Belated cheek piercing diary

I had my cheeks pierced on the 28th December 2009, and had the full intent of posting a diary. That idea kinda died. But I’ll post it up anyways.

Before
Few emails about cheeks piercing, horrific healing, jewellery etc. Going for PTFE with PTFE balls on the inside, bit worried about my massive broken tooth; don’t want to break it again.

 

Day 0 - that evening, already swelling

 

Day 00 (28.12.09)
Piercing
So after some faffing around, I ended up going for metal barbells with metal balls, as opposed to the planned PTFE. I’ll just have to careful. His supplier is closed from Christmas till after New Year, neither of us was banking on that. (He’s also nearly out of needles). Free downsizes, and I don’t mind seeing him a few extra times *wink*. Hurt quite a bit, but not horrific. Feels awkward, hard to smile. I look pretty damn ridiculous, they look about 10mm too long, but I’m sure I’ll make use of the extra space.
Got new mouthwash, new saline, and a whole lot of ibuprofen. I’m going to be dosed up on the latter for a while I think… The prospect of healing is a bit intimidating. The piercer’s story of his ex’s embedded cheek piercing (that he didn’t do), really isn’t helping.
A few hours later, and I’m swelling already. Feels like I have permanent lockjaw. No sign of blood at all, even during piercing, which is unusual for me. Easier to chew than I thought, just has to be small bites. I’m sure I’ll regret my choice of chicken tomorrow.
Phone calls are in the way, and I’m pretty sure sleeping will be too. Can’t sleep on my side, or my face. Sleeping on my back makes me snore something rotten. Fun.

Day 1 (29.12)
I could sleep on my side, which is good. But I woke up a lot. Its gone from lockjaw pain, to I’ve-smiled-so-much-it-actually-really-hurts, horrible sort of ache. But not too painful. Swollen up well though. Got about 4mm left on one side, 2mm on the other. Can smile okay though, but no kissy faces.

 

Day 2 - swelling makes for hilarious photos and a mardy Stasha

 

Day 2 (30.12)
Still swollen. Changed the 5mm outside ball to a 4mm one, was pretty easy to do. I know its naughty, but now I feel much better. Still can’t open my mouth very wide. Discovered I have to hold onto the end ball while I eat large things, otherwise I chomp cheek. I’m pretty sure that’s just the swellingt; it was fine Monday. Woke myself up by leaning on my face last night, couldn’t get back to sleep. The aching has died down a lot though. Although looking swollen on the outside, they’re probably more so on the inside.

So far, it doesn’t seem like healing is going to be too terrible. Just minor inconveniences, and dealing with looking like a twat. But I got my first crusty on them today, so that part could be fun.

Its New Years Eve, no going out for me tonight >.<

(02.01.10)
Starting to get quite red. Saline seems to be drying out the skin, combined with drying crusties, is making for cracked skin. Cut down to once a day, and a chammomile soak, Rinsing with warm water in between to try and control the epic crusties. Annoyingly, cause the swelling is going down I have extra room for the bars to move around. Causing the bars to upset the crusties, and more to form, yadda yadda..
I’m bored of having a crusty swollen face now!

(16.01)

All the swelling seems to of gone now, at least that I can notice. Went back for a measure up last week, and had the PTFE cut down, and proper fitting bars ordered. 16mm labrets fitted  for me today 🙂 Some notable hypertrophic scarring. It settles down, but flares back up.

 

July - Horrible picture of me... But look, squishy bump! (at its worse before it tends to explode XD Ignore the other sides floating ball, I was halfway through changing jewellery) I really need to redo my hair...

 

(13.07)

I updated a lot didn’t I?  After previously having tried to downsize to 14mm months ago, and failed (too much scar tissue, and they just got sore and tried to embed), today I discovered 14mm fit perfectly. Now I just need to find some more internally threaded labrets..

Now that all the swelling and most of the scarring has gone, I have pretty perfect, though still rather subtle dimples.

I still get the mystery discharge filled hypertrophic scarring. Pretty!! Nothing I do seems to help much; cammomile, TTO, SSSs, aspirin masks.. nothing. The right side seems to of stopped it completelyall of its own accord. But the left still does it once a month or so. By the time its settled down, it just starts again. Not even 8 months old yet, so I’m still going with lots of patience and hope that it will just cease like the right side.

(28.07)

No bumps since having changed to 14mm labrets. I am hopeful! Though totally not holding my breath. Found me some Neometal 2mm x 14mm IT labrets. Might stretch them. Think that might help….

(09.10)

Stretched my cheeks, now 2mm(12g) x 14mm titanium internally threaded bars, with a disc on one end. Bought 12mm length ones too, but they are too small. Afraid 2.5mm ends would get pulled through, so I have 4mm pretty AB balls on the end. Wish they made 3mm IT ends D:

The actual stretching was super easy with a taper and lube, straight through.  Although I’ve been wearing my quartz retainers a lot lately, and haven’t had any problems, hopefully the larger gauge will sort out any last issues… We shall see.

