Well, This is my first time writing an experience on BME, so bare with me if It's either too brief, or too long winded... It will be for a reason.
At A Glance Author otomix Contact otomix@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Myself/Hugh? Studio Tattoo Culture Location Canberra, Australia Back in July 2007, I had my ears pierced by Hugh at tattoo culture in Canberra (Tuggeranong) one day during work. I had been meaning to get one done for ages, but never got around to it. Pay-day had come, so I finally thought, Let's do this!
Went down to the shop, Said what I was after, and Hugh being the crazy but lovely bloke he is put the needle through... almost pain free... 10g baby horseshoe. I thought I was absolutely Awesome! The next day (call it stupidity or not) My friend and Girlfriend thought it just didn't look right having only the left side done. "Hugh, can you fit me in to do the same on the Right?" Sure enough that morning, BANG. Both 10g horseshoes!
Now, They stayed at 10g for about 4 months, if not 6. They were fully healed. And wow, Hugh has an eye for detail I tell you what, they were dead-set perfectly centered! Perfect amount of lobe around the whole thing. After the 6 months, I decided, for a bloke as large as I am I needed bigger.... Bit the bullet.
Now at the time, I was a few years younger, and in a HEAP of debt... And just couldn't afford the local prices for jewelery. So i Turned to EBay, which was great as I had a seller in Australia who had well priced jewelery. I bought some 8g and 6g tapered talons with O rings.
Slowly stretched with some KY jelly up to 8g in 5 mins... Due to the weight of the horseshoe balls, It was already about an 8g hole. Sweet! 8g and awesome. After another month, I went to 6g. Too good!
I thought hey 4g will be big enough for me. So I went up to 4g after about another 4 months. At this stage, it had been the better part of a year since my first piercing at 10g. I had quite a repertoire of great jewelery that I had acquired from all over the world (friends off the net, Work trips etc) and thought that the amount of jewelery in 4g was lacking.
Then came the decision. ORGANICS. Anyone who has had stainless jewelery in their ears for a day or two knows about the dreaded ear funk/cheese. This was to the stage where I started leaving my jewelery out. It was revolting! Enter the world of buffalo horn and Wood!
Finally after a few months I was able to find a bit of organic 4g jewelery from my local Aussie Ebay seller, and As I had heard... NO FUNK!! My god, this was like night and day. No joke, As great as the horseshoes were, I will never go back to metal jewelery.
After having the 4g's in for about another 5 months, I decided I would just try 2g's for a giggle. Popped right in! no stretch necessary, However to be safe I still used some lube and a taper(hollowed end so you can chase it internally with the jewelery) so I stretched up to 2g. After 16 months I was now at 2g!
Finally, I started to notice the lack of any small gauge jewelery again for 2g. I needed wood, And bone, And horn... and there was a lack of quality stuff that was well priced out there. So I bought a taper and some 0g plugs from my pal in the states, put them in and....OUCH.... 2g-0g was the only painful stretch ever! I tore the fissure... Point? gradually increase your size of stretch. I have a pretty good pain threshold and thought, Nah this is fine! So i left it for an hour, then they were swollen as all hell. Pulled them out and sure enough a little line with blood coming from it around the opening in both sides.
2g=6.4mm 0g=8.2mm .... Take that note wisely! at this point it had been 20 Months since I got pierced at 10g. So I took the 0g's out, on the bench for another 2 months. Fully healed up back at 2g. I needed some 1g's....
Now, If you ever thought jewelery was hard to come by, NO SIZE OUT THERE is anywhere near as hard to find as 1g. I purchased my 1g taper and jewelery (which was actually still 2g) and put it in. I thought, Wait a second.... This popped in straight up so easy. Got out my Vernier calipers... sure enough 6.2mm... smaller than 2g. Good times!
Over the next couple of weeks I decided to use the tape method on some metal 2g plugs I had. Now, I invented this method slightly as I would NEVER put teflon tape or electrical tape in my ears... go to the chemist and buy some second skin Dressings! its this really thin clear wound guard that is strong as hell. Usually used post op at hospital. Cut it into strips, and wrap that on your jewelery, It works a treat. 2 layers got my 2gs up to 7.1mm. close to 1g! Hooray!
Which brings me to today, The makeshift 1g's now work a treat an were loose. So it was time for the 0g.
Lube - Check. Taper - Check. Jewelery that previously tore my fissure - Check.
Lubed up the taper, Put the jewelery in the end, and slowly (over about 5 mins) worked the hole a bit further, A bit further... pop! Done!
I am now sitting here typing this with my 0g's in and no pain what-so-ever! They look great, but more importantly the amount of organic jewelery for a 0g is astonishing! I just spent about $400 US on jewelery from Omerica organics, and their great little humidor box. Their service is outstanding. Once this size is what I deem fully healed, I will most definately be buying a set or two of different plugs per month to build up my collection. FUNK FREE! :)
I hope this will help some of you youngsters that are eager to get 'gauged' up (it's called stretching damn you!) to follow the right path. After 2 years, slow and steady wins the race. No keiloid, No blowouts, slight fissure tears from being stupid and impatient.
Take your time, It's your body. Infections in your head aren't good. Blood poisoning is not good. Remember these things and stretch safe. :)
-Dave
Australia