I had been planning it for months. I had tried stretching before, but realized at about 8 gauge that my earlobes were pierced too low for my perfectionist self to be comfortable with. After taking out my 8g jewelry and letting my lobes close up as far as they would go -- about to 18g or 20g -- over the course of a month or so, I visited the Association of Professional Piercers website (www.safepiercing.org) and looked at the California certified piercers. I determined that Billy York from Nathan's Anthems in Redding was closest, so I'd try talking to them.
At A Glance Author mercury Contact mercury@bme.anon IAM mercury When A month ago Artist Dallas Studio Nathan's Anthems Location Redding, CA, USA I emailed them asking about scalpelling and was given a small speech about how scalpelling is serious business. I understand why that happened -- there are a lot of people out there who have no idea what they're doing and just want to "look cool" -- but being one of the genuinely educated folk, I took a bit of offense at that. Regardless, I called Dallas (whom Billy had handed me off to, should I still be interested) and made myself known. I kept in touch with Dallas randomly throughout the next four or five months, impressing him with my piercing knowledge (and proving I wasn't one of those annoying "cool" people) until finally the day came when my birthday was on the horizon. I called him up and made plans for May 31st at 1:00pm. We talked about the procedure (mostly, I asked him questions to be sure he was planning on doing it right) and he asked about the jewelry I planned on bringing (Glasswear Studios colorfronts, since my mother would absolutely abhor eyelets), etc. After that call, it was settled: I was going to go to Redding and get my ears scalpelled to 2g.
On the day of, I rounded up my boyfriend, my mother, my money, my jewelry and my digital camera and off we went. The drive was long but pleasant, even though I was incredibly antsy. We ended up being 15 minutes late, but Dallas didn't mind. When we got there, Billy greeted us warmly and asked if I was Emma. I managed to nod -- I was so excited. Dallas approached me and we shook hands. He was a lot taller than I was expecting. He asked to see my jewelry, which I got out (in a baggie of course) and showed to him. He approved and told me that he was going to go put them in a Statim and it would be a few minutes. Tony (my boyfriend) and I looked around the lobby while my mom looked very nervous. I was staring at the jewelry in the counter when she asked what size I would be going to (she asked to see my jewelry, but I told her Dallas had already taken them). I pointed to some 2g plugs and she shivered and asked why I couldn't have started with some nice "what are those, twelves?" pointing to the 12g jewelry. I laughed it off and she sighed. She decided that she was going to go nextdoor for a while and would come back in a half hour or so.
A few minutes after she left, it was time to get started. Tony and I headed upstairs with Dallas (followed by Billy) to the private piercing room. There was someone getting tattooed there, so Dallas assured them we weren't doing a genital piercing and put up a shoji screen between them and us. Tony stood in the corner, equipped with my camera.
Dallas begun by talking me through the process and explaining every single step he was going to take. I already knew what was coming, but the talk was fairly calming (I was very hyped up by that point). While he prepared the table, I rocked on my toes, grinning and squeaking with excitement. Billy and Dallas were both amused by that. When it was time to start on my ears, Dallas continued to explain what he was doing as he was doing it, sterilizing my ears and explaining to me the sterilization power of what he was using. At that point I realized that I had chosen to do this right after the APP convention had taken place, which made me feel even happier.
He applied the markings with a toothpick and asked me to turn around (towards the mirror on the wall) and check it out. The first markings I didn't necessarily like -- they were almost completely horizontal, and my main goal was to move my piercings up vertically. I told him that it wasn't what I wanted and he said okay and started over. I told him that I wanted the markings sort of aimed at my anti-tragus, and he understood. He did my right earlobe and asked me if that was what I wanted. It was perfect. I didn't even have to say anything, he could tell by my smile. He went to work on the left lobe, trying to get the markings symmetrical. We both laughed at the awkwardness of him being right in my face staring intently at me. After he had gotten them both down and I had approved, Billy contributed his opinion: that we compromise between the two sets of markings. I said that these markings were what I wanted, and he was fine with that. Dallas mentioned being wary of the flare on my plugs digging into my anti-tragus and Billy was taken aback, congratulating Dallas on considering that and saying that he hadn't even thought of that. I beamed, thrilled that I had a competent piercer to do this for me. He dipped the end of the taper in the marking material (I think it was gentian violet) and marked circles on my ears just to be sure. He had me take a peek in the mirror with the circles there and after I approved, we went to work.
He had me lay down on back with my right ear up, so that I was staring at the wall. When he told me he was going to make a "glory hole" both my boyfriend and I kind of had an "uhhhh" moment, but I understood once he started. He grabbed a piece of sterile papery material and cut a slit in it, putting my ear through the slit so that just my ear was sticking out. He then put the clamp on my ear (though he had some trouble lining up the back and the front since my ears were pierced crooked) and got out the scalpel. He told me to breathe deeply (and Billy was also there coaching me) and on an exhale, I felt a searing pain in my earlobe. It lasted so much longer than I was expecting, and when the taper/jewelry went through I swear I heard a pop. I was a bit nervous, but Dallas and Billy (mostly Billy) were both cooing about how gorgeous it looked, so that reassured me. Dallas applied gauze and held pressure there for a little while, and when it had stopped bleeding profusely I was able to get a look at it. When I looked in the mirror, I was in a sublime combination of happiness and awe. It was PERFECT. It was absolutely exactly what I wanted. After that, nothing could get me down; not even the pain (which was now numbing).
The other ear was much less eventful, since I knew what was coming and Dallas had already had some practice with the other ear. Billy held gauze on my right ear while I turned my left ear to Dallas. The clamp went on much more quickly, but seemed to hurt more than it did before. When the scalpel went in, my face scrunched up and I kept thinking to myself "ow, ow, ow, ow," until it was finally done and the gauze was being applied. I laid there with Billy holding one ear and Dallas holding the other until both had stopped bleeding long enough for us to be confident that I could stand up and leave like that. My left ear didn't turn out exactly like my right ear since it was pierced closer to my head originally, but I still love it. My mom came into the room at that point and sat down with me for Dallas's aftercare talk. Dallas gave me a bag of sea salt (enough for 1 gallon of water for sea salt soaks), an aftercare printout, business cards, bumper stickers and a couple pads of gauze for possible bleeding on the way home.
We went out to lunch immediately afterward, since I was rather hungry, and I enjoyed a nice juice burger while the people around us stared at my bloody ears. The highlight of the day, though, was when my mom admitted that she thought they looked "pretty."
The right one bled a bit on the way home, but was otherwise fine. They've been healing rather uneventfully (ie: well) and I've only had one incidence of bleeding four days after the procedure when I must have bumped my right ear during sleep. I did sea salt soaks religiously 1-3 times a day for the first two weeks, and since have died down to 5-9 times per week. I also bought a piercing aftercare spray from BodyArtForms.com ("Simple care spray" by BodyArtPro) and have been using that sporadically, along with emu oil to keep the salt from drying them out.
My ears have been healing beautifully and I couldn't be happier with them. They're perfect in every way -- my only problem is that my jewelry is too long and is constantly touching my neck. I'm completely enamored with my new earlobes and I can't wait until they're healed so that I can take a gander at them when they're in the buff. I owe it all to Dallas at Nathan's Anthems, too. I'm going to return there when I get my next piercing. Thank you Nathan's!