Friday January 11th, 2008 @ 9:45 PM
Alrighty. I have a healed labret piercing(14ga) and a healed Monroe piercing(16ga). I recently moved out of the province so I had to find a new place to buy jewelery. When I did I bought two studs, one supposed to be a 14ga and the other supposed to be a 16ga. I came home, cleaned them and went to put them in when I discovered that both of them were the wrong size! The stud that was supposed to be a 16ga was slightly larger than the one I had in. That wasn’t a huge problem so I put it in and the piercing was a little sore and red for about a day. But the other one that was supposed to be a 14ga was the same size! Way smaller than the one I had in my labret before! So, both of them were bigger than a 16ga, but smaller than a 14ga. What’s up with that? Is there such thing as a 15ga?
In essence, yes there IS a 15ga, but most jewelry suppliers never make the in between gauge size. This is often a result of inconsistent polishing techniques, either they mass tumble polish or even if it’s polished by hand, they can either over polish or under polish the jewelry. Thus giving the jewelry a inconsistent size, which ethically the jewelry suppliers should be checking to ensure its the proper gauge and length before sending them out to the wholesale buyers.
This is why I personally prefer dealing with only the best (highest quality) jewelry manufacturers nowadays, as they guarantee the correct gauge, length, diameter,etc that is ordered.
0 / 0 votes 
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | Comments
Friday January 11th, 2008 @ 9:34 PM
i had gotten my cheeks pierced almost 3 weeks ago and had some trouble with them they had to put 5/8 inch barbells in from the swelling then they had to change the left one to 3/4 inch and it doesnt really hurt but it keeps getting like this really nasty stuff in it that leaks out like not just the lymph secretions but like thick stuff and where the ball had went inside my cheek it had made the skin rather loose ive been brushing every time i eat as well as doing sea salt soaks and H2Ocean spray on the outside of the cheeks and the skin inside is turning white and the ball is still wanting to go inside my cheek but not from the swelling just from where it had went in before like the hole wont close is it infected and what would u say the best thing to do is?
thanks
To be honest 5/8″ and quite often even 3/4″ is just a bit too short for initial cheek piercings. Most piercers I know will use jewelry that is close to 1″ or longer in length initially, to accomodate for the cheeks swelling allowance, which is a lot.
Also depending on where the placement was done, complications could definitely be occuring. If they pierced through the parotid glands or some of its ducts, problems can become quite serious.
Also brushing teeth should be kept to 2-3 times a day. As for the sea salt soaks, how are you mixing the sea salt and water together? Also how are you doing them (ie: washing your mouth out with it, soaking the outside of the piercing,etc) and how long are you doing this for?
Also depending on the bead size, you might require a little bit larger bead size, to prevent it from being sucked into your cheek. However a lot of this is just speculation, a proper in person assessment would be ideal, to troubleshoot the situation effectively.
+2 / 2 votes 
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 9 Comments
Friday January 11th, 2008 @ 9:23 PM
My wife is thinking about getting her lips pierced. She’s wanted it for a long time already.
She is breastfeedng (6th moth now) and wants to continue to do so.
Are there anny extra risks, eccept for a possible longer heelingtime, that she might have to take into acount?
Cheers Bas
Yes the piercings will have a longer heal time as the body is working very hard to generate milk so it can be passed onto the child. Because of this it is ideal to wait until your wife is no longer breast-feeding, before obtaining any piercings.
Also due to the longer heal time if any potential infections were to occur or other problems, it can be passed into the child through the breast milk.
So as I stated it would be ideal to wait until your wife is completely done breast-feeding, before obtaining and piercings or tattoos,etc.
0 / 0 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 1 Comment
Friday January 11th, 2008 @ 7:16 PM
Filed under: Nipple
I’ve had my nipples pierced for several years now and have had no problems with the first one that I got pierced, but the second one was pierced very poorly. It was pierced too deep and is lined up perfectly on one side, while the other side comes out of my areola. Initially, they had a post in it (I have always had barbells in them) that was too short as well, and the bead even went into the piercing on the wonky side once. I inserted a longer post and big beads and have been dealing with this piercing for far too long (almost 3 years now). I have scarring on the one side now, and it’s very irritable.
