FINALLY Got My 8g Lobes Pierced!
(First Published on BMEzine.com, Fall, 2001)

Surfing on IAM is fun. I search because I'm bored, I search because I've got too much time on my hands, and I search to find out what's the going-on's of people in this general area!

I end up stumbling on aesthete's website, and read those two magical words "free piercings" for the simple reason that he's an apprentice at Stainless Studios (under Tom Brazda) and needing victims...er... bodies to pierce. Now my situation calls for Kraft dinner and coffee all day every day (university kid on my own) which means I need to be stingy and stuff. I also need/want piercings. This deal works out quite well for me!

I message aesthete on IAM and ask about getting my earlobes pierced, thinking he'd be bored with that thought but he's a really cool guy. Uber-excited because he apparently needed practice piercing lobes but no one seems to want to go for that. Real name is Dustin by the way, so I set up an appointment for Wednesday at 2pm, then changed to 1pm (which I arrived at 1:30!) and I do believe this was Sunday I started talking. Wanted 8 gauge lobes just to be different, and I ordering 8g acrylic plugs off BMEshop.com. Ideas for barbells to convincing of rings working better, to realizing an 8gauge can constitute plugs! Plugs it is then!

Tuesday night didn't go as expected, friend who needed to talk, I talked to wee hours of Wednesday morning, not getting my required 8 hours of sleep since un-named friend called again later that Wednesday morning and asked to crash. So a sturdy 4 hours of sleep had I. Said friend became photographer though, giving me reason to have pictures of first 8 gauge piercings ever received!

Wednesday finally found Stainless Studio and went up the stairs & asked for a Dustin. Found Dustin at the counter in a ModCon3 t-shirt & told him about my 8g piercings. Filled out form (first time for this to be honest and this is my 4th piercing!) paid for 8g blueish-green titanium plugs (they ran out of stainless steel) and got called back. Sat in dentisty chair (Dustin calling the "scary chair") and started talking. Piercing after-care was first topic, vacationing was second topic. Over-cleaning a big issue, throwing back and forth ideas for cleaning and what is too much or too little. Markings took place, mirror handed to me, lots of ink on earlobes showing where my previous (gunned *shudder*) piercings were, then where the middle of lobes were, how they would be symmetrical, lots of ink! Marking took the longest & had Mr. Tom come in for a mini-lecture about why one type of looking at ears would be better than another, the function, the future of the piercings (how far would they stretch?) and finally it'd been decided. We went for the marks that weren’t wiped off my ears.

Everything had been laid out onto one of those medical trays on a blue paper towel of sorts. Took picture of all tools out onto tray because these needles were HUGE! Dustin said about 2 and a half inches long, while being 8g thick. Clamp went onto left ear and I closed my eyes. Zoned out totally and said something like "Let's go" Felt the needle pushing into the earlobe, when the bevel stopped, heard and felt crunching noises as the full needle had gotten into the lobe. Got picture taken of needle in the ear, then the plugs put in. Apparently a fat cell had popped out the back, so it was scraped off, which resulted in bleeding "like a stuck pig" (As Dustin put on his webpage!) The needles were apparently a smidge bigger than the plugs, also resulting in some bleeding to occur. Then got a picture of blood dripping down Dustin's finger as he held some pressure.

One more piercing to go, but needed a break. Mr. Tom came in asking how things were going, it was good. Taking a breather since this is my first double-piercing session, not counting getting shot in the head. Ready to zone again, I was ready to be pierced. Clamp on, agreeing to start, slight pressure, slight pain, loud crunching as bevel stopped and needle is in. Another picture taken, then the plug goes in. Not as much bleeding this time, just from the room the needle left that the plug couldn't fill.

Gauze wiping up all the blood (filled the pad of gauze I did!) and took a picture of all the tools used, with the blood all over the gauze and blue towel. *hehe* Watched as needles go bye-bye into the big yellow bio-hazard container hidden behind trash can. Talked a little during break of piercings and end about camping at Niagara (which I'm now not going to) and military stuff (Friend in Canadian Reserves)

Finished and ready to go, thanked Dustin & told him I'd post pictures onto my site and message him so he could rip them off. Completely forgetting to give him a tip of thanks and gratitude because of being on the "piercing high" I now feel like an ass. Will visit soon though with gift of appreciation though I promise! After all, the piercing took forever as Dustin was bent on perfection, and it was free since he wanted the body to be in to be poked.

Went on my merry way, and you know what? Couldn't feel I had lobe piercings within like 10 minutes! Remembered when I took my shirt off for the first time that night and got bumped, but didn't hurt! Yay me!

Well that's it for me now. I like Dustin’s way of piercing, and as he wrote somewhere on his site "give a brother a chance" He's real perfectionist and a good student. Attentive of what I said and what Mr. Tom said so he'll do good. Find him online and give him a shout!

Oh, aftercare: Dustin told me that washing more than once a day would slow down healing since the crusties are there to help protect the open wound. I agree because I find the "leave it alone" method works for me, and I'm too lazy to wash 6 times a day anyways!

There you have it. 8 gauge lobes done in my little ears.

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