Why does it hurt and how painful can it be?
Discomfort during the procedure depends on your pain threshold and the location of the puncture . Some salons offer anesthesia to reduce pain to zero, but we do not recommend doing it unless necessary , because the anesthesia injection is quite painful and is comparable to the puncture itself.
To make the puncture less painful, craftsmen use special laser-sharpened hollow needles. They allow the procedure to be carried out as painlessly as possible.
Professional piercers never use guns for piercing, because they push tissue under high pressure, which results in a lacerated wound. Also, pistols cannot be sterilized in a static machine due to the presence of plastic parts in it.
The main dangers of piercing
If you have a desire to decorate your tongue with an earring, it would be a good idea to first learn more about the possible negative consequences of piercing this part of the body. So, all potential dangers can be divided into three large categories.
Allergic reaction
After tongue piercing, some people develop an allergy to the metal from which the jewelry is made. Without a preliminary examination, it is almost impossible to find out if you are intolerant to some allergens. If the problem is an allergy, then in addition to pain, skin itching, inflammation and even suppuration of the wound may appear.
Bleeding
If the procedure was not carried out very skillfully and carefully, serious bleeding may occur. As mentioned above, many blood vessels are concentrated in this organ, which can easily be caught during a puncture. As a result, severe swelling will occur, which will ultimately lead to breathing problems. Subsequent recovery will take a long time.
Swelling and bleeding may occur after the procedure
Other consequences - infection
The main danger in piercing is the risk of infection. Infection can easily enter the body through tools and an open wound, so today inspection authorities are very strict in monitoring compliance with sanitary standards and rules by employees of salons offering this type of service. It is allowed to use only disposable needles, which should be unpacked in front of the client. Strict measures were introduced because some time ago the mass passion for piercing led to the rapid spread of such serious diseases as HIV infection and hepatitis.
The photo shows a neoplasm that appeared after the piercing.
Anyone who wants to get a tongue piercing should know that a fairly massive piece of jewelry can cause irritation on the gum and injure it. Also, the presence of a foreign metal object in the mouth will negatively affect the condition of tooth enamel and may lead to a change in taste sensations. If your tongue suddenly becomes swollen and numb after the procedure, or an acute piercing pain appears that only intensifies, and the organ itself begins to pulsate, you should urgently seek medical help.
Where is the best place for a beginner to get their first puncture?
Minimal discomfort comes from piercing the eyebrows and lobe , which heal without any problems. It is a little more painful to pierce Helix and Conch, but they look more interesting. If you are very afraid and worried, you can always consult with a master and ask him all your questions. Perhaps the master will suggest you start with the simplest puncture so that you understand the healing process, and then move on to a more complex puncture.
Pros and cons of the pistol
How is the procedure done?
- They make markings.
- The puncture site is treated with a disinfectant composition.
- Insert the decoration into the gun.
- They shoot, making a puncture while installing the earring.
- Sterilize the puncture again.
Craftsmen at inexpensive salons often use a pistol. This procedure takes a minimum of time. A person only hears a quick bang and does not have time to feel the pain.
This method is used to pierce the ear lobe and cartilage, the wings of the nose, and rarely the navel.
When choosing what to use for piercing, consider the disadvantages of using a gun. The device tears the skin. Since the puncture is carried out directly by the earring, the skin is severely injured. The tip of the earring stem is blunt, leaving a small laceration. As a result, the puncture looks sloppy; cracks may spread into which dirt gets trapped.
There is a danger that if the jewelry is tightly clamped with a fastener, air will not flow to the puncture area and oxidation will occur. With this development of events, inflammation of the wound cannot be avoided.
Another disadvantage of using a gun is the difficulty in fully sterilizing the device, since it cannot be disassembled. Poor handling makes the procedure unsafe. Microscopic blood from a previous client may remain in the device.
Painkillers for piercings
A frequent client request is to take pain relief before piercing in order to completely avoid pain during the piercing, but good salons will refuse you for several reasons:
External anesthesia does not have the desired effect and only affects the skin, without working on the cartilage; it will relieve you of pain only at the beginning of the puncture, so there will still be pain.
If you give a painkiller injection, it will most likely be more painful than the puncture itself (this is especially true for cartilage).
The master may advise you to take a pain reliever for several days after piercing, for example, Nimesil (in powder form), it relieves pain and swelling well after the procedure.