DIY jewellery

I want to make my own plugs.. Not just pictures inlaid in resin, that countless others on Etsy do. Interesting, unusual plugs.

Butterfly plugs ala Lishd (I love her blog anyway) – PAIRS! Just think of all the pretties I could make out of those earrings. I can get cheap ebony eyelets anyway, and theres always acrylic. Like Arabaka, but on the cheap. I’d need about 20mm round of useable wing, but I’m sure I could probably manage that The morpho wings are about 2″ long… Might message the seller actually. I like craft projects!! Especially useful ones.

Gauges – The only ones I could find small enough. Just because I can. Nothing like an inside joke to have to explain to EVERYONE. Not going to be doing that for quite a while.. Expensive

On my xmas shopping list is a dremel. So I might try making some sort of wood/stone plugs. Maybe fashion/borrow a small lathe from somewhere. I am not confident with a chisel, I’ll just lop something off. But I can have a go!! A dremel would be useful for uni anyway, so I have an excuse to splurge on that.

I’ve also found some kinda expensive big ass-gems and some kinda cheap amazing buttons. Both would make amazing inlays. Probably resin in ebony or steel eyelets

Ah.. so much to buy. And so many ideas! I think I could probably find myself some business on Etsy eventually though. Once I’ve mastered the bubble free resin at any rate.

Q&A: How do Surface piercings, micro-dermal piercings and Skin Divers piercings all work?

I am trying to learn about these three different types of piercings.

Surface piercings
————————
– There are surface barbells: Are these for surface piercings? Does A belly button piercings count as a Surface piercing using the jewelery of a Surface barbell?
– There are micro-dermal anchors: which seem to be kind of like a stud under the skin. Are these counted as a surface piercing? if so why are they called Micro-Dermal anchors? shouldn’t they be under the category of Micro-Dermal piercings?
– How are surface piercings done? Dermal punch ? and or a needle for Surface barbell piercings?
– Can you change the top of them? Can you change the whole thing?

Micro-Dermal piercings
—————————-
– Micro-Dermal piercings seem to be only stud looking things? is this true? If not does that make them not a single point piercing just like some of the surface piercings?
– Are Micro-Dermal piercing jewelery “micro Dermal anchors”? or……
-Can you change the top of them? or the whole thing?

Skin Divers Piercings
————————–
-These seem to be just like a stud in the skin like the micro dermal piercings. Is this true?
– Whats the jewelery for these piercings called? Are these Micro-Dermal anchors as well?
– Are they a single point piercing like the micro-dermal piercings?
– can you change the top of them or the whole thing?

As you can tell i am very confused ? Could you please answer all of the questions under each of the topics. The thing i am mainly confused with is that they seem to call surface piercing jewelery Micro-Dermal anchors. Why when they aren’t Micro Dermal piercings? they are surface piercings.

– Which one of these have a higher rejection rate?
– Which is the least and most painful piercing?
– Which one takes longer to heal?

Please help me, i am interested and trying to understand all of this.

Thanks xx

————–

Surface Barbell

Surface piercings –
Navels and eyebrows are technically counted as surface piercings, but they have they both use curved barbells. Generally when people say surface piercings, they mean flat areas best suited to using surface bars. These are pretty much barbells with 90 or 45 degree bends at either end. You can change the balls and the bar.
They’re done the same as any other piercing, clamp, needle all the way through, tada! They need to be carefully measured, considering the length and the rises, with no odd sticking out bits.
No surface piercings are single point. If you see that, it’s a micro or skin diver or something. They HAVE to have an entry and exit point to be a piercing
http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Surfac…

Microdermal

Microdermals
Are implants rather than piercings. Most have holes in the foot plate which let the flesh grow through to keep it secure. Some don’t, but that design is pretty much considered outdated. Done with punch or a needle, using either a taper or needle to make the pocket for it to sit in. Sounds bad, but it really isn’t 🙂
You can change the tops, but the actual micro is stuck in there unless you have it removed.
http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Microd…

Skin Diver

Skin Divers
A lot of people really don’t like these, including me. They’re like everything that failed with the first lot of microdermals, condensed. The conical side goes under the skin, and in my opinion, anything spiky pointing into skin like that is not going to work out well with any impact damage.
Put in with a punch. They can randomly fall out, and get pulled out pretty easily, when healed too. You can’t change the tops, or the thing.
The jewellery is a ‘skin diver’
An old skin diver is considered a year. I REALLY wouldn’t bother with them myself. Unless it was facial, where the scar risk could be minimised.

Microdermals have the lowest rejection rate. But in unviable areas, (like hips, hands etc) they’re all likely going to reject whatever you do. Surface bars leave pretty large scarring. Skin divers are pretty unobtrusive, but… flimsy.
Surface piercings take longest to heal, as there’s more to heal and more to reject.
I’d imagine skin divers would be the least painful, though I haven’t had any. It’s just the first stage of a microdermal really, and my punches were really very uneventful.
My micros really weren’t bad, though very different to surface piercings.