It's been a good amount of time since I decided to dermal punch my septum. I had it stretched to a 6 for a while and I was becoming increasingly aware of the fact that it was slightly crooked. It wasn't a big deal and I could have gotten away with leaving it alone, but I'm a perfectionist. I was also growing very impatient with the stretching process and the discomfort of each gauge increase was wearing getting irritating. I wanted a large gauge septum but I was tired of having it tender for weeks after stretching and sometimes incredibly painful to the touch. I'm very careful with stretching and I make sure not to break any rules, but my nose just didn't like to be messed with. It occurred to me one day that I could fix both my problems in one shot and only deal with one big healing session instead of a series of small ones. I decided that a dermal punch was my solution. I contacted the only piercer in the area whom I trust and started talking about the possibilities. Marty told me that he had punched a septum before at the same size and was comfortable doing the procedure again. The original plan was to wait until after the holidays so Marty would have the time and means to order some dermal punches.
At A Glance Author Blais! Contact dokumyoken@hotmail.com IAM Dokumyoken When Three months ago Artist Marty McPherson Studio The Piercing Emporium Location Worcester, Ma I mentioned earlier that I'm impatient. About a week after we talked about the procedure, I ordered a punch from the BME shop and called Marty and as soon as it arrived I set an appointment and found a friend to come with me. So much for waiting until after the holidays! We showed up on a freezing-cold Wednesday night and the Piercing Emporium was looking strangely foreboding. My friend Aimee and I walked in and were greeted by Marty. Marty's girlfriend, Tatjana, was also there as she asked us to wait until she arrived to do the procedure. The four of us talked for a while about random things and then Marty and I began discussing jewelry options. After a lot of speculation and head-scratching, we decided on a 0ga threaded tunnel. Once the decision was made, Marty looked at me and said "You ready?" with the scariest grin I've ever seen. I said, "Ready as I'm going to be." and looked around at the faces in the room. Strangely, everyone looked like they were waiting in line for a concert. Tanja and Aimee both had digital cameras in hand and seemed very excited. As I walked back into the piercing room where Marty had set up his supplies, I noticed my face in the mirror. I wasn't smiling and I had already started to turn white despite my lack of nervousness. I took off my sweater and sat on the bench. Marty had me try lying and sitting in a few different positions before we found one would be easiest for him to pierce me. I laid flat on my back and tilted my head back slightly over the edge of the bench. He cleaned my septum and got everything prepped in the usual manner, setting a couple pieces of absorbent cotton aside to catch the inevitable blood. My hands had started to get clammy as I began to realize what exactly was taking place. In seconds, Marty would take a sharp implement and cut a hole in my septum the size of a Bic pen. I still wasn't exactly nervous, I just wanted the suspense to end. Tatjana and Aimee took a some picture of Marty getting ready to push the dermal punch through. He explained the the be "\Ãw€ë st thing to do was have me hold the dermal punch after it went through as I sat up to have the jewelry put in. That way, I wouldn't be dealing with blood inhalation or the having the threaded side fall into my upside-down nose. He asked me if I felt comfortable doing this and I assured him that it wouldn't be a problem. As usual, he told me to take some deep breaths and to breath out heavily when he gave the word. On this breath, he would push the punch through and into a sterile tongue depressor. The depressor was used because it could be held more stable than a cork and Marty could push against it with some force and not lose his grip. He asked one last time if I was ready and how I felt before instructing me to start breathing. I think at this point I was the most excited about the procedure and I couldn't wait for the new feeling of a sharp implement cutting a big piece out of my body.
I'm going to pause for a moment to say that I'm no stranger to surgical modifications and some of the 'heavier' examples of body piercing. Almost all my piercings are done at larger than 14 gauges, usually no less than 10. I've also been pierced by Marty before and I'm completely comfortable with his methods and technique. I was fairly sure I knew exactly what to expect during and after the procedure. I imagined the pain to be about twice as bad as getting my initial 10 gauge septum piercing, if not a bit more. I figured if anything, it might be about as bad as my tongue frenectomy. I think a good rule to remember is that each experience is totally different and you can't walk into something like this having an idea of what it will feel like.
I looked up into Marty's face and I could tell he was ready to go ahead. I breathed as he instructed and at the middle of the last exhale, he started pushing the punch through. It all happened in slow motion. I felt a tight compression on either side of my septum and I could feel the sharp blade of the punch on the left side. There was a sudden and very severe pain, almost like when I accidentally dropped a razor-sharp butterfly knife into my knee. Without warning, a series of pops and crunches echoed in my ears. I had clamped my eyes shut and it seemed the noises caused little explosions of pain to appear in my vision. It was absolutely incredible. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the dermal punch felt like a car accident. When the most intense pain was over, Marty asked me if I was doing all right and if I was ready for the jewelry. I think he could tell that my blood pressure dropped. I sat up slowly with the dermal punch in my hand, not fully recalling when or how I got a hold of it. It seemed like it had been an hour since I laid on the bench. He talked to me while putting the jewelry and I caught a few drops of blood on the cotton. My hands and feet were cold and I was beginning to get light headed. After a few tries, Marty got the jewelry in and secured and I could finally sit back for a few minutes. It felt like I was fighting to keep consciousness and could barely get any words out. The only thing I remember saying was "Can I please have some water?" Marty showed me the new addition in the mirror and I was glad to see the stainless steel glinting back at me, but I was feeling entirely too weak and drained to say much more than, "Awesome.." It took about ten minutes for me to be comfortable enough to stand and walk around and I remember feeling slightly disoriented. When I had fully regained my composure, Marty and I went outside for a cigarette and the air felt stinging and foreign in my nose.
After all that, I ended up having to take it out for a variety of reasons but the experience is something I will never forget. The physical feeling wasn't positive, but the whole experience definitely reminded me that I'm I alive and not indestructible.