I had been fantasising about giving my ears a more alien look; something that looked definitely non-human but still subtle and natural, not completely distorting the original aesthetic of the ear.
At A Glance Author Kadotus Contact Kadotus@bme.anon When A month ago Artist Lex Studio Federal Location Linköping, Sweden
Dermal punching round holes in my outer conches seemed to be the perfect modification. I adore the idea of two completely round holes without jewellery, and the flat cartilage of the area would be a brilliant place to accentuate them.
So, when the time was right I went to see my modificator extraordinaire, Lex. We spent quite a while figuring out the perfect placement and checking for blood vessels with a flash light. We decided to punch the cartilage quite near the helix, and I made sure that the holes were perfectly aligned with my jaw. It gives my ears a nicely elongated look, sort of elvish. Then we spent some time chatting and relaxing, discussing what size the punches should be. He first suggested 6 mm (about 2ga), which sounded fine to me, but after discussing it further we agreed on 8mm (0ga). Considering the fact that we were going to downsize 1mm after about a week to facilitate healing, 8mm felt like the right choice. After relaxing and getting in the mood, it was time to clean the areas (which felt extremely nice, imagine someone gently massaging your ears...). Lex presented all the tools being used and his expertise and scientific jargon made me feel completely at ease.
Lex asked me whether I wanted him to do it nice and slow and painful or pop it through quick, and I figured that if I was going to get pieces of my cartilage removed with a rounded knife, I might just as well do it right. I'm a "nice, slow and painful" kind of girl. He said that I would feel some pressure as he started pushing the punch into the cartilage. The pressure culminated into the most exquisite pain I have ever experienced. It was heaven. As he wrenched the punch through with a pop, it felt absolutely amazing. He pushed the tunnel in, put the o-rings in place and my ear felt completely transformed. You are not really aware of your ears normally, you can't really feel them. I could really feel my ear, I could sense it's existence.
I was thrilled that I still had one ear to go. The procedure was equally amazing in repeat. Lex showed me his bloody gloves and congratulated me on being one hell of a trooper. I declined to eat the punched-out cartilage pieces, despite Lex insisting he wouldn't mind. I considered it, but decided not to. Just didn't feel like it. We had a nice bonding moment and he told me to come back in ten days to give him an update on the healing. He said I could downsize when I felt like it, but to wait at least 5 days.
Everything went absolutely fine. I still felt my ears and I was ecstatic. It wasn't just the normal throbbing, it was a tingling sensation that was completely new to me. There was no discomfort nor pain, and downsizing was easy and pleasant. Upon check-up, Lex thought the holes looked great and marveled at what a great healer I was. A minor set-back was losing my tunnels one wild night as my lover knocked them out. I didn't notice until the next morning, looking at my blood stained face and neck in the mirror. The holes had shrunken to about 3mm. Well, I thought, the hole in the cartilage remains 8mm, and thus, with a little effort, I should be able to get the tunnels back in. And with a little effort, a taper and a little patience, I did. It took me about five minutes to taper the holes back to 7 mm and another five to fiddle the tunnels back in. There was a little throbbing and swelling and some bleeding, but that calmed down in a few days of salt soaking.
Now, a month after the procedure, my ears are feeling great. They still tingle wonderfully. I switched to 6mm glass tunnels, which are working extremely well and the holes look beautiful without jewellery, too. I really love the elongating effect, which is even further accentuated now.
I am curious as to how my punched holes will take the abuse of martial arts practice. I'm not too worried though, I've managed to keep a sternum/cleavage surface and a nape for 3 years of daily hard core martial arts practice. They've hardly even bruised. I've been missing practice now for a month to let my ears heal properly, but now that they feel just fine, I think it'll be safe to get back om the tatami.
Getting my ears punched really was a magical experience. It was more like a ritual than just a clinical procedure. And the result is absolutely perfect. Tack, Lex, for making it something to remember.