Tuesday May 27th, 2008 @ 7:01 PM
Hey there folks!
I have a question regarding tattoo aftercare. Since I’ve been getting tattooed, I’ve been using A&D ointment, then switching to lotion after 4 or 5 days or so, and using that until it feels like regular skin again. Thus far, it’s been working, but taking sometimes more than 3 weeks to fully heal.
I’ve heard great things about using bag balm for aftercare, but am curious as to what you fine folks have to say about it. And, would I use it for the entire healing period, or just in place of the A&D?
Thanks for all your help!
Tattoo healing can be a bit of tricky business. If you’ve been tattooed by more than one artist, you very likely know that various artists have various things they suggest. The differences in aftercare can even sometimes seem (or be) contradictory.
For my tattoos, I use an aftercare routine very similar to yours…although I switch to a mild lotion about 3 days after doing A&D. I use this method regardless of what artists is tattooing me, as over the years I’ve found it to work the best for my body.
I know some people who use bag balm and love it. I know others who have used it and not been happy with the result at all. In the end, it’s one of those things you are going to have to try for yourself to find out whether it works for you. Worst-case scenario…your tattoo won’t heal as well as with the A&D, and you’ll have to endure some touch-up work.
Best of luck.
+4 / 6 votes 
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments
Tuesday May 27th, 2008 @ 6:54 PM
Filed under: Nipple
I got both nipples pierces about two and a half years ago. They both took a long time to heal. My right one occasionally gives me some problems but only if irritated. The left one is always bothering me. It still drains and often has a marble sized lump behind the piercing. It doesnt hurt and sometimes goes away but or the most part I have had it for about a year and a hald. The lump gets smalled and sometimes its large like a large marble. I dont want to take it but O often worry about it. I have a round hoop now…..do u think I should go to a straigt bar. I dont think that will make this on and off lump go away….please help !!!!
Without seeing your piercing I’m pretty limited to what kind of suggestions I can make.
However, if you’ve had the piercing(s) for that long, and they still aren’t healed, it’s an indication that there is something pretty substantial going on. In general, here are a few of the potential issues:
1) The piercings are done too deeply. If this is the case, they may never fully heal
2) This one can be made worse by #1…the diameter of the rings in the piercings are too small for the amount of tissue in the piercings
3) The quality of jewelry you are wearing is substandard is continual irritating the piercing(s)
Those aren’ the only possibilities, but they are the most likely, based upon what you’ve described.
Changing to a barbell might help if the issue is (or at least part of the issue is) #2. It might also help if the issue is #3, assuming you change to a higher-quality piece of jewelry.
Based simply upon what you’ve described, I’d probably advise removing the piercings and having them re-done at a later date. Regardless of what the issue is, a marble-sized bump of any kind is clearly an indication your body is very unhappy about something. After this much time and trauma, it may not be possible to make your current piercings happy…especially if they are pierced too deeply.
Best of luck.
+2 / 2 votes 
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments
Tuesday May 27th, 2008 @ 6:50 PM
Filed under: Ear
In a few months I’m going to get my tragus pierced but I want to be as informed as possible before getting it done. I dont know whether to use a ring or a bar as my starter jewelry. I really want a ring but I heard they make the healing process more difficult. Is this true? I’m willing to settle on a bar if it means that there’s a better chance of avoiding complications.
As with many piercings, a barbell is going to be the best option for a tragus piercing. A barbell is going to get caught on fewer things, get moved around less and have less pressure put on it than a ring will. This is going to result in a piercing that is more-comfortable and heals faster. You shouldn’t have any problems changing your jewelry to a ring once the piercing is healed.
+1 / 1 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments
Tuesday May 27th, 2008 @ 4:13 AM
Filed under: Ear
Hi,
I stretched my lobes to 6g approximately half a year ago and figured that I was ready to move up. I recently purchased a quality pair of 4g spring loaded CBRs but can’t get them through through the fistula. The ends, as you know, are very different from the standard CBR. I’ve tried twice in 4 days without any success.
Does this kind of jewelry require my lobes to already sit at a larger gauge or am I missing something? Is there anything else I could do?
Correspondence is appreciated!
The other thing you can do, is simply wait longer. As sometimes the body just needs longer time to become more relaxed and uniformed to slide another larger size in. If the jewelry isn’t going in, don’t force it. Massage your lobes in a warm/hot shower and even try to perhaps use some Vit. E, Neem Oil, Jojoba Oil based products, personally Neem Oil works very well on relaxing and loosening up my lobes.
Continue doing these two methods until when you gently tug down on the jewelry in your lobe and if you can see a little bit of light through the lobe, attempt to slide the jewelry through. If it does not work, give it more time.
+2 / 2 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 2 Comments
Tuesday May 27th, 2008 @ 4:08 AM
Filed under: Ear
a few questions, if you dont mind =]
is it possible to stretch a cartilage piercing?
does cartilage heal back or does the skin close the hole up but theres always a gap in the cartilage?
does the needle take a section of flesh out or just push it aside?
thankyou, im a bit confused! =]
Yes its possible to stretch cartilage piercings however the main concern is how much stress is applied to the cartilage when you stretch it. What can occur later on eventually is distortion and even stress/spider cracks within the cartilage as it makes an attempt to relieve the pressure that has been applied via stretching.
Cartilage does not grow back, the only thing that can possibly heal back together is the skin once the jewelry is removed. Even then its also in relation to how long you kept the piercing, how healed the fistula is,etc.
A proper piercing with a proper needle will/should not core out tissue. Instead with a proper needle and the proper speed in which to pass the needle through the body, the needle makes an incision and then tapers its way through thus displacing(pushing it aside) the tissue as it cuts its way through the skin.
