So You Want a DIY Piercing?

So you're thinking about a getting a new piercing? You're thinking a lip ring would look good, or maybe a cute nose ring because that one girl you saw at wal mart had one. You really, really, REALLY want one, but don't want to the pay price to get it done at a shop.
I would first and foremost like to say I do NOT recommend piercing yourself if you have no experience or training and are just doing it at home without taking necessary steps in precaution. That is why people take their time in learning and getting licensed to do piercings. I do know however (as I myself have gone through the periods/phases of REALLY wanting a piercing at a much cheaper price than shop prices) that no matter what a licensed professional, myself, or anyone else says there are people out there who are so dead set and determined to be pierced and will do it at home by themselves or a friend or someone else who pierces everyone and so on...So I am writing this blog to help those who will be receiving a do it yourself piercing practice safer methods and hopefully promote why getting a professional to do the piercing is so much easier in the long run. Like I said though, no matter what, there will always be people who choose doing it themselves. Which brings us to the blog...

SO YOU WANT A DIY PIERCING?

Do it yourself piercings make me hold my head and go errrgh!!! But I have done them myself on multiple occasions. Usually whenever my parents didn't want to give me consent to get them professionally done. So lets start there. If your parents are NOT willing to give their consent and you are under the age of 18 (unless your local shop has a different age of consent) I do no recommend or condone piercing yourself. If anything, before you just do it, I suggest trying to convince them why the piercing is okay, or why you think you should be allowed to have the piercing etc. etc. I will discuss how to convince your parents to let you have a piercing in another blog later on.
I did all of my facial piercings other than my microdermal which was done at a shop. My venoms were also done at a shop. I've had my canines pierced time and time again, and there is plenty of scare tissue that had built up, so when I finally repierced them this last time, I used a 13.5g needle to accommodate my 14g studs on my angel bites, and the snakebites are 16g. My septum is a 16g, and my nostril are pierced at a 22g. ((I did study at a tattoo parlor where I learned how to perform piercings/about cross contamination/sterilization of tools)).

So what I recommend doing first if you're going to pierce yourself is to make a check list of the appropriate tools required, an effective method of sterilization, and proper instructions for aftercare of the piercing. I cannot stress enough how unsafe it is to use a "safety" pin for piercing yourself, or using a needle that is not appropriately packaged. There are several places online to buy sterilized packaged needles, and even at a local tattoo/piercing store or kiosk. Buy the disposable, inexpensive clamps if you are not willing to put forth a little more money for the metal ones.
NEVER RE-USE NEEDLES ((OR CLAMPS THAT ARE NOT PROPERLY AND I MEAN PROPERLY STERILIZED))

Since it's an at home piercing, I cannot stress enough how important it is that everything is sterile. Do not use needles that are not packaged upon purchase as they are likely not sterile. Piercings are different, and sometimes piercings sold at kiosks or shopping malls etc. are not pre-packaged. It is essential that you soak these in rubbing alcohol to rid them of germs and bacteria that may be on the metal. Make sure your clamps are clean also.

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING UNHOLY WEAR GLOVES!!!

Even cosmetic gloves sold at little beauty shops will do. Wash your hands before anything and properly dry them but I do suggest wearing gloves. You can even order boxes of "piercing/medical" gloves online for super cheap.

All the jewelry ((Excluding microdermal)) seen here was purchased at a small shop in my town for 10$. Yep, ten whole dollars, WHAT?! The needles for all jewelry...5$. The box of 100 extra small gloves that I use anytime I pierce myself...8$. The clamps I use for myself...12$. So it's really all within a reasonable budget. All about 35$, which in my town is about the base charge of a single piercing at a parlor in my town. While I understand it is cheaper to do it yourself, the risk can be far greater. If you don't believe me, just look up infected piercings.

Before anyone brings it up, I would just like to say, sometimes a shop does a piercing that gets infected and whether it is the shops piercer's fault or the after care of the piercee it is not a beautiful thing. Not all DIY piercings end in infections. Just to be clear.

Aftercare of piercings varies depending where it is located obviously. So I won't go over that in this blog. Prior care to piercings, meaning the proper sterilization of the area about to be stabbed is important however. If you are a female...CLEAN OFF ALL MAKEUP FROM THE AREA. Shower first, or use a good makeup remover and clean clean clean the area. Afterwards, run over it with an alcohol swab. Make sure it is clean of any makeup, dirt, or whatever else like sweat.
Boys...pretty much the same goes for you. Clean the area thoroughly and rid yourself of any dirt or sweat or makeup or whatever you wear.

