First, Let me start off by saying that I DO NOT in any way condone self done piercings. You should always go to a professional.
At A Glance Author Loretta Contact LinkinParkLlama@aol.com When A week ago Artist Myself Studio My Room Location Greenville, SC I cannot stress enough to you how dangerous this is. So please, please go to a professional if at all possible!
Okay, on with the story. This all started when I got the notorious 'itch' for a new piercing. Like we all seem to get so often. I surfed around BME like I always do when trying to come up with ideas for a new piercing. I am currently 9 mods strong, 5 in my ears, eyebrow, snakebites, and now a cute little scrumper. With plans for many more in the future, including my tongue web, which I'm doing next(look out for that story). I wanted a smiley but the only reason I even knew it existed was because my friend had discovered it and wanted it desperately, and I thought it would be cruel to get mine done when she wanted it so badly. Her mother refused to sign for her to get it done, and I was concerned that she would end up using a sewing needle or a safety pin to pierce it with so I gave her a sterile, hollow needle to use. She ended up doing it that night and it turned out great! I was so excited that I could finally get mine now. I set out to do it the next day.
That Sunday afternoon I went out and bought a cute little 18g circular barbell to use. I went in my room and got a sterile needle. It had a plastic hub on it so I cut it off so the needle could just slide through. I washed my mouth with mouthwash, washed my hands, and laid out everything I needed. I stood in front of my mirror where I do all of my DIY piercings (although, most of mine are done professionally) I lifted my lip up to look at my webbing. It looked pierce able. I found a good spot and set about sticking the needle through. It went through the first layer of skin with no problem but the second layer took a decent amount of pressure to pierce. It also, being such a stretchy piece of skin, had a 'tent' effect like you'll read about in so many of these smiley stories. The needle went through pretty easily and it was surprising painless. Just pressure. I kept the needle in for a few minutes so the hole could set a bit better. Unfortunately my needle was a 21g and the jewelry was 18g. A size bigger does make a difference. I took the needle out and tried to put the ring in. It got through the entry hole but I couldn't get it through the other side. I eventually found the hole on the other side but It took a shove to get it through. But It was finally through! It's such a good feeling when it actually goes through and you know you were successful. Getting the ball on is a different story though. It probably took at least 15 or 20 minutes to screw that tiny ball onto the ring but I finally managed to get it!! Woot!
The next day my friend and I went up to the local piercing studio, Purple Haze, and got out friend Dusty to do a change out from the original rings to a bigger circular barbell. It's much more noticeable now which is what we wanted. It's been about a week and I've had few problems with it. It only swelled slightly and that went down after about the second day. I've had no problems talking or eating. I use mouth wash when I wake up, after I eat, and before I go to bed. It's been a wonderful experience and It's now my favorite piercing. If you're thinking of getting it, you should definitely go for it! It's mostly painless, easily hidden, and it looks great. It's also a lot of fun to play with in your mouth.
Even though my parents are pro-mod I totally understand how frustrating it is to be underage(or whatever your situation might be) and want a piercing very badly. I completely understand the need for self piercing. If you are going to do a DIY then please be safe about it! Use a sterile, hollow needle and the proper jewelry. Also, do lots of research. I wouldn't even begin to think about piercing myself until I've read at least 50 or so stories and looked at tons of pictures on BME. So, Be please be safe!
Feel free to contact me with any questions. I'm happy to answer anything you have to ask, or take any advice you may have for me. Happy piercing ^_^