For the past few months, I've been on a piercing spree. I've had my cartilage pierced 4 times on each ear, my tragus pierced on my left ear, and my nose pierced since the beginning of May. I've also had a tattoo done in that time frame. All piercings were done by the same artist, and all healed VERY nicely.
At A Glance Author smells'mac When It just happened Studio Adrenaline Location Seaside, NJ My mother always joked with me that I need to "stop coming home with holes in your body". She was worried that my body would start rejecting the metal if something wasn't healed. She said "You can start running a fever with all of those additions!" But naturally, I didn't listen. As soon as one healed, I was on my way back for another.
I would clean them all with the antiseptic/antibacterial soap that my piercing studio supplied. None of them took longer than 1-2 months to heal. I felt like I was immune to piercings at this point. All of them were total successes. I had my nose pierced about a month ago, and now I was ready for the next one.
I've wanted my rook pierced for a while now. Since I had my tragus done painlessly, I thought for sure I was ready for the rook piercing. So, I went back to my faithful piercer and asked him to do it for me. He warned that it may hurt more than the others, but I was ready for it.
Although it was the most painful of all the piercings I've gotten, it was not unbearable. I had it pierced with a barbell, (which I later regretted), but I was extremely happy to have it. I was even able to sleep on that side the exact same night! I did, however, wish I got a hoop. All my other piercings were done with a 12 or 14g hoop. This one was a 14g curved bar. Either way- I thought for sure I was in the clear.
However, when I woke up the next morning, it hurt a lot. Now, I expected there to be a lot of pain. The rook is not a very common piercing, and it is in a very sensitive place. So, I took some Tylenol, cleaned the piercing with antiseptic/antibacterial soap, and also soaked it in sea salt. I was fine for the rest of the day.
I was able to turn the ring around and push it through and through. I would move the bar from left to right to prevent crusting. I did everything my artist told me to do. I was cleaning it properly. I was keeping my hair up and was not using product in my hair. Just as I had done with all other piercings, I took very good care of this one.
That night, I went out and showed off my piercing. Everyone was interested in it. I liked it a lot and I loved the compliments I was getting on it. I was so happy I had walked into the piercing studio to get it.
When I woke up the following morning, my ear was throbbing. It became very hard to clean and push the barbell through to clean it thoroughly. The pain became unbearable, so I went to sleep for the rest of the day to avoid it.
I woke up at about 5 pm. The upper half of my ear was hot and throbbing. I couldn't feel the lower half of my ear at all. It had become completely numb. I immediately called my friend, who's father is a doctor, and told her I was on my way to her house.
Her father looked at my ear and immediately said 'GET THAT THING OUT OF THERE!' It had become infected, and the infection was spreading inside, because at this point my entire ear, eye, and jaw was swollen.
The doctor prescribed me an antibiotic that he told me to start taking immediately. He could not unscrew the piercing by himself, so I went back to the place I had it pierced and had him take it out. That was extremely painful.
This all happened last night. Today, my ear is still throbbing and swelling. Although I LOVED the rook piercing, it was not worth the pain. I have to keep a hot wash clothe on it to drain the puss. I clean it with bactine and salt water while still taking the antibiotic. This is by far the worst experience I've ever had with a piercing. I can't go swimming, and the infection still spread out to my entire ear. It looks deformed, and takes the attention away from the other piercings. As of right now, I'm embarrassed of my ear.
Although I've been through this, I can't say I've learned my lesson. I intend to get the opposite ear's rook pierced once this thing heals completely- and maybe a few weeks later.