If it is an oral piercing then please rinse your mouth with an alcohol based mouth wash for 30 seconds. Don't be nasty.

I do recommend using clamps instead of just stabbing yourself in the face or wherever and using your fingers to hold the skin. I know clamps are poopy and uncomfortable but please bite the bullet and use them.
I don't suggest piercing friends especially without prior experience, knowledge, or know-how. People are trained and get paid to do this. Infections can occur and they suck.

I don't really have Q&A for this one. I tend to let people ask me on their own about this subject. With that being said, if you have any questions about DIY piercings, feel free to email me at catacatlysmic@live.com and follow my new YoutTube channel where I will post videos about my blog/life/tattoos,piercings and the like!!


YOUTUBE CHANNEL

HOW TO PIERCE YOURSELF VIDEO

Its not fancy or nothing yet so don't laugh >:|

Like I said though, if you are about to pierce yourself or someone else and have any questions about any part of the process ((healing, aftercare, prior care, clamps, needles, hoopblah)) please email and don't be afraid to ask!!! Thanks to all the people who read my blog! I appreciate it! I will be making a video going over this blog soon! :)

-michelle

My Microdermal(s) and Accidental Hiatus

Sorry for being gone for so long. Don't be mad, instead enjoy a picture of my hairy, curled up pussweh.

Okay, so sorry for the long accidental hiatus. What I mean by accidental is I totally forgot to check my email related to this blog, as well as I forgot having the blog all together. Until recently, I was quite busy with work and school, a little bit of life on the side, I just completely forgot that I was chronicling my piercing journey. Just a couple of days ago I got asked about all my piercings while walking around the mall and it reminded me hey! I totally was blogging over that very subject like a year ago. So here I am, reading through the several emails that I received and completely forgot to answer ((SORRY SORRY SORRY)), and noticing that my blog got a pretty decent amount of views in the year I was away. 

With that being said (or typed), I also decided I would start VLOGGING to go along with my blog and hopefully it will help me keep track of my actual blog better. So once I start my Youtube Channel and all that good stuff I will link my videos in my blog and link my blog in my videos. :D

Anyway, it's time to get back to the point of this post.

MY MICRODERMAL(S)

So if you're thinking about getting a microdermal (sorry for the crappy close up I had to crop), here is the best advice I can give you about the actual piercing, the healing time, the two different ways I've had it pierced (and the first ones removal), and the cleaning/after care.

I unfortunately don't have pictures of when I first got my microdermal, but I will put what few pictures I do have where you can actually see the piercing and my hair isn't in the way. 

So microdermals, also referred to as dermal anchors, are piercings that do not have an entrance and an exit. What I mean by that is that it hooks into place (thus being an anchor) and only requires one puncture wound. The nifty part about dermal anchors is you can get them practically anywhere on your body. Near the eye, on the clavicle (collar bones), nape of the neck, hips, back or wherever else your little heart desires. 

I think these are fabulous piercings, not high maintenance and pretty subtle. The piercing process is relatively fast if your piercer decides to biopsy punch  rather than use the bevel of the needle to create the space in which the piercing will sit. I have had two microdermals, each done by a different piercer, and have experienced both of these methods. 

(If you have experienced a dermal anchor another way that is also effective I would love to hear about it! [:)

In short, I prefer biopsy punch and will explain why as soon as I go over the other method and why I didn't feel it was quite as efficient nor would I recommend it. The bevel of a needle, for those of you who are wanting an anchor as a first piercing and have no prior piercings or experience with them, is the sharp point of the hollow needle. When getting a microdermal done this way, the piercer uses the bevel of the needle (not the whole needle) to create a pocket, basically, in your skin. Roughly half of the bevel is used to create this pocket, not the whole bevel in my experience. The piercer will create a T-shape, as that is how dermal anchors look.

(On a side note before I continue; There are a few places I have come across that are starting to use jewelry for the dermal anchors that are more T-shaped with both sides of the anchor being equivalent in length instead of one short side. It has come to my attention that these are to try and help the piercings from migrating and rejecting from some people's skin.)

Once the pocket is created the piercer will work the anchor into place and kind of give it a little twist until it POPS! into the correct position! The only reason I highly recommend biopsy punching as opposed to this method is because with biopsy punching its not as much trauma (in my opinion), less likely to bruise if you have sensitive skin, and I feel the healing time is faster and the soreness afterwards is substantially less.

