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The SO Piercing Questions & Discussion Mega-Thread

MynameisnotDeja said:
I did my own bellybutton almost ten years ago. I still have it.

It took me a really long time *hours?* to get the needle through because I couldn't do it in one big push. Was painful. Very, very painful but I didn't give up and eventually screwed it through somehow. Like I said. Was painful. But after I did it I was like "Damn woman, you sure have a lot of will!"

:)
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"...and then mynameisnotDeja was a staph infection."
 ;)
 
pennywise you didn't read anything apparently not even my original post :p

i had my ears gauged to 00+ 7 years ago and haven't worn any since then. They've almost entirely closed up (tighter than they were even originally pierced at!). I guess flesh grew?

Anyways, I was just looking for some practical advice about how to repierce (if need be) and restretch my ears. I know they will close back up as long as I don't stretch them above like 000.

peace! :D
 
samadhi_smiles said:
is salt water better than that bactine stuff, cheaper eh?
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Yes, it's much better! I recently (2 weeks ago) had my navel repierced after 3 and a half years of it being closed. Been using nothing but the salt water solution and it's almost healed. The 1st time around I used bactine and the thing months to heal.
 
samadhi_smiles said:
I pierced my penis when I was 16 with a safety pin (still have a small scar although it is slowly disappearing :().

Well, I already have a 12gauge hole punched in my ears, alicat (6 or 7 years ago). It has shrunk up smaller than 12 gauge it appears, though it flairs out to 12gauge at the edges (the middle is tight though).

I think I'll just gauge it up using electric tape around something plastic and cylindrical. That sound safe?

I used the electric tape trick to gauge up originally, since I don't like the look of the tapering gauging horns some people wear. My plan: just add a strip of electric tape every few days and pretty shortly you're where you want to be.

My parents will be disappointed that I'm gauging my ears again (lol I'm 25), since they were so happy when I decided to take them out years ago haha.
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Re-stretching was more painful than the first time. I still have 00 tunnels in. I had them over 1/2" at one point, but was forced to remove them for a job. As soon as I left I began re-stretching; which took less time but hurt more. It still isnt too bad though:) I had pierced my own eyebrow successfully (it was in for over 2 years, no infections) , but my parrot was nice enough to remove it for me...
 
samadhi_smiles said:
I pierced my penis when I was 16 with a safety pin (still have a small scar although it is slowly disappearing :().

Well, I already have a 12gauge hole punched in my ears, alicat (6 or 7 years ago). It has shrunk up smaller than 12 gauge it appears, though it flairs out to 12gauge at the edges (the middle is tight though).

I think I'll just gauge it up using electric tape around something plastic and cylindrical. That sound safe?

I used the electric tape trick to gauge up originally, since I don't like the look of the tapering gauging horns some people wear. My plan: just add a strip of electric tape every few days and pretty shortly you're where you want to be.

My parents will be disappointed that I'm gauging my ears again (lol I'm 25), since they were so happy when I decided to take them out years ago haha.
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Re-stretching was more painful than the first time. I still have 00 tunnels in. I had them over 1/2" at one point, but was forced to remove them for a job. As soon as I left I began re-stretching; which took less time but hurt more. It still isnt too bad though:) I had pierced my own eyebrow successfully (it was in for over 2 years, no infections) , but my parrot was nice enough to remove it for me...
 
hmm i didn't figure it would be more painful the second time around! damn. Oh well it wasn't that painful the first time tbh. more of just a weird sensation really.
 
I honestly don't see the big deal about stretching his ears out again, as long as the new jewelry isn't jammed in there it should be fine. If you already have holes there is no need to pay someone to do what you already have a handle on. I've stretched my ears out with twigs, no biggie. I can't put metal or glass in my body so thats why I used sticks and crystals. Yea I rinsed them off beforehand sure.
 
jaymie said:
I honestly don't see the big deal about stretching his ears out again, as long as the new jewelry isn't jammed in there it should be fine. If you already have holes there is no need to pay someone to do what you already have a handle on. I've stretched my ears out with twigs, no biggie. I can't put metal or glass in my body so thats why I used sticks and crystals. Yea I rinsed them off beforehand sure.
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yeah. porous plugs are better....anything bone or wood keeps the stinky goo away ;)

and it not a big deal that he's stretching again....where'd ya get that idea?
 
samadhi_smiles said:
pennywise you didn't read anything apparently not even my original post :p

i had my ears gauged to 00+ 7 years ago and haven't worn any since then. They've almost entirely closed up (tighter than they were even originally pierced at!). I guess flesh grew?

Anyways, I was just looking for some practical advice about how to repierce (if need be) and restretch my ears. I know they will close back up as long as I don't stretch them above like 000.

peace! :D
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my apologies then. I didn't know that they closed up if you didn't keep the gauges in.
 
I had an old classmate in high school who dated a piercer/was really into piercing herself/became a professional.
but back in high school, she was gauging her ears, and she was too broke to buy *real* tapers or plugs or anything.

so she bought some of those cheap plastic kids paint brushes that come in a few different sizes, and she cut them off about 2 inches long each, melted the cut end to reduce sharps, and used those as tapers.

the skinny ones here are the kind i'm talking about...
JON_0894.gif



it cost her like $2 bucks a package, they are already tapered, they come in varying sizes, and they are easy to keep clean.

however, if you're gonna stretch them again, i'd definitely recommend at least getting the initial re-pierce done by a professional piercer.
 
samadhi_smiles said:
Anybody have experience with piercing or similarly modifying your own body? Can it be done really cheaply?

