went to a 3/16" barbell instead of a ¼" one). The daith change wasn't so easy, but she got it done. She changed it to an INTERNALLY threaded 16g 1/4" curved barbell. It felt SO good.
On March 2, on another trip to Indianapolis to have my conch pierced (will try to detail that in another experience) I had her tighten it up (the threading had become a bit loose), and ordered a 16g 1/4" 'threadless' curved barbell. A couple of weeks later, my new jewelry arrived, but it was a month before I was able to get up there and have it changed out. I've had this latest piece in since about the first of April (a couple of months now) and I must say that my ear is becoming very much happier with it.
A bit about Marea: she is a very patient person (even to wusses like me). She also respects each person's individual routines and ways to go about healing their piercings. In other words, in my opinion, it seems like that if the person she pierces is intelligent and is aware of their own body; she respects that and listens to them. She takes that information into consideration when doling out aftercare advice, instead of repeating the same exact thing for each client like some broken record. I really like and appreciate that.
As I said before, it's been just over a year since I got my daith pierced. Although it was seen by three different people, and went through a lot of stress (as I did, as well). I've learned that 18g is simply too small for my body, and that I need at least a 16g for it to have a chance at all of being permanent.
I also have to say that I was very impressed with the way Marea handled everything, from the time I first detailed my problem, until we finally found the right jewelry to put into the piercing. She'd stretched my earlobes nearly two years prior to that, and I was really impressed with her then. Such a shame that I waited so long to see her again. I was determined that she would eventually pierce something for me.
In closing, I'd like to say that even with the best intentions; the best of piercing materials, placement, etc., sometimes things still don't go right. If that's the case, don't hesitate in getting it looked at. If it still doesn't seem to be healing right, seek out a second or even a third opinion. A good piercer will assess the problem and work with you to arrive at a solution that you are happy with.