Thursday August 21st, 2008 @ 1:34 AM
Filed under: Ear
Alright so right now I’m stretched to 3/4′ and I have wrapped tape around my plugs. I didn’t wrap much, just twice around, they were kinda tight going in and now one of my ears are super sore and the other is fine, just wondering if this is normal or a bad thing?
And if there is anything I can do to help, because this is very uncomfortable and I know if I take it out now it’s gonna be super super sore.
“Super Sore” is not a good way to describe earlobes!
Even a couple wraps can be too much for some lobes. Your best bet would be to downsize the jewelry to the size you were last - or maybe even the size under that until you feel less pressure on the lobe.
Treat it like a new piercing - wash it with warm water twice a day, don’t touch it, etc and give it lots of time before you attempt to wrap it again.
+7 / 7 votes 
Loading ...
Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | 10 Comments
Thursday August 21st, 2008 @ 1:30 AM
I am thinking of getting diamond body jewelry (navel and nipples) with diamond balls, either with titanium rings or 14k white gold rings.
my question is : how practical is “dressy” body jewelry? am i more likely to lose the diamond in my cbr in the shower than i am a regular titanium or stainless steel cbr?
is this kind of body jewelry practical for every day wear?
please help me. the answer could potentially save me thousands of dolalrs.
thank you.
The likelihood of your jewelry falling out when you don’t want it to is going to be based largely on the quality of your jewelry.
There are a few body jewelry manufacturers out there who make VERY well-made, implant grade, precious metal and gem body jewelry.
The chances of you losing a diamond captive ball shouldn’t be any higher than if you were to have one in any other material.
If you’re looking into a CBR style of jewelry, consider a fixed bead ring - then the ball CAN’T fall off!
“Practical for everyday wear” will depend on what you do everyday (an elaborate, dangly navel piece may not be suitable for someone who carries boxes around all day!) and the durability of the jewelry will depend on where you get it from.
+9 / 9 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | 9 Comments
Wednesday August 20th, 2008 @ 2:30 AM
I have had a PA for 5 months now. It started at a 10g and after 3.5 months I moved to a 8g. Well now the piercing seems loose enough that I could move to a 6g but I don’t want to push myself and risk tearing/thinning the tissue. Is there a guideline of how long I should wait in between moving to a new gauge or how can I tell when it is healed enough? I have no intentions of rushing the process, but if I am ready to move up I am more than willing.
When I moved up to the 8g from the 10g the new jewelry went in easily with no resistance.
You kind of answered your own question friend 
If the pathway is resisting the jewelry being inserted, its not ready and you should wait longer.
+10 / 10 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 1 Comment
Wednesday August 20th, 2008 @ 2:05 AM
Is it possible to make a decent living in the UK as a piercer without also being a tattoo artist? I’m not talking anything extravagant here, I just wouldn’t want to end up constantly broke! (although I do realise I probably would be when starting out). I’ve been interested in body mods since I was about 11 (I’m now 18) but I’ve only recently started to consider a career in this industry so I haven’t got the faintest idea how I would actually go about it. I’m starting to do some research into it now but I thought BME would be the best place to start. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
The discussion of how to get into the body modification industry has been discussed many times before. But simply put I always try to guide individuals in the direction of actually getting proper training (ie: Anatomy & Physiology Courses, Business Management Courses, Metalworking if possible,etc,etc). Because the more we get properly educated individuals in this industry who fully understand those area’s, the more our industry will flourish and grow.
As for financial status our industry has people who are well below the poverty line all the way up to rollin in their pimped out Escalades.
I will say though there are far more “broke” piercers and tattooists out there then the cashed up bling bling styled ones. Some are unhappy about being “broke” while others don’t care about the money because they are providing a solid service and helping people modify their bodies.
Personally, I’ve only recently been able to be in a position where I am capable of affording somewhat of a life. I can pay my bills with ease and even eat a better type of food, I’ve even managed to buy a laptop as well. However I’ve had the same pair of scratched up/warped glasses since I was 17 years old, I’m 28, but that’s my next major purchase.
But like I said for many years in my piercing career, I was simply too poor to afford certain necessities and luxuries. Which is the case for MANY piercers/tattooists out there. This is why so many artists actually have part-time jobs to supplement their bod mod careers. Some wait tables, others sling suds, others jiggle their jellies on stage, others paint/sculpt,etc.
