STORY RATING: * * * * * (5 out of 5 stars)
Title: Third Time's A Charm!!!
Author: Heidi
Complications: None
Date Done: 3 attempts: First was in June '02; Second was in mid-August '02; Third and Final Attempt was August 22, 2002
End Result: So Far, So Good
Happy with the Result: Yup!
Story: Let me just start out saying that NO ONE should be self-piercing themselves without first LEARNING about the piercing that they would like to attempt. You must also be sure to use the PROPER equipment (No sewing needles, safety pins, etc.). Go on the internet and buy yourself a couple of hollow piercing needles. They're only $2 each on www.labodyjewelry.com!
Anyways, on with the story. I have my ears pierced two times (one pair professionally done, one pair self done) on each ear and my horizontal clitoral hood (professionally done). I decided to get my navel pierced, but being a broke college student, I decided to embark upon this journey on my own. I'll first enlighten you with attempt #1.
I did this in June 2002. My fiance brought his friend Rob over to drink with us. I had about a beer (don't worry, I was not drunk--It'd take about 7 more to get me buzzin') to relax myself and opened up my sterile piercing needle and pennington forceps. My jewelry was also sent to me sterile, so no need to run down to a piercer for an autoclave or even boiling it on the stove.
I marked my navel and used an alcohol pad to kill all the germs in the area. I then clamped the site and attempted to push the needle through. Wow! The pain was intense!! And it was getting to me. I took a moment to have another sip of beer, and began pushing again. To my luck, I was getting through slowly and very painfully! I would push and stop as the pain was getting too bad. Each time I stopped, I the needle slipped out just a slight bit and I had to repierce that area I just pierced all over again. It was terrible. To cut the chase, it took me 45 minutes to get the needle through and out, only to get the jewelry in and find out that I pierced too much skin. I couldn't get the barbell's "head" to come out of the top hole to screw the ball on, so I took it out and left it alone. I bandaged it all up and we all went to Denny's at 3 am and much to my dismay, Rob ended up spilling a lemonade all over my wound--OWWW! That stings! LOL
For attempt #2 (done in mid-August '02), I got smarter. I used the same needle again (I figure you can get at least 3 good piercings ON YOURSELF--please do not share needles with your friends--out of one needle). Since the needle, forceps, and barbell have already been used, I boiled them in a pan for 15 minutes.
I then used the forceps to take out the needle and jewelry and place them into a bowl filled with rubbing alcohol. I also placed the forceps in there. I had purchased some Neosporin to use as a lubricant for my jewelry and my needle. I also made some ice in a stainless steel ice cube tray that I boiled using distilled water. I took a few of these ice cubes and placed them into a separate bowl with alcohol in it. I used rubbing alcohol to clean the area and took an ice cube and held it to the area for 5-7 minutes until it was very cold and numb. I then put more rubbing alcohol on the area I was piercing, marked the area, clamped it, put a gob of Neosporin on my needle and shoved it right through!!! I didn't feel a thing. I got the jewelry in (which I also slathered Neosporin on) only to find out that I pierced the area too shallowly. I took the jewelry out and let that one heal up as well.
On August 22, 2002, I decided to attempt it again. I told myself that if it didn't work out this time, then I'd scrape up the cash and go to my piercer for the stupid piercing. I did the same pre-procedural steps to sanitize my jewelry and equipment as I did a week prior. I boiled the equipment and jewerly, dumped it into a bowl with alcohol, grabbed my ice cubes and placed them into a separate bowl with alcohol, put some rubbing alcohol on my navel, iced it 'til numb, marked it, clamped it, slathered Neosporin onto my needle and shoved it right through!! THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO PAIN WHATSOEVER!!!
The whole ordeal lasted less than ten seconds! What a difference from my first attempt which was very painful and took damn near an hour! Ice and Neosporin (lubrication!!!) are a self-piercers' best friends!!! :) I put some Neosporin on my banana barbell and inserted it right into the hole I'd just created. I twisted the ball on and had before me a perfect navel piercing. I then took a sterile gauze pad and taped it over the piercing after admiring it in the mirror.
For the first 3 days, I wore a gauze pad over it during the day and took it off at night so the air could get to my piercing. I also wore clean cotton shirts (t-shirts) to bed every night, as the cotton is not as likely as other materials to irritate the piercing or harbor bacteria as polyester and satin and other materials that are not breathable fabrics do. I showed my best friend a few days later and she thought I had it professionally done--I got it good this time! It's absolutely straight and the perfect amount of skin is pierced this time.
I've been washing it 2x per day with Dial soap and doing a sea salt soak once per day. I take my Centrum vitamins every day and try to eat a well balanced diet as a piercing is a wound and requires a complete diet in order to heal properly. I do not touch it unnecessarily as that may increase my chances of getting an infection. So far, so good. No infection. A little irritation last week from the salt soaks--they were drying out the area around the top hole and causing peeling around the hole. Cutting the salt soak out of my regime for the next 3 days cured that right up.
Since that, I've been using 1/2 the amount of salt in my soaks than I was using before (which is now 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt to 8 ounces, or one cup of water). I hope this helps everyone and anyone who is interested in self piercing.
I'm interested in piercing my nipples next, but I'm scared of that kind of pain (I've heard that it hurts worse than when I got my hood piercing done, which hurt A LOT!!!). So I went out and bought some EMLA cream (which is a topical anaesthetic) to use on my nips. If anyone has any suggestions or comments and can tell me the optimal placement for this piercing for normal nips I'd appreciate it. Email me at [email protected]
Needle: 2" Straight Sterile Piercing Needle with an Ultra-Sharp Tri-bevel Lancet Tip
Gauge: 12 gauge
Purchased: June 2002
Cost: $2.00
Jewelry: Surgical Stainless Steel Banana Barbell (externally threaded)
Gauge: 12 gauge
Purchased: June 2002
Cost: $10.00
Aftercare: Dial Antibacterial Soap/Sea Salt Soaks/Centrum Complete Multi-Vitamins
Purchased: June 2002
Cost: About $2.50 for the soap (I already had the vitamins and sea salt)
TOTAL COST: $14.50