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Cartilage Piercing


Totus Tuus

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I am sure you guessed it... I'm looking for firsthand experiences of ear cartilage piercing. I'm thinking of getting mine done tomorrow. I want to get the lower part of the cartilage (not where most people have theirs done, but further down towards the lobe).

You hear the threat of getting paralyzed thrown around a lot but that doesn't seem to be a legitimate concern. Also, I have read about some people who swear it's bad to have it done with a gun instead of a needle (I prefer a gun because I don't want to go to a piercing shop, just the mall).

Any input?

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I tried it in college briefly.

It hurt like ... well, a lot. Much worse than the lobe piercing. And, it took a long time to heal. In fact, it never did. I gave it three weeks, and then took it out and let it grow in.

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Marie-Therese

OK, you don't want to hear this, but DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES get a cartilage piercing with a gun. Please. I beg you.

First of all, ear piercing guns work on the concept of forced displacement. They don't punch a hole so much as they just jam an object through to make a hole. In fleshy lobes, it's not so big a deal. In cartilage, however, the tension of the cartilaginous tissue makes forced displacement a bad idea. In order to get a clean, well healed piercing, you need to use at least a 14 gauge autoclave sterilized needle, so that it can punch out that small amount of flesh and cartilage and leave a clean wound to heal.

Btw, I am an RN and I also used to be a piercer, so please take my advice. :) For aftercare, don't listen to what anyone tells you. Wash it thoroughly with Dial antibacterial soap, rinse well, and keep the piercing turned several times daily.

As for nerve damage, there are other piercings with that potential but none in the ears. :)

Let me know if you have any other questions!

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I always say if someone is willing to pay another to poke a hole in their flesh leaving a permanent wound, they deserve what they get! Then again I am just an old fluffy air extraction, out of touch with todays values, in my day if we wanted to see tattooed and peirced people we had to pay to get into the circus. [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/lol_grin.gif[/img]

ed

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MissScripture

[quote name='Marie-Therese' date='17 July 2010 - 11:33 PM' timestamp='1279424019' post='2144224']
OK, you don't want to hear this, but DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES get a cartilage piercing with a gun. Please. I beg you.

First of all, ear piercing guns work on the concept of forced displacement. They don't punch a hole so much as they just jam an object through to make a hole. In fleshy lobes, it's not so big a deal. In cartilage, however, the tension of the cartilaginous tissue makes forced displacement a bad idea. In order to get a clean, well healed piercing, you need to use at least a 14 gauge autoclave sterilized needle, so that it can punch out that small amount of flesh and cartilage and leave a clean wound to heal.

Btw, I am an RN and I also used to be a piercer, so please take my advice. :) For aftercare, don't listen to what anyone tells you. Wash it thoroughly with Dial antibacterial soap, rinse well, and keep the piercing turned several times daily.

As for nerve damage, there are other piercings with that potential but none in the ears. :)

Let me know if you have any other questions!
[/quote]
You sound just like my Mom! (She's an RN, as well) :))

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Marie-Therese

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' date='18 July 2010 - 12:06 AM' timestamp='1279426011' post='2144240']
You should try piercing your tail. Hardly anybody does that- you'd be unique!
[/quote]

A friend of mine, who was sort of an avante garde piercer (quite famous in that scene), developed a highly controversial technique where he pierced his own uvula. I don't lie. I saw him do some crazy stuff. He is an awesome human, though. :)

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dominicansoul

[quote name='Marie-Therese' date='18 July 2010 - 02:22 AM' timestamp='1279434127' post='2144306']
A friend of mine, who was sort of an avante garde piercer (quite famous in that scene), developed a highly controversial technique where he pierced his own uvula. I don't lie. I saw him do some crazy stuff. He is an awesome human, though. :)
[/quote]
how? why? .... :twitch:

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Marie-Therese

[quote name='Resurrexi' date='18 July 2010 - 02:23 AM' timestamp='1279434225' post='2144308']
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_YR4dKArgo[/media]
[/quote]

Cut it out, Rex. <_<

[quote name='dominicansoul' date='18 July 2010 - 02:26 AM' timestamp='1279434393' post='2144312']
how? why? .... :twitch:
[/quote]

Just google 'Jon Cobb uvula piercing' and you can read about it. He's a complicated dude. :lol:

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The helpful information I've gathered: using a gun won't heal as well as using a needle. My sister used a gun and hers healed perfectly fine, so I am still weighing that for the lack of desire to go to a tattoo parlor. Claire's in the mall sounds much more inviting to me ;)

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OnlySunshine

I went to a tattoo parlor when I was 22 to have my ear cartilage pierced. It was quite the experience. I wanted it done as safely as possible so I researched reputable parlors in my area that do autoclaving and piercing with a hollow needle--not a gun. I found one that was right down the street from me and I went with my mom. It was the first time either of us had ever been in a tattoo parlor before and it was interesting. But it was done properly, as the guy who did it used a 16 gauge hollow needle that was sterile and autoclaved and also used a titanium ring (however, I wished he had used a stud). It was kind of painful when the needle was first pressed to the ear, and I heard a popping noise, but it was over pretty quickly. My ear was red hot afterward and painful to the touch for awhile, but I took some Advil and it lessened the pain.

I first used Dial foaming soap to clean it, but I don't like that stuff at all. I decided, after some heavy research, to use [url="http://www.blairex.com/WoundWashSaline.php"]Blairex sterile saline wound wash[/url] found at any drugstore to clean it and it worked a lot better! I didn't have to touch the piercing to clean it which meant less germs. ;)

However, about 2 years later, I developed a keloid around the piercing site that was quite irritating and I decided to remove the piercing and let it heal. I haven't tried to reopen the hole, but I can still feel the hole in my cartilage when I touch it.

http://www.body-piercing.com.au/body_piercing_guide/ear_cartilage_piercing_guide.htm

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I have 4 and I'm planning for at least two more next week. Right now I have an industrial, a helix and a conch.

* Go to a reputable piercer that does it with a needle. No gun, no hairdresser. With cartilage piercings this is especially important, as it doesn't have the same ability to fight infection as the lobe.

* Did it hurt? nah not a lot. The initial piercing didn't hurt. But the wind was blowing when i got outside once and that, my friend, was horrible. It hurt a little afterwards, but it wasn't unbearable.

* Think about jewelery. Many piercers put a CBR on the location you described. I had one in my helix and it flips up and down, so I kind of wished they had used a barbell.

* My healing time was longer due to the flipping thing, I'm sure. Hot showers and salt water spray help. The healing part hurt a little, especially when it was bumped. I'd say 1 month maybe. My industrial took the longest by far, conch the second longest, and the helix the shortest(If you only count the cartilage ones, I have lobe ones too.)

Just ask if you have more questions, peace out.

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Nihil Obstat

I really love hydrogen peroxide. I love it as much as the old Greek guy in My Big Fat Greek Wedding loves Windex. I bet h202 would help keep the site clean. ^_^

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