I used to have between double and triple gauged earrings. However, they have been out for 5+ years and now they are almost closed up entirely. Can I repierce the hole (there's still a hole since I got them at 12 gauge originally, ie a chunk of my ear was taken out) and then stretch them up myself.

I plan to gauge them using electric tape around something thin (maybe a thin tree branch?). Then gauge them up to around double zero and have my friend carve me something cool (he's good with wood).

Anybody have any experience spiking/nailing/piercing/stretching themselves?

mods, maybe 2nd opinion? I didn't know honestly.
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In light of the recent "ask a call girl thread," and after chatting with samadhi about the health and safety of his ears and other piercings/gaugings, I'm going to start something here called: Ask a modification Artist

Start asking question's, I'll collect them all and by the end of the night I'll print them out, show them to her, write down her responses in clear detail, and post them for you guys! She scalpelled her own other ear again last night, also removed two moles on her face with a 10g dermal punch. She's the most competent pierced I've ever known (I've known quite a few).

Enjoy!



Edit: mods can you edit out that title I pasted the wrong text thnx
 
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alicat72 said:
yeah. porous plugs are better....anything bone or wood keeps the stinky goo away ;)

and it not a big deal that he's stretching again....where'd ya get that idea?
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Porous plugs are HORRIBLE for freshly stretched tissue (IE: still healing)

Use either glass, PTFE (surgical plastic, autoclavable) or if you HAVE to silicone. Stone works well fine, I'd stay away from wood (porous material) and acrylic is a BIG nono.
 
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i used to be very into piercings, and since i was under 18 during the majority of that time period, i did many piercings myself. i had gotten a new 14 gage piercing needle from a friend and used that for most of it. i stretched my ears myself gradually up to 2 gage and my tongue up to a 2 gage as well. to do this, i simply forced the next size in the hole every couple months or so.

i have long-since conformed because of my job (elementary teacher) and have taken out all 25+ of my piercings, and allowed my ear piercings to shrink to a more normal size.

so yeah, i guess if you have the right tools and you want it that bad, you can do it yourself. of course it's best to go to a professional. just make sure you keep it clean, no matter what!
 
samadhi_smiles said:
^ awesome! (just everything about you!)
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This is my first chance back on BL since 6 last night, and to hear that at first glance! You rock dude.


Now sitting here, staring at this screen in a ghost town of a deserted hotel (Sunday) night all alone, doesn't seem as grim a fate as it once did, not but a few moments ago.
 
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2c-buoyant said:
Porous plugs are HORRIBLE for freshly stretched tissue (IE: still healing)

Use either glass, PTFE (surgical plastic, autoclavable) or if you HAVE to silicone. Stone works well fine, I'd stay away from wood (porous material) and acrylic is a BIG nono.
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my response was to jayme who said he cannot put glass or metal in his body....he wants to use electric tape....

i always have used bone spirals for stretching, but i never let my ears get red or irritated....i take it slow.....

for most people, glass and metal cause more gunk to be produced which makes for stinky ears.....smells kinda like toe jam....ew.

in my training, i was never warned against wood or bone....what is the reasoning behind that? is it because they cannot be autoclaved?
 
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Though I think doing it yourself is horribly painful, more inflamation and just all around unpleasant. I did 7 piercings on myself as a teen (the ears, eyebrow and nipples) and yeah, c'mon s_s you could atleast flirt with a piercer and get her to do it cheap . ;)

I do recommend a few things:

Betadine to clean the instruments. Betadine in studies has showed to deactivate even the AIDS virus.
Plastic Gloves
Ice
tapers
and some sort of clamp to pull the flesh semi taught to puncture accurately and in one shot.


Where can I get needles?

Some piercing studios are willing to sell needles to the general public (typically at a huge markup), and most larger cities have a tattoo or piercing supply shop. You can also buy hypodermic needles and remove the hub, or you can buy catheter needles and do a reverse insertion. That said, probably the easiest way to get piercing needles is via an online vendor such as BMEshop.com or any one of hundreds of suppliers.

Do I have to use a hollow needle? What about a safety pin?

A hollow needle has proved itself to be an excellent (and non-traumatic) design, but the real reason people use hollow needles is that it makes follow-through (the insertion of the jewelry) a simple process. If you use something like a safety pin, you will be able to make a hole, but getting the jewelry into this hole will be needlessly complicated and will probably do peripheral damage to the piercing.

Where can I get tools?

First of all, most home piercings can be done with nothing more than a needle and jewelry. The simpler your procedure, the less you need to worry about -- and the less places there are for something to go wrong.

However, if you're piercing yourself regularly or in awkward spots, any first aid, sports medicine, or home care supply shop can sell you clamps (although these shops generally stock high-quality German tools which you will pay a premium for). Penningtons are the ones with the triangular heads, and Foerrsters are the ones with the oval heads. You can also buy these clamps from a multitude of online vendors including BMEshop.com.


from http://www.bmezine.com/diyp.html#Q1-2
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enjoy!
 
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Winding Vines said:
DO NOT USE NEOSPORIN.

People often have allergic reactions to its usage in Tattooing and Piercing. Your body is already reacting to a foreign object.


Some Really Awesome Aftercare Tips!
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if the piercing is not new....he was asking about stretching an existing piercing....i suppose if one were to force it and make it irritated that it could be bad...but one really should not be forcing it....it will stretch better and less painfully if it is done slowly over several weeks time...

your info was really detailed....thanks!
 
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