After months of waiting, I finally got my tongue piercing!!
My O Level oral exam was on Friday and today was the last day of the oral exams for my school. Hence, there was a chance for me to get the piercing done :)
School ended around 5pm. Rosi, Sara and I took bus 5 to Far East Plaza. The trip there took slightly longer than usual, being the rush hour and all.

Arrived at Far East Plaza around 5.45pm or so and proceeded up to 'Primitive Art'. Told the lady that I wanted my tongue done, and she showed me a selection of jewellery available. I asked her which color was easiest to hide, lols :3 She said that all barbells are okay as we don't really open our mouth big to talk but she said that the pink barbell should be easiest to camouflage.. So pink it is!
Signed the form and paid for the piercing plus the mouthwash. She then escorted us to the actual studio next door, where we waited on the couch. She called Aidil on the phone as he was having a smoke break downstairs. He came up within a couple minutes and prepped the equipment up.
He came out, music changed to Tiesto and insisted nobody changed it "or else got quarrel". LOL.
Anyways, once the stuff was ready, I went into the room with Rosi who agreed to be my camerawoman :)
Prepped everything up, I rinsed my mouth with this sweet fizzy drink kinda mouthwash. Sat back in the chair, and Aidil ran through aftercare procedures with me. Aidil then clamped my tongue and after some "relax" and "stick it all the way out", gauging where the piercing should be placed, he marked my tongue with that purple ink. He asked me to check the placement and yea, it was alright, so back in the chair. Clamps on my tongue again and "relax your tongue". Took the needle and slid it through.

It didn't hurt much. I think biting on your tongue while eating actually hurts more, and I think that my navel piercing hurt more.
I think that he had to use more force while pushing the needle out of my tongue cuz there was this sensation? Maybe it's the cork.
Needle through, the jewellery was quickly fitted in and didn't hurt like when my navel was fitted with the barbell. All done, and I rinsed my mouth with the mouthwash again.
He checked my piercing before I left the room. All oka!!

Sara was waiting on the couch and I could barely speak as expected, haha. My video was oka too, thanks Rosi. Rosi then decided to get a third lobe piercing there, so back to the display room we went. I had the shock of my life when I thought my video got accidently deleted, but thankfully no. Sara watched the video, so she wasn't exactly missing out on the "action". Aidil, the piercer, was watching the video behind her. LOL. He asked which school we were from and as I realised I couldn't talk, I pointed to my school badge and showed him. Haha. He then did some small talk with us :)

Rosi chose the type of stud she wanted. After choosing the red one, the guy did it with a piercing gun. I don't exactly know the details, but I know Rosi was shocked when the piercing was done. Lols. Anyway, she got a small bottle of blue (alcohol?) solution. I doubt that's the really strong type of alcohol, perhaps it's diluted.
Oh ya, for anyone who wants to get something pierced, I recommend Aidil from 'Primitive Art Piercing & Tattoo'. He's really professional and experienced, so you're lucky if you get him :)

We walked to The Heeren to see Rosi's 'Big Bang' album which unfortunately, wasn't there. After that, went to the bus stop and bused home with Rosi as Sara took another bus. Reached home near 8pm.

So anyways, my tongue got pierced just less than 5 hours ago and is still swollen. I couldn't speak properly at first and was babbling like an idiot while Sara and Rosi made fun of me (LOL) but was alright soon enough. I think Big Gulp helped. Haha. However, eating a slice of cake was a bitch when I got home ;3

Well, sorry for babbling if it irks you but there you go. I like keeping memories in detail. Any queries, tag the box to your right. Ciao!!

♥ 9:53 PM

Gun and Needle

As most of you should already know, there are two ways of piercing. One is with a piercing gun, and the other is with a piercing needle.
Getting pierced with a gun is commonly found and you can find a shop that pierces using a gun just about anywhere. In Singapore, we have '77th Street' and many other shops which offer piercings with a gun. Think 'Claire's' in America.
On the other hand, needle piercing services are usually done by a professional in a piercing shop.

And then..

And then I'll tell you about the painfully obvious differences between gun and needle piercing right here :)
Gun piercings can only be used to pierce areas like your ear lobes. Although some shops do offer nose and cartilage piercing services using a piercing gun, it is highly recommended not to do so. Why? I'll elaborate in the next part.
Piercing needles on the other hand are very versatile and can be used to pierce any part of your body. It's what professional piercers use to do piercings, so DUH, you can use the needle to make some holes anywhere on your body.

And then....

1) The piercing gun is said to be an unsanitary way of piercing- and it is.
Most piercing guns used in those jewellery shops or clothing outlets are made out of materials, namely plastic, which cannot be autoclaved. This means that the most a person can do to clean it is to wipe it up using some alcohol or sanitizer. Unfortunately, there will still be some bacteria and gunk still left in between the little crevices of the gun, and cross contamination may occur when fluids or whatever get spread from the previous customer to another. Bodily fluids and possibly blood may disperse as little microscopic droplets when the gun is triggered. Cross contamination again, not very good for your open wound huh.
On the other hand, needles used by professionals are one time usage and are clean. This will reduce any chances of infections or getting blood borne pathogens. In addiction, studios are disinfected regularly so you can be assured that you are in safe hands.