I know I should take it out, I know it’s not happy and won’t be, so I’m going to not be stubborn and actually take it out (finally!). I’m wondering how long I should wait to get it re-pierced after I take it out. I’ve heard 2 weeks I’ve also heard 8.
Thanks!
Taking it out is definitely the best option. If it’s still unhappy after 3 years, chances are good there is simply no hope for it. Nipple piercings done too deep can be virtually impossible to heal for many people.
If you were my client, I would suggest you wait a minimum of 3 months. Given the amount of trauma and irritation that has been going on for the past 3 years, giving the area plenty of time to settle down is going to be best. You want the area to not be inflamed or irritated at atll, and it’s best if you can give your body a chance to re-absorb some of the scar tissue. You may find that massaging the scar tissue regularly will help break it up a bit, making it easier for your body to re-absorb.
Having said all that, I will also say that being able to see and feel the piercing goes a long way in determining how long to wait. My suggestion of 3 months is based solely on what you’ve said. I might have a different opinion if were were nipple-to-face.
+1 / 1 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 2 Comments
Friday January 11th, 2008 @ 7:14 PM
Filed under: Nose
so i got my septum pierced a few weeks ago and it seems to be healing well. the thing about it is it’s a little low on the right side, this was done intentionally because my nose is a bit crooked on the inside, and in order for the piercing to lay proper it was pierced at a downward angle.
i’ve started to notice that there is a slight bump on the right side and looked into it and read that it’s most likely scar tissue, now i don’t want to have it redone as it seems to be completely fine other than the slight bump, it doesn’t hurt or look too strange (unless you’re holding my nose open and looking up at it).
my question is will it cause any other issues besides create a small bump, and will it be okay if it’s not bothering me? i just want to make sure it won’t continue to grow and take over my nose to the point i’ll need to have it surgically removed 
The bump shouldn’t cause any other problems. It’s also possible, once the piercing heals a bit more and “toughens up”, the bump may end up going away. Many bumps that show up during the initial healing phases of a piercing end up going away once the piercing heals a bit more and isn’t as easily irritated.
0 / 0 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments
Wednesday January 9th, 2008 @ 6:59 PM
Filed under: Tongue
I want to get my tongue pierced and it will be my first non-ear piercing and while I was doing my research I realize that I could have a metal allergy.
But when I went to my pierce he basically said to deal with it; if it does get infected, switch it in a week with a gold one when the swelling goes down because they don’t have a gold barbell long enough for the 1st piercing, which doesn’t make sense because if it got infected the swelling wouldn’t go down so I couldn’t change it. And it also sounded like he didn’t care if it did happen or didn’t know much more then me. Which leads me to want to get another piercer. But anyway I said all that to ask this:
Should I fine a new pierce?
Could I have a metal allergy and can I still get my tongue pierce?
Is titanium and gold the best metal to use and would it be wrong if I brought my own barbells to be pierced with?
And if so where can I find a good place that sells them.
How is http://www.titaniumonly.com/?
Thank you so much!!!
A couple of points of clarification, just so we’re on the same page:
When you have a reaction to a particular kind of jewelry, it’s exactly that…a reaction. It’s not an infection. An infection would occur for a whole different reason and would be a whole different issue to deal with. Your body has a reaction to the jewelry because there is something in it that your body simply can’t deal with.
Most people who have metal sensitivities end up being sensitive/allergic to nickel. The reason you can’t wear “standard” earrings or stainless steel body jewelry is because it has nickel in it. Most people can tolerate a high-quality piece of implant-grade steel without having a reaction. However, that’s a whole different discussion. For your purposes, what matters is that you’ve had trouble wearing stainless steel in the past.
