My Self-Piercing (materials and process and cost)
by Colleen
I hate spending money of piercings. It's just too expensive. So, for roughly $20, I had everything I needed for the piercing to be done at home. ________________________________________________________ Here's a list of everything I used: -18 gauge hollow sterile needle---------------------$5 -surgical steel studs(3)---------------------------$10 -Dial antibacterial soap bar(2 travel size)(gold)---$2 -Sterile gauze pads -91% alcohol----------------------------------------$3 -a container of sea salt (NO IODINE)----------------$3 -2 small glass bowls -small aluminum cooking sheet(for a sterile area) -cotton swabs and balls -fine tip marker -saline spray nasal rinse -new soap tray for Dial bar (note that anything I did not put a price next to was already available to me at home) ________________________________________________________ My process: - prep nose and spray saline rinse into nostril to clear sinuses - gather materials - wipe clean baking sheet down with alcohol - wash hands with dial - line sheet with gauze - place stud in bowl with alcohol onto baking sheet - use other bowl to make salt water cleaning solution also keep on baking sheet - prep nose inside and out with alcohol - set stud onto gauze to dry - Wash hands again with Dial - Open sterile needle and let the piercing begin. - once the needle is in, follow it right behind with the stud as you pull the needle through - Swab inside and out with sea salt water - DONE ________________________________________________________ While I experienced minimal pain, I DON'T RECOMMEND DOING THIS.(it isn't exactly safe in the first place) Piercings don't bother me, in fact, I enjoy getting pierced. But boy oh boy, you would not believe how much I shook. Its as though my body was going into shock and my every limb was trembling.I mean it, I SHOOK A LOT. It was an odd experience and I could not control the shaking. I was lucky to not have seriously screwed up the process. I bled for a minute or two, but not a lot. And afterword I took ibuprofen, kicked back, and did some deep breathing while I chilled my nerves. Ibuprofen keeps swelling down. ________________________________________________________ As for cleaning: -WASH HANDS WITH ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP FIRST. ALWAYS. - 2-3 times a day use a salt water soak (morning, evening blah blah blah... you get the idea) -when I'm in the shower, I use dial. -Also, here and there throughout the day, I'll spray some Saline nasal rinse up my nostril to keep the passage clear. -Clean inside and out! - keep makeup away from area -Cover with hypoallergenic tape before bed to prevent infection and to keep stud from popping out -try to touch the piercing area only with CLEAN hands, do not twist, do not take it out until it is fully healed. ________________________________________________________ ONE LAST TIP! I take extra vitamin C and Zinc Vitamin C helps your body's healing process Zinc helps fight bacteria It may aid in the healing/preventing infection process :) |