body piercing

Who knew

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When I pierced my lip I didn’t do it to impress or attract anyone, I did it because when I look at my face even with make up on it is incomplete to me. I have a mental picture of myself and what I see there is not what I see in the mirror, it’s not a true reflection of myself. No, I’m not ugly, but I wasn’t expressing myself the way I truly wanted to; makeup is not my preferred medium, I like body jewelry.

Who knew that with just one piece of jewelry strategically selected and placed my confidence would leap. Ok maybe that combined with losing a little weight in my face, but seriously I noticed that I’m not shying away from people as much. It’s weird because “it’s just jewelry.” It doesn’t make me tougher, harder, scarier…it doesn’t really change me, it simply makes me more comfortable. I know it adds to my beauty and can even seduce a guy from across the room just watching me work it with my mouth, but it’s just an accessory, an extension of me.

Finding motivation update

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Hey y’all, quick check-in after an tiresome few days.

Things are going ok. My son has had some very early morning commitments that I needed to attend with him so I’ve been napping a few hours each day then sleeping a few hours each night before starting again; it’s draining but we rose to the challenge. Yay us.

On top of low energy I am really beginning to feel the crunch of having to move. I keep stalling using my lack of boxes as an excuse, but in all reality I cannot stall anymore. It’s all coming to a head and I don’t have a choice but to get over it and move on. My neighbor is moving the end of this month and watching him sell off his belongings has not been easy. I’m trying to use it as motivation for me to do the same but I’m not quite there yet. I’m really going to miss my neighborhood.

With all of this taxi riding and napping laziness happening I forced myself to get out for a but today. I walked the mile to Grocery Outlet and hoped the bus home due to the heavy bags, but later I pushed myself to walk the mile round trip to a a corner store for a drink. It was so sunny, warm and nice, it felt great to get out. On the plus side I can see in my face that I am losing weight 🙂

Oh, piercing update: my lip is healing and looking good. My inner lip was pretty chewed up from the labret investing with the swelling, but the indent is now closing up since switching to the smaller lip ring (16g and a diameter that almost hugs my lip). I’m feeling good and think I will be piercing my nose soon, but first my hair needs attention.

Any fun stories from your week? Please share, I could use a smile.

Complications happen, be prepared Self Piercers

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Murphy’s law is a bitch so before you do your own piercing, or allow a friend to, make sure that you’ve researched and prepared for the unexpected. Seriously, know what you’re getting into. Know your material options (titanium, surgical steel, etc.), recommended gages, length/diameter recommended for new piercings to allow for swelling, healing time, aftercare, potential dangers for each location (nerves, reflection…), angles and techniques, and even piercing needle options (lubricated?, with guide?). Even if you’re just shoving a safety pin through know how long to leave it in before trying to replace it with jewelry.

There’s a million videos and reads explain all of this, but none of them know exactly how your body will react to the piercing or jewelry. Although there are recommendations to allow for swelling those recommendations might not be enough for you or the style of jewelry you want isn’t the best for you while healing. So while others won’t tell you, I will…Buy a variety pack of sizes and styles and keep on hand for new piercings just in case.

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24 hours after changing, swelling down a lot

I’ve self pierced before, but this time chose to use piercing needles instead of safety pin or piercing stud (not recommended for cartilage as they have a lot of grooves). Money was a factor and I went with a $5 pack that came with different gage needless (14, 16, 18) that were not lubricated. The pack came with a few jewelry options for each gage, but they were basic surgical steel and I wanted something cuter and titanium as I wasn’t sure how my body would react, so I bought a labret for my lip and a hoop for my nose.

Thank God I went with the assorted pack of jewelry because my lip swelled so much the next day that the labret stud I initially selected was not long enough. It dug into the meat of my lip and was causing the meat to pucker around it. NOT good. I had no choice but to remove it and find a hoop big enough to fit around my fat lip. So here I am now with a silver 14 gage CBR in my lip (which I intended to be a 16G) that flops from side to side but feels SO much better. When the swelling comes down more I can switch to the smaller diameter horseshoe, and eventually back to my sexy labret. It’s not what I planned but thank God I had options.

Always prepare for the unexpected!!

