Ear peircing
Ear peircing is the art of getting your ears pierced with stones or any other jewelry such as junk jewelry. In fact, the ear’s lobe was the first part of the body that man attempted for piercing and this was because of alleviate by means of which the ear could be pierced. In fact, a mummy was found in the Austrian glacier which was about 5000 years old and ear peircing was done. The holes of the ears had been made big by 7-11 mm.
The primitive tribes pierced ears for mysterious purposes as there was a belief that the demon can go into the body through the ears. The tribes believed that the spirits could be warded off with ear peircing. Ear peircing is done in some societies as a part of a puberty ritual. For example, the mother and the father pierce their ears to mark the child dependence on them in Borneo.
Today ear peircing has become a universal practice in many parts of the world. The basic designs and the jewelry used may vary form one region to another. Ever since its origin, many renowned people such as Shakespeare wore them differently. However gold was the most used metal. Earring also became more popular in the Roman Empire and people like Julius Caesar were responsible for bringing it back to fashion.
You need an instrument call a piercing gun in order to do ear peircing. You can do ear peircing yourself, however it is advised that you get your ear pierced by a professional. The earring is pierced in the earlobes with the help of a pointed starter. However wherever you go for ear peircing please do ensure that the professional is certified and he is using safe and sterilized piercing guns and other instruments. The use of older designs may in fact lead to risk of contamination.
However today the modern designs make use of reusable piercing guns and the cartridges are also disposed after one use. This decreases the risk of contamination. Hence today the piercing guns carry a low risk of disease infection. The aftercare after the ear peircing procedure should also be proper. An infection can also take place if the aftercare is poor. The ear may also reject the piercing if it is sensitive to metals.
What you can do is go to an ear peircing studio and check out the myriad designs on offer. You can also go on the internet and check out what is in fashion at the present. The traditional method of ear peircing makes use of a spring that contains potential energy when the part of the spring is pulled back. The starter studs and the friction backs are already provided in the sealed container. The designer penetrates your ear lobe with the help of the starter stud. Ear piercings are normally done using 18 or 20 gauge earrings. The most common earrings are made from surgical steel. However people may also go for ear piercings that are made from gold or titanium can also be used.
In traditional methods, the starter stud is loaded manually in the gun and the friction back is loaded in the holder that is close to the vital part of the instrument. The ear lobe is then held in between these parts of the instrument and then the trigger is pressed. By applying pressure the stud is inserted in the earlobe which in turn engages in the friction back. Since this model cannot be sterilized it has been replaced by newer and more modern designs.
Today the users make use of the disposable cartridge model. As the name suggests, the cartridge is disposed after a single use to avoid any type of infection. The disposable cartridge is also called the cassette. Even the clasp and the stud holder are disposable. This is the safest method of ear peircing available today. In many countries, this technology has been certified and recommended by the Health and Safety legislation or similar.
Then there is another model called the hand clasp model. This modern version does not make use of a spring to force the starter through the earlobe. The designer manually squeezes the hand grip to force the stud through the ear by applying pressure. Today there are a wide variety of designs and jewelry shapes available with different designers. Today there are several organizations who have criticized piercing guns and many people have termed it as a flawed instrument that should never be used.
However supporters of the piercing gun say it is just a vested interest of some bodies which are in direct competition with piercing gun designers and they also charge 4 times the price of the piercing gun method.
Most of the piercing guns are difficult to sterilize since they are made of plastic that could melt if subject to high temperatures. To solve this problem a new generation of piercing guns have been introduced that have sterile and disposable cartridges. Hence all the areas of the gun that are likely to come in contact with the customer’s skin are placed in the sterile area of the cartridge and the gun. Hence the need to sterilize the whole device is foregone. These guns are designed to pierce only the ear lobe and not any other part of the body. Hence they should be used specifically for ear peircing only.
In fact, improper usage of the piercing gun could lead to problems. So it is best to follow the instructions before ear peircing. Even the jewelry used for ear peircing has to be carefully picked up. For example, if the jewelry used for ear peircing is too short then it can lead to infection and abscesses. If the jewelry has a narrow gauge then it can lead to a tear in the ear tissue. Hence the supporters of piercing gun always insist on practicing tried and established ear peircing methods.
Piercing the ear on your own is not very advisable. However if you still want to do it on your own then you have to take some precautions. First of all you have to see to it that the needles and other equipment like pliers and forceps are of the best quality. They should also be disposable after one use. To start with you can put an ice pack on your ear lobe for about 30 seconds. This step is optional but it is recommended that you do it.
As mentioned before, you should get a sanitized needle. You should also not share this needle with others so that the chances of infection are minimized. You can use iodine, alcohol or Dettol to sanitize the needle. If the needle has not come in a sterilized packet then you can sterilize it in the presence of an open flame. You can then put some alcohol on the needle to sterilize it fully. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap or a sanitizer so that the chances of spread of bacteria are lessened. You can also make use of gloves if possible.
The next step is to clean your ear with alcohol or iodine. This is again to sterilize the part of your ear. You can then proceed to put something to support your ear lobe from the back. Many people make use of a piercing cork so that when you push the needle in there is something to push against for support instead of tugging at the skin. You should then stick the piercing needle smoothly through the ear lobe. See to it that the needle passes all the way through. You can wipe the little bits of blood with a cloth or handkerchief and apply ice on the ear lobe. The applying of ice makes your ear numb so that you can safely remove the needle. Next you proceed to choose different types of earrings for your ear. As mentioned before, there are a lot of designs and shapes to choose from. You can choose between stainless steel, gold and even diamond earrings.
As mentioned before, you can find some great ear peircing jewelry online. You can take a pick from the barbells, bar closure rings, body spirals, threaded accessories, labret studs, clip in accessories, etc. The variety that you will find at online stores will leave you spellbound. The ear peircing professionals also keep albums of their latest designs that they show their clients. Hence you can take a pick form there also. There are some design experts who will show you how a particular earring will look on you on the computer through specialized software. This is an excellent concept as you will know exactly what suits you best. You can also do an advanced search for designs by using search parameters such as colors, gauge/thickness, jewelry type, length, material, most popular designs, etc. You also have the option of buying your designs online. Most of the sites offer you free shipping or might take nominal shipping charges.