My first piercing was self-done at the age of 16. I had a strong desire to pierce myself, but an even stronger desire to hide it from the rest of the world. So I decided on a genital piercing, as this is (well... was) the only area hidden from everyone's view.
At A Glance Author tomakin Contact tomakin@bme.anon IAM tomakin When Five years ago Artist self-done Studio my house What I ended up giving myself was a foreskin piercing. Bear in mind that back then, I had never heard of BME and had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Nevertheless, the craving to do this was too much to bear, so I did it anyway. My tools were as simple as they get:
1. Large, brand new safety pin, "sterilized" in rubbing alcohol
To be honest, I did not "sterilize" my pecker or my hands at all - just washed them in soap. This was stupid.
So I grabbed a chunk of foreskin with my thumb and forefinger. It was just a small fold - like a pinch of skin. I didn't bother even marking the entry and exit holes. Actually it's a miracle that I didn't grab too little or too much. If I would have grabbed too little, it would have led to migration and rejection (see http://encyc.bmezine.com/?Shallow_Genital_Piercing). On the other hand, I feared that if I grabbed too much and put the piercing too far under the foreskin, it would be too tight when I'd retract it**.
OK, as I was saying - I grabbed a chunk of foreskin with my right hand, and held the pin in the other. I was going into a cold sweat, and I could barely control my shaking hands (what the f**k was I doing???). I took a couple of deep breaths, and started pushing the pin through. That safety pin could have been a 1000 times larger and going straight through my chest, because that's how it felt like. Needless to say it was not only a very wrong tool to use, it was also very blunt (the sharper the needle, the lower the pain).
I said to myself, "f**k the pain... that's not gonna stop me now." So I pushed harder. The pain stabbed back. Push. Pain. Willpower versus nerves. Slowly I was getting there. I could see the bump on the other side getting whiter and tighter. Suddenly there was a weird sensation... something between a crunch and a pop. I realized that I had made it through the first layer of skin. My heart beat faster. Beads of sweat dripped off my forehead. Push. Pain. The pain had changed by this point - it was less shocking but more uncomfortable. I began to see the metal tip of the pin showing through the skin on the other side. I was very close. One last push... POP. It was through.
I slid more of the metal through the hole. It was hard to do this and very painful, but at least the resistance was nowhere near as much as that last push.
Luckily, it turned out that I got the placement just right. Unluckily, the piercing got infected about 1.5 weeks after insertion. Basically the area directly surrounding it turned red and swelled, and a little puss was coming out of the holes. Of course I wasn't gonna gamble - this is my dick we're talking about here. I took out the safety pin right away*, washed it carefully and regularly (like I was doing anyway), kept an eye on the area frequently, and prayed.
Turns out that luck was still on my side (much more than I had deserved by this point). The infection subsided, but I was determined to keep this piercing. I found a small, smooth stainless open ring (ripped off of a keychain), sterilized the f**k out of it, and put it in. Surprisingly, it went through the hole very smoothly and with no pain whatsoever.
Finally after about 3 to 4 weeks, the piercing healed completely. I loved it. Sometimes, I would wear a ring through it all day. I'd walk around school feeling awesome that I had this thing and no one knew about it. Probably no one had even thought of doing what I had done, either. Needless to say, it made me feel damn good about myself.
My next step was to stretch. How did I do that? I don't know exactly how safe this method is, as I have never seen it advocated on bme. Here it is:
Tools:
1. blunt sewing needle
2. thread*** (this is what I used, but sutures would be MUCH better)
3. scissors
4. sterilization tools (I used rubbing alcohol, autoclave is obviously ideal)Procedure:
1. Sterilize tools, as well as surrounding environment
2. Thread sewing needle
3. Pass sewing needle through piercing hole, loop and pass through again
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3, making a thicker bundle, until a dull pain is felt
5. Tie up and leave for about 4 days
6. After 4 days, cut away thread / sutures and rinse thoroughly
7. Give your piercing a few days rest
8. Repeat entire procedure (if desired)Using this method, I was able to stretch from 14 to 0G over the course of several months. The trick is to keep a close eye on it - as soon as you suspect the area may be getting infected, cut away the thread, rinse it thoroughly and rest it until all soreness is gone.
I have never told any of the girls I have been with (and had sex with) about my piercing. When there is no jewelry in it, it's just a small fold of skin that is barely noticeable - it just looks like an imperfection to those who are not looking for it. Maybe one day a girl will notice, and things will get more interesting. ;)
On a final note, I would strongly recommend NOT doing a DIY genital piercing unless you have done a shitload of research and know exactly what you're doing. You might not be as lucky as I was!
tomakin.
* In retrospect, this may have not been the smartest thing to do. If you remove your piercing when it is infected, the hole may heal, trapping the infection inside your body. Again, I guess I was lucky that it didn't happen to me.
** Actually as the piercing was healing I noticed a slight difference in my foreskin - i.e. it was a bit tighter than before. Also, the skin on the top of my foreskin would crack a little (sort of like dry lips). This lasted only a week or two though, and went away. Keep in mind that the deeper under the foreskin you pierce, the tighter it will be when you retract it.
*** I would strongly advise AGAINST using regular thread (as I did), as it's a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Sutures are readily available from BMEshop - they are sterile and bacteriostatic. In case you forgot, I was 16 when I was doing all this stuff.