The Official Piercing Thread

[Guest xquisite_]

Just a quick question, what is the usual or advisable gauge size for a helix piercing?

[Guest liimegreeen]

Just a quick question, what is the usual or advisable gauge size for a helix piercing?

18g :]

[Guest dying1004]

yay for a new thread! =D the other was.. soo much!

i have a question about teh soaking. i'm planning [stilllllll] to get my naval pierced. if i'm tipping the container on me, should i be soaking like.. after i shower or something, when i'm still in my tub?

[Guest liimegreeen]

yay for a new thread! =D the other was.. soo much!

i have a question about teh soaking. i'm planning [stilllllll] to get my naval pierced. if i'm tipping the container on me, should i be soaking like.. after i shower or something, when i'm still in my tub?

i would actually suggest soaking BEFORE you shower, so that you can rinse off any salt residue (which can dry out sensitive skin over time as well as collect on jewelry). if you're concerned about spilling, you could definitely do it while your sitting in the tub...but if you sit in a chair or on the floor with a towel over you, you shouldn't make a mess :]

[Guest shockingstar]

Back...yet again. |:

Right, well, I got the labret.

But now it seems like it's squishing my lip, I looked on the inside and the backing made a 'mark'.

Is that okay? Or do I need to get another stud?

|:

Thanks again, so much.

[RawrDesu]

OMGOSH PLEASEEEE HELP ME

so i had my FIRST both lobes piercing around this time of the year in 2006.

then when i thought i COULD change the earring, i took them off and try new things on. but then something happened and both holes were closed.

then i pierced both lobes AGAIN un June 2007.

i have volleyball games and we can't wear jewlery so i had to take them off around November 2007 (volleyball season) and after the game, i tried to poke it through but my left ear CLOSED but my right lobe was still opened and i put the training earring back.

and in mid February 2008, i pierced my LEFT LOBE because i had only ONE earring since November (my right lobe) for a while and i really want to have a permanent pierce.

and last week and more days ago, i started to get an infection ON MY LEFT LOBE and LAST THURSDAY MARCH 20 2008, i went to the doctors and they took my left earring out to take the pus out and clean my ear.

so NOW, i guess my LEFT LOBE closed AGAIN

and i'm wondering when i can pierce it again , if i do pierce it again, it'll be my 4th time piercing that ear and probably at the same spot too. I REALLY NEED HELP! I DON'T LIKE HAVING ONLY ONE EARRING ON

if you guys can gimme some advice on what to do, i realllllly appreciate it thank youuu!

[Guest xquisite_]

18g :]

Alright, thanks. =)

I'm getting my helix and lobes pierced tomorrow so I'll probably be back soon lol.

[Guest pyrochild]

Back...yet again. |:

Right, well, I got the labret.

But now it seems like it's squishing my lip, I looked on the inside and the backing made a 'mark'.

Is that okay? Or do I need to get another stud?

|:

Thanks again, so much.

it's normal. it's because your lips are still incredibly swollen, even if you may not think so. when i got mine done, the ball from the jewelry left an indention for about 1-2 months before it just went away. you should keep your jewelry in until it is healed!

[Guest liimegreeen]

Back...yet again. |:

Right, well, I got the labret.

But now it seems like it's squishing my lip, I looked on the inside and the backing made a 'mark'.

Is that okay? Or do I need to get another stud?

|:

Thanks again, so much.

that happened to me when i had my monroe done and it freaked me out...a little swelling/tightness around the jewelry is normal with a fresh lip piercing, but too much is BAD NEWS. usually a good piercer will start you off with an extra long labret to compensate for swelling, but if you really feel that your labret is SQUISHING your lip, you should go back to your piercer and check with them to make sure they gave you long enough jewelry. you may be experiencing more swelling than they anticipated.

...but i'm the text book example of what happens when you have worn too-short of jewelry in a lip piercing...it led to an infection and i had to remove it eventually...now i am left with an unsightly scar from where the gem of my labret pushed against my piercing. i don't want to scare you, but oral piercings should not be taken lightly! if you are worried about your labret, follow your instincts.

