My Self-Piercing (materials and process and cost)

by Colleen
(Indianapolis)

I'm 16 years old. It took a few months to warm my parents up to the idea of a nose stud, but finally they were okay with it. It was just a matter of time and giving them the proper information.
I hate spending money of piercings. It's just too expensive. So, for roughly $20, I had everything I needed for the piercing to be done at home.
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Here's a list of everything I used:

-18 gauge hollow sterile needle---------------------$5
-surgical steel studs(3)---------------------------$10
-Dial antibacterial soap bar(2 travel size)(gold)---$2
-Sterile gauze pads
-91% alcohol----------------------------------------$3
-a container of sea salt (NO IODINE)----------------$3
-2 small glass bowls
-small aluminum cooking sheet(for a sterile area)
-cotton swabs and balls
-fine tip marker
-saline spray nasal rinse
-new soap tray for Dial bar

(note that anything I did not put a price next to was
already available to me at home)

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My process:

- prep nose and spray saline rinse into nostril to clear sinuses
- gather materials
- wipe clean baking sheet down with alcohol
- wash hands with dial
- line sheet with gauze
- place stud in bowl with alcohol onto baking sheet
- use other bowl to make salt water cleaning solution also keep on baking sheet
- prep nose inside and out with alcohol
- set stud onto gauze to dry
- Wash hands again with Dial
- Open sterile needle and let the piercing begin.
- once the needle is in, follow it right behind with the stud as you pull the needle through
- Swab inside and

out with sea salt water
- DONE
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While I experienced minimal pain, I DON'T RECOMMEND DOING THIS.(it isn't exactly safe in the first place) Piercings don't bother me, in fact, I enjoy getting pierced. But boy oh boy, you would not believe how much I shook. Its as though my body was going into shock and my every limb was trembling.I mean it, I SHOOK A LOT. It was an odd experience and I could not control the shaking. I was lucky to not have seriously screwed up the process. I bled for a minute or two, but not a lot. And afterword I took ibuprofen, kicked back, and did some deep breathing while I chilled my nerves. Ibuprofen keeps swelling down.
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As for cleaning:

-WASH HANDS WITH ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP FIRST. ALWAYS.
- 2-3 times a day use a salt water soak (morning, evening blah blah blah... you get the idea)
-when I'm in the shower, I use dial.
-Also, here and there throughout the day, I'll spray some Saline nasal rinse up my nostril to keep the passage clear.
-Clean inside and out!
- keep makeup away from area
-Cover with hypoallergenic tape before bed to prevent infection and to keep stud from popping out
-try to touch the piercing area only with CLEAN hands, do not twist, do not take it out until it is fully healed.
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ONE LAST TIP!
I take extra vitamin C and Zinc
Vitamin C helps your body's healing process
Zinc helps fight bacteria
It may aid in the healing/preventing infection process :)

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