Friday, December 30, 2011

63. Butterfly Scarification

Here is an update of my butterfly scarification. It's about 3 1/2 weeks old now, done by Brian Decker in Brooklyn. It has been very itchy off and on these last couple of weeks, and there is only one small area where any type of scabbing occurred...it's in the branded area of the body and I don't think it will be there much longer. I've been using peroxide once to twice a day at this point, and will continue so for another week or two (if you didn't know, peroxide damages healthy healing cells, which is why it's never suggested for body piercings!), and after that I will use almond seed oil for a short time. I'm not sure there is much I can do after the main healing has happened, as I do not keloid well. It will likely end up resembling a white tattoo, but I'm going to do what I can to make it raise. It's still new so there is still time!

My skin was a little dry in the picture, but here's what it looks like today!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

62. Prank Time!

After Christmas dinner, I went to my shop and spent two hours wrapping up my co-worker's station. It took me a long time to figure out how to get him back for a prank he pulled on me with fire crackers. I feel so accomplished. :D

Monday, December 26, 2011

61. My Clarity

I have done quite a bit of thinking in the last few weeks about the people around me. With the end of the year just around the corner, I've found myself reflecting back on Twenty Eleven, and the challenges I've faced this year based on my appearance alone. I had my chin completely tattooed early in the year, and it has been the topic of conversation with almost every person I encounter on a daily basis. I love my tattoo, but I'm a little burned out on the amount of asinine questions and ignorant remarks, day in and day out. It doesn't have to mean any one thing in particular. It doesn't matter what I will do with it when I have children, or when I'm old. I wanted it because it makes me feel strong, beautiful....free! It separates me from you. My skin, this reflection of my inner self.

Being accepted by others has proven to be quite a challenge after I had decided to take the step towards being a visibly modified individual and finding a career in body piercing. I never thought I would ever be judged in life based on my appearance or what I do. Especially in the recent years, I've begun to see the true colors of others, even those who are my family members. It's not always easy to explain when "because I like to" isn't a sufficient enough answer. With the invention of Facebook, it's has been increasingly more difficult to keep all aspects of my life hidden from my family and friends who do not fully comprehend or accept my drive for change. I've found that I have less friends and less respect from family than when I started out in life, solely because of the choices I've made in modification. I never thought it would be this hard. I've been shunned by family, friends, the general public. I don't regret my decisions, however. I continue to be kind to those around me, to those who may not understand or who may feel negatively towards it, and I still continue to change my appearance despite what others say and think. I may have less in life physically, but the experiences and challenges have formed me into the person I am today. I've realized that it's okay to be different, and that I am happy with myself! I have come through of all of this with unwavering perseverance and I still continue to thrive! I've found a new perception of understanding...a sweet clarity I cannot begin to explain. I cannot imagine who I would have become without modification in my life. Only in the last few years have I been able to fully grasp this new concept and it continues to shape itself as I move forward in life and continue to alter my physical appearance. I love life. I am free.

Monday, December 19, 2011

60. 6mm/2g Conches

I thought I would share my first proper set of large gauge conches! Generally, I only do one side, and once I did a tandem with 8mm (0g) jewelry but I still only pierced the one side (the other side was done by another piercer at the same time). I love doing this kind of work!

I did this set on one of my fantastic regular clients. Two 6mm/2g conches with glass.




Going this route as compared to stretching makes things a lot easier (and safer!). Healing these are pretty similar to healing a normal cartilage piercing. I recommend hot saline compresses, and chamomile tea bag compresses if scarring shows up. I've found that some people will experience no problems at all, but some people will experience prolonged soreness and off and on, and minimal scarring during the first few months to a year. Even after the piercing has healed, you can still experience off and on soreness. My conch has been 4mm/6g for years, and if I sleep on it wrong, I will have a little discomfort and soreness for the first part of the day.

If this is a procedure you're considering, please go to an experienced professional! Consider that this is a permanent removal of cartilage, and a permanent modification of the ear that will likely not return back to normal after removing the jewelry. Larger sized removal like this may also yield the results of some hearing impairment/loss when wearing certain kinds of jewelry (like eyelets/tunnels) or when not wearing jewelry at all. It's important to make sure you know all of the pros and cons before considering this kind of modification. Be safe with your body my friends!

Friday, December 16, 2011

59. 97pt Play Piercing

I did a lovely 97 point play piercing with feathers on Wednesday. It took about three hours from start to finish. I had been wanting to do a design with feathers for quite some time and I think it came out pretty nice! I'm so glad I was finally able to achieve this. Kayla did a wonderful job as well, and she looked beautiful too!

(this kind of piercing is temporary and not intended to be permanent)





Monday, December 12, 2011

58. Butterfly Scarification

My scarification is one week old today. It was done by Brian Decker last week at his Brooklyn studio (scroll down to see a fresh picture). I've been doing a wet heal and today is the first day I haven't worn a bandage. It's a little sore and itchy, but I am incredibly pleased with the work. :D

Saturday, December 10, 2011

57. Boston / NYC

Last weekend I went to Boston and NYC. It was pretty neat! I love traveling to the east coast and I wish I could do it more often. :D I worked at Zaza Ink in Worcester and got the side of my neck tattooed by the owner Joe. Joe and his wife Irene are such nice people. :D Here's a not so great picture of the tattoo. It actually hurt a lot more than I thought it would!



I then went to NYC and saw Brian Decker for a scarification on Monday. It hurt LESS than the tattoo!! And Brian was so nice. It was nice to talk a little shop and hang out. I love my new piece too. :D



Here's a picture of me and Brian Decker together. :D



I walked around Manhattan and did touristy things. I've never really been to NYC and walked around so it was a cool experience! There was so much to look at and so many different kinds of people. I feel like I didn't get enough to time stay, but it was still a lot of fun. Next time I go back, I hope to stay for a few days longer. Here's a few pictures I took. :)






56. Corsets

I did two corsets over our customer appreciation day, a 21pt and a 20pt. Here's some pictures. :)

(this kind of piercing is temporary and not intended to be permanent)