At A Glance
Author	anonymous
When	Six months ago
Artist	Me

Ok so here is my story about my piercing...

A while ago I was shopping with my mates and saw the coolest bar ever, but as I only have my lobes done (that look funny with bars) I thought I'd buy it any way. I was thinking about getting it done anyway but had planned to get it done at the pierces

After I got home that night I was bored, extremely bored. None of my mate were free. Then I thought, "My piercing! I'm sure I could do it myself"

Thinking

I thought about it for a while, plenty of my friends have DIY pierced their ears and I'm sure I could do it myself. I had the bar, the time and the "equipment" why not do it?

Preparation

First I came on BME and read the DIY piercing thing, not that I followed it or anything. I now had the urge and the NEED to pierce myself

I started to search the house, top to bottom looking for everything I needed

I rummaged around the sewing kit and found the biggest, newest needle I could that was nice and sharp (well I thought any way.) I then searched the house and found... Some disinfectant in the bathroom (Savlon to be exact)

"Sterile gauze" found floating somewhere in the bottom of the first aid kit, they are made for wounds and stuff and are meant to be held down with tape but they come individually wrapped and they where still sealed so I grabbed a few.

A box of tissues or and mishaps and to lie on the floor to make it sort of cleaner.

A saucer for soaking things in.

Some sterile gloves also individually wrapped in the first aid kit mad for treating wounds and are so you know they are clean.

2 corks for the needle to go into, I cleaned them with savlon I thought they be better than the traditional carrot or apple

No ice, I make your skin tougher (word of mouth)

Then I washed my hand and put on the gloves.

In my room I laid out my supplies on a tablecloth of tissues. The bar and needle in the dish filled with disinfectant. I cleaned my ear with some disinfectant and the gauze.

The real thing

In front of my mirror that I propped up against my bed, I marked my ear with a purple gel pen (stupid I know, they are obviously not sterile) and picked up the needle. I lined it up and started to push it through, slowly layer-by-layer it inched through "Crack" in the end I pushed with one cork and put one cork behind my ear, and the needle was killing my finger. Eventually I heard the legendary "Pop!" It barley even hurt I guess I was high on adrenalin by now.

After that I relaxed for a moment, seeing what I'd done. It was in the right place and it was quite red and I badly needed a drink, I let my hair down and got one without my parents even noticing!!!!!! I was a bit worried because my mum stopped me to tell me what to do after school the next, I was so sure she'd spot a needle out of my ear but she did not.

Back in my room I took the bar from the disinfectant and followed the needle through with it. That bit was quite sore as the needle was nowhere near 16/18 gauge (or around that) that it was supposed to be so had to stretch the hole as I went. It sounded gross!!! But I finally got it in and screwed on the little ball. Success!!!!

I added a bit more antiseptic and I was away.

After Care

At first I used antiseptic cream and liquid but eventually got into town and bought some of that some they give you when you get your lobes done at a chemist ($2.50) I know this stuff is not good but it was fine for my cartilage.

After Note

Mine turned out pretty good and did not get infected, I'm quite happy to pierce my ears myself in the easy places but that's as far as I go it do not want it infected. This girl at my school stupidly pierced her own belly button; she got blood poisoning because she did not tell anyone when I got infected. And this other guys ear got infected and it got this huge weird lump on it now. Anyway.

My parents are cool with any piercing but were not allowed facial piercing till we leave school (school rules) and no tongue piercing (Moms' rule) because the dentist refuses to treat people with them because "They obviously don't care for their teeth", Regarding the piercing, Mom said it's your fault if it gets infected. But it did not so I was fine.

But mum did say she'd be happy to pay $30 at the real pierces next time to stop me D.I.Y piercing it. (It's cheap for basic lobe and cartilage piercing more for hard ones on ears and other places cost more)

My next project: multi navel project

The Bar

So you have heard me go on about this bar. It was a normal straight bar with a little black gem in the middle of the ball and several multi colored gems around the outside forming a flower. So cute, but I prefer Captive Ball Rings these day, much nicer.