Rings of Steel
At A Glance Author anonymous Contact anonymous@bme.anon When Six months ago Artist me Studio home Location Canberra, Australia I have this quirk of nature that makes me try to find alternatives to actually paying for a service or item. This means that I have a collection of home made gear like clothes, tents, trailers and camping equipment so I think that you can guess what my approach to piercing will be.
I have access to a supply of stainless steel hypodermic tubing in various diameters so I chose some with an outside diameter just larger than 1.6mm (the piercing diameter) and cut a piece about 100mm long which I then sharpened on one end with an oilstone. I used a microscope to ensure the quality of the actual cutting edge and to see if there is any gunk stuck in the end of the needle. One thing that I did find was that it was difficult to obtain an appropriate edge by using one simple grinding angle and that the addition of two extra facets gave the needle a wickedly sharp point.
The rings themselves were made from 1.6mm stainless steel welding wire (316 grade) which I polished with 1200 grit paper and with brass rod used in the place of a ball. Brass would not normally be suitable for jewelry but in this case it is not usually in contact with the body and has not been a problem so far (several months).
The piercings were done separately over a period of a month which did cause a problem as far as uniformity goes; if I had to do them again I would do them all at once to get the spacing and depth more consistent. This difficulty is exacerbated by the fact that sometimes my ballbag is contracted and tight whereas other times it looks like a hot air balloon without the hot air!
The procedure included sterilizing all components by firstly physically cleaning including the inner surfaces of the hypodermic then boiling in water for at least ten minutes. During this time I would shave and clean with antiseptic the area to be pierced then mark the entry and exit holes with a pen (trying to avoid any major blood vessels). I would keep a shallow container of antiseptic nearby because usually things would not go to plan and I would have to juggle bits and pieces so the antiseptic at least tried to keep things as bug free as possible. The actual piercing was a bit of a buzz as it was amazing to see a lump of steel sticking through your ballbag although I often had trouble lining up the two holes to insert the jewelry. I then use a pair of long nose pliers to spring open the ring to receive the brass rod and complete the circle. One thing that I have noticed (others on BME also) that there appears to be a tough white layer under the skin which seems to move separately and often obscures the exit hole.
It certainly would be an advantage to have an extra pair of hands while doing the deed to keep holes aligned while putting in the jewelry and for seeing what's going on under my balls. I may have to invest in or construct a set of clamps to do the job. Even though I don't have too much trouble handling the pain I often found myself shaking like a leaf, which only makes the problem worse. It is quite difficult trying to find a tiny hole for the jewelry when you are shaking like hell and your balls are covered in slippery blood.
Follow up treatment consisted of soaking the crusties off twice daily with Savlon solution and then spraying the area with an antiseptic based on tea tree oil. I have not had any trouble with these piercings although an earlier attempt with a bar through the skin under my penis failed due to the jewelry migrating, a typical outcome for a shallow piercing. I guess that migrating jewelry is more of a problem with a penis due to the fact that whenever you get an erection the piercing gets severely strained.
My wife thinks that I'm a nut case for doing the piercings but she seems fairly fond of playing with my ironmongery, one interesting thing is if I go running without any undies on under my shorts I can get them "jingling" if I run at the right speed.
Even though I have performed these piercings without any professional help I would not suggest that others try this. If you insist on doing piercing yourself then you must avail yourself of all possible information (BME is a great resource) so that you know what you are getting into. Hygiene before, during and after the procedure is of utmost importance and if things go wrong swallow your pride and go see a doctor.
Another point would be don't get piercings done on the spur of the moment, take your time and get informed first.