I took out my first dermal due to professional reasons and I removed it myself. I do not recommend removing your own dermal if you have no experience with piercings and the care they require to not receive infection. If you have a microdermal you want removed I highly suggest going to your original piercer (or another trained professional) and having them remove it for you with proper instructions on aftercare.

With my second one, as I will show you below in a selfie, I got the amazing biopsy punch!

This is many months after receiving it and it being perfectly healed. I did not receive it on the same side as my last. Moving on, the initial piercing time, healing time, and soreness of the piercing was a thousand times faster, better, and easier than the first. A biopsy punch, for those of you who don't know, is basically a hole punch for your skin. For dermals, since they are really tiny piercings, the biopsy punch is not large. If you question what they look like I will post a picture below as soon as I am done describing them for those who are curious. It is, like I said, a hole punch for skin instead of paper. Your piercer will inform you about them if you have any other questions, but to get the big question of how does it work out of the way...

the circular bottom of the tool is very, razor, sharp. It only takes a little bit of effort on the professional's side, a few little twists and BOOM! A little chunk of your skin is removed in no time, allowing for your piercer to have easy access when placing your dermal anchor. 

This was the fastest part of the piercing for me, while setting it only took a hair longer. The piercer does have to set it properly, usually feeling a little click (you'll probably feel it too). 

The first piercer that did my dermal said biopsy punches created too much open space, causing the piercing to be more susceptible to infection, but I feel as long as you clean them properly you should be just fine and your piercer will give you specific instructions on care. Just follow them properly like I said. 

The healing time on this piercing, I would say was roughly two weeks for me. I estimate that by the piercings soreness, the time it took for the crusties to go away, and just the overall feeling of me not having to clean the piercing twice a day. When you first get a dermal done, you will be careful to not wash or dry your face roughly when cleaning your makeup (if you're a girl) and showering, and to not lay on the side where it is pierced for a little while. Cleaning with sea salt spray on a Q-tip, or getting a little cup of water with sea salt and running it over the piercing is a gentle and effective way to clean the piercing and get rid of the crusties that form. Like I said your piercer will really recommend the proper way for you to clean it. I do HIGHLY recommend after it is healed to clean it thoroughly at least once a week. The dead skin, dirt, and whatever else is on your face will buildup around the stud and stinks like ear cheese if you don't clean it. :x

Overall, this has been my experience with both of my dermal anchors, how I would recommend caring for them and how I cared for mine, and the best advice I can give about wanting one and how the whole process of pierce time to heal time goes!!

Now for Q&A

Q; Does a biopsy punch hurt more than a bevel?

A; In my opinion not one bit. I think all piercings pain level depends on the pain tolerance the person receiving it has. I'd rather be biopsy punched and the pain be quick and simple than have a needle consistently dug into my face.

Q; How do they set the anchor?

A; Your piercer will twist and wiggle the piercing until they feel what seems like a little "click" letting them know the piercing is place. It does tug on the skin a little and for me has been the longest part of the piercing, and it usually doesn't take more than a minute.

 Q; What does migrating or rejecting mean?

A; Sometimes, even when a piercing is done correctly, the body/skin does not accept the piercing and will cause it to migrate or move closer to the surface of the skin. This is your body rejecting the piercing. If this starts happening I highly suggest a visit to your piercer.

Q; Can you change the top of the jewelry?

A; Yes! The tops typically screw off the anchor and can be replaced with new studs!

Q; Do you recommend any part of the body over another part for this piercing?

A; Absolutely not. Your body, your rules. I think dermals anywhere are cute.

Q; Mine wiggles a little bit, is that normal or safe?

A; I have had no problems with mine wiggling around. Unless it is to the point where the anchor inside your skin is wiggling like a loose tooth, I wouldn't feel to worried. But if you are greatly concerned a call to the tattoo parlor can't be bad!

If you have anymore questions or if I haven't helped you decide if you want one or not, please feel free to email me at catacatlysmic@live.com, or follow me on instagram @catacatlysmics! I will start linking my youtube channel to this blog and will start linking my blog to my channel, where I will go over all three of my post again in a video and hopefully be more descriptive and answer anymore questions you guys have!! Again, I greatly apologize for slacking and not responding to the emails I had received. SO SORRY :,[ 

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!! :D

-Michelle.