Tololy's Box

Mechanical Ear

Ear cuffs and chains are a great way to accessorize and give a body-artsy impression without having to get any freakish piercings. If you are not planning on getting your ears pierced but you love the look of metal hugging them, you could buy an ear cuff with a chain, available in most accessory stores, and experiment.

In the following picture, an ear with multiple piercings is further adorned with an ear cuff with a chain. The chain is threaded through the existing earrings to achieve that “metal hugging ear” effect. I call this The Mechanical Ear — it’s bold, it’s metallic, and it’s overdone.

From Visual Compendium

Final verdict: I find ear cuffs to be one of the smartest inventions of accessory makers. Truly a revolution. You should try them some time.

Mesmerized

Corset Me, Please

I generally love corsets and think they’re beautiful. This makes me wonder if I would like to wear one at all times — if I can handle making it with my own flesh. I don’t know yet but the concept is very tempting.

I still love this:

Farewell

I have decided it was time to remove the bellyring as I don’t think it could have held up three more days. I feel helpless and sad because I had no other choice but to lose it in order to avoid rendering the area unpierceable in the future. My goal right now is to get re-pierced as soon as I have healed.

Farewell red vision, my precious 16th hole. I’m sorry I lost you.

Piercing Migration and Why I Hate 2008

It’s just been a day and a half into the so-called “new” year, and I am as pessimistic as never before. I hate 2008 because of a revelation I “experienced” this morning.

What’s there to like in a year that starts off as badly as this news: prices will double, money value will shrink, confusion would embrace confusion, personal future is unknown and yet is very complicated any way you look at it, and you might lose your most precious piercing which you have been taking care of for the past six months to a mishap in the name of fashion? I’ve probably never said this in a post but fuck it.

I am experiencing what is known as piercing migration. This is a process where a surface piercing’s jewelry starts to move, or migrate, towards the surface of the skin. There are a number of reasons why this happens; and it is pretty common in navel piercings to want to migrate. Sometimes they settle in a more comfortable place, and at other times they continue to migrate until they break the surface skin and leave a scar, completely leaving the body.

Now my piercing was healing perfectly well up until November. At which point, I decided I wanted to decorate it some more and went to Claire’s and bought this beautiful dangling bellyring:

…which was the mother of all troubles. I took it off after a couple of days because it was too heavy and uncomfortable. I put my original ring back in but I believe it started migrating because it just couldn’t fix the problem generated by the dangling ring, which irritated the puncture holes and sort of stretched them. I didn’t notice this until recently when I started feeling that the ring was a bit loose as compared to before and noticed other signs of migration.

Up until today, I was denying that I might be experiencing piercing migration. I take excellent care of my piercings and they have given me the usual nuisances associated with inserting a foreign object under your skin, but never have I imagined that my body would so resent a piercing that it would actually border on rejecting it! I solemnly believe though that this is not a case of my body rejecting an object, because it healed perfectly well before November, but that it is a case of ill-engineered body jewelry which I foolishly purchased at a high price, both financially and emotionally.

I am crushed…utterly devastated, so much so that I cried and cried and cried this morning when I recognized that I might have to remove my bellyring and let the area heal and close up. I went through a lot to get pierced in the first place and I loved every second of it, and now this! Tears literally ran down my face when I was telling my sister about the potential catastrophe of losing my piercing and I am so sad thinking about it now. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.

If I don’t remove the ring and it continues to migrate, the fistula, which is the piece of skin above the piercing, will eventually break because it cannot hold the weight of the ring and the ring will fall out. This would leave a scar that I do not want. On the other hand, if I remove the ring, the fistula will heal and skin will regenerate inside the puncture holes and the area will go back to being a normal, dull belly button again. I can get re-pierced there as soon as it heals completely, but the question is where and when I will do it again.

In a feeble attempt to combat The Migration, I bought antibiotics to help the fistula heal. I am giving this plan three days and I am putting the piercing under close monitoring to measure any changes. If the fistula does heal and I believe the migration has stopped, I will keep the ring in place. If nothing happens, I will remove it lest it pushes its way out through my skin. Then I will start planning my next trip to New York to go back to Big Joe & Sons and get a new navel piercing, maybe a nipple ring too if I am in a particular mood at the moment. I will have a navel piercing no matter what happens.

If this was a gross post, I won’t apologize for it. I am too absorbed in mourning. I don’t feel any pain as the ring migrates, and the only pain I do feel is in my heart because I love this piercing so much and it means a lot to me. I don’t want to lose it. Please, Gods of Piercing, let me keep this ring. I will be extra good to it from now on, I will not wear any of these stupid dangling rings, and I will never touch it. Please!

The 16th Hole

On June 28th, 2007 (almost six months ago) I got my belly button pierced. This is the story of that day.

I had been in New York for almost a week, shopping and having the time of my life. Before even going there, I had wanted to get a navel piercing done by a professional as opposed to having it done in a random accessories store in Amman. So I researched the procedure and what it involves, and then decided to get it done in NY. I looked for a reputable body art studio in the area where I was living, and found it after sifting through many many names and reading many many reviews.

