Follow up of good Ampallang experience
At A Glance Author witte Contact witte@bme.anon IAM witte When A month ago Artist Kate Studio Wildcat Koepoortstraat Location Antwerp Belgium Try and do a search on the net about healing times for piercings ... you'll find amazing differences, also texts that are copied over and over again, good advice mixed with rubbish, ... and this is also true for ampallang healing times. In general this piercing is "supposed" to heal quite slowly. Making a resume of all the sites around, one can say that PA's heal in "weeks" to "a few months" and ampallangs heal in "many months, even up to a year". Okay, every body is different, some people have maybe a different genetic base, or different feeding pattern, a different social environment (...). So when I got my PA I was happy to find that it took not more then 2 weeks to be 98% healed, and after one month I felt 100% comfortable and healed. I considered myself lucky, and enjoyed the PA for years.
In another experience I did write about my recent ampallang procedure. It was a very good experience, and I was so happy about it that I did write and submit it within 48 hours after the actual "moment of truth". I concluded that I'd follow up in another experience or via my IAM page if there would be any special event during the healing.
Well, there is. After less then 48 hours there was no more blood. After less then 4 days there was no more pain (not that there was ever real pain involved). There has never been any swelling. Urinating has never been painfull. There are no crusties. The piercings moves left and right without discomfort. I mean ... by all (or most) definitions my piercing seems to be ... healed. I couldn't believe it, so I waited a few more days, prepared for some sort of irritation, but it didn't come. I heard and read that ampallang piercings on people who still have their foreskins sometimes heal slower because of the skin rubbing over it. I'm uncut, so once more I was prepared for a longer healing time, but as said above : no, on the contrary.
So okay, maybe I used a very strict aftercare program, with some miraculous disinfecting solution, salt baths, ... But I didn't. I applied a mild soap/salt bath once a day during the first 3 days, and after that nothing ... Just my shower once every 2 days. Maybe I have a really healthy body, getting a lot of exercise, eating only very healthy stuff ? Maybe I've been taking excellent vitamin supplements ? No, once more this is not the case. I'm a slightly overweight person, living hygienically in general, but I never did anything special for as far as food or vitamins are concerned.
I'm not promoting lazy aftercare procedures here (it is best to read other experiences here on BME and to talk to your piercer to get detailed information on what's appropriate in your situation). But I still think it is worth noting that ... the human body has a remarkable healing capacity, and that many guidelines, many "healing times lists", are probably playing "on the safe side". It CAN all go a lot easier and quicker.
Worries about aftercare and about healing times can discourage people to get pierced, which is normal. Some shops tend to slightly exagerate the "difficulties" that one might encounter during healing, to test if the client is really convinced he or she wants the piercing. But maybe also to get a reaction afterwards that the whole procedure was "easier and better then expected", which leaves a more positive impression. Or am I a bit too critical for piercings shops here ?
What is really missing here is some scientific study about the real "dangers" and "consequences" of piercing procedures and aftercare schemes. But because of the large variety of piercings, the variety in placing and aftercare techniques, such a study would need a very large number of studies subjects before being able to come to any conclusions. I'm convinced that the study would surprise the medical world. "Medline" is a database system used in the medical world to look up scientific information (articles published in peer reviewed journals). If you do a search for "piercing", you'll find dozens of references, most quite recent, but all quite "descriptive" without containing decent quantitative analysis. Most are just ... case reports of a piercing (or a few) that have gone wrong (usually linked to poor aftercare probably). No wonder the medical world is cautious too ... OK, but I'm getting into another discussion here. Back to my ampallang.
We are 12 days after the initial piercing now, so of course surprises are still possible. I'll continue with my shower once every 2 days, and just wait and see ...If anything happens, I'll keep you informed ...