2) Piercing guns may damage body tissue.

Piercing guns work using blunt force to drive a piercing stud, which has a sort of sharpened tip, into your body, which is usually your earlobe.
As I have mentioned previously, some shops offer nose and cartilage piercings using a piercing gun. In Singapore, a piercing like that can cost less than $15. Although cheap, it is unrecommended to pierce any form of cartilage on your body using a piercing gun as the sheer blunt force may shatter cartilage. This will create bumps of shattered cartilage, which might be painful to some, creating a not so satisfactory piercing.
My own tragus was pierced with a piercing gun in a 'professional studio' for $11? At that time I thought that it was alright cuz they were the professionals. Now that I removed the piercing, I am unsure if my tragus cartilage has been shattered or not. I can feel a bump on my tragus under the skin.. But I don't know :)
It is a good idea to pierce anything other than your lobes in a studio, even though it's more costly. Then again, it's up to your discretion. Personally, piercing cartilage on my ear is fine with me.

3) People operating piercing guns do not have proper piercing training.

Professionals have to undergo long periods of training, approximately 2 years, before being able to be a certified piercer. They have to attend courses about blood borne pathogens and diseases which can be spread through piercing, as well as basic medical procedures. On the other hand, salespeople using the piercing gun do not have any formal training. Where professionals take utmost care for a piercing, piercing guns are a.. Wham, Bam, Thank you Ma'am sorta thing. So yup.

These are the three reasons why some people are all for banning piercing guns. Because of health reasons, tissue damage and training issues. Some people even go so far to say that even earlobes should be pierced with a needle instead of a gun.
Therefore, think about whether getting that tragus pierced with a gun is such a good idea after all. Oh, and if you're getting pierced with a needle, ensure that it's new.
Till next time!

END of Part IV

Labels: Body Decor, Piercings, Primitive Art, Singapore

♥ 9:35 PM

Before I start on today's section, I wanna tell you guys that I retired my tragus piercing today. I think it wasn't really healing well and occasionally gave me headaches cuz of not enough rest (yes I think there's a link to it) so I took it out this morning to Chemistry class. I was fiddling with it abit then I was like "Screw this, I'll just have it repierced next time."
So yea. Perhaps a vertical tragus next time?? Hahas.


Yea, Let's go for it!!

You've thought it over, or just really intent on getting it done- Good on you, let's grab your stuff and head for the piercing studio!

Don't just go to any studio though. Don't just go to that one because it's the nearest or most convenient. It's alright if it's near your home but you must be sure to check out their studio and their standards of piercing.
You must ensure that:

1)The studio is clean and practices good hygiene procedures.
Really important as piercing your body means introducing foreign matter (and possibly bacteria) into it. Poor hygiene standards will mean that you are at high risk of infection and cross contamination. In fact, before hygiene rules were truly implemented on studios, there were several cases of people getting hepatitis through piercing. Actually, just think about it. It would be really gross if you're being pierced with a needle which has been used before to pierce another person.
Hence, when you visit a studio, look at the shop. Is it clean or does it look old and dirty? If so, walk out and look for another shop.

2)The piercers attending to you are knowledgable, professional and trustworthy. They must know what they're doing.
Observe the artists working there. Do they look assuring? Do they look like you can trust them?
Ask the artists about your piercing and procedure. Good piercers will give you good answers and are patient. This shows that they really care and are not just out to make a quick buck. If the receptionist or artist is rude towards you, don't hesitate to walk right out of the shop. After all, piercing or tattooing is in the service sector.

Checklist

The piercer should wash his or her hands and put on clean surgical gloves before piercing you. Also, all piercing materials such as the needle, clamps as well as surgical marker should be one time use. Watch the piercer and ensure that he or her opens the new packaging of the materials in front of you. Most, if not all studios do have a single use policy. Your choice of jewellery must be autoclaved in an autoclave machine to sterilise it throughly.
An autoclave machine makes use of high pressure and heat to sterilise materials and are also used in hospitals to sterilise equipment.
Insist on checking the placement of the piercing after the piercer has marked you with the marker if he or she didn't ask you to. Again, don't be afraid to ask questions about your piercing that you're soon going to acquire. Clear any doubts you have. Your piercer would inform you and take you through aftercare procedures. If not, ask. Most piercing studios would also provide you with saline solutions, sea salts or any other aftercare solution for your new piercing before you leave.
Piercing is rather medical sounding, doesn't it? If you sense something is not right, or you can't seem to trust your piercer, it's best that you continue to source for another studio you can trust.

