Body piercing is a unique and very beautiful way to express your individuality and style. People have been practicing it for more than 5,000 years and there are numerous options to choose from. Whether you want an ear, nose, eyebrow, tongue, navel or lip piercing, it's always best to go to a qualified body artist. However, if you have decided to do it yourself, there are several techniques to proceed in the safest, most hygienic and painless way possible.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Cleaning and Preparation
Step 1. Sanitize your hands and the area you need to pierce
Scrub your hands with antibacterial soap and dry them with a clean cloth. Once your hands are clean, you need to take care of the piercing area. Pour some alcohol on a handkerchief and clean the skin carefully. Alcohol wipes are fine for this purpose. When you have sanitized the area, do not touch it again to avoid contaminating it.
The simplest piercing to perform at home is earlobe piercing, while nose and navel piercings can be done with minimal risk. If you want to insert a piece of jewelry near the mouth (such as on the lip or tongue), the eye or the top of the auricle, you should consult a professional piercer, as this alone could cause permanent scarring, damage or even deform the parts of the body. Don't take any chances
Step 2. Disinfect the needle
Ideally, you should use a new one for piercings. Remove it from the packaging just before using it. If you have a needle that has already been used or is not in the sealed package, you should sanitize it well. Soak it in denatured alcohol before using it to stab yourself. The more the skin and instruments are disinfected, the lower the chances of infection.
- To do this, you need to use a specific piercing needle and not a sewing needle or any other type. Piercing needles are sharp and just the right size to properly pierce the skin; any other tool could cause unnecessary pain or damage the skin.
- You can buy piercing needles on Amazon.
Step 3. Choose the jewel
It is important that it is of high quality, to minimize the chances of infection, irritation or allergy. Professional piercers recommend materials such as surgical steel, 14 or 18-karat gold, titanium or niobium. Don't buy cheap ones to cut costs. Invest in a good piece of jewelry to wear right after you make the hole, and later you'll be able to endure even lower quality ones when the wound is healed.
Clean it with denatured alcohol
Step 4. Make a mark on the skin where you want to pierce
Use a pen to leave a dot and make sure it's the best place. If you have decided to pierce the ears, check that the markings are symmetrical. Observe the point from different angles, to make sure it points to exactly the area you want; this is the reference point for inserting the needle.
- If you are unsure where to insert the needle or where to place the piercing, use a permanent marker and keep the mark for a few days. Pay attention to your reactions when you look in the mirror. That way, you can tell if you like the look of the potential piercing before doing it.
- If you want to do a navel piercing, pinch the skin on top of it. Mark the top of the skin fold. When piercing this part of the body, it is best to proceed from the bottom up. In other words, insert the needle up through the skin fold and align it so that it passes through the point you drew.
- Obviously, it is not easy to make a mark on the tongue. Take this factor as a signal that you don't have to go through this part of your body yourself. You may be tempted to do this to save time and money, but it's not worth the risk with the organ that allows you to speak and savor.
Part 2 of 4: Piercing
Step 1. Align the needle with the stitch
Make sure you have a good grip on the needle. You should keep the same angle at which you want to insert the jewelry. In other words, the needle must go through the ear, just as you want the earring to do, or the navel, as you want the ring to fit. Puncturing the skin at an abnormal angle makes insertion of the jewelry more difficult, so take your time to align the needle correctly.
If you wish, you can apply some numbing gel to your ear before proceeding. Make sure you give the product time to take effect
Step 2. Take a deep breath and push the needle
You should be moving quickly and smoothly. If you push for just a little while and then stop and resume the jerky movement, you increase the risk of tearing the skin. A smooth motion creates a sharp-edged hole and facilitates the healing process. Push the needle through the ear to about half its length. Leave it in place for about 20 minutes to make sure the hole stays open long enough to insert the jewel after the needle is removed.
Step 3. Remove the needle and quickly put on the earring
After leaving the needle in the wound for 20 minutes, it is time to insert something more attractive. The hole heals quickly, so it is important to have the jewel close at hand as soon as you remove the needle; insert it into the new hole you just created; It is perfectly normal to have to apply some pressure to push the earring into the skin, but you don't have to force it.
Part 3 of 4: Cleaning
Step 1. Clean the ear piercing with a saline solution
Although it is okay to clean the skin and equipment with alcohol prior to the procedure, this substance could overdry the wound. The saline solution is gentler and does not dry out the hole. You can buy it at the pharmacy or prepare it yourself. Try to leave the physically affected area of the body to soak in a shallow bowl or cup of saline. If that's not possible, use a tissue or cotton swab to apply the liquid to the piercing.
- If you have decided to make your own saline solution, choose fine, non-iodized sea salt. Some grocery stores sell it alongside regular table salt or you can buy it online.
- Mix a pinch of salt in 240ml of filtered or bottled water. If you notice dry skin, reduce the salt concentration.
Step 2. Don't touch the piercing
It may be tempting to fiddle with the new jewelry, but doing so increases the chances of infection. Try not to touch it unless absolutely necessary for daily cleaning. Do not touch it without first washing your hands thoroughly.
Step 3. Hold the original jewelry in the hole while it heals
Even if you have a whole collection of great, high-quality body jewelry, replacing the original one while the wound is healing increases your risk of developing infection. Depending on the part of the body you have pierced, it may take a month or even a year for complete healing.
You can learn more about recovery times by doing an online search
Part 4 of 4: Understanding the Risks
Step 1. Know that the area may be bleeding
The tongue contains blood vessels and a large vein near the front that could bleed profusely if pierced. Never get a tongue piercing yourself. Although this is the most bleeding area, other parts of the body can also bleed. It is best to consult a professional to minimize this complication.
Step 2. Remember that unwanted scar tissue may form
If you do a piercing yourself, you run a higher risk of infection and disfiguring scars. Even if you remove the jewelry later, the scar remains forever. Consider this before you pierce your nose, ear, eyebrow, lip, tongue, or navel with a needle. Although getting a professional piercer is costly in terms of time and money, if you go it alone you risk causing an indelible scar.
Step 3. Be aware that serious infections can occur
Serious complications can arise from a piercing, such as a series of nasty infections which, if left untreated, can cause septicemia, toxic shock syndrome, and sepsis. It is extremely important to understand the potential consequences before getting a piercing yourself.