OMGOSH PLEASEEEE HELP ME

so i had my FIRST both lobes piercing around this time of the year in 2006.

then when i thought i COULD change the earring, i took them off and try new things on. but then something happened and both holes were closed.

then i pierced both lobes AGAIN un June 2007.

i have volleyball games and we can't wear jewlery so i had to take them off around November 2007 (volleyball season) and after the game, i tried to poke it through but my left ear CLOSED but my right lobe was still opened and i put the training earring back.

and in mid February 2008, i pierced my LEFT LOBE because i had only ONE earring since November (my right lobe) for a while and i really want to have a permanent pierce.

and last week and more days ago, i started to get an infection ON MY LEFT LOBE and LAST THURSDAY MARCH 20 2008, i went to the doctors and they took my left earring out to take the pus out and clean my ear.

so NOW, i guess my LEFT LOBE closed AGAIN

and i'm wondering when i can pierce it again , if i do pierce it again, it'll be my 4th time piercing that ear and probably at the same spot too. I REALLY NEED HELP! I DON'T LIKE HAVING ONLY ONE EARRING ON

if you guys can gimme some advice on what to do, i realllllly appreciate it thank youuu!

well, healing times are different for everyone, but you should be able to get re-pierced as soon as your infection has COMPLETELY cleared up. just make sure there isn't excessive scar tissue inside your lobe from where you have been pierced 3 times, which would make it difficult to get pierced well. if you can feel that there is a lot of scar tissue, just wait a while because scar tissue will usually soften a lot over time.

also, before you get pierced again, PLEASE consider whether you are ready for the responsibility of taking care of them, especially during the first 4-6 weeks. you will need the patience to wait the full healing time before changing your jewelry; you will need to take the time to clean them properly to prevent infection; you will need to get jewelry that safe and appropriate.

[Guest Namine]

it may go down, it may not. just baby it...wear straight, high-quality jewelry and soak it daily...soaking it will remove any discharge that may be in your bump.

Uwaa, erm erm...

Straight, HQ jewelry.

What do you mean by straight.

I mean I have a ring in it x__x

and I know its like all titanium or something..

I can't even get the hoop out so :x .. sigh.

Ppl say that having a "stud" in it would be better?

Anyway, I can't figure out how long, and how to get my ear in a hot water bath thing. x___x !

Please help, sorry <3

[Guest conThanh]

I'm planning to get my ear pierced somewhere like location 7, but closer to location 9. So, will that still be earlobe? cuz when I touch the part i'm planning to get pierced, its pretty hard, not as soft as my earlobe (9).

thanksssssss

[Guest liimegreeen]

Uwaa, erm erm...

Straight, HQ jewelry.

What do you mean by straight.

I mean I have a ring in it x__x

and I know its like all titanium or something..

I can't even get the hoop out so :x .. sigh.

Ppl say that having a "stud" in it would be better?

Anyway, I can't figure out how long, and how to get my ear in a hot water bath thing. x___x !

Please help, sorry <3

yea, a stud is usually a better choice for ear cartilage just because hoops often lead to hypertrophic scarring. but it's more important for you to keep your jewelry in for the entirety of your healing time. instructions for doing a sea salt soak is in the first post :]

I'm planning to get my ear pierced somewhere like location 7, but closer to location 9. So, will that still be earlobe? cuz when I touch the part i'm planning to get pierced, its pretty hard, not as soft as my earlobe (9).

thanksssssss

nope, that's a conch piercing. it goes through semi-hard, thick section of your ear's cartilage.

[Guest pyrochild]

I'm planning to get my ear pierced somewhere like location 7, but closer to location 9. So, will that still be earlobe? cuz when I touch the part i'm planning to get pierced, its pretty hard, not as soft as my earlobe (9).

thanksssssss

that's cartilage

[Guest shockingstar]

it's normal. it's because your lips are still incredibly swollen, even if you may not think so. when i got mine done, the ball from the jewelry left an indention for about 1-2 months before it just went away. you should keep your jewelry in until it is healed!

that happened to me when i had my monroe done and it freaked me out...a little swelling/tightness around the jewelry is normal with a fresh lip piercing, but too much is BAD NEWS. usually a good piercer will start you off with an extra long labret to compensate for swelling, but if you really feel that your labret is SQUISHING your lip, you should go back to your piercer and check with them to make sure they gave you long enough jewelry. you may be experiencing more swelling than they anticipated.

...but i'm the text book example of what happens when you have worn too-short of jewelry in a lip piercing...it led to an infection and i had to remove it eventually...now i am left with an unsightly scar from where the gem of my labret pushed against my piercing. i don't want to scare you, but oral piercings should not be taken lightly! if you are worried about your labret, follow your instincts.

Alrighty, thanks so much both of you. (:

Kinda got a bit freaked out.

thankyouthankyouthankyou.