How to make a puncture
To know what to expect, you first need to find out exactly how the piercing procedure is performed. So, this process involves the following steps:
- to begin with, the tongue is placed in a special tool - a clamp, in the center of which there is a hole for decoration,
- after this, the master makes a puncture, for which he uses a special sterile needle intended for one-time use,
- a “barbell” is inserted through a special hole in the needle, after which the needle and clamp are removed,
- after this, the oral cavity is treated with a disinfectant solution, for example, Chlorhexidine.
The photo shows the procedure for piercing the tongue.
If the procedure was carried out during the day, then in the evening the tongue will inevitably swell and cause some inconvenience. The speed of healing largely depends on the individual characteristics of the human body. For some, this process takes five days, for others – two weeks. Keep in mind that during this period you will have to exclude spicy foods and acid-containing foods from your diet, and, if possible, limit the consumption of solid foods. It is also recommended to talk less and move your tongue so as not to accidentally touch the wound.
How to reduce pain after the procedure?
When the jewelry has already been inserted, it is advisable to leave it alone for a while: do not touch it with your hands (especially with unwashed hands), carefully remove high-necked clothes, do not apply makeup, and do not get the jewelry wet. If you follow the recommendations for caring for the puncture for a month, it will heal during this time and the pain will go away. However, neglecting the rules of hygiene can lead to an infection getting into the wound, causing local inflammation with the release of pus. After this, a scar may remain, which will become re-infected with minor injuries and decreased immunity due to colds.
What to choose?
With the same level of pain, the use of a needle is superior to a gun in terms of sterility and accuracy. It must be taken into account that the consequences of the procedures are different. After the needle, the wound heals quickly, the risk of damage to bioactive points is minimal, provided that the work is done by a professional. When pierced with a gun, they are not so precise; bleeding may occur, for example, when piercing the tongue.
The gun is designed to provide services in jewelry stores. In a salon, the level of service should exceed that of a store, so the use of a pistol should raise red flags.
Art of Pain studio masters perform piercings with a diamond-ground needle. The tool quickly cuts through tissue and forms a smooth channel without lacerations or tears. Such punctures heal quickly, without inflammation.
To get a safe piercing, we invite you to our studio in St. Petersburg. We guarantee a professional approach and sterility.
Advantages and disadvantages of a needle
Experienced professionals believe that a needle is better for piercing than a gun. The procedure is carried out using sterile materials.
The puncture is quite simple:
- marking;
- treating the skin with a disinfectant composition;
- preparing a sterile needle (the package is opened in front of the client);
- performing a puncture;
- an earring is inserted into the needle and inserted into the hole;
- tool disposal.
If you look at what the puncture site looks like after using a needle and a gun, the question of what is better to pierce your ears, nose or navel disappears. The wound after the needle looks neat because the tip of the instrument is sharp. The needle pierces the skin quickly and accurately. Thanks to the professional work of the master, pain during the procedure is practically not felt. The advantage is the sterility of the instrument. The needle is suitable for piercing any part of the body.
The disadvantages include the terrifying appearance of the instrument. When the needle is hidden in the gun, you don't pay attention to it.
Ian, 16 years old, 6 punctures
VOX : What does each puncture mean to you?
— A way of self-expression. There is no specific meaning, as it may have been for the Egyptians or Indians.
VOX : How did your parents react to this?
— I’m still in shock. They think it's abnormal, my friends think the same, but I am who I am and they have to come to terms with how I like to look.
VOX : Have you ever regretted getting a piercing?
- No never.
VOX : Will there still be punctures?
- Yes, I want to pierce my cheeks and nose.
VOX : What is your hobby?
— I listen to music, am interested in portrait photography, and love motorcycles.
VOX : Which puncture was the most painful?
— Hmm... Most likely, this is the upper “symmetry” ( author’s note)
– two punctures in the upper lip, located horizontally).
VOX : What inspired you to get the piercing?
— When I was 10-11 years old, my sister “pierced” her lower lip. Well, at a time when everyone scolded her for her appearance and said: “Well, what have you done to yourself?”, I saw some beauty in it. This inspired me to do something similar on myself.
VOX : How would you feel if future children want to get piercings?
“Calm down, I’ll even take them to the salon myself,” Ian smiles.
