"....does that hurt?"

I think at some point in a modders life they have been asked those 3 words somewhere, sometime.

Just picture it
You're sitting there, just minding your own business, probably thinking about something completely random like what you're gonna have for dinner when....

DID THOSE HURT? *Insert pointy finger to area where there is mod*

Honestly when that happens to me, I panic slightly! Mainly because they've distracted me from my daydream and left me in a confused and slightly vulnerable position. Its not fun to be hurled back into reality when you're off in you're own world.
You go blank.
Maybe uhmm and ahh a bit.

Then, and only then you answer.

"No, it didn't hurt"

Now, Common sense denotes that a 'no' answer means no.  However in the world of mods, no isn't an answer when people ask that question. Its just an opening to a whole new series of questioning.

 

"Really!? Cause I would've thought it'd hurt cause its like a hole in your face..blahblahblahblah"

  

Now, I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels slightly uncomfortable at this point. You've been rudely awoken from your daydream, answered their question which frankly you are getting sick to the bone of people asking you, and THEN they still keep on asking you questions. God dammint stranger, I just want to get back to my fucking daydream, I don't want you to keep asking me stupid questions. Yes, I've got a piercing, get the fuck over it, stop asking me shit, LEAVE ME ALONE, THERES KFC IN MY DAYDREAM AND I'D LIKE TO GET BACK TO IT AT SOMEPOINT THIS CENTURY. *crys inside*

However, typically people are polite. We can think that inside, but on the outside we just smile, and repeat what we just said, praying that they'll leave you alone at some point.

It just isn't good enough though is it? D:

There have been times where I've had to sit there for 10 minutes pretty much being asked the same question over and over and over again just in different ways. Theres only so many times you can say 'Yes it did hurt or No, It didn't' But it just doesn't seem to work. No or Yes isn't a good enough answer, they want pain scales, amounts of tears or the knowledge that you're a doublehard bastard.

Jesus christ, don't you understand what No or Yes means? D:

Soon you get to the point where you just go 'Okay, I've told you everything, nice speaking to you' then finally retreat back into your mental daydream bliss which is as far away from reality as possible :3

If they back off you at this point, you are one of the lucky ones...

 

Give it 5 minutes then you'll feel that oh so similar tap on the shoulder....

And then you're back to square one .___.

Its quite amazing what someone with mods has to go through on a daily basis. If you're not getting insulted, you're getting questioned. If you're not getting questioned, then you're getting funny looks.

All of that for a piece of metal through the skin or a picture tattooed on the skin.

....The general public really can be stupid, can't they?
Seems like they stopped teaching common sense in schools and just started bringing in ignorance and stupidity!

 

Aftercare... Afterwhat!?

Aftercare... It really should be Afterwhat!

Aftercare is an essential part to the healing process of your piercing/tattoo

But the question in this is HOW THE HELL DO YOU DO IT!?!?

Now I'm sure at some point with Aftercare you've pulled a face like this ^ (Okay minus the chip, but you get the confused/shocked face!)
You've got to clean with rubbing alcohol! NO! NO ALCOHOL, YOU'VE GOTTA USE SEA SALT SOAKS! Wait no, I've heard you can just leave it alone and it'll heal by itself? Well my grandmother told me if i washed my face in butter everyday it'll heal anyway....

Truth is, there are a million and one ways to care for a piercing/tattoo. Most of them contradict one another at some point but all in all they make the same sense. However there are some more sensible ways to heal a mod and I'm gonna list them below for you :3 Just remember, follow the aftercare your piercer/tattooist gives you as they do know best whats for your mod! However if they tell you to rub cat shit in it, you know something isn't right!

Piercings

So you've just got a piercing, YAY! You're all happy until you look at the aftercare sheet. 'Sea salt soak? wtf is that? I have to do it twice a day for 6 months!?' Truth is, sea salt soaks are pretty hard to do! Not many people can get the salt - water ratio right, and even if you do, its an art in itself to suction a shot glass with saline to your piercing! Then its a whole new ball park with oral piercings, what mouthwash to use, can I smoke? CAN I DO ANYTHING? Next thing you know you're all confused and wishing you hadn't even bothered in the first place!

Now truth in the matter is (which a lot of people seem to forget)
Forgetting to clean your piercing won't kill you Odds are it won't even do you any bad. Your body is one giant mechanism for healing and fighting afterall!
However there is no excuse not to use any form of aftercare, so following these methods will do you and your piercing the world of good!

Sea Salt Soaks

Okay so as the name suggest, SALT. But not just any salt, you need to use rock salt (the non iodized stuff!). Normal salt will not do anything so the rocky stuff is best :3 Rock salt and warm water, simple!

How to soak

Using a shot glass, cotton bud/pad, soak the piercing for a few minutes until crusties are gone. You can either use warm saline or room temp saline. Just make sure to rinse!

Ratios

1/8th teaspoon to half a cup of warm water tends to do the trick! Too salty and it'll dry your piercing out. Too weak and it'll do jack shit.
REMEMBER : Always rinse afterwards! Residue sea salt will still dry a piercing out and will cause all sorts of problems

Saline Solution

In all honesty, I suggest this to people more instead of Sea Salt. The saline is ready made to a good ratio which wont cause the piercing to dry out, is ready to use and portable as well! Best thing to do is to soak with a cotton bud/kitchen towel/ shot glass making sure all the crusties are gone and then rinsing afterwards.
Bliss in a bottle!

But where can I find saline?
Any chemist/supermarket etc. Its in the contact lense section!

How often should I clean? Now, the ideal amount of time to sea salt soak is twice a day. Best times for me are in the morning and before I go to bed. Overcleaning it will dry it out so try not to soak too much. If your piercing gets infected or develops scarring, then Warm Sea Salt Soaks are advised twice a day to help draw out any gunk or infection built up inside the fistula.
Once again, Remember to rinse after every soak!

Well what about oral piercings? How the hell do I clean those cause I don't want salt in my mouth...Understandable, salty water tastes like shit! For oral piercings the best thing you can clean with is...

MOUTHWASH!

However not just any mouthwash. It is suggested you use Alcohol-Free mouthwash.

Why you ask?

Well...
Alcohol is a magical thing. It gets us drunk, fights infection and taste rather delicious with a sunday roast! However its strong and will destroy bacteria both good and bad! When healing a piercing, you want the good bacteria there and the bad bacteria gone. Alcohol will destroy BOTH and that prolongs the healing. Its essentially making the piercing raw :(

Well how often am I to clean with mouthwash?
Now, I've heard some people say you should mouthwash after pretty much everything with an oral piercing. After eating, After Smoking, After Drinking.... but c'mon. Be realistic?
I'm not gonna carry around a small bottle of mouthwash with me to rinse after having a glass of juice at a resturant! Or that sneaky ciggarette before getting on a train! Only someone who is that into aftercare will, in reality it is just wasted mouthwash.

When healing an oral piercing (esp the tongue) your mouth creates more peptide to cover the surface of the tongue to protect it.
As a guide, you should clean with mouthwash at least twice a day (when you get up, before you go to bed) And AFTER meals. Just a quick rinse will do fine!

Oh god I'm so swollen after my piercings, what do I do ;___;?

The body is fantastic when it comes to healing, and swelling/redness is part of it!
All in all the best ways to deal with swelling are -
Take Neurofen. Its an anti-inflammatory and a painkiller
Icepacks/Ice Water
Rest + Time

However, If at any point your piercing becomes very swollen and red randomly and it causes your concern, consult your piercer or doctor asap! 

I've got this weird bump turn up during healing, WHAT IS THIS?

 

One thing that is very common during healing is Hypertrophic Scarring, Especially with Cartilage piercings! Simple things like not rinsing sea salt soaks or shampoo when you bathe can cause them as well as bumping then in your sleep accidentally.
Sea salt soaks and chamomile compresses can help reduce and get rid of them, however if one does persist and you've exhausted every method out there, go see your doctor or piercer for professional advice! It could be that the jewellery you have is not compatible with your body (e.g shape wise or metal wise) and is causing irritation!

When can I stop cleaning? Its getting boring!
Ideally, you should stop cleaning when the piercing is fully healed. But be honest, who ACTUALLY has done that? I've never cleaned for 6 months solid with my helix piercing. Infact I stopped cleaning it twice a day after about a month. Then it was the odd clean here and there to keep up maintenance.

Truth in the matter, there is no magical set time for when a piercing has healed or when you should stop cleaning. Some people heal quickly, some people take forever and a day. With all piercings though you should at least clean it during the inital healing (whether that be a week or a few months, it all depends!)
Go by what your body tells you, if your piercing stops crusting and lymphing and feels fine, then you know you can calm the cleaning down and just do maintenance cleaning. If it flares up, you know to be more indepth with cleaning.
We are all different, so no-one fits under the same healing times!







Finally...

If you follow these aftercare methods, you should heal fine :3 However no-one is the same and each aftercare will be tailored to suit you! Some people need to clean less, some people need to clean more. Some people don't have to do anything and will heal all by themselves so play about and see what works for you ^__^ Just remember to stay safe and clean!

First Post...

First posts always need an introduction so here we go!

I'm Paige (aka Mio), 19 years old and the proud owner of 19 piercings and 10 tattoos.
Over time I've had over 50 piercings and have toned down over time due to personal tastes changing, getting older and just wanting more room for different mods!

I've been enthusiastic and a huge supporter of the Body Modification community since I was 14. I actively post and submit to BMEzine.com, the Vampirefreaks bodymod forum and pierce as a hobby. I was also a piercing apprentice for a while (hard but fun work!)

I also attend local Tattoo Conventions and sport a gorgeous half sleeve from a 12 hour sitting at London Tattoo Convention in 2009 (credit to Elson Yeo for the fantastic tattoo :3)


Through this blog, I want to advise people on piercings and tattoos with aftercare and knowledge of places, promote piercings and tattoos and help shed them in the better light that they deserve!

In the words of Adam Ant
'ridicule is nothing to be scared of, don't you ever stop being dandy, showing me you're handsome'
Always remember to be yourself as that is the best you can get ^-^

Mio :3