But yeah if you’re expecting to be all cashed up bling bling rockstar style, think again, chances are it probably will never happen, unless you sell your soul or are very lucky. The chance of you even being able to comfortably live and be stable and own a car and buy a house, is a bit more feasible but again many artists are lucky to make it like that. Most artists tend to be more underpaid for the type of services they provide.
The thought process though is that a tattoo artist will make more money, not getting into the discussion on that argument(tattooing vs piercing,etc), because they are completely two different realms within the Bod Mod umbrella. I will say though that in the past there has been plenty of times where I’ve made more money then my past shops tattoo artists did,etc.
This reminds me, rent’s due this week hahaha!
+8 / 10 votes 
Loading ...
Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 4 Comments
Monday August 18th, 2008 @ 10:02 PM
what is the best way to remove an unwanted microdermal that has completely healed? also what is your suggested aftercare following removal?
The absolute best way to remove one would be to go to the person who did it and ask them to remove it. The second best way to remove one would be to go to a reputable studio- one that does microdermals, and ask them to remove it. (if they do it for free, make sure to tip them)
+6 / 12 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Shawn Porter | Permalink | 7 Comments
Monday August 18th, 2008 @ 12:30 AM
hey, my labret piercing is 2 weeks old, pierced with a stud. It looks a feels fantastic, but i was wondering if i could get a downsizing from my piercer? Or is it too early? Also, do i just walk into the parlor and have them downsize, or should i call first?
Thanks so much.
-Au Revoir
Bonjour,
Now that I’ve used up my entire French vocab that I remember from my early school years, lets get get on with the topic at hand. Downsizing.
It is best to call up the studio and ask them if you need to make an appointment, or if you can just walk in. Many shops allow you to simply walk in, however sometimes a studio might require you to make an appointment. Some studios are just busier than others and require appointments, that’s all.
Also based on what I was seeing in that picture, I’d be inclined to say you should wait another week or two. However if you visit the studio they’ll be able to properly assess the situation and determine if your labret can be downsized now, or if there is still swelling and would require more time before downsizing.
A lot of people are a bit confused, quite often, when it comes to downsizing. I often have customers coming in requesting to downsize and to show that its “so long” what they do is smile or actually use their bottom teeth to compress the lip tissue thus giving the appearance that the labret is too long. This is not an ideal viewpoint to confirm the labret needs to be downsized. The ideal way to confirm that downsizing needs to be done is if your face is perfectly relaxed and still and you see extra length of the bar showing/sticking out.
But as I said your best option is to just visit a studio and they’d be more than happy to sort out the downsizing for you. Most studios should be offering some sort of incentive for customers to come back to get a downsize anyways.
+8 / 12 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | Comments
Sunday August 17th, 2008 @ 6:41 AM
To heal my piercings, have have bought a bottle (1000 ml) of saline solution. I pour it into a small bottle, and when I run out, I will re-fill the small bottle. I have strict “contamination controls” over the 1000 ml bottle (I don’t allow myself to even dip new q-tips in.)
However, the saline solution’s label says to “discard within 24 hours of opening.” Although 24 hours seems quite unreasonable, should I be worried about how long the bottle’s been opened for? Perhaps it’s best to buy a new bottle of saline solution after a month? What do you think?
You can often prolong bacteria contamination of the bottle by placing it in refridgeration, as that slows bacteria growth.
However know that as soon as you open up a sterile bottle of saline, you only have a certain amount of time before the contents become contaminated. If the company declares that the sterile solution needs to be discarded after 24 hours of opening, that is not an “unreasonable” situation. Because the fact is that bottles contents won’t be sterile after 24 hours.
Now provided that you keep it under strict lock and key and let nobody else touch it and you yourself handle it properly. Then realistically you can continue using the saline, but you need to realize that after 24 hours the solution will not be sterile.. However I would say having/using it for an entire month is not really an ideal thing to do.
Personally I’d suggest buying in smaller quantities and using only what you need. You can also purchase items like Sterile Saline Wound Wash that comes in containers that remain sterile and last longer then 24 hours.
+6 / 8 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 12 Comments
Sunday August 17th, 2008 @ 6:22 AM
Filed under: Nose
Hello,
I’ve made up my mind that I want a septum piercing, one because I really adore how it looks like and two, because absolutely no one had a piercing like this at my place. So anyway, I’m 16 but my mom still doesn’t wanna having anything to do with my piercings so she declined on giving me her consent, so like all of my other piercings (snakebites, monroe, cartilage), I’m going have to go DIY.
