This is a tale of how two of my favorite piercings came to be.
At A Glance Author Bobby Contact Bobby@bme.anon IAM epileptic When Three months ago Studio C & D custom tattoo Location Alabaster, AL It all started on Valentine's Day 2007. My girlfriend wanted to take me to get my left tragus re-pierced and I was okay with that. We got to the shop to find that my usual piercer wasn't there. I hadn't been in like 3 years so it wasn't that big of a shock. Anyway, I told the girl at the counter what I wanted and she came back with a "I don't do tragus piercings. I don't do tragus, rook, conch, septum, nostril, female nipple, or any genital piercings." At that point I probably should have walked away, but I was there, and I had an itch that needed scratching. So I carried on further conversation with her.
I tried to talk my girlfriend into getting an industrial she'd been wanting, at that point the girl at the counter told me that they would have to special order that bar. So I was all like, I tell you what, do you know what snakebites are? Can you do that? Okay well, I'm going to flip this coin and if it lands on heads, you're going to pierce me. If not, good day to you.
Coin lands on heads
The procedure was just that, procedural. It was the normal routine, clean clean clean, rinse rinse, poke, repeat. She did drop the bead on the floor while trying to thread it on the stud which forced me to hold the back of my freshly pierced lip... Both times. She did get new beads though. I don't recall any pain at all during the piercings. I remarked on how well done they were and that I was pleased. At that point the girl was like, "Thanks, those are the first ones I've ever done." Ha ha ha... That's not funny when it happens to you. Like I said, they looked good, she did a good job on them. I was glad to be her guinea pig (Guinea pig piercing is wrong!).
The next few days were what should be expected. Some soreness and tenderness, but nothing horrible. I had very little trouble eating or drinking. Kissing was also painless. I rinsed frequently.
Two weeks later, I decided that I was tired of the studs. What I wanted were some 14g bioplast studs with a small bead, but I couldn't get them when I wanted, so I purchased some 16g cbrs from another local shop and put those in. I had more pain and trouble with those than any other piercing I can think of. That jewelry made me hate my piercings. I liked the way that they looked (my girlfriend did not) but they were cumbersome, painful, and made eating difficult.
I bought some 14g quartz retainers and tried to put those in, but they wouldn't go all the way through. I would push and push, but they wouldn't exit the flesh. In pain and swollen, I'd put the cbrs back in, suck it up and try again the next day. This went on for a few days then I gave up. I went to Hot Topic and bought a set of 14g tapers. Slid those through and put the initial piercing studs back in. Those felt right and instantly stopped all pain and swelling from the piercings.
At this point, it's been about three or four months. I've had no problem with infection or bleeding. I'm got a little bit of crust in the morning until... month two? Nothing to cry about though. I'm also shaving, with shaving cream about once every week and a half or so. I am having have no problems with that. All in all, I'm happy with them. The only complaints with them that I have are that I still don't have my bioplast jewelry. And I'm still wearing the jewelry that it was pierced with.
I get opinions from others that aren't positive, some people don't like hem at all. Others think that my face is too crowded, or that I've got too much action going on with my lip (I have an 8g center labret also), but I love them. I've wanted to have them done for years. I think that they complement my other piercings (especially my center labret), and when I get the jewelry that I want, I feel that they will do so tenfold. I'd recommend them to anyone who'd like to get them.
I'd suggest that they talk to their professional piercer about their individual anatomy and proper placement. Mine are where I wanted them and I have no problems with biting them, or rubbing on my gums. To me, they're definitely worth having, far less trouble healing than my center labret was. I'll miss them if I have to retire them.