+4 / 4 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 4 Comments
Tuesday May 27th, 2008 @ 4:05 AM
Basically, I have my grandmother’s nasty knuckles, so it’s uncomfortable for me to wear rings. I’d love to get a microdermal on my ring finger when the time comes to get married, but I’m hoping to have a future in piercing. If the area was well healed and I wore a moderately flat gem in it, would it survive with the constant changing of gloves?
straight up answer: Nope.
You have to consider with a job in piercing all the hand washing, glove changing you’ll be doing…Then on top of that how often you put your hands in pockets, into bags and various other locations.
The chances of this healing (well over a year) perfectly and problem-free is a very far and few between possibility.
+2 / 8 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 2 Comments
Tuesday May 27th, 2008 @ 3:52 AM
Filed under: Ear
I got my lobes pierced with a gun three months ago, it was the starter earring, I think it was 24 gauge or something. Now at this point in time I stretched out my lobes to an 8 gauge and I was just wondering if there is any possible danger in going from a 24 gauge to an 8 gauge in less then half a year? Also I can’t seem to fit any single flare or cylinder type of jewelery into my ear, it seems that the only thing that will fit into my lobes are these horn type of earrings, that start off small then they gradually get bigger and bigger, till they stop at an 8 gauge. Last question, when I remove the earrings and I look at the piercing there is a small discolored circle of skin where the hole is at, is that normal, or is that a miniature blowout?
Stop what you’re doing immediately yes this is by far way too fast to be stretching your lobes and yes the discoloration you’re seeing is quite possibly the result of stretching too fast, as you’ve created a lot of scar tissue via tearing the lobes with each stretch you’ve done.
If you would take a moment and search AskBME for lobe stretching advice you’ll find a fountain of knowledge on the do’s and do not’s of stretching your lobes.
My advice to you, in the simplest and purest form, is to stop using organic jewelry and to only use Steel, Titanium or Pyrex jewelry and to stop stretching your ears until you’re properly educated/informed on how to stretch your lobes. Ideally you’ll might even need to remove the jewelry you have in let your lobes relax at a more comfortable size and not consider stretching your ears again for a good 1-2 years.
+2 / 6 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 4 Comments
Monday May 26th, 2008 @ 7:50 PM
Filed under: Tongue
I was planning on getting my tongue pierced quite soon, preferably at a larger gauge if possible.
However, I need to get on one of my front teeth fixed, as it was broken pretty much in half a few years ago, but I’m not sure when this will happen.
I was wondering if the piercing would affect the dental work in any way? Maybe causing damage?
Also, would I maybe need to wait until the work is complete before I get the piercing?
Anyone thinking about getting a tongue piercing needs to understanding that damage, in varying degrees, to your teeth and gums is a very real possibility. There is, of course, no guarantee you will damage your teeth and gums, but you very well might. So yes…a tongue piercing might also affect the dental work you have done. If it’s a front tooth you are having worked on, the chances are probably lower than if it was a molar…but the chance is still there.
I don’t think you would need to wait until you’ve had the dental work completed. However, the tongue piercing would need to be old enough so that you can safely remove it, without worry of it closing, if your dentist requires it when they do the work.
0 / 4 votes 
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 2 Comments
Monday May 26th, 2008 @ 4:59 PM
Filed under: Nipple
So I just got my nipples pierced yesterday at a shop I would trust with my life. They’re the most professional/knowledgeable people I’ve ever met, regarding body modifications.
I haven’t had any problems or anything (it’s only been 24 hours), but the piercer told me that she suggests wearing sports bras during healing (they’ll be less sore and whatnot) but I read on askbme (and also on the aftercare protocol sheet they gave me) to not wear tight clothing against fresh piercings.
I don’t know who to believe! lol. wanna help me out? I just want to make sure my piercings will be okay.
I definitely wouldn’t encourage a client to wear a serious compression-type no-bounce sports bra, but those comfy crop-top sports-type bras (you know, the ones that are made from spandex or lycra but aren’t all THAT seriously supportive) are pretty much perfect for healing nipple piercings. I always found it far more comfortable to have gentle but firm support when I was healing my nipple piercings, and I basically lived in either the aforementioned sports bras or tank tops/singlets with soft built-in bras during my entire healing period. I advise my female clients to do the same and I’ve never seen anyone have any issues with it! Now, corsets and push-up bras, on the other hand.. not so good!
+9 / 11 votes
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Posted by Lori St.Leone | Permalink | 8 Comments
Monday May 26th, 2008 @ 1:08 AM
A month or so back I got a PA and I probably didn’t wait long enough and caved to carnal temptations within a week. What my question is regards to seems to be from what I understand hypertrophic scarring, it seems to be pierced through the frenum and there is a build up of tissue around the piercing itself just below the glans where it exits, I’m assuming that it’s due to the piercing not being healed before having sex. I was wondering if there is anything that can be done to get rid of this tissue? The tie off method sprung to mind, any ideas?
Cheers in advance,
Munky
Before you start wrapping dental floss around your penis or trying some other crazy homemade concoction (no pun intended), I’m going to make one suggestion…wait.
it is not uncommon with PA piercings, and many other piercings, to have some excess tissue build-up during the initial healing. It’s also pretty common for that tissue build-up to go away once the piercing heals a bit more and toughens up, thereby not being as easily irritated from friction and movement.
A month is virtually no time at all, in terms of the piercing healing…you haven’t even gotten through the initial healing phase, let alone any type of longer-term healing and toughening. I would suggest leaving things be for the moment and just try to be a little nicer to the ol’ boy for the next little while. You don’t necessarily need to deny our carnal desires, just take it easy for a bit.
+2 / 2 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments
