:: Body Modification Stories ::
April 8th 2003: My second tattoo... finally!
It's been 3 years since my first tattoo... the second is long overdue. Now I finally know the best way to get a tattoo is to do it on impulse, and on my baby's birthday too! To make a long story short, I had a huge quarrel with Nette on her birthday and I was left to wander Far East on my own.
While searching for Air Force 1s, I bumped into Lionel and went into his new workplace at Rebirth for a chat. I had recommended Ruien to Lionel for a tattoo a week ago and he urged me to get another tattoo. I decided on the chinese character "bin" because firstly, I've always wanted it, and I could get it done for only $60. Yeah for the price of a new shirt, I can have some fun with body modification instead.
Despite fears of violent parental response to the tattoo (they still don't have a clue about the dragon) I decided that I'll get the tattoo just above my ankle so that it'll be visible when I wear my Dunk Hi. Eck. It was quite a different experience from getting inked on my arm because my leg is obviously not as fleshy. It wasn't terrible, just slightly unpleasant. But because the tattoo was small, it was over and done with within a short period of time.
June 5th 2002: Still no new mods! (PS Pls brush your labret)
Okay, it has been a while since the last entry was written, and I still haven't gotten any new mods! How sad. In order to keep this page from becoming defunct I've decided to add in stories about my current and old mods. Anyway, here's a little reminder or advice to those who have labrets or are planning to get one: Please remember to brush your labret every night when you brush your teeth! Due to the amazing healing abilities of our lips, they never cease to try to grow skin over the back of the labret stud. So unless you want a permanent labret for life, do brush them often.
Actually this problem is more acute when you first get it pierced, because your lip immediately identifies the existence of a new foreign object. I would wake up everyday in shock to find half the stud covered by the new skin growth. Luckily I read somewhere that you need to brush it often to prevent this from happening. Brushing a fresh piercing wound? It's not as scary as you think.
February 3rd 2002: Some updates
Looks like there hasn't been any new mods for one year! Anyway I realized that I accidentally deleted the link to the eyebrow piercing story that I posted onto Bmezine.com. Well, I gotta give the eyebrow piercing some credit (although it has already migrated) because it started me on the path towards becoming a body modification enthusiast. So check out the story that started it all HERE. Some other sad stories other than losing the eyebrow piercing include closing 2 earholes, one of them a 10 gauge hole, due to problems with keloids. And I strongly urge those who are considering getting a labret to also think carefully about the risks of gum recession........the dark side of body piercing........
October 4th 2000: Freshly inked! (My first tattoo)
I already knew that a tattoo was coming sooner or later, despite all the horror stories I've heard about how it's going to hurt ten times more than piercing. So I was just patiently waiting for one of Those Days.
Well to make a long story short, someone really broke my heart and I needed some pain to get me on the right track of mind again so I just grabbed my trusty Nets card and trooped down to my favourite place of modification, Primitive at FE and started flipping through the books of flash. Okay yes I know I should have came up with my own design instead of a piece of cheesy flash but you can't really blame me. I was in a real bad state at that point of time.
I spent a while going through the books but somehow this picture of a dragon skeleton kept turning up in my head. "Okay I want this," I announced. We downsized the picture to fit my arm, just above the bicep, talked about the price (settled at $250, much cheaper than this celtic schmitar I've designed to which he quoted $350) and settled down to wait for Lionel to finish up with this feather tattoo on this Huge ang moh with ugly tatts all over.
A short mention of how I got Lionel to be my tattoo artist. This guy, whose name I've forgotten to ask for, offered to help me when I was looking through the flash and he showed me his dragon tattoos. At first I thought he wasn't modified, till he lifted his shirt to reveal this monstrous dragon backpiece. Like wow, man. So I asked who did it and he pointed to Lionel, who was still working at that ang moh. Did I mention that there was this Alice Cooper shit on his back? (The ang moh I mean)
An hour's wait and it was my turn. The carbon traceout was placed on my arm and I was prepared. I think. Okay, the sound of the machine wasn't very pleasant at first, but after the first prick, I turned to Lionel and asked, "Is that the worst already?" He just laughed but boy, was I glad! Let's just say that it wasn't painless but it didn't hurt much. After a while you sort of settle down to 'enjoy' the pain. Well I did. Tip #1: Don't try to fight the pain as it makes it worse.
The dragon was done after two hours. And really, it was gorgeous. I didn't want any color on it, but the touches of brown, gray and white made it really special. I think Lionel was even more pleased than I was, signalling for Malvin to get the camera. Yeah my dragon (albeit a little bloody) is in the photo album at Primitive! Hahaha....Well for this lovely little bit of skin art (about the length of a short ruler) I have someone to thank. Indirectly lah!
July 25th 2000: Getting my labret done
I've not pierced anything for a few weeks and somehow I just knew something was coming soon. I was in town walking around and of course I took a trip down to Primitive because my friends were complaining that my eyebrow ring looks gross.(due to this huge hole) Well the guys told me that the ring is too heavy for the wound and is dragging the eyebrow down, causing premature migration. (damn!) I decided to change it back to a barbell to salvage the situation....and then I thought "I've been wanting to pierce my lip for sooo long, why not get it now and done with?" And guess what I follow through with this impulse.
This time my piercer was going to be Malvin, the guy with the Huge earholes, triple labrets and other assorted bits...I have to say he really put me at ease because I know that the labret will definitely hurt alot more than my eyebrow. First he changed the eyebrow ring back to a barbell and placed the ring into another earhole. Okay, now for the real thing.
I rinsed my mouth with the pink antiseptic mouthwash and settled back into the chair like a lamb waiting for its slaughter. First came the clamps, which was slightly more uncomfortable than when placed on the eyebrow. Then, Malvin took a marker and marked a dot which was going to be the position of the labret. Okay, I've a crooked mouth so it looks aligned with my chin, but off-centre with the lip! Now....here comes the needle. Very short as compared to the eyebrow one, maybe only about 4cm long? And very slim and sharp.....Before I had time to react the needle was at my lip and slicing my insides! (haha...just kidding) But the pain was pretty intense...Sharp, sudden pain. I had anticipated that so it was 'okay' for now. This time I got to watch the whole procedure unlike the eyebrow piercing during which I had my eyes closed. I saw the needle coming through the lip, and collected by the cork.
Here comes the worst part, getting the labret stud through...."EeeurrrghhHHH" Yes somehow I couldn't help but make a sound it was as if the labret was been squeezed through the fresh wound. Thank goodness it was all over in like 5 minutes? Or maybe less. Time seems to stand still when you're suffering. Another gargle with the mouthwash and I was off.
I spent the next 30 minutes shivering, because firstly I was cold, and secondly it seems like a natural body reaction to the piercing......It's been 24 hours since the piercing and I am fine, except the lip is stinging, but a drink of ice water will calm it down. Eating is okay, but eating time is extended by 3 times or more.....Hahaha more to update on "Healing my labret"
July 2nd 2000: Stretching my lobes to 8ga and 10ga
I had my left earlobe stretched to 10ga from 14ga a month ago, and yes it was rather painful because my friend did it the 'quick' way, which was to enlarge the hole suddenly through brute force with the enlarging instrument. (which sort of resembles a nail) But I thought the pain was bearable and on this occasion felt like going up one gauge to 8ga.
I have been 'playing' with the 10ga ring for quite a while and I think it was ready to move up to 8ga without stretching and I was right. Putting in the ball closure ring was a smooth and painless transition. Only problem now is that I'll have to put the 10ga ring now through the right earhole which was only at 14ga.
Bad news. Now that I know what the pain is like, I refused to let Kirby (the friend) surprise me with a sudden display of brute force, and decided that I want the stretching process to go slow. That, would prove to be a big mistake. "ARGhhh!" Going slow was like 5 minutes of pure torture in hell, can you imagine the thought of metal slowly turning and drilling in your flesh. Okay, I'm a big wuss and spent the whole process screaming. To be honest, I did it the 'backdoor' way, which was not at a body piercing studio, but in the changing room of a clothes shop. Obviously there isn't any autoclave around so soaking the jewelry in alcohol was our method of sterilizing.
Now I'll say it's pretty damn tight. It's been a day but it still pretty damn hurt. Some regrets but I think I'll have to go through it sooner or later. Advice: Move up one gauge at a time, don't jump any steps.
The 8ga lobe is fine, no pain, and I'm already thinking of changing to a 6ga flesh tunnel the next time round. By the way, keloids suck.
July 1st 2000: Bleeding eyebrow ring
There's like this tendency to be complacent in taking care of your piercings after they've healed. Well, please don't!
Obviously I've forgotten about the fact that I have this ring sticking out of my face and Wham! just ripped the T-shirt off me without even thinking. Fantastic. The ring got caught and got pulled hard. I was like "uh-oh" when I saw the blood coming out. I was quite surprised at the amount of blood, and finally realized how vulnerable an eyebrow ring is.
June 26th 2000: Piercing guns
To be truly known as one well versed in the know-how of piercing, you're supposed to diss the use of piercing guns, but you can't deny the fact that it's still the cheapest/fastest/easiest way of getting a hole punched in your face.
Feeling a little bored and got my 4th earhole punched today. May be the 4th one, but somehow I'm still rather nervous when I'm waiting to get pierced.
Also had to chance to witness this guy getting his nose piercing done by the gun. To be honest, I'll rather have a needle slowly going through such thick tissue as my nostrils then be pierced by brute force. And you can wear rings immediately with a professional piercing!
