Ear Piercing?

[PlaceofDis]

Do you know off the top of your head the "point of no return gauge," where your ear will no longer close up? I know there's a point where that happens, perhaps it's different person to person.

I think you can get lobe replacements if you want to go back to regular lobes, my friend did that two years ago if I remember correctly but the process looked creepy!

the point of no return to be on the safe side would be 2g or 4g for most people. you can have them 'sown up' later on if really desired.

It is in fact person to person.
But the rule of thumb is 0's are the PoNR.
Thats why Im stopping there. After that you can experience blowouts and tearing. "F" That.

you can experience blowouts and tearing along the way. and so long as any stretching is done properly, and with enough time in between you'll never have a problem. its all about education.

I think I can only get it done with a gun, and I don't know what gauge, just a normal ear piercing I guess, none of those holes, or circles or whatever. If it gets infected my parents will notice, I'll tell them, they'll get mad, and then leave me alone about it. Could you explain the gauge thing to me?

piercing gauges are measured the same way wire gauges are. so the smaller the number the smaller the hole. with a gun they will pierce you at 18g for the biggest. needles usually start at 16g since it is a safer size to be pierced at. .Andy is correct in saying that guns do cause more pain, more prone to infection and longer healing time. there is no way to sterilize the piercing gun, and all that they use to pierce you with is a sharply pointed earring. not the best method around. a clean, sterile needle will make the piercing less painful, quicker, and safer.

I saw a guy who went to 2inches! His left lobe blew out and tore. It was 2 dangly flaps, about and inch and half long hanging from his ear. Bleh.



Gauges are sizes, similiar to wire sizes found at Home Depot. The smaller the number, the bigger it is. Most start at 12, then go up by 2's
12 10 8 6 4 2 0
at 0 they go to 00
Then by inches

You can convert the gauges to inches if you prefer via google.

you really can go as large as you want, my piercer was at 2.5 inches i believe. for anyone interested this is a great measurement guide: link

This is technically professional I guess because my friend's sister works at an ear piercing place, but they do it with guns.

Update: So I just asked my mom about the ear piercing, she said no but didn't seem totally against it, she liked my friends piercings, and she didn't even notice them until I pointed them out, so I guess it would be easy to hide. But I am going to keep on asking her, then she will talk to my dad, if he says no, I'll wait until winter, where I always wear hoodies and hoods so I can cover it up.

at least here, the only places that use needles and do a 'professional' job are the places that are solely piercing studios/tattoo shops. the little places in the mall that are 'jewelry stores' use guns.

 

[spaceboots06]

.Andy is correct in saying that guns do cause more pain, more prone to infection and longer healing time. there is no way to sterilize the piercing gun, and all that they use to pierce you with is a sharply pointed earring. not the best method around. a clean, sterile needle will make the piercing less painful, quicker, and safer.

There's a professional studio in NYC, one of the few ones that are still around, and they offer to either give you the gun or use a needle when you have your ear pierced. The guns are small, disposable ones so I guess hygiene is preserved. You just can't get a stud done with a needle... I don't know why...

Edit: Also, I've been pierced twice with guns and many times with needles. They both hurt the same, and that level of hurt was near zero.

 

[ikermalli]

Yeah, my friend said he got his studs in with the sharp backs and they hurt to sleep on, so maybe it's better to go and get the needle piercings at a piercing salon. Do any of you know the normal cost of a needle piercing? I really need to a wait a bit though, my parents are getting me a Blackberry Tour soon and I don't want to mess up the opportunity.

 

[ikermalli]

Here is my conversation with my Mom (I was trying to be nice and respectful):

Me: Hey mom

Mom: Hey, what's up?

Me: Did you like Steve's (Best friend) piercings today?

Mom: No, not really, he had two ears done

Me: Oh, I thought they were nice

Mom: No, two ears is for girls and guys get hoops

Me: Oh, yeah hoops are cool, would you let me get one?

Mom: No

Me: Why not?

Mom: Because

Me: Is there a certain reason?

Mom: Yeah

Me: Oh, alright what is it?

Mom: It's bad

Me: Not really

Mom: Good Muslim boys don't get their ears pierced

Me: So are you saying I'm going to be bad if I get my ear pierced?

Mom: Yes

Me: Seriously?

Mom: Well, no, but it gives off a bad impression

Me: Oh I didn't think so

Mom: We'll talk about this later

I'll post the rest after I come back to the computer

EDIT: Okay here it is:

Me: Hey, thanks for the peach

Mom: No problem

Me: So you think it would give of a bad impression at mosque?