[Guest dying1004]

thank you liimegreeennnnnn =DD

[Guest serendipityxt]

ive been wanting to get a cartilage piercing but im kinda afraid to cause of all the infections and keloids people get from them T_T. so if i get a cartilage piercing and the area starts to get a little red and irritated, all i have to do is put sea salt or some stuff on it and it'll get better right? like it wont form a keloid? o_o and if something bad happens to it ill know right away cause it'll be obvious?

and once you do, you cant really sleep on that side of your head for awhile right?

like a year or so ago i got my first earlobe piercing at icing (cause i didnt know any other place that did it) and they made me purchase these idk gold plated sapphire earrings that cost like $40. do you think those are real? like i didnt really get enormous infections but it bled a bit the first month and now it's perfectly fine and i can wear any kind of earring o_o. would something like that be alright for my cartilage?

and when you get your cartilage pierced with a needle, what do they use? does it bleed? (no right? cause theres no blood vessels its just cartilage o.o)

is it REALLY bad if you get a cartilage piercing with a gun. i dont know any place that does it with a needle x-X. i looked at the certified piercing professionals site and the nearest place is .. like 30 miles away . would it be really obvious and bad for my health if my cartilage shattered? any long term effects? and would gun piercing ALWAYS shatter cartilage?

ahahah. sorry for the essay of questions but lol im kinda nervous =/. ive seen horrible pictures and lol. yeah. thanks in advance

[Guest すみ☆]

mmkay, well a standard earring like you are wearing IS 18g or 20g...i thought you said that that is the gauge you are wanting to be at? i'm a little confused. what gauge are you looking to stretch to?

Sorry, super late reply ;

Yeah the piercing is smaller than my other ones, but it can fit 18/20g earrings.

It feels a bit tighter, and it's harder to get in..that's about it. @w@;

I only wanted to stretch it because it bothers me knowing that one is smaller than the others >.>;

[Guest babyxtyp1cal]

i remember my very last piercing was done out of random.

i was drinking boba on a random day when i felt like i wanted to do something spontaneous.

i dragged my boyfriend out of tenrens and off to the piercing parlor we went.

that was my 7th piercing.

and then 2 months later my mom and my dad JUST realized that i had 7 piercings in total and they flipped.

today was a depressing day.

i got rejected from the college that i wanted to go to ..

so after hours of talking and crying about the only problem in my life,

i felt like i needed to do something again.. so i went and got my 8th piercing.

wait till my mom seee's that one

[Guest DongBangBoys]

I had a question~

I recently got my industrial piercing and for some reason the bar is cutting into my ear (the middle), will this heal up soon or should I do something about it?

[Guest dodo]

ive been wanting to get a cartilage piercing but im kinda afraid to cause of all the infections and keloids people get from them T_T. so if i get a cartilage piercing and the area starts to get a little red and irritated, all i have to do is put sea salt or some stuff on it and it'll get better right? like it wont form a keloid? o_o and if something bad happens to it ill know right away cause it'll be obvious?

and once you do, you cant really sleep on that side of your head for awhile right?

like a year or so ago i got my first earlobe piercing at icing (cause i didnt know any other place that did it) and they made me purchase these idk gold plated sapphire earrings that cost like $40. do you think those are real? like i didnt really get enormous infections but it bled a bit the first month and now it's perfectly fine and i can wear any kind of earring o_o. would something like that be alright for my cartilage?

and when you get your cartilage pierced with a needle, what do they use? does it bleed? (no right? cause theres no blood vessels its just cartilage o.o)

is it REALLY bad if you get a cartilage piercing with a gun. i dont know any place that does it with a needle x-X. i looked at the certified piercing professionals site and the nearest place is .. like 30 miles away . would it be really obvious and bad for my health if my cartilage shattered? any long term effects? and would gun piercing ALWAYS shatter cartilage?

ahahah. sorry for the essay of questions but lol im kinda nervous =/. ive seen horrible pictures and lol. yeah. thanks in advance

I guess it depends on your experience when you get pierced in regards to bleeding. For me I was fine and didn't bleed at all, but I did get a massive bump on my cartilage piercing that hasn't left me yet. My tragus however healed perfectly with no problems so I guess it just depends. I'm not sure with the blood vessel thing in the cartilage because with my bump when it stopped dischargin fluid I got worried and pierced the bump and blood came out...so I'm assuming since its part of the body it has blood flow? Anyway don't worry too much about keloids like liimegreen said its more common to get hypertrophic scarring. Also in regards to getting pierced by a gun its a risk you will have to take. I think its quite rare to have an ear collapse but it is possible from what you can see on the internet. Many of my friends get pierced with guns on their cartilage and they heal fine but its a possibility that COULD happen to you. IMO I reckon you should get it with needle; better to be safe then sorry right? Also the health of your ear is very important since its part of you so despite the distance you should always go to a reputable piercing place that pierces according to protocol, my piercer lives at least an hour from me on light traffic but they are awesome so I always go there. Also with your question about forming a bump, thats also something you will have to find out for yourself, everyones different. And also if you do pierce try to get it with surgical steel or titanium, I find them really good for healing. Sorry if my answer jumps around alot I don't really post more then one sentence on soompi and I'm pretty bad at typing replies.