Gold is typically a good option for people who are sensitive to nickel…but again, this presumes it’s a high-quality piece of jewelry to begin with. One of the downsides to gold is it’s high price.
Another option, and one that is much less expensive, is titanium Titanium works well because it contains no nickel.
As for your piercer…I’d say ditch him. If he didn’t offer titanium as an option, or wasn’t at least willing to order the appropriate piece of jewelry for you, it sounds like he either doesn’t know as much as he should and/or he doesn’t care about your health and safety as much as he should. Whatever the case…you don’t want to get pierced by somebody like that.
As for buying your own jewelry, that might be an option. However, I think finding a piercer that knows what they are doing, cares about doing a good job and either stocks the jewelry you need, or is willing to order it, is probably your best option.
Good luck!
+2 / 2 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments
Tuesday January 8th, 2008 @ 8:22 PM
Filed under: Nose
How big do you have to stretch a septum piercing before getting a septril piercing?
There isn’t necessarily a size you “have” to be at, but it obviously needs to be big enough to be able to get tools into. I would guess that 0ga or 00ga would be the minimum to make it reasonable to do the piercing.
0 / 0 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 2 Comments
Tuesday January 8th, 2008 @ 8:17 PM
Filed under: Nose
Haha, sorry for the awkward picture. I got my septum pierced about a month ago, and I’ve just been noticing this. I clean it usually with just water and a q-tip, and sometimes i dip it in saline. It still hurts when I accidentally hit the tip of my nose and whatnot. What would you guys recommend to help this?
Thank you some much askBME staff!
Some soreness when you bump/hit your piercing is pretty normal at this point, since it’s only a month old.
The bumps on your piercing are likely some scar tissue build-up. Based upon the picture you sent, it seems like your piercing might be a little on the low side. When I had my septum piercing done, it was done too low, and I have bumps on both sides that look very similar to the ones you have. Now, I’m making this judgment based off a low-quality picture, so I could be wrong about the placement.
If the piercing is done too low, the best option would be to remove it and have it done in a better spot.
It’s also possible that wearing your jewelry (looks like a circular barbell) flipped up in you nose may be putting extra pressure on the piercing, which could contribute to the scarring as well.
0 / 2 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments
Tuesday January 8th, 2008 @ 2:24 PM
Filed under: Ear
Seriously, am I stuck buying (other than a handful of crap) 150-400 dollar 1 1/2″ plugs. No one I’ve seen apparently makes just ‘regular’ organics. Sometimes all I want is a damn piece of tree that’s round in my ear. A little help here? (Or am I going to have to buy a lathe and start chopping?)
Here’s the first thing you want to do…take a deep breath. Put down the lathe and step away from the stretched lobes.
Secondly…you have to accept the fact that big plugs tend to cost more. Unless you are willing to make them yourself, you’re going to have to pay for someone else’s investment in large, more-expensive stock and the extra labor that (presumably) goes into making larger plugs.
Thirdly…you could try something as close and easy as BMESHOP. In less than 2 minutes I found these:
At $42 for a pair, they are much less than the figures you were throwing around.
Or how about these
$38 pair.
I know those aren’t wood, but they do fall into the organic/natural materials.
You may also want to check out Omerica Organic or Esoteric Body
Both of those companies do large-gauge wood work in a wide range of styles, materials and prices.
And I’m sure other people will be along in no time to suggest their favorite companies.
0 / 0 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 4 Comments
Tuesday January 8th, 2008 @ 2:11 PM
Hello,
I am thinking about getting my inner labia peirced, but i do not like the look of rings. i was wondering if labret studs as jewelry would be a viable option.
thanks
There is no reason this type of jewelry couldn’t be done. The shaft of the jewelry will need to be long enough to accommodate some initial swelling, and the ball and disk on the end of the shaft will have to be large enough to prevent them from pulling through the piercings. If those factors are accounted for, it shouldn’t be an issue.
0 / 4 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments
