I want to get a piercing -- tell me about them!

[Red Barchetta]

Hey -- so I've decided I want to get a piercing...nothing too extreme (for now), but a simple ear piercing to start things off. I'm a dude, btw.

So, first, how much do these babies hurt? I can deal with pain, even if I can be a bit of a wuss. Secondly, what kind of rings are there, and what do you ladies think typically look best on guys (not that this will dictate what I get, but it's good to get a feel for it)?

Also, how long will the piercing hurt for? I have a motorcycle -- would I be able to wear my helmet soon after getting the piercing? Finally, how do I go abut finding a reputable place to get this done (as opposed to some places that dips the needles in aids first or something)?

[nikonikosuru]

I've got six piercings in my ear, all of which aren't in the cartilage but rather the usual skin flappy area. It only hurt when I was a child, but after my first pair, the others didn't hurt...I must have had 10 piercings all in all, including the repiercings for when the holes closed up. It itched more than hurt, to me. I had mine done at the piercing pagodas that you find in malls, never had any problems with them.

[BaneSidhe]

Go to a body piercer. Not only will they do a great job, you might just get the hankerin' for another one...or two...or three..

Your ear will sting a bit after the piercing and bleed a little, but you shouldn't have any trouble getting your helmet on afterwards. Make sure to follow the piercer's aftercare directions and you'll be fine.

[Red Barchetta]

Originally Posted by BaneSidhe

Go to a body piercer. Not only will they do a great job, you might just get the hankerin' for another one...or two...or three..

Thanks for the tip -- I found one in San Francisco that has nearly all perfect reviews. They mentioned though that they use a needle instead of a gun; is that truly better? Or does it even matter?

[BaneSidhe]

Originally Posted by Red Barchetta

Thanks for the tip -- I found one in San Francisco that has nearly all perfect reviews. They mentioned though that they use a needle instead of a gun; is that truly better? Or does it even matter?

YES, YES, YES.

A needle will punch a clean hole through the earlobe while the gun rips the tissue. You can't properly sterilize a piercing gun, while the needle is used once then discarded. I wish I'd had known about this when I was getting my ears done. I had nothing but trouble with them due to them being done with a gun, and now that I've been dealing with professional piercers, I know better. I just got my 5th piercing in my left ear, up in the cartilege while I was in Ottawa and it's already feeling better than any of the other holes in my ear did.

Good luck

[Red Barchetta]

Awesome - thats good to know BaneSidhe! Thanks and (nikonikosuru too) for the input

By the by, should I go for a hoop or a stud? And what might I expect to pay for either?

[Audrey Levins]

My only piercings are in my ears--one each--when I was 13, and it was the chain accessory store called Claire's (mall store) that did it.

They used the gun. And it was more startling than painful. They used the usual extra-thick studs to do it, and told me to apply Neosporin to them twice a day, front and back, and not to remove them for several weeks...

I don't recall any soreness or any reaction at all, really, other than the split-second sensation of someone poking me with something sharp. By the time you say "Ouch!" the pain is over already.

I should mention that I have no phobias concerning shots or needles, however.

[11811]

First the technical stuff:

You won't be getting this done with a piercing gun; the piercer will use a sterile needle (you'll see him or her pulling it out of a sterile envelope that they use for autoclaving) and a receiving tube. Your piercer will display a certificate in bloodborne pathogens and will be wearing disposable rubber gloves. You may see his/her membership in the Association of Professional Piercers. Everything used in the procedure will be laid out on a paper towel and will either be disposable (gloves, pen to mark the spot they're piercing) or sterilizable.

The shop will have a variety of jewelry available, but you will most likely get a captive-ball ring or a fixed ball ring. The CBR is a ring with a gap in it, and the gap receives a ball with two dimples. Tension holds the ball in place. The fixed ball ring has the ball welded to one end, and the piercer bends the ends together after inserting it into your piercing.

You'll be asked to take a deep breath and count to 3. On 3 you'll get pierced on the exhale. Your piercer has seen grown men that think it hurts big time, delicate women who don't even wince, and everything in between. So swear if you want to; it probably won't bother them.

It hurts pretty intensely for a minute or two, and then it may be sore afterwards. It likely won't bleed much or at all. You'll have to do daily or twice-daily after care for about 6 months, according to written instructions you will be given. You will probably not sleep on that side of your face for a while.

[Student Driver]

Originally Posted by 11811

The shop will have a variety of jewelry available, but you will most likely get a captive-ball ring or a fixed ball ring. The CBR is a ring with a gap in it, and the gap receives a ball with two dimples. Tension holds the ball in place. The fixed ball ring has the ball welded to one end, and the piercer bends the ends together after inserting it into your piercing.

I see a lot of people get curved barbells, too.

CBRs are good if you don't plan to change the jewelry out often (or ever). They're kind of a pain to put in and take out, though, especially if it's a lower, thicker gauge-- something the OP should consider if he wants to wear different things. (Then again, it's important to leave the jewelry in for a while as the pierce heals, so a difficult-to-remove CBR is a good way to enforce it.)

Any thought by the OP on the size of pierce he wants, or where in the ear it will be?

[Red Barchetta]

Originally Posted by Student Driver

Any thought by the OP on the size of pierce he wants, or where in the ear it will be?

I'm thinking on the earlope -- but there are different size piercing? Hmm, I'm not sure what size then; small?

[11811]

Originally Posted by Red Barchetta

I'm thinking on the earlope -- but there are different size piercing? Hmm, I'm not sure what size then; small?

You will probably get something between 20 and 12 gauge.

There's a chart on this page explaining gauge in terms of inches and millimeters. IIRC, when I had my right earlobe pierced, the guy used a dermal punch at 10 gauge. But generally, unless you ask, they'll probably give you a higher number (smaller thickness).

[cmyk]

When I got mine done, I just went into a Claire's in the mall, and had them gun some studs into my earlobes.* I waited the suggested 6 weeks, the forced some 14ga hoops into the tiny hole. That hurt more than the gun, and there was some superficial bleeding. I waited another month or so, and shoved some 12ga CBRs through my holes. All the while, I was taking the necessary cleaning and sterilizing steps to mitigate any infection. I think I might go up to 10ga, even though I'm happy with the thickness of the 12s.

*The pain wasn't that bad with the gun. It felt like someone chomping on my ear for a split second, rather than any stinging. It was over as soon as it started. My wife said I didn't even blink.

[Rachael Rage]

Having had both done to my ears, I 100% support 11811's recommendation of going to a reputable piercer who uses a needle. I had four piercings in my earlobes and one in my cartilage done with a gun and although eventually the lobes healed up fine (the cartilage never did), I was plagued with complications and infections for years before that, and I was very good about after-care. Or, I should say, I followed the instructions of the teenagers at the mall who did them, who - in retrospect - had no real clue what proper aftercare was. All of my needle-piercings (ear cartilage, nostril, belly-button) healed up much better, faster, and less painfully.

When a piercer explained to me what happens to the tissue with a gun vs. a needle, he took a piece of paper and shoved a pencil through it. Look at the back and the paper is a torn mess. Then he used a hole-punch on the same piece of paper. It removes a clean circle of paper leaving neat edges behind. Suddenly it made a whole lot of sense why a needle (the hole-punch) is a far better option than the gun (the pencil). So please, please, do not go anywhere near a mall-piercer with a gun. Just don't do it. To me it's like allowing the kid behind the counter at McDonald's to give you an apendectomy.

[Student Driver]

Originally Posted by 11811

You will probably get something between 20 and 12 gauge.

There's a chart on this page explaining gauge in terms of inches and millimeters. IIRC, when I had my right earlobe pierced, the guy used a dermal punch at 10 gauge. But generally, unless you ask, they'll probably give you a higher number (smaller thickness).

Do piercers still balk at doing anything thin? I had 14 gauge ear and tongue pierces, and (at the time), piercers use to claim anything thinner was like having a cheese slicer installed in your flesh, and a couple thought I should have had 12 in my tongue at minimum. 14 was nice and thin, and with a good snag, slice! Always struck me as a bit old-wives'-tale-esque, and in the decade I wore my tongue pierce, my only problems were chipped teeth.

Oh, in reference to the OP's question about jewelry costs, CBRs and barbells aren't too expensive. IIRC from a few years back, basic hardware is <$20, usually tossed in as part of the cost of the pierce. The last two times I bought 14 gauge curved barbells, I paid $10 or so. Specialty jewelry is more.

For overall pierce cost, there is (or was, circa 2000) a general feeling that one should tip your piercer, and I tipped $10 on a $50 fee that included jewelry. Some piercers will give you a little bottle of antiseptic cleaner, too.

[ralph124c]

I have a polo shirt which has magnets in the collar-instead of buttons. It gave me an idea-could you place small magnets under the skin-the, you could stick things on your skin, without piercing-has anyone tried this?

[cmyk]

Originally Posted by ralph124c

I have a polo shirt which has magnets in the collar-instead of buttons. It gave me an idea-could you place small magnets under the skin-the, you could stick things on your skin, without piercing-has anyone tried this?

I just use glue.

[Antinor01]

I've had both ears pierced (one of them twice), cartilage, tongue and naval. The most painful was cartilage, then ear. Naval and tongue I barely felt.

Ear piercings heal pretty quickly if you take proper care of them.

[11811]

Originally Posted by Student Driver

Do piercers still balk at doing anything thin? I had 14 gauge ear and tongue pierces, and (at the time), piercers use to claim anything thinner was like having a cheese slicer installed in your flesh, and a couple thought I should have had 12 in my tongue at minimum. 14 was nice and thin, and with a good snag, slice! Always struck me as a bit old-wives'-tale-esque, and in the decade I wore my tongue pierce, my only problems were chipped teeth.

Oh, in reference to the OP's question about jewelry costs, CBRs and barbells aren't too expensive. IIRC from a few years back, basic hardware is <$20, usually tossed in as part of the cost of the pierce. The last two times I bought 14 gauge curved barbells, I paid $10 or so. Specialty jewelry is more.

For overall pierce cost, there is (or was, circa 2000) a general feeling that one should tip your piercer, and I tipped $10 on a $50 fee that included jewelry. Some piercers will give you a little bottle of antiseptic cleaner, too.

I'm pretty sure my first piercings with a needle (both in the cartilage) were done at 20 gauge.

Good point in mentioning tipping. You want your piercer to be glad to see you when you come back for another piercing.

My understanding with aftercare is that, as with tattoos, there are several options. A reputable shop will recommend a good aftercare regimen and/or warn against poor choices (Bactine and betadine are out, IIRC) and also provide approximate healing times, which differ for the various anatomical locations. The shop I go to recommends warm salt water soaks.

For anything with threaded parts that screw together (like a barbell), make sure that the jewelry is internally threaded. This minimizes or prevents the threads from contacting and irritating the pieircing.

The shop I go to also has a frequent piercing card so that the 5th one is free (but not the jewelry).

[Freudian Slit]

I got my ear piercings done with a gun (not in a mall, but in a pretty classy upper east side type jewelery store), and I never had any trouble with infections. They weren't even all that sore after the first day or so...I never really got the supposed benefits of using a needle. Maybe it would've been different if it was some random Claire's type store in a mall, huh?

Incidentally, they told me I could take the gold studs out after about two weeks. I waited for about a month to be safe with my first piercing and I still have my second piercings in--I'll probably wait another week before I change that one.

[bubble pop electric]

Get at least 14 gauge. Anything else is effeminate. Unless that's what you're going for, of course.

[Mirror Image egamI rorriM]

Originally Posted by ralph124c

I have a polo shirt which has magnets in the collar-instead of buttons. It gave me an idea-could you place small magnets under the skin-the, you could stick things on your skin, without piercing-has anyone tried this?

Magnetic implants. However, you can't stick things to them long-term, because the pressure between the magnet and the object causes the tissue in between to die.

[Red Barchetta]

Well, I got it done. It's just a small stud in my left lobe for now. I think it looks cool.

Originally Posted by bubble pop electric

Get at least 14 gauge. Anything else is effeminate. Unless that's what you're going for, of course.

Hmm, I got whatever "normal" is.

[Red Barchetta]

By the way, thanks all for the responses.

I'm also surprised by how little the piercing hurt.

[BaneSidhe]

Yay!!

