Throughout my piercing past I have experienced quite a few disasters that left me in pain, agony, and many a time, with tears in my eyes. Though as a piercing addict, you learn to be "tuff" and go with the pain. As a piercing advocate, you become addicted to the sharp pain that lasts for a moment but reaps a lifetime of joy in your new found body modification.
At A Glance Author xallyx Contact alisha311@yahoo.com When Three months ago Artist Ed Studio Splash of Color Location East Lansing, MI This basic principle became my downfall one afternoon as I strolled along the sidewalks of Michigan State University. I was walking towards Splash of Color in East Lansing, MI, the only place I go for piercings now after having received so many horrid piercings. I went in and talked to one of the piercers, Ed, about getting a piercing. I told him,"I am bored, just pierce something, I don't really care what, probably an ear piercing or something."
Ed was reluctant to follow through with such a request as he likes his clients to know exactly what they want, so as to be able to service them with the highest quality possible. Ed showed me a lot of different cartilage and inner ear piercings. I finally told him how much I really didn't care so he said, "Okay. Get your daith pierced. It's a rare a subtle piercing but it's super cool looking." I agreed.
I went back into one of the rooms and laid down on the table. I got the usual talk about the autoclave and the indicator strip. Ed then told me to breathe in, and exhale. I did this and as I exhaled, I felt as though I had just had my brain pierced. This piercing was the most painful piercing I have ever experienced. I really thought it would be nothing compared to my septum or any of my other piercings, but it felt like he had hammered a nail through my face.
I didn't cry of course, because "tuff" people with piercings all over their bodies are not supposed to blink at a measly inner ear piercing. So I held back the screams and the tears. I received my after care and went home in pain and agony.
I figured that my pain was basically over. I had faced the worst of it. Now, I will be the first to admit that I rarely follow after care instructions. But I was actually going to for this daith piercing. However, right away it started secreting fluids and blood from the site of the piercing. That night I tried to clean it with a q-tip but the pain was so intense I just decided to wait until the next day. This trend continued for about a week, and finally, the matter around the piercing was so built-up that I had to go in and get it drained.
It was around this time that I noticed a cute little bump emerging on my piercing. I went in to some trashy tattoo place that I was passing by the next day, Liquid Tattoo in Lansing, and they said it was a keloid and to use a mixture of aspirin and water as a paste on the piercing. They said this would cause the keloid to fall off. Well, I am not quite sure why I stopped at Liquid but I sure as heck wasn't about to take their advice on anything based on the looks of their studio.
So I went to Splash and they said it was not a keloid, but that it was an absess. I needed to continue my sea salt soaks and add 1/8 tablespoon of peroxide to the mixture for 3 days, doing this ritual once a day for the two times a day I was supposed to be doing the sea salt soak. I decided I should probably actually do what they said and I actually did the soaks. For three days I did them. The absess was about the size of a pea now, and was extremely dark red.
This gross absess remained for a month. I finally went back in and told them either I was going to take it out or cut it off with scissors. They said they didn't want to scalpel it off, but that I could come back in once a day for that next week to have it drained. So I went back in the room and laid down again. They put q-tips on both sides of the absess and rolled them towards one another, putting intense pressure on the absess. This really sucked and was quite painful. My ear bled like a fiend and I was in much pain. They continued to do this until the top layer of the absess was completely torn off and the flesh red part of the absess was exposed.
I asked them why this happened to me. They said basically my ear had over-compensated for my piercing and healed to much and sent to many blood cells to the site, causing for a bump to appear full of white blood cells and other bodily fluids.
I tried to go back in the next couple of days but it didn't work out. It was now about 3 months after my initial piercing and the absess was gross. I just kept picking at it, dirty hands and all.
I finally attempted to stop touching it all together. I didn't clean it, touch it, move it, or anything. No joke, one week later, I woke up and the absess was gone. People were amazed and were shocked that the grossness just left all on its own. I supposed I am pleased with my piercing now, but would I do it again? I highly doubt it. But then again I am an addict, and I must admit, I totally loved that pain. But also, please, if you do get a piercing or are experiencing problems, go see a professional and really stick to their aftercare plans as much as possible.