I remember the day very well........I was visiting the shop for another procedure, but while I was up there I was wanting my septum Dermal Punched at 10 gauge! I spoke to Brent over the phone about it several times. I had a hard time deciding on if I should get it punched at 10 gauge or my goal size 4 gauge. I spoke to Brent In-depth about the feelings I had about it. The price for a 4 gauge was abit pricey for me at that time, but being the person I am, I could always figure something out. So I sat down for about 7 hours and thought about it.....once you go dermal punch and heal it.....the hole could be there forever! I know, because I have my outer conches Dermal Punched at 0 gauge and I havent wore jewelry in them for 1 year and they STILL havent shrunk!
At A Glance Author Nullo_James Contact nullo_james@yahoo.com IAM Nullo_James When Three months ago Artist Brent Hedgespeth Studio BodyRites Location new albany,IN So I understood what I was getting into with it being Dermal Punched. Brent made me a pretty good deal on the 10 gauge Dermal Punching procedure. It was confirmed from both of us that a septum retainer would be worn in the septum to heal it. But I still had the problem of choosing which gauge to get. I finally came to a conclusion, I would get it done at 10 guage, then stretch my way up to my goal size! It sounded simple enough. I called Brent up and told him I would be coming up there for the procedure and I wanted a 10 gauge septum! I would be going in the next day. Until then I read up on septum, septum stretching, septum Dermal Punching and large gauge septums!
I learned alot in the area of stretching a septum. I quickly went to bed early that night to rest up for the septum punch the next day. The day finally came and that day I drank plenty of juices, took a vitamin for energy and was on my way. My father drove me up that way since I had a fear of driving long distant places due to certain reasons, I wont go into detail here. But anyway, where was I, Oh yes! I was on my way to BodyRites! I was going in for two procedures, one of them being a septum dermal punch. I made it to the shop to find Brent behind the counter! We had some words and while we were talking, a girl walked in to get her license back she left there the previous days. He attended to her and had me fill out the usual paper work.
She left and Brent told me he was going to the back to get things ready for my Septum Punch. So I waited and looked at his nice jewelry he had on display! It was Great! I saw a curved tribal tusk I wanted for when I got to my goal size! Anyway, Brent had everything setup and he called me back. He had the Biopsy Punch, the jewelry and everything he needed laying out on a piece of gauze like sheet, that was on a medical tray. He examined my septum and we had some more words. He then used a chemical to swab my septum and it smelled not to pleasant, He then swabbed it with something else.
He then had me lay my head back on the surgical table, I leaned my head off a little on the table. He then started the marking. Before I forget, He changed gloves quite often during the procedure to avoid cross containmination! He was doing the marking and soon was done. He said I had a lot of scar tissue due to my previous septum piercing. He then was ready, He lined the punch up and was ready to recieve it on the other side. I believe he used a recieving tube. He said "Are you ready?" and I knew then......This was it. I said "Let's do this!" He said "Get ready!" He then put the punch into motion. Since I had so much scar tissue, I could feel it twisting and cutting its way through every layed. It didn't hurt until I felt it half way through and then it felt like a needle that was hot, it was hot in the center of my septum. When it exited, it hurt the worst!
Brent then slid the 10 gauge retainer through and we were finished. Lets fast forward to me healing it. The healing process was simple this time around, I use provon anti-bacterial soft soap, I used sea salt soaks and that seemed to be the best for me! When it became healed, I tapered it up myself to an 8 gauge and now here is what I DONT RECOMMEND! 2 weeks after tapering it up to 8, I then tapered it up to 6 with no problems (mind you I dont recommend that) a week later I tapered it straight to 4 gauge ( I dont recommend that either!). I left it alone for 3 weeks and I had the urge to stretch again and then tapered it to 2 gauge and then one week later 0 gauge. I then downsized because the 0 was to big for my taste and now I am above my goal and Im at two gauge. I dont recommend how I stretched, It was something I did, knowing the risk.