I had been looking for an artist capable of doing dermal punches. Since there is no one even close to where I live, I looked on IAM. I was going to be traveling to New Orleans soon and discovered that Michael (IAM: Blackdeath) lived there and began talking to his roommate (Andie, IAM: Headlesslego) about getting him to dermal punch my conches. I wanted him to do it because I had seen his work online and knew he was experienced. So we talked on the phone and set up a time to get my conches punched at 2 gauge.
At A Glance Author i3lackcatMau Contact i3lackcatMau@bme.anon IAM i3lackcatMau When A month ago Artist IAM: Blackdeath Studio his apartment Location New Orleans My friend and I met them at their apartment. Michael got everything set up and explained everything. He said he would punch them at 4 gauge and then stretch to a 2 to avoid a lot of bleeding. Then he cleaned my ears and marked them. I was starting to get nervous, it was strange that I hadn't been up until this point. Then he realized that he had run out of gloves. But he had everything else, including a surgeons mask, I thought he was very professional throughout the whole procedure. So my friend, Dan, and Andie went to the store to get some while Michael and I looked at some pictures of other piercings he had done. It was nice to finally meet some people from BME. When they got back from the store I got nervous again, because I remembered what I was really here for. I saw the dermal punch and it hit me that I was really going to do this. He had me take out my other earrings that were in the way and got ready to do it. Andie was ready with her camera. He placed a n eraser on the back of my ear and told me to "Breath in and slowly exhale." I felt a crunch and a sharp pain and then a rush of adrenalin. He pulled the punch out of my ear and I could feel the warmth of the blood running down my neck. I just kept breathing while he put the taper in. He kept asking me if I was alright and how I was feeling, but I was feeling too good to notice right away that he was talking to me. The jewelry went in (single flair tunnels) and now it was time for the next one. Same procedure. On the exhale I felt a lot of pressure and a kind of ripping pain. Dan said later that the noise it made was disturbing to him. After that brief pain, I really didn't feel anything. Dan said I had been smiling throughout the whole procedure, but I wasn't aware of that. He had to restretch one of them to stop the bleeding some more. It took a little while to get them cleaned up. We I stood up I felt a little unstable. I looked at them and thought they looke d good. Michael showed me the ear bits and put them in a bag so that we could eat them at a later date. I found that whole part of the experience to be comic relief.
Next it was Andie's turn. She decided to get her lobes punched at a 2 gauge also. This time I was ready with my camera, but I don't have any photography skills. But that's another story. Her punches didn't go as smoothly as mine. There were many obscenities and of course blood. Then there was a struggle to get pictures of her ear bits in a bag. We put them in the freezer, where they will remain until the day we can get together and eat them.
Afterward we sat around, ears beginning to ache by this time. We talked about suspension (prompted by the hooks hanging on their wall) and that the punches supposedly hurt more than hooks. I can't wait to suspend. Then Michael had to go to work so I hung out with Andie and we talked a lot about bme stuff.
Dan decided to get his lobes pierced at 4 gauge, so we went back the next day. That surprised me because until now he hasn't been into piercings, so the experience must have had some positive impact on him as well.
My conches bled for the first few days when I slept or took a shower. They are now doing pretty well, though I irritate which ever one I sleep on, so I have to alternate which side I sleep on.
It was nice to finally meet people who are interested in the same things that I am. It was an amazing experience. Next time I go, I'm either getting a vertical bridge or a triangle. If you are ever in New Orleans, I recommend getting pierced by Michael.