Be you

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A-men!

Don’t be scared to be you…unless your a psychopathic murderer or worse, if so then just get help because you still are who you are so it’s ok to admit it so others can be who they are. Lol that’s so not where I intended to go with this.

Good day people. I’m up after only 5 hours of amazing sleep and am amazingly energized…I wonder if it’s still the adrenalin or thrill of the new piercing. I woke up with a swollen lip thanks to having to push the needle through twice, but it’s come down some and I don’t have plans but to clean and pack some.

Well I’m off to start my day, I mean afternoon. 🙂 What makes you different?

Accentuating me, my new piercing

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Yay, I finally got to add a new piercing! I know you can’t tell from the pic but it’s a black heart with multi colour jewel…too cute IMO.

This little booger gave me a hard time, but I persisted and finally it all came together. Ok so it was partially my fault for buying needles from a new source and not realizing that the stud wouldn’t fit into the end to guide it through… I ended up putting the needle through twice, leaving it in my lip for 20 mins the 2nd time to make sure the front hole stayed open this time. It worked and boom, I’m loving it. I was going to do a hoop in my lip on the opposite side, but because I struggled with the labret stud I decided I will order a new needle next month that will guide the hoop in. Hey, it will give me time to for the swelling to go down.

This will be my first permanent lip piercing,  when I was younger I could never let my lip heal. My mom was not a fan of facial piercings so as a teen every piercing was fresh and removed before I entered the house. Heck, at some point I just started using a safety pin them fastening it and rocking that over the weekend.

I’m tired of hiding my art, my vision, in not working right now so why not act while I have time to heal. Piercings are beautiful. I am beautiful.

More piercings to come.

Great week update

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I don’t know who to credit for the pic or meme but yummm, just what I want to wake up to everyday! Is there anything sexier than tats and piercings?

It’s been a few days since I’ve posted, but I have a good reason…WordPress pissed me off with that tag/newsfeed issue. Still no idea what caused it, but whatever.

So how’s my week been? It’s been great! The no car and having to bus thing is truly a blessing. My son comes home with tales from his adventures and riding together is giving us lots of bonding time and time to converse. He really is growing up. It’s also saving me a ton of money so I was able to pay half of our past due electric bill yesterday! Aside from all of that I’m really enjoying the walking and exercise I’m getting. We actually choose to walk and talk instead of going a bus a few blocks. Overall, I’m happy.

I’m very excited, my missing labret stud finally got here yesterday, way late but it’s here! Well now you know what I will be doing in a bit. I’m so excited, I’ve been waiting too long for this. Ok stay tuned for pics!!

There’s a story behind art, even body art

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Tattoos, piercings, dermals, and other forms of body modifications are each person’s form of artistic expression; their body the canvas, each chosen method of modification their medium. Art is beauty and meant to be appreciated, admired, discussed, but most of all it is a piece of a story.

Here’s a part a part of mine:

I was maybe 10 when my mom took my best friend and I to get my ears pieced. It was the typical Clair’s type store in a mall in the 80’s, you pick your piercing studs, sit on a stool, find and mark the location to pierce, then close your eyes as they place the piercing gun and pull the trigger, repeat next ear. Looking back now this has to be one of the most traumatic ways to pierce an ear.

In middle school I went back to get a second set of piercings in my lobes. Same process, but this time they missed the mark and the piercings were too close together for me to wear anything but a hoop in the first hole. I took the 2nd piercings out early hoping they would close, but that never happened. So disappointing, my design was incomplete and couldn’t be fixed. Stupid piercing guns.

I had so many visions that I could never act on for years after that. My mom refused to allow me any more ear piercings and any other placement as ugly. There was a point in high school where my vision was clear, I knew what I wanted next and exactly what to do. I grabbed my original stud (it was thicker), cleaned my ear, pressed it to the skin covering my cartilage, and pushed. It took some time, too many grooves in the stud, and oh God, it hurt that way. It seemed like it took a half hour, but it was through and framed perfectly. I can’t explain the rush I got or the satisfaction I felt, but every ounce of pain made it mine and perfect. There would be no more piercing guns or unqualified staff decorating my canvas.

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-Express yourself ~Madonna