Firstly, purely out of curiosity - whether I could stand it, and, secondly, I wanted to try these unusual sensations.
Yaroslav
Diana, 21 years old, 2 punctures
VOX : What does each puncture mean to you?
- Basically, they don’t mean anything to me. I just understand that without a piercing I will feel inharmonious. Now I have a bridge piercing ( author's note
- puncture in the upper part of the bridge of the nose) and in the tongue.
VOX : How did your parents react to this?
“At the age of 16, my parents told me: “If you get a piercing, we’ll vomit the meat out of you, ta-ta-ta.” And when my mother saw the first piercing (it was in the nose) she said: “Okay, what now.” My dad is a military man, and he showed some skepticism towards my hobby, but now he has come to terms with it.
VOX : Have you ever regretted getting a piercing?
- No. I did all the punctures myself, sitting in front of the computer “punching”. Completely sterile, by the way: gloves, everything. Sometimes they ask you to take off your breeches and people have such stupid questions, like “What is that through the bone?”, and I: “Aha, I sawed through it with a drill!”
VOX : Will you stop there, or will your body still feel the punctures?
- I won’t stop. I did and will do. There are plans to “break through” the “septum” ( author’s note
- puncture of the central nasal septum) and something on the body, possibly the collarbone. I also want to pierce my chest and pull out the tunnels in my ears. I like this - this whole process: when it heals, you need to take care of it. In short, I like to take care of something.
VOX : What do you do in life?
— Coloring and makeup. I work in the field of web development. At this rather serious job, my style is treated quite normally, that is, my passion for piercings and tattoos does not affect my performance in any way.
VOX : Do you consider yourself informal?
- Yes! - Diana said proudly.
Jan
What is it prescribed for?
- It is carried out to collect material for analysis in case of chronic otitis media. Microflora samples are tested for drug resistance in order to select a treatment regimen.
- For administration of contrast agent before radiography.
- To check the drainage capacity (patency) of the Eustachian tubes. Contrast is injected and released through the nose.
- For therapeutic purposes. After the puncture, a medicinal substance is injected into the cavity. This provides the best effect in the treatment of purulent otitis media.
Tympanocentesis is indicated for acute otitis media. The disease is accompanied by severe pain, high fever, and external changes in the eardrum. In such cases, the risk of intoxication and complications is high. To stop the disease, it is necessary to inject medicine (antibiotics) directly into the tympanic cavity.
Anastasia, 32 years old, piercer
VOX : How and where did you get your first piercing?
— I got my first piercing at the age of 16, right after graduating from school. I became interested, and I gave myself a puncture myself while no one was at home. Mom reacted inappropriately to this, of course. And then I plunged headlong into this field and unlearned it. During the training process, I pierced my belly button, but then took it off because it didn’t take root—it was pierced incorrectly. Then I had an intimate piercing. But I did it more for aesthetics, beauty, rather than for pleasure or sexuality.
VOX : Are there any contraindications for piercing?
— Of course, these are a number of diseases: diabetes, blood diseases, various skin diseases. Well, age: a professional master should not pierce a child under 18 without parental permission.
And there are those who play around at home and do piercings on their own. The danger is great - they can puncture a vessel and fail to stop the bleeding.
Piercing tools
VOX : What precautions should be taken after a puncture?
— There are several basic rules.
1. You cannot swim in public places while the wound is healing. Everyone heals differently. The minimum is three weeks, and the maximum is two to three months. You need to follow all the rules that the master warned about, and everything will be fine.
2. Most often, medical steel is used for earrings, but now piercings are also made from plastic. It is advisable to wear a medical steel earring while the puncture channel is healing.
3. If the puncture site swells, it means it was done incorrectly, it is best to remove the accessory.
4. The most dangerous puncture is a tongue puncture. But there are also those who play around at home and do piercings on their own. The danger is great - they can puncture a vessel and fail to stop the bleeding.
5. While the wound is healing, you should not smoke or drink alcohol. If the piercing is in the mouth, then eating solid foods should also be avoided.
I judge from myself: each of these guys is an unloved child in the family. I got the piercing because I wanted to attract my parents' attention. I think “making a statement” is one of the reasons for these guys. And by the way, have you noticed what a problem our society has? Everyone wants to have what the other has. And I always tell my daughter: “Come on, stand out from this herd of sheep, come up with something of your own!”