Mom: Everywhere

Me: People from Canada already know it's just a style

Mom: True, yeah just at mosque

Me: I could take it off there

Mom: Okay, well talk to your dad about this

Me: Alright, but I need you on my side, you always help me

Mom: I'm sort of iffy about this

Me: Okay

Me: Thanks for the peach again! *runs up to room to type this*

 

[gadgetgirl85]

I say get both ears it looks better. Symmetry is good

 

[ikermalli]

Does anyone know what those clear plastic things you can put in your ear are called?

The purpose is so that there is no earring but the hole is open, and you keep it there for a month to 6 weeks then you can put your normal earring in? (maybe even before?)

 

[designgeek]

I say get both ears it looks better. Symmetry is good

yes it is. I've had both my ears pierced twice, the first time they were pierced at 10g, didn't hardly hurt, now they're stretched to 1/2". the upper lobe piercing was done at an 8g and hurt like hell, I passed out in fact. Now those are stretched to 0g. After you get them pierced you absolutely should not take them out for a month, so no taking them out for a few hours a day every day. If your parents won't go for it I'd wait until you're 18 or out of the house.

 

[ikermalli]

yes it is. I've had both my ears pierced twice, the first time they were pierced at 10g, didn't hardly hurt, now they're stretched to 1/2". the upper lobe piercing was done at an 8g and hurt like hell, I passed out in fact. Now those are stretched to 0g. After you get them pierced you absolutely should not take them out for a month, so no taking them out for a few hours a day every day. If your parents won't go for it I'd wait until you're 18 or out of the house.

As I said above, I'm getting those clear plastic rods you can't see, then a month later I'll take it out and use my studs during school

 

[spaceboots06]

A retainer you mean? I'm afraid you can't have those in a new piercing.

 

[raf66]

Oh to be young again! You know what they say, "youth is wasted on the young."

25 years ago I secretly got my left ear pierced during my senior trip to the beach. Mom was ok, dad not so much. Haven't really worn an earring since.

I'm now an adult, have teenagers of my own and simply don't know what it is about kids that make them think that they need to "mark" themselves so as to stand out. At least with earrings you can (eventually) take them out. The tattooing thing is what cracks me up, especially the people that coat themselves in ink. They're basically making a statement that says, "I'm going to be self-employed someday, not because I necessarily want to but because I have no other choice with all this ink."

To each his own I guess. Talk to your dad and see if he would be ok with it as it sounds like your mom would be. If not, wait until you're out of the house and can make your own decisions.

 

[CHAOS STEP]

Is it really worth the hassle just to have a pretty little sparkly ear or two?

 

[PlaceofDis]

A retainer you mean? I'm afraid you can't have those in a new piercing.

indeed. they are called retainers. titanium or surgical stainless steel only while healing the former preferred.

 

[JLatte]

I got my left ear pierced as a regular gauge, stretched it to 00 and then started my right ear at a 6g hollow needle. OP, I highly recommend what a few other people mentioned and get your ear pierced with a needle by a professional piercer, and not use a gun. My left ear was done by a gun, the right ear was done by a professional. My left ear never completely closed up beyond 4-6g. That's probably based on how I stretched it, but I also remember initially it not healing as well as the right ear did much later on.

Also, you can make a saline solution with sea salt and water. Basically a gallon of water and 2 heaping tablespoons of sea salt, shake it up and soak your ear in it every night before going to bed, it's incredibly cheap, and it works wonders. Especially since you'll be removing them more often.

If you start to like them and want more concealable piercings, you could do your septum too. I have mine done, and whenever I have meetings or times that I need to look presentable or professional, I just tuck the ring into my nose. Just saying. Good luck!

By the way, if your dad does throw a fit, you can always just pull the whole "I'm still the same person, having a piercing doesn't change who I am, blah blah blah". Make sure you have a good laundry list of things you've done to help out around the house lately, etc.

 

[Tomorrow]

OP, you're thinking of getting your ear(s) pierced and taking them out for up to 8 hours a day?

My friend, please learn from my experience.

When I was a teenager - I think I was about 15, as well - I decided to get my ear pierced. (This was back in the day when guys just got one ear pierced; but that's neither here nor there.) I was going to be clever enough to take it out when my parents were around, then just wear it overnight and to school during the day.

Well, sir, after the first night, I took the thing out, and there was a gaping red hole in my earlobe where the earring had been. It wasn't infected, nor was it bleeding, but because of the swelling the hole was just about as large as the earring itself. And it was horribly painful to try to re-insert the earring.

