Let me start off by saying that this piercing is amazing, and I couldn't be more happy with it. I remember way back in June when the simple idea became an obsession. I had been browsing through the BME Galleries, not seeking anything in particular, when I came across the eyebrow piercings. My original plan was to have 3 eyebrow piercings, but because of strict rules at work I decided to put this off for a year or two. That's when I found out about septum retainers. 'Nothing's* gift to man. I needed a facial piercing that wouldn't neccesarily define who I was, but would merely set me aside from the norm. Mission accomplished. As I sit on my ass now typing out this experience, I have a 4 guage SS flesh tunnel through my septum.
At A Glance Author Skylar Contact Skylar@bme.anon When N/A Artist Jesse Studio NEXT! Location Granville St, Vancouver, BC I'm the kind of person that researches every aspect of anything that I am interested in. If I want to buy something, I don't just go out and grab the first thing that I see. I sit here, poring over dozens of websites to get the best I can, with what I have. This was no different with my septum, I spent weeks annalyzing experiences and photos. I read about pro's and con's of the procedure itself, the aftercare and any possible complications. In the end I decided to pierce at 12ga, and would wear a retainer mainly, or a nice little Cresent for any public outings I make. The plan was set, I knew where to get pierced, just not when. A couple weeks later, after discussing with my girlfriend at the time we decided to go together, and she would have her nostril pierced as well. Another week rolled around, and it was time to go.
When we arrived at the studio, we did the usual; Walk to the counter, talk to the person there, fill out the papers and pick out my jewelry. We ended up waiting not too long, and were first in line when Jesse came out from the back of the studio a half-hour later. I remember my GF was extremely nervous, shaking her leg and just had a general anxious tone to her which I hadn't seen before. Of course, I was perfectly fine, and had very little worries. When we got to the back room, we sat down and he got his first set of equipment ready. Now, we had already each been pierced at NEXT! before, so the required 15 minute aftercare talk was not needed. After a few minutes my GF was told to hop up onto the table. She did so with hesitation and I could tell she was terrified. Jesse leaned her back, and I stood to her left, holding her hand (which was a BAD idea, read below). I won't explain her procedure, but I will say this, when the needle went in her nose, I'm not sure if she was i n more pain, or if I was, but I heard a nice audible crack as she crushed my hand. I had no idea a little 19 year old 105 pound girl could squeeze so hard.
On to my procedure. I sat down, and was leaned back same as she, and I prepared for what was comming. He cleaned the inside of my nose, and handed me a piece of gauze with what I guessed was some type of aromatherapy. I breathed deeply a couple times with one, and he handed me another, it was a different kind, but I was told to keep this, and to continue taking deep breathes with it. Jesse told me I could stop, and asked if I was ready. I was, and he used a septum clamp, and squeezed it down on my septum, keeping tight with an elastic band. He worked pretty quick, and the next thing I knew, he was holding the needle to the side of my nose, telling me to breathe in on One, out on Two, in on Three, and on Four, he rammed it through. The needle itself was relatively painless, but to anyone watching they would have thought different, as tears immediately began poring down my face. A few quick movements, and he removed the clamp, pushed the needle the rest of the way through, fol lowed by the 12ga retainer. I was done.
After the procedure, we sat and talked for a few minutes, discussing my future plans for a genital piercing, and nipples, but these are another story. We then left, and began our journey back home.
I had little pain over the next week, aside from a couple hits to the nose a few times while washing my face. Aftercare was easy, I used a Q-Tip and with warm water and neutragena, washed the inside twice daily. I would do an epsom salt soak every couple days as well. I had no complications at all.
Two weeks after the piercing, I began thinking about stretching it. I began my routine of researching all my options for stretching on BME, and talked to a few people. I decided to stretch the piercing a month later (6 weeks after piercing). My decision was to use teflon tape, and I stopped off at Home Depot to pick up a couple rolls. I started wrapping my retainer with about 8 wraps, it went in with relative ease, and a little lube. The next day, I did the same thing, and made a trip to my piercing shop to buy an 8ga retainer, which was my original goal.
Without realizing it, I had stretched my septum from 12ga to 8ga in only 2 days, and I was extremely excited when I took out the teflon covered retainer and saw that it was the same guage as my new retainer. With a little more lube, I got in the new jewelry and was extatic. I called my GF (which I had broken up with and was then my EX) and told her the good news. She was a little worried at the speed at which I stretched it, but I had no problems.
A few weeks later, the urge to stretch came to me again, as I was looking at the larger guage Septum piercings on BME. Another month passed, my 8ga septum was doing well, and I decided to start stretching again. This time my goal was 4ga, and from my prior experience, I knew how fast to stretch it. The first wrap I did 6, and it went in pretty easily, the next day, and the many after, I would go only 1 or 2 wraps a day depending on how it felt. The stretching from 8 to 4 to 6 weeks total. It was quite painful at times, as my septum would swell up a little now and then, and was sore during relatively the entire process.
About a week after I set my goal to 4ga, I went out and bought a 4 guage tunnel, and three days ago, I succesfully inserted it into my septum. I had actually passed 4ga by a fraction of a milimeter, and inserting it was easy. It is a little sore now, but I can feel that it's getting better. I am going to give it a couple months to rest, but I have a feeling that I will be stretching it again. Perhaps to 0ga or 00ga, I'm not sure at this time, and don't want to think about it too much, as I would probably rush into it.
The fun part about having a tunnel in my septum is that I can hang my old 8ga cresents from it, and they swing freely with every move I make.
Conclusion, I am extremely pleased with my septum and would do it over again even with the pain factor, and knowing it would be sore for months, hell, I'm going to again!