Well, while my mother isn’t looking, that means I take out a needle and start making holes for myself.
Veron (Veronica)
Blue hair and a nose ring: why teenagers experiment with their appearance
What's the first thing that comes to your mind when asked about teenagers? Of course, their “ruffiness” and audacity, which go hand in hand with their exotic appearance. I remember my best friend at school had bright orange bangs. Another classmate roamed the expanses of the blue-green school corridors with a bright pink bob. A classmate was running around in torn jeans, which almost all the teachers were trying to sew up. Well, I went with an extreme boy haircut - but with a completely restrained red color.
Piercings, tattoos, bright clothes, extreme hair colors - why is it all ? First of all , to stand out, show your individuality, be different from everyone else among other teenagers, and certainly seem creative and advanced against the backdrop of boring adults. And secondly, thirdly and fourthly...
Teenagers are far from infantile creatures - they are rather small adults and certainly understand more than their parents think
They see perfectly what the adult world is like: anxious, panicky, twitchy, hyper-responsible and super-busy. To bring optimism to this vision of the world, to protect themselves from a future in a strict gray suit and tie, young people dye their hair and mercilessly prick their navels, ears, noses, eyebrows and lips with needles.
The world in which little adults live is very often categorical
For some reason, society believes that the one who distinguishes black from white, clean from dirty, salty from sweet, and so on will be successful. In this world of rules there are no halftones, but life is much more voluminous and diverse than such boring attitudes. With their extraordinary appearance, teenagers are trying to show that in their world there is a place for other colors, that there are many shades - and all of them are beautiful. From here, according to cultural expert Olga Vainstein, problems with adults arise: parents, teachers, grandparents have already accepted the rules of the game, which is why they are so annoyed by teenagers who insist on their own, who do their best to deny these norms.
Exotic appearance is a kind of mask that helps teenagers cope with difficulties and adapt to the changes that occur in their thoughts and bodies.
Psychotherapist Patrice Ewer gave an interesting example about teenagers' clothing. As a rule, boys and girls who wear clothes that are too baggy do not want to focus on their gender differences, because body transformations occur at an alarming rate. You need to get used to all this, get used to it. And wearing genderless, universal clothing seems to create a calming cocoon in which there are no gender problems of the adult world (from the category of “a boy should be pumped up and strong”, and “a girl should have a thin waist”). But all teenagers are different. By the way, people live perfectly well without muscles and a waist - however, in adolescence, few people think about this.
Another great example is dreadlocks on girls. Psychoanalysts see in them a reluctance or unpreparedness for relationships with the opposite sex: dreadlocks resemble snakes on the head of the Gorgon Medusa. She herself is attractive, but snakes instead of hair repel men. “Dreaded” girls prefer to be friends with the opposite sex without any romantic flair. Olga Weinstein sees dreadlocks as a symbol of protest, since most people find this hairstyle dirty and ugly.
In the tattoos, the famous culturologist sees a clear message: “I hurt myself - look at my scars, it means I have reached a new level of development.” By the way, other experts interpret tattoos as a desire to prove to others and to yourself that you are a strong person.
In addition, exotic appearance is also a way to shape your personality
According to psychologists, a teenager needs to remain opaque, unreadable to parents and society for some time - he uses this pause to understand who he is, where he wants to go, what his purpose is. From this point of view, a red bang or a shaved temple is an excellent opportunity to temporarily put adults into a stupor, confuse them, and disorient them.
What should I do?
Adults have opposite reactions: some get angry and force them to wash off their emo makeup under running ice water, while others get inspired and go get an ultra-short haircut and dye their hair some creative color like strawberry pink. By the way, there are much more of the former (although perhaps not in such terrible manifestations).
Everything has its time. And adolescence is precisely the time to look for yourself, to try yourself in different guises. My adolescence was very calm - without a pierced lip, blue hair and ripped jeans. But all this (the desire to find myself, to stand out, to “move away”) came a little later: I was probably a strange 30-year-old aunt who came to the salon for a navel piercing (Eh! I wish I had gotten my eyebrow pierced!). Therefore, you need to treat such “swings” with understanding - as a stage in the life of your child.
Experts recommend that parents understand and forgive. And also to figure out what is going on in the young soul, that it is looking for unusual manifestations, to become more restrained, more tactful, more attentive. And, of course, love. This is probably the most important thing.