This was a huge step for me because while it is true that I had 15 piercings (ear, nose), all of these were discovered by my parents. My mother was strongly opposed to my getting a belly ring, but I wanted it so bad that the idea possessed me. When that happens, I know there is no turning back and it must be done.

My mother was set to arrive on June 29th to join me in NY. I stayed up all night on the 27th deciding on the studio to go to, getting their address from google maps, and thinking of a way to convince my brother’s wife to drive me there. If I was going to get my virgin navel pierced, it would have to be on the 28th before my mother comes. Either that or nothing.

The next morning, I talked my hostess into driving me to the studio. I told her that my mother was OK with my getting this piercing and that everyone knew about it (lies, of course). Because she was such a good hostess, she believed me and we headed to the studio at around 11:20 AM.

We got lost for a bit then found it. I was wearing a gray pajama top with an owl on it (didn’t bother to wear a regular top on such a big day), a short beige jacket, and low-rise jeans. My haircut was very new so I looked pretty “femininely boyish,” and my ears were shining with metal and my fingers with black nail polish. The studio, Big Joe & Sons, had an imposing black sign with the letters written in maroon or red and studded somehow. It looked like a real body art studio. I was very nervous.

The weather that day was exceptionally pleasant, I remember thinking how lovely it was on the way to the studio. When we got there and parked the car, I discovered that I would have to go inside on my own. I pretended to be brave and walked towards the dark brown door only to find a note that says the studio opens at 12 PM.

What a bummer! After all that gathering of strength and whatnot I found the studio to be closed. I went back to the car and we spent the next 20 minutes in a Sears nearby. My memories of those 20 minutes are a complete blur. I don’t remember anything that happened during this time, as I was too absorbed in thinking about what sort of pain I will have to endure shortly.

Twenty minutes later, we returned to Big Joe’s. This time it was open and there was no question about it. I walked in and sat down on one of the seats in the waiting area. Three seconds later a heavily tattooed, petite, Gothic girl came out asking me how she can help me. I told her I was in to get a navel piercing.

“Bri-aaan! You have one navel comin’ up!” — she shouted.

She told me to wait a little bit since the artist was busy with other clients. I waited, looking at the flashes covering the walls of the waiting area, watching the girl arrange some in frames, and reading a sign that says “Remember, a cheap tattoo is not a good one. And a good tattoo is not cheap.”

My heart was pounding like an African drum beat. All I could think about was a thickish needle poking a hole in my belly button, and whether or not I will feel it and to what degree it will hurt. I figured that since I have an impressive tolerance of pain then it is not supposed to be a big deal. Then again, that needle is a thick bastard…

Minutes later, the clients who had Brian Demaio engaged came out and it was my turn to go get stabbed. Brian, the artist, came to me and said hello and was very friendly. I expected to be greeted by a human personification of the words “tattoo” and “piercing” but this guy only had his sleeves tattooed and did not have a single piercing that I could see. He asked to see some ID to make sure I am over 18 (I looked exceptionally young with that boy haircut, which was generally good). I gave him my drivers’ license. Then he had me sign a paper which basically stated that the studio has nothing to do with any complications that may occur after the piercing procedure is over.

I signed, we talked a little bit about Jordan and I told him I was only visiting NY for the summer. He complimented my English and then proceeded to guide me towards a glass cabinet full of piercing goodies. I was supposed to pick the “ring” or banana bell that was going to break my skin in a few moments. I picked one with red stones.

At this point I realized there was no joking about this. It was happening, and I was finally doing it. Me. For real. We went into a small room which had a giant mirror on the wall next to a dentists’-like chair where I was supposed to sit. I sat down, asked Brian some questions such as if he was going to give me aftercare instructions, if he was using sterile equipment, if he was certified, and things of the sort. Everything was very comforting and his personality really helped calm me down. He said it won’t hurt any more than my other dozen-plus piercings.

So after the belly button sterilization process, it was time to get pierced. I could not see anything because my head was sort of tilted backwards on the chair and the mirror did nothing to help. That was a gigantic bummer to me because I wanted to watch what was going on,and I wanted to videotape it if possible but I had nobody with me. I felt something clasp my belly button for a moment, and then the artist said he will count to three and it will be over. On the count of three, I felt the needle.

I can’t really say how that felt but it was not painful at first. The needle got stuck halfway through.

Brian: Oh, looks like you have thick skin.
Me: Yeah. I was an elephant in another life.
Chuckles.

I don’t really know why I was being funny but that’s how things happened. When the needle continued its journey, I felt like someone was pulling my belly button tightly inwards. That’s exactly how it felt, and I bit my lower lip and sucked it in. Then it was magically over!

I stood up, looked at my beautiful belly ring in the mirror, and thanked Brian a hundred times. I also told him that my mother will probably kill me because of it, at which point he said “It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.”

I paid him and left the studio the happiest body art lover that ever walked this earth.

Nosering: What Happens When It Falls

Since nostril piercing happens in the cartilage of the nostril, it is considerably easy for the hole to close if the jewellery falls off or is taken out of place for some hours.

Wikipedia defines nostril piercing as follows:

Nose piercing is the piercing of the skin or cartilage which forms any part of the nose, normally for the purpose of wearing jewellery; among the different varieties of nose piercings, the nostril piercing is the most common. Nose piercing is one of the most common varieties of piercing after earlobe piercing.

I woke up yesterday to the grim discovery that my nose stud had fallen off. I searched for it, and I found it. I did not know how long my nose stud had been out of place, because it could have fallen off at any point during the night. When I tried to re-insert it in its place, I found considerable difficulty.

The “hole” was still visible, and the nose stud went almost halfway in, then stopped. I think the internal cartilage must have closed up. Do not be concerned though, I would never let any such thing cost me my precious nose piercing. I pushed it in and that was naturally a little painful (not very) and the deal was done.

If you find yourself in the same situation, expect some pain and some rather trivial/almost invisible swelling for two days or so. Nobody said beauty was painless. Enjoy your nose piercing!

Tips for caring of freshly pierced ears

I’m sharing what little tips I have with anyone who has just recently gotten an ear pierced, or is planning to. This all comes from personal experience, to put more advice out there on this subject since I realize how hard it is to find practical suggestions online. I should note that this advice is mainly for cartilage piercings, lobe piercings tend to heal very fast and do not hurt half as much.

Prephase:

1- If you’re planning on getting pierced, try to do it before the weekend. This would help you avoid additional stress or pain. Going to school or work could cause additional stress you could do without. If you are a veiled girl, you should make this your top priority. Try to avoid putting anything on your head for the first days, getting pierced right before the weekend is a great idea. Stay home and let your ears adjust.

2- This will hurt. No matter how many people tell you they didn’t feel a thing, and I realize people’s pain tolerance levels are different, but you can expect at least some “uncomfortable” feelings. Be prepared and be determined; initial throbbing/redness in your ears will occur once your body feels the shock and this may last for some time. It’s all worth it though.

3- Think very well before you go get pierced. You would not want to go through the pain only to remove your jewellery a month later, now would you?

4- Have the person who’s piercing you mark the place they will pierce, or you mark it for them to show them what you want. Don’t assume that they “know”, they don’t. Make sure the dots are aligned properly as you want them, if you’re getting multiple piercings, also make sure none of the dots is too close to the outer edge of your cartilage (that hurts and causes problems).

Postphase:

1- Don’t touch your ears and avoid bumping into anything ear-first (Big mistake). Keep your hair away from your ears because if you don’t your hair will get stuck in the jewellery and removing it will hurt.

2- If you’re in too much pain after you get pierced, put ice cubes on your ears as that will ease the throbbing. Pain killers work as well.

3- Don’t even consider cleaning your ears with anything but very gentle soap and water. No alcohol, it will cause inflammation and unnecessary pain.

4- Don’t sleep on your sides, obviously. This will take some time for you to get used to but you will have to cope with your new situation. It will be a couple of weeks, up to a month or two, before you can sleep on your sides and on your ears again.

5- If you’re a veiled girl, you will go through double the trouble because of the pressure the veil puts on your newly pierced ears. Try to wear very loose veils and try to minimize the pressure.

6- Once your ears hurt less, which will be in a month’s time or so, you could put in smaller jewellery. That actually helps since the holes will shrink and heal faster (unless you’re stretching). Personally, I change from the thickish medical earrings to much smaller gauge rings as soon as I can even if the process hurts a lot. What works for me might not work for you, but that works brilliant for me.

7- Once your ears heal totally, you can experiment with jewellery. But initially you must stick to sterling silver, gold, or platinum because they usually don’t cause irritation.

I hope this helps you make a better decision and care better for your ears. Lovely sparkles, shine!

Catman/Mancat: Nice try

“If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve the man, but it would deteriorate the cat.” – Mark Twain

“My name is Dennis Avner and my Indian name is Stalking Cat AKA Cat, Tiger, Tiger man Cat man and others not known to me.
I am Huron and Lakota and in following a very old Huron Tradition I am transforming myself into my totem, a tiger.”

- Source

Wired and Weird

We’ve been over ModPrims before, yet there always seems to be something new in the Body Modification world. Always something to push your mind further, showing you new ways to see the same old things, and introducing perfectly fresh perspectives to behold the “weird” among “us”.

Those are things your parents do not like – I’ll give you that. Most people think body modification is just ugly and unnecessary, and they may be right, but some others find it revolutionary and, if only for this gap, it’s worth investigating.

I will post a couple of passages from an article I’ve just been tipped about, “Among the Transhumanists: Cyborgs, self-mutilators, and the future of our race” by William Saletan.

“You’ve heard of a woman trapped in a man’s body? Imagine being a one-legged person trapped in a two-legged body, said the speakers.”

“Why do we shrug at botox, liposuction, and circumcision? Why do we think it’s no big deal if models, actors, and athletes have themselves cut open for professional advancement? Why did tattoos remain illegal in parts of the United States until three weeks ago? Why did we have “ugly laws” that ordered maimed people off the streets? Why did we operate on sexually ambiguous infants to “correct” their gender, often with disastrous results?”

Good questions, no? Read the whole article here and be amazed.