[atomicbadgerrace]

Originally Posted by Red Barchetta

Well, I got it done. It's just a small stud in my left lobe for now. I think it looks cool.

Hmm, I got whatever "normal" is.

Yay! I went through a piercing phase a few years back; I ended up with the 4 I have now. My earlobe is an 18ga, eyebrow and tongue are 14ga, as is my PA.

I don't like gauging. I think it looks stupid and foolish. YMMV, of course, but the important part is to be happy with what you get!

[chaoticbear]

Add that to the list of things I didn't know. I didn't even know you could *get* a PA in 14 gauge. When I got mine they told me 10g was on the small end of the scale.

[atomicbadgerrace]

Originally Posted by chaoticbear

Add that to the list of things I didn't know. I didn't even know you could *get* a PA in 14 gauge. When I got mine they told me 10g was on the small end of the scale.

Heh. I thought the 14ga looked better than anything larger. IME, piercers have commonly tried to talk me up, so to speak, to getting something larger than what I like. I didn't ask for the 14, though, it was just what was offered.

[BaneSidhe]

Originally Posted by atomicbadgerrace

I don't like gauging. I think it looks stupid and foolish. YMMV, of course, but the important part is to be happy with what you get!

I've seen only one or two people who have gagued up their ears that looked all right. Some of the plugs I've seen people with are gorgeous, though, esp. the ones made out of semiprecious stones.

As for PA's and the like...HOW DO YOU MEN DO THAT?!?

[11811]

Originally Posted by bubble pop electric

Get at least 14 gauge. Anything else is effeminate. Unless that's what you're going for, of course.

Funny, I think anything smaller than 6 gauge looks funny. I have orbitals in my cartilage done at 12 gauge, but you can't change gauges with orbitals because there are two interdependent holes.

[exclamation!]

Originally Posted by atomicbadgerrace

I ended up with the 4 I have now.

Haha woah, I read that as 41! That's what I get for skimming. I used to have 8, and felt pretty hole-y. I imagine you'd start running out of places after about 30 or so.

[chaoticbear]

Originally Posted by BaneSidhe

I've seen only one or two people who have gagued up their ears that looked all right. Some of the plugs I've seen people with are gorgeous, though, esp. the ones made out of semiprecious stones.

As for PA's and the like...HOW DO YOU MEN DO THAT?!?

The PA was fine. It's just a thin band of skin, and it's over in no time. Don't even talk to me about the nipples. The pain from those were probably worse than all my other piercings combined. (The PA is retired now, though). My only other genital piercing is a cute scrotal one that I did myself. Not in the "I'm so hardcore I'm going to grab a safety pin and poke" kind of way, but in the "I want to give myself a piercing because I can" kind of way with sterile equipment and everything. Painwise, it was a breeze. Technique-wise, well, I oopsied and took off the clamps before the jewelry insertion. Inserting a ring into a big floppy ball sac is hard, even trying to use proper needle-following technique.

Also, I think most people can pull off anything up to about a 0g, unless they just look like tools to begin with. Past that is where I start getting underwhelmed. It's night time right now, or I'd take a good picture of the plugs I have in right now, but here's a crappy picture that someone took with my phone one day. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...3/IMG_0120.jpg

(they're rainbow dichroic glass, but you can't really tell in the picture. Now on to the pictures of everyone's PA I say!)

[The Chao Goes Mu]

So getting a piercing in the upper ear through the cartilege is pretty painful? I thought about getting one there but haven't decided yet.

[Dinsdale]

I guess I'm too late to recommend from my experience that you make sure your GF pushes the needle all the way through, and not just the point, so that by the time the ice cube numbness has worn off you aren't essentially making the hole by shoving the post of the stud through your lobe.

[WhyNot]

Originally Posted by The Chao Goes Mu

So getting a piercing in the upper ear through the cartilege is pretty painful? I thought about getting one there but haven't decided yet.

It's not...unpainful. But it's not oh-god-kill-me-now painful, either. Mostly it was hot. And, in fact, I embarrassed myself by sort of dazedly looking at the ceiling and murmuring to my piercer "Mmmmm....this is really hot!" I meant temperature wise, but it came out sounding all sexed like.

