Holy Tight Tygon Batman
At A Glance Author Seichi Contact Seichi@bme.anon When A week ago Artist Tim Goodman Studio Amillions Location Austin, Tx About a week ago I got my very first surface done. It is just beneath my belly button, and horizontal. I had been dreaming of getting this or something like it done for months. I wanted something with the look of a multiple navel, but without the additional beads that sit inside the belly button. I wanted something different. I don't want to see someone walking down the street with the same holes in the gut that I have. Nothing like being an original and following the crowd.
I really wasn't sure what I was going to put holes in when I walked into Amillions. I was supposed to be grocery shopping. It was actually the second shop I had been to that day, but in Texas, it's hard to find someone to stick you with needles on a Sunday afternoon. Especially at a reasonable price.
Amillions is a great studio. They sterilize everything in front of you, with the statement "Why should you trust that a perfect stranger did everything just right, when you can watch and be sure." It does make for a fairly long six minutes though.
Not being the chatty type when anticipating pain, small talk was stale and a bit forced. I was trying not to answer a guy with a good chair-side manner in monosyllabic grunts and nods but while discussing options, measuring and getting marked up with enough violet lines to make a Picasso I found myself wishing for things to hurry up. I know, I know measure twice cut once, but geeesh! A piercer is one of those people whom you would desire a bit of perfectionism in but my nerves weren't sure if they could take much more.
The last time I had gotten anything done was nearly five years ago and wasn't overly painful, but I wasn't betting on this being the same. The needle looked like something you would use to repair carpets or maybe go whaling with. After a final check to make sure everything was picture perfect it was time.
The ceiling is white with three lights.
"I'm going to make sure everything is lined up, take a deep breath and when you breathe out I'll pierce you. The needle will go all the way through, and the tygon with the ball on the end will follow it and then we'll trim it and put on the other bead"
Sounds sooo simple doesn't it? It actually is. I'm so glad he didn't give me a choice or ask that hated question "are you ready?" No of course I'm not ready. Just do it already. He did give me a couple seconds before to zone out a little which was the only thing that kept me from jumping off the table when he pushed the needle in. It hurts. No surprise there. What I was surprised about was how much it hurt- in an odd detached fly on the wall sort of way.
Alright, I'll admit it. I did arch just a little, but less than an inch and when I caught myself doing it I was able to freeze with just my lower back off the table. Unfortunately I couldn't persuade the muscles doing the arching to let go once they were going though, so I just stayed lying there with my butt clenched like it was going to do something helpful.
As planned, the tubing went through, he trimmed it, put on the other ball and it looked great. Took a few pictures and I was on my way.
For the first three days it looked great. Appeared to be healing well with little to no seeping or crusting. At the week mark though it was looking more bruised and more swollen than it had the first night after getting done. I went out with some friends who agreed that it looked a tad... icky. A few beers and a trip to the ladies room and while looking at it in passing I figured out what was going wrong.
The balls were settling into the holes, and not allowing the piercing to drain. When I cleaned it, and unstuck the balls from the caves they were attempting to dig in my skin it would drain briefly but as soon as they balls settled back in it was stopped up. When it had started swelling they had completely blocked the holes. All that careful measuring was beginning to pull up on the left side making my horizontal a diagonal.
Next morning, hangover and all I jumped in the car and raced down to Amillions where as soon as he saw it; the piercer knew exactly what was going on. The tygon was sized to the non-swollen length of the piercing but when the swelling started the pressure against the balls pulled it tight.
He switched out the tygon for one a hair longer and put on larger balls to keep them from sitting in the holes. The relief was instantaneous. The draining also was instantaneous. Nearly overnight the swelling went down and the bruising has lightened as well.
In another week or so I'm going back to get the balls switched down to smaller ones again and get the length on the tygon checked.
The lesson of my story; if it doesn't look right, go back to the studio and have them check it out. I've seen so many stories of people who instantly assume migration and give up on their piercings after seeing a few scary pictures online. If you're going to spend the time, money and physical pain, then it's common sense to do everything you can to protect your investment.