2008/04/24 22:47
At A Glance Author CainmosniDetalosi Contact CainmosniDetalosi@bme.anon IAM CainmosniDetalosi When It just happened Artist Lee Studio Dragon Ink Location Swansea So here I am. After getting involved with some of the forums on BME I've seen some amazing profiles and spoken to some really nice people. In early hours of today (well, late morning) I came across Caroline June's profile and saw some beautiful photos of her piercings. One of which was her stretched conch.
I've wanted to stretch my ears before, but have never gone through with it for one reason. I like my ears being kissed - and my left ear has a transverse piercing - and my right ear must remain untouched.... do you see the problem? I've wanted to pierce above the transverse, but a few people (along with my own logic) have said that the transverse will get moved etc - and I don't want that.
I've been musing over another ear modification, but hadn't seen anything. But the stretched conch.... I loved it.
After a few words with Caroline June I was excited and went on my way into town. She was really helpful. I wanted a 2.4 needle piercing, every place I went in town either had no piercer, no bars, no equipment, or the piercer was on holiday / sick leave.
Until my friend Lee mentioned a dermal punch, it hadn't crossed my mind. I was a bit unsure but soon warmed to the idea and went on my mission to find a 5mm tunnel/plug that was suitable. I found a stainless steal tunnel and an acrylic plug, which I was told would be ok in an autoclave. In all honesty - I did not believe it and was 95% worried that the plug would melt and ruin the autoclave. So I went back to Dragon Ink Studio to give Lee the jewelry to autoclave for me, getting extremely excited and pumping myself up for the big event!
Unfortunately time had slipped through my hands and we couldn't get it done there and then - yeah, I even tried the puppy dog eyes... it didn't work. But we both agreed for me to come down at 9:30am on Friday.
I personally don't know much about dermal punches, so I guess it was a good thing i had a night to think about it. Lee gave me loads of information, but I also like to read the BME experiences and see what everyone else has thought and felt. After reading the experiences, I am pretty glad I made this choice. I know the risks and I am alright with them. So now all I need is a good nights sleep.
Friday 25th April.....
Yes, I woke up rather late. All I had time for was to leap out of bed, get dressed and run down the hill. That's right - no decent meal, or peaceful shower to wake me up... nothing!
I arrived and the plug and tunnel were being autoclaved.
So I sat down in the studio watching people come and go until both the jewelry and the area was ready.
Luckily, the plug didn't melt and I could use that :) !
Lee took a moment and explained that if the dermal punch didn't cut all the way through he would normally scalpel any tissue that refused to 'let go' but he didn't have an scalpels, so instead he said he would use a sharp needle - if I was ok with it.
My face must have been a sight; I was getting all sorts of mental images of my ear gushing with blood and being poked with a needle etc! Then my stomach started to jump around. But it soon subsided when I finally replied with a "yeah, that's fine".
Going upstairs to another area of the studio I was feeling calm, calmer than I normally am before anything that may cause pain! Lee looked at my ear to see capillaries etc then drew a blue spot on my ear to show me the size and positioning. Once I was happy I lay down on the table.
Lee cleaned my ear, at which point I noticed something - something I had not considered, something that would make this a lot harder for me. As he was sorting my ear out he touched my transverse piercing.
Now, to most that doesn't seem important, but to me - its a big "oh no" I get huge feelings of nausea when anyone ANYONE other than myself is touching a piercing of mine. Obviously it depends on the type of touch! But in a non-intimate way, it makes me feel extremely faint and unwell. I found this out when I asked an ex to try and unscrew a ball on my transverse.
Damn, my stomach - I felt like I was going to vomit all over the shop, plus I am now hungry. But I didn't say anything, its not going to make a difference whether I did or didn't.
Ready?
No, wait a moment
ok
ok I think so
*pressure.... little uncomfortable.... and a huge SNAP when the punch hit the wood on the other side of my ear*
Now that wasn't too bad. I'm a wimp, my legs were twitching and I was pinching my arm as an attempt to distract myself. Until I was told there was a little bit of skin that needed to be removed. I could hear and feel the scratching of the needle, at the same time my ear was getting very warm from the blood that had poured from my new hole. The warmth, plus my stomach, plus the sounds..... I wanted this to be over and done with NOW and SOON.
My friend Hannah, who had come for support, came over and held my hand, I needed her too before I swiped out at Lee. I feel like such an animal when I go through modifications, those basic responses all come to the surface. But I've never acted on them, and I never will.
DONE! Now that wasn't so bad, next thing I know there's a cotton bud in my ear... this shocked / surprised me. Not only that, I had a spot coming up in my ear and it was a sore bugger.... yes, not only did the cotton bud scare me it also hit dead on to the spot which immediately made me let out a scream. That's me - I scream when I get cleaned!
Lee wanted to clean my ear up, even though I asked to have a look at it all bloody in the mirror, he said no. It's probably a good idea that he did, I needed a moment to calm down.
I looked, I loved, it felt good. Until the cold air hit it outside!
Yeah I kept my little bit of ear, I found the experience of walking around with it in my pocket rather amusing. "I have an ear in my pocket dear Hannah dear Hannah" was the song.
I love it, I am so happy!
It was a little tender to sleep on, and still is if I knock it. Otherwise - its fine and I cant feel that its there. Oh, and I was rather excited when I could still put my earphones in my ear without it hurting the conch.