Much to my fathers horror, I started early in the body modification scene. Especially piercings. I have always loved the way they glitter in your skin, they way they light up a face.
At A Glance Author the sleeping sushi Contact the sleeping sushi@bme.anon When N/A Artist moi! Studio the floor Location watertown, ma So, of course, I was never allowed to get them. Until, however, I moved into my mothers house. All things are respected here, anything from Nelson Mandela to body modification. We talked it through. She didn't like the idea of piercings, no, but she would respect it. I shower her my under-tongue webbing, and she shrieked. She was totally horrified! Finally, after the discussion was winding down to a close, I brought up the subject of "Snakebite piercings, mom. They're really cool!"
I explained what they were, where they were, how many there were, and that was it. Then she made me promise to not pierce anything else for two months. Okay, mommy!
In the past month, I've had my snakebites redone three times. That means I've had 6 needles through my poor lips (all 12g, too). Tonight, I set out to poke myself once, twice, and never again.
I have enough self-piercing experience to be comfortable with my needles. I did my nipples myself, as the piercer turned out to be a large man too intimidating to show my 14 year old breasts to. Both nipples came out flawlessly and healed well, as did my 7 ear piercings, my tongue webbing, nostril, and hand webbing. I've pierced friends nipples, eyebrows, lips, tragus, all of it, and never a complaint.
But, on to my snakebites. I wasn't quite sure how I was going to properly align my lip rings. I knew nothing about placement at the time and wanted it in someone else's hands. The first set, done by a friend, turned out to be terribly asymmetrical. They healed well, but I couldn't stand the placement, so out they came. My once-beautiful lip was now scarred forever, no matter how much vitamin E I slather onto it.
One week later I was ready for more needles, but a different placement. Same friend. I wanted them done right on my lip, in the red part. I know now that this is a disastrous place to be pierced. They reject easier, pus more, and just don't look as good. Take my word for it.
Needless to say, the pain was atrocious, and I took them out two days later to terrible scarring, worse than the first set. Woe Is Me.
The third piercing of my snakebites was just a drunken disaster that I will never repeat. Drinking and piercing is a terrible choice to make. I woke up the next morning horrified with myself. I immediately took them out, although they were, so far, better than the ones my friend had done fro me.
But! The reason you are here! My new, perfect, self-done snakebites!
I began one hour ago on the floor of my brother's room. I had: mirror, twelve gauge needles, a cloth, a cut-up apple, and my ½ inch labret spikes (I love spikes in lips).
I decided to place the right lip stud directly over a tiny freckle I have. I prepared the needle, put an apple slice in my mouth, and eyeballed the angle in the ear. Angle has always been hardest for me—where it will come out on the inside of my lip. They seem to rise as they go through my lip.
R-r-ri-i-p!!! The needle punched through my lip in the perfect spot, right below my lip tattoo! I was buoyant!
After blotting some of the blood I was getting down my chin, I was ready to begin with the otherside. Oh My. Break On Through To The Other Side.
It then took me ten to 15 minutes to align the other piercing with my now-covered freckle. No easy feat, really. But, placement is important! I prepped using an eyeliner pencil, as they rub away easiest with warm spit, which was all I had handy. It was very important to me that there was no curving or slant on this piercing. The first was straight through; this left hole had the same expectation. I inhaled, wiped my sweaty brow. I checked one more time to see if the needle would be going through my lip tattoo (which reads BRUTE, in case you were wondering). It didn't. I was prepared. Count to three, Sushi...1-2-!
And the hole was punched. I slipped my spikes in and was overjoyed to see that they were...perfect. They were just what I wanted. I had done it! And I didn't need anyone else! They are not asymmetrical! They are not pierced in the red of my lips! They were not a drunken disaster! They're mine, all mine. I was so happy I went, stretched my ears to a ten, then pierced my second holes. 12 gauge! Go go! Thank you, BMEZine!