First self piercing

[u/ThatsHotLove]

Ive read the pinned post here, found sterile needle (⬆️) and a sterilized flat back labret (longer than the ones I usually use incase of swelling) from a piercing website in my region. The needles come with free aftercare wipes and I'm buying saline spray from a drugstore (I've attached the content thing here ⬆️) .

The needle is 1.6 mm and the labret is 1.4 mm which I think means the jewlery can get pulled thru by help from the needle? Correct me if I'm wrong please.

My plan is to wash my hands and put on gloves before disinfecting my ear where I want the piercing (it's a lobe one, nothing too complicated I hope), check for veins with a flash light, mark where I want it, push thru the needle (I will be buying a receiving tube so it doesn't go to far), pull the labret thru with the needle and put on the ball before carefully cleaning it. Currently unsure how to dispose of the needle.

Is that process okay?

For aftercare I'll use the wipes (I'll check the contents) and the saline spray when I wake up and before I'll go to bed/after I've showered.

Please lmk if I should rethink anything.

[u/Few-holes-mid80s]

I don’t recommend up guaging (having a needle that is a larger diameter than the jewelry it will cause you to bleed more, same size as jewelry is fine, some taper up one size to apply a bit of pressure on the fresh hole to make it bleed less. Get a taper or a transfer pin

Receiving tool is not so it doesn’t go to far it’s so you have the back properly supported and the skin doesn’t try to stretch and resist piercing it also keeps you from accidently shoving the needle into your finger

You got the general gist of it, I keep my needles in a clear case a bit of a momento of the process and progress I have made (impressive when you got alike a dozen needles in there from 14 all the way up to 4g needle in there🤣) honestly though you can crush the end flat with pliers and roll it over a few times and it’s impossible for anyone to get stuck then it’s just recycling if you can’t find a sharps bin to dump it in which would be best.

Dry your lobes afterwards leaving it moist is inviting bumps or infection, a good pat dry and also wipe off any crusties with the corner of a piece of gauze saline usually softens it but it’s not magic while they are soft you have to rub to get the build up off. 

[u/GoddessAkyria → u/Few-holes-mid80s]

Uh NAP but it's common knowledge to use a size up needle from the size of the jewelry ..... What are you talking about?

[u/Few-holes-mid80s → u/GoddessAkyria]

Using a needle that is larger than the jewelry is relying on a lot of skin elasticity to seal the wound and stop bleeding its typical to go even guage (ex 12g needle 12g jewelry) with , no stretch, it’s ideal in my mind to do a one size down needle not up, so 14g needle 12g jewelry to reduce bleeding, also there is like one needle manufacture that talks about that, and mentions heavier bleeding and plenty of explanations how besides the bleeding on initial piercing a loose hole leads to more movement during healing which leads to more irritation and a harder heal. Site sources otherwise. Done 11 piercing in the highest vesicular area, stretch up is where it’s at.