I’ve been researching about the pros and cons of DIY septum piercing and I’m pretty well informed than people think I am, being one of those “safety first” freak. My questions are:
1. Is it okay to use a 14g piercing needle if I’m just going to use a 16g circular barbell? And what’s the difference between a regular piercing needle and an autoclaved one?
2. If I’m just aiming for a mild look on my septum, what size of the ball should I pick? (1/2, 3/8, or 7/16)
Thank you so much.
I won’t touch on my take on the mom thing.
I won’t even touch on my take on the DIY thing.
I have covered both of those in previous entries and as always they have been positively and negatively commented/voted on. So lets just bypass all of that.
The main concern I have is when you asked “whats the difference between a regular piercing needle and an autoclaved one.” It scares me because it puts yourself, and others like you(ie: uninformed DIYers) at serious risk. If one is doing a DIY piercing they should comprehend the difference between something that is sterile and something that is not sterile.
ALL needles have to be sterilized in some fashion. Either through steam sterilization, EGO sterilization,etc. If a needle comes into your possession that has no confirmation on if it is sterile or not, it must be considered non-sterile and in fact very contaminated. As you simply do not know exactly what is on that needle. That needle could have come in contact with Hepatitis, or that needle might even have MRSA on it, or who knows what else that is potentially very harmful to you.
This is why when ever a piercer does a piercing, the needles are confirmed sterilized (ie: they either buy them pre-sterilized or they sterilize them) and are single use only. If pre-bought they will have a code number and date on the package that can be traced back to what batch,etc. If its sterilized on site at the shop, it should have the same information on the package so it can be traced in the autoclave logs,etc.
As for your question about using a 14ga needle and a 16ga piece of jewelry and if its a “bad” thing. Realistically its not “bad”, it just means you might bleed more. Another thing to consider is a potential distortion that can visually appear because of the larger hole then jewelry, along with the initial swelling that can occur,etc.
As for jewelry options I’d suggest using a Septum Retainer initially over a Circular Barbell, for healing purposes,etc. However if you’re mind is set on a Circular Barbell its hard to say what diameter you will need and in the same respect it will be hard to say what bead sizes you’ll need, without seeing you’re face in person and taking measurements,etc.
Also note if you’re looking for a CBR, its the same statement that I said for the Circular Barbell.
+18 / 20 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 20 Comments
Sunday August 17th, 2008 @ 6:09 AM
my piercing is healing beautifully, it’s 7.5 weeks old, but when i move it or touch it it seems like theres a bruise in it, but the bruising when away at 4 weeks. i think i hurt it but i’m not sure.
do you think this will be ok? or is this normal?
p.s i’m suppose to stop cleaning it this friday because it’ll have been 8weeks/2 months
Know that if you continue to poke and prod at your piercing, it will not heal beautifully. As the more you poke and prod at it, the more you are introducing potentially harmful bacteria into and around your piercing. I’m inclined to say that if you would stop touching your piercing, the discomfort you’re feeling, will go away.
Also know that the 8 week/2 month aftercare process is a generalized minimum time frame. Some people will be able to stop the aftercare protocol at 8 weeks time, however sometimes people will need longer. If you have been and continue to keep touching your healing piercing, I’d suggest to continue the aftercare protocols for more then the 8 week period. Even if you make sure you no longer touch your piercing, I’d suggest you continue the aftercare protocol for a few more weeks.
As in this stage of the healing its still not fully healed, its simply at a point where you no longer have to actively follow an aftercare protocol. As your body will, at this point, have healed enough in order to continue the healing process on its own. However like I said the more you do not follow the aftercare protocols, the more complications you introduce to your body and your piercing, the longer its going to be sore/take to heal,etc.
+4 / 6 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 2 Comments
Friday August 15th, 2008 @ 7:30 AM
Filed under: Ear
I currently have my ears stretched to 7/8″. I have had them stretched to this size since about March 08. Previous to that I was stretched to 1″ but decided to downsize. I want to leave my plugs out at night but I was wondering if its going to cause me a lot of problems with getting them back in in the morning. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks.
It shouldn’t cause you any problems at all. In fact, it’s a good thing as it will allow your ears to ‘rest’ a little and help with circulation. It’s also alot more comfortable sleeping sans plugs! You can always use something like Holey Butt’r or vitamin E oil to ease them back in if they feel a little tight and dry, or pop them in after a hot shower or bath.
+10 / 10 votes
Loading ...
Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | 1 Comment