Needless to say, my parents saw the holes almost immediately.

I'm not being a fuddy-duddy, but seriously - if your parents (BOTH of them) aren't okay with you doing this, then please don't. It's one of those ideas that sounds like you can pull it off, but trust me, you can't.

 

[ikermalli]

It seems like the retainer is what I am talking about. Why am I only allowed to have titanium or gold as my initial piercing?

No, not 8 hours a day, maybe 3, but that sounds extremely painful and not really worth it until I get the retainer or "clear plastic rod"

 

[ikermalli]

No one knows why I cannot use the retainer initially?

 

[benflick]

I first got my left ear done in elementary school (3rd grade I believe), then it got pulled out on the slide at recess.
Then like a few months later, I got my left ear pierced again. I stretched that to an 8g last year, Then a month ago, I went to the mall (Piercing Pagoda) and got my right one pierced. (Lobes).
After a week, I put an 8g taper through to get my right one to 8. I should have waited longer, but too bad. Now both are 8g with these really awesome black studs in them: (Two black, two silver) I love them, both pierced with guns. My right one hasn't healed yet.

 

[Tomorrow]

No one knows why I cannot use the retainer initially?

Retainers are not hypo-allergenic, and (aside from the plastic ones) they slowly corrode over time. That's a no-no inside a fresh wound.

The plastic ones can harbor cooties inside all the microscopic scratches and cracks.

Using a retainer - which is quite visible, BTW - before a piercing is healed is heading down the road to infection - which is even MORE visible.

 

[spaceboots06]

Retainers are not hypo-allergenic, and (aside from the plastic ones) they slowly corrode over time. That's a no-no inside a fresh wound.

The plastic ones can harbor cooties inside all the microscopic scratches and cracks.

Using a retainer - which is quite visible, BTW - before a piercing is healed is heading down the road to infection - which is even MORE visible.

I couldn't agree more; whenever I tried to hide something a clear / flesh colored retainer wouldn't get the job done, ever.

Also, to OP, I think retainers are porous, which means you shouldn't even be having them in your ear after the healed for extended amounts of time.

 

[designgeek]

Both times I had my ears done they were acrylic retainers from the get go and my lip started with and still has a bioplast base. Some people are allergic to any of the metals so IMO bioplast is the way to go, it's hypoallergenic.

 

[ikermalli]

How visible are the retainers? Yeah I was reading up on that, I thought it was called bioplex but I guess not, I thought they were only for lips and tongues though?

 

[spaceboots06]

How visible are the retainers? Yeah I was reading up on that, I thought it was called bioplex but I guess not, I thought they were only for lips and tongues though?

I don't want you to take offense when I say this, but you're being really hard headed. Your parents will find this. Your ear will become infected if you take the jewelry out and in each day. A retainer is not suitable for a new piercing.

Get your parent's permission. But, if they say no, and if you insist, go get it done behind their backs.

 

[ikermalli]

No offense taken, I know I'm pretty stubborn. I just wanted to see the retainer so I could make sure it was an okay idea. It's not okay so I'm not going to be getting a piercing... yet, but right now I'm taking care of my dad since he just got out of surgery and I'm trying extra hard so we will see if he says yes If not I'll wait for a while (they usually crack in a time period of 1-4 years except for TV in my room) until they say yes or until I'm 18 and can do whatever.

 

[cpit]

Do NOT take it out until a couple months have passed. Not worth the pain of putting it back it. Either keep it in or don't get it at all.

Another option you have is wearing a fake earring, with a magnet or clip that keeps it on. I wasn't allowed to get my ears pierced until I was a certain age, so I just used magnetic or clip earrings and no one could tell the difference. Not as convenient, but whatever.

On that note, my friend got the top of her wrist pierced (odd but cool) on a trip to France and her parent's still haven't noticed a year later. Once they asked what was on her wrist and she said it was a shiny sticker haha. Can't get away with that with most parents though.

 

[spaceboots06]

Do NOT take it out until a couple months have passed. Not worth the pain of putting it back it. Either keep it in or don't get it at all.

Another option you have is wearing a fake earring, with a magnet or clip that keeps it on. I wasn't allowed to get my ears pierced until I was a certain age, so I just used magnetic or clip earrings and no one could tell the difference. Not as convenient, but whatever.

On that note, my friend got the top of her wrist pierced (odd but cool) on a trip to France and her parent's still haven't noticed a year later. Once they asked what was on her wrist and she said it was a shiny sticker haha. Can't get away with that with most parents though.

Those have such a high rejection rate.