I've had some itching and soreness with mine (done in November, on the side I prefer to sleep on), but nothing that's made me regret it. The only thing I'm not crazy about is that the back, which is a flat piece of metal, doesn't lie flat on the back of my ear - which means when I brush my hair, or put on sunglasses or things like that, it sometimes snags and tears open a bit, and then needs a few days to heal again. I think I built up a little bit of scar tissue in a bump on the back of my ear preventing a close fit. I'm thinking of trying a switch to a hoop to see if it's better - I think he said I could switch out the jewelry at the beginning of May, so maybe it's time for a visit.

[lisacurl]

Yeah, I was a little surprised at how much my upper ear cartilage piercing hurt, I guess because my only frame of reference was an earlobe piercing. At the time, it was a short sharp pinch of pain and the sound was startling, a sort of moist crunch noise. That was it, I figured. Then I turned my head on that side as I slept that night... OW!!! It hurt like a bad bruise when touched or jostled for quite a few weeks, and it seemed to take a while to heal. No infections or anything, but I was scrupulous about after care. I've twice had the ring catch on hairbrushes and be pulled out since then, but only once did it cause any bleeding.

[Antinor01]

Originally Posted by The Chao Goes Mu

So getting a piercing in the upper ear through the cartilege is pretty painful? I thought about getting one there but haven't decided yet.

Mine hurt enough (and ended up infected) that I would never consider a cartilage piercing ever again.

[Red Barchetta]

By the way, now that I have this piercing, how best do I take care of it? The pamphlet they gave me suggested soaking it in sea salt twice a day, then putting some kind of anti-bacterial liquid on it (is liquid hand soap okay?).

But beyond that, I've heard contrary opinions as to whether the barbell should be rotated or not. Some say it helps prevent the ear from healing into the barbell, while others say it can cause scar tissue and infection by "dragging the crusties" though it. What's the straight dope on this?

Also, should I use hydrogen peroxide to help clean it?

[exclamation!]

Originally Posted by Antinor01

Mine hurt enough (and ended up infected) that I would never consider a cartilage piercing ever again.

Agreed. I had my nose pierced, and as I was getting it done I made myself a mental note to remember- "This is the most fucking pain I've ever been in!". If I hadn't thought that (and remembered after the piercing-induced andrenalin euphoria wore off), I would've had it redone by now. I can't even remember what the pain was like, just that I never, ever want to experience it again.

[qubed]

Originally Posted by Red Barchetta

Thanks for the tip -- I found one in San Francisco that has nearly all perfect reviews. They mentioned though that they use a needle instead of a gun; is that truly better? Or does it even matter?

Did you go to Body Manipulations? I really like them.

[Red Barchetta]

Originally Posted by qubed

Did you go to Body Manipulations? I really like them.

You found me out -- great place. People were cool

[BaneSidhe]

Originally Posted by Red Barchetta

By the way, now that I have this piercing, how best do I take care of it? The pamphlet they gave me suggested soaking it in sea salt twice a day, then putting some kind of anti-bacterial liquid on it (is liquid hand soap okay?).

You can also use the saline solutions that come in spray cans to use with rinsing contact lenses. I've used that lately because I can't find the stuff I used with my nose piercing the first time [H2Ocean]. I've also found spray formula saline solution in the first aid area of the drugstore, it's called "wound wash."

Antibacterial hand soap is perfect for washing piercings. Just make sure you rinse the area well and that you wash your hands well before messing with your piercing.

But beyond that, I've heard contrary opinions as to whether the barbell should be rotated or not. Some say it helps prevent the ear from healing into the barbell, while others say it can cause scar tissue and infection by "dragging the crusties" though it. What's the straight dope on this?

Also, should I use hydrogen peroxide to help clean it?

PEROXIDE IS A NO NO. Absolutely no no. It will irritate the living crap out of the healing skin.

Rotating the barbell? Hmm. I'd call the person that did your piercing and ask. I was told with my eyebrow to CAREFULLY wiggle it a tiny bit while washing it but not to go jerking it all over creation.

Now I wanna go out and get another hole in my ear!!

[Dinsdale]

All I ever did was wipe it with a little isopropyl on a cotton ball and twist the stud daily - no problems. But maybe I was just young, stupid, and lucky.