Hi! This is the diary of my second pair of ear lobe piercing.
At A Glance Author Mangaartist Contact Mangaartist@bme.anon IAM Mangaartist When A week ago Artist Alíz Studio Tattoo De Sade Location Budapest, Hungary The decision (skip this section if long decision processes annoy you)
I think I first considered getting a piercing (other than my "standard" earlobes, well, they turned out to be my worst nightmare but that's another story) was when I was shopping with my sister and I stopped to look at the store window of a piercing shop. Surfing on the net I came across BME and started to do some research on piercings in general. Somewhere buried in the back of my mind I always wanted to have more earlobe holes.
So my first idea was to have three pairs of holes (2 more on each side). I asked my sister about it who is 2 years younger than me but she's the only one I can tell everything. She said there's no way it would look good on me. (as always) I realized that she was right. To satisfy my urge to get a piercing I bought 2 circular barbells (for approx. 10 USA dollars each) and put the in my earlobe holes.
I looked at some stretched ears on BME and I didn't find the attractive at all but the more I looked at them the more I liked them. I've only met one person with stretched lobes before (after I had my second holes pierced this number changed to 4). However, stretching my already existing holes was out of question because sometimes I enjoy wearing ordinary earrings.
Returning to my original idea of 3 holes on each side, I said "Why not have only one more pair of holes but stretch them?" But I didn't want to go big and that's when I came across an experience which said you can get it pierced directly up to 4 gauge. I quickly looked up that it's 5mm (I'm not familiar with gauges)
Originally I was thinking about getting my second holes pierced at 4 or 6 ga but after asking piercing places here, in Budapest, Hungary where body modifications are not so common, I learned that the biggest size they do is 3mm (8 ga). I thought "OK, I'll go for it, then"
4, July, 2007
Today while searching on Hungarian sites I found out that one of the most reputable piercing places in Budapest is Tattoo De Sade. On-line, they answered all of my questions , told me the pair of lobes with the jewelry (3mm acrylic claws) will cost approx. 50 dollars (10 000 hungarian forints) and said I don't have to make an appointment. Great! Only thing left is to tell my parents...
5, July, 2007
I wanted to ask my mum today! I really did want to do it. But I didn't... No problem, last night I prepared a speech, I'll try again tomorrow.
6, July, 2007
While she was bathing (couldn't escape) I told my mum everything I was rehearsing for days. First she didn't really seem to understand, i thought I was suddenly speaking on a foreign language or something, but after like 5 minutes she said she didn't mind and she's hungry so I better fix some breakfast. HURRAY!
10, July, 2007
Today I met my dad. I figured that on 27th, July when we're going to the dentist's (I have braces ) he could take me to De Sade because it's only a 10 min. walk. He was stunned, but after I quickly said I'm paying for it he said OK. Great!
15, July, 2007
I'm excited! Tomorrow my sister and I are going to our grandparents for "holiday". We won't come back until the 27th. The day of the dentist and the day of the piercing.
20, July, 2007
I keep on looking in the mirror and touching my ears. I'm waiting for the day! I feel like everything between today and the 27th is a waste of time... My mood is changing quickly without reason. Anything can make me angry.
27th, July, 2007 The Big Day!
14:45
We arrived home from our grandparents 20 minutes ago. We still have an hour until our dad picks us up. I'm very excited but surprisingly I'm not nervous at all.
19:30
We just arrived home so let me tell you the whole thing.
After the encounter with the dentist (which was just as painful as usual) we walked to Tattoo De Sade. We found it easily and after we entered, I said I was there for a 3 mm earlobe piercing. I was told they're only doing it with a parent present as I'm not 16 yet. This I knew previously and I said "Yeah, that's why I have my dad here" This is when manna, the very friendly girl at the counter noticed my dad. She was also the one who answered my questions on-line. I said "I was the one who was asking about it on the internet" she said "Oh, I remember" and gave me a smile than said "I don't remember if I mentioned what kind of jewelry we use" I told her she mentioned and afterwards she asked me what color I want. I quickly decided on magenta.
Alíz, who did the piercing and was also very friendly and professional, told me to wait a few minutes until she prepares the things upstairs. Finally, after nothing more than 5 minutes I was told I can go upstairs. The "room" upstairs was very small but clean and welcoming. She said I can sit dow on the dentist-type chair. When I saw the prepared needles, it suprised me a bit because they weren't 3mm ones at all. Then I finally understood. She wasn't going to pierce it with an 8ga needle but with a one somewhere around 12ga and then stretch it with the jewelry to 8ga. At this point, words started to come out of my mouth and in 2 minutes I told her everything about my first earlobe piercing, how we ended up having to get the left one repierced 3 times and the right one twice. She marked the point on my left ear and asked me to check it in the mirror. I said i'd like it a bit further backwards. She changed it and it was perfect. She marked the other side and after a few seconds she decided it wasn't even so changed the one on my right ear. I said I liked it. After a minute of looking she decided they were even.
Then she asked me which side to do first. I said let's start with the left. She smiled again and said "Bad memories?" I nodded and she asked me if I was ready. I said yes. She put the clamp on but I didn't feel it at all. Then she prepared the needle, again asked me if I was ready and after I said yes she pushed the needle through. It was surprisingly painless. Only something like a pinch and then warm, burning sensation, not at all uncomfortable. She pulled out the needle, cut the cannula and said the most painful part was to come because she was about to put the jewelry in which meant stretching up my small hole to 3mm. Well, it WAS the most painful part. I can only remember 2 pain in my life that was worse. 1. The weekend after my dentist put on my braces 2. The pain after my tonsillectomy (tonsil removing surgery). But this 2 pain has something in common: they're long-lasting. This one only lasted a few seconds-thank God!
After a minute she asked if I was ready for the other one. I said yes but she looked at me and said "Sure?" I took some deep breaths and said "Sure." She smiled again and I turned in the chair. She repeated the same things on my right ear. This time it hurt a bit more but I think it was only because I knew what was coming. This time my sister was taking a video with our digital camera as I asked her to do so earlier that day.
When we were ready, Alíz handed me the mirror again and I fell in love! So beautiful! I said "Thank you so much!" We smiled at each other again and I descended the stairs. To my surprise, my dad said he decided he'll pay the whole thing for me. WoW! Oh, I almost forgot: The most surprising thing was that it didn't bleed AT ALL :D
28, July, 2007
Sleeping wasn't easy last night, I kept on waking up and falling asleep again but I think it was because of my braces...
29, July, 2007
Alíz told me it's possible that some yellow liquid will come from the piercing but nothing like that so far. She also told me to go back if there's any problem. Seems like I won't have to (knocking three times on the wooden desk :)
30, July, 2007
Healing is going well, today morning I could turn the jewelry around! Alíz said it won't move for the first 2-3 days. She was right :) For aftercare I'm using SSS (Sea Salt Soak) every night (not twice a day because if I do it too much my ears become itchy.
1, August, 2007
My lovely earlobe piercings are 5 days old now and they're healing beautifully! I hope they will continue healing like this and I can't wait 'till 29th, August when school starts to show it off!
Thank you Alíz for doing such a great job. I would highly recommend her and Tattoo De Sade in general because they're very friendly and professional. If I will want to get a piercing (or a tattoo) in the future, I will definitely go back. Thank You, Reader, for reading my diary and I'd like to apologize that it's sooooo long.
Happy Piercing!