Finding the right studio

You can usually find good piercing studios when friends recommend them to you. In Singapore, where I live, Primitive Art Piercing and Tattoo at Far East Plaza as well as Body Decor at The Heeren are supposedly the two best piercing studios here. I'm not saying that other studios are not as good, but I'm just telling you what I heard.
However, through my personal experience, Primitive Art is really good when I got my inverse navel pierced there. The staff are friendly and professional and they practice good hygiene through their single use policy. You would probably have seen this shop in several youtube videos. So yea :)


If you have any questions or comments, feel free to tag. Constructive criticism or corrections to my posts are very welcome. Oh and sorry if the paragraphing and ideas are a little disorganised cuz I'm using my handphone to blog :) I don't use my laptop much you see.
Look out for my next post, where I will take you through the various piercing methods and the proper way they should be done. Thanks for reading and take cares!

END of Part III

Labels: Body Decor, Piercings, Primitive Art, Singapore

♥ 8:01 PM

Getting started..?

Unfortunately, I'm currently unable to insert any photos in my posts as blogger doesn't allow me to. Sigh.

In today's section, I'm going to tell you about some things you should think over before you get a piercing. Alright, maybe some of you guys think getting a piercing is no big deal, but to me, every piercing is a big deal as you're really modifying your own body.
To those who need help in deciding whether you should get a certain piercing or not, this should be helpful for you. For those who don't need this help, just treat this as a formality :)

I want that!!

So, you've decided on a piercing. However, what kind of piercing is it?
A real hole is made in piercings such as your ear lobes, lip, tongue, whatever. It's just one straight thorough hole through that part of your body.
Surface piercings are mostly found on the rest of your body. Navel piercings, eyebrow piercings etc, are surface piercings.
Microdermals are actually small holes created in your body with a dermal punch. Not all piercers practice this method though, and microdermals are semi-permanent.
Unless you're planning to pierce yourself (which is a seriously wrong choice to make), getting a piercing requires money. Duh logic. So ensure you have sufficient kaching before you proceed to the studio.

I'll have to rethink my decision..

Before you get a piercing, keep in mind that all piercings, no matter where they are, are prone to infection. Hence, before heading to a studio to get it done, remember that:
1) All piercings have to be properly cleaned and cared for during its healing period. Do you have the time, or are you the lazy sort?
2) Infections may occur and leave nasty looking scars on your body. Can you deal with that?
Even if no infection has occurred, taking out the jewellery may also leave a small mark where the hole has healed over.

Other than the risk of infection, there is also the risk of rejection or migration of the piercing. Rejection is when your body literally pushes the metal out of it slowly. It will progress day by day until you take the jewellery out or until the jewellery is completely pushed out. It's kinda the same concept as your body pushing a splinter out of your thumb, with a blister forming and what else.
Rejection usually occurs in surface piercings and cannot be stopped once it starts.
1) Rejection is very likely to leave nasty looking scars. You deal?

Thirdly, there is also the risk of formation of hypertrophic scars, and more importantly, keloids.
Hypertrophic scarring are little red or purple bumps you see around your piercing and may hurt when touched. It may form due to trauma or infection. It is quite common in piercings and isn't that worrying as it can and will go away eventually, given proper caring.
However, keloids are permanent. They are large scar tissues, like cysts, found at your piercing area. Keloids are overgrowth of scar tissue and require professional help. That means a doctor. You'll have to undergo surgery to remove it, and then receive regular treatment to prevent it from coming back. Despite keloids being a heavy consequence, allow me to assure you that keloids are very very rare and that people who develop them are most probably born with it genetically.
1) Risk of bumps forming which ruin aesthetic value of your piercing.
2) Caring or treatment will require time, patience and more money.

The Pain Factor is one of the reasons why some people do not get pierced. People usually ask if "doing that" hurts, "ew, how can you stand it doesn't it hurt??" The truth is the process of piercing almost always does hurt. Then again, it would have to depend on a person's pain threshold and their reasons for piercing.
1) Pain, but for me, a personal reward. Can you stand the pain, not just during the piercing itself, but also sometimes during the healing?

Piercing is truly a personal choice, whether as a fashion statement or for psychological healing.
To me, piercing is an acquired taste and not everyone find them appealing. Furthermore, people may judge you based on your piercings alone and you may not like that if you're the sensitive sort. Some may even find you intimidating, but that's either good or bad depending on you. Haha :)
Some schools and offices have dress codes banning piercings, so that'll give you something to consider about should you be studying or working. Job seekers could have a problem in clinching jobs in certain sectors when they sport visible piercings in interviews. Also, parents and other authoritative figures pose as obstacles should they disapprove on you getting one.

I'll stop here for today, and will continue with more useful information in the future.
Till then!

END of Part II

Labels: Body Decor, Piercings, Primitive Art, Singapore

♥ 7:36 PM

Piercings

Okay, so I decided to just blog about piercings cuz it's my interest and all. I'm no professional but am intending to get trained as one in the future, not as a full time job though.

Moving onto the subject of piercings, piercings are simply holes made intentionally on your body. Duh.
There are many types of piercings. Actually I believe that if you can be pinched there, you can get pierced there. So anyways, here is a list of the more well-known types of piercings~

EAR PIERCINGS
Lobe (Most commonly found and usually a starter piercing)
Transverse lobe
Cartilage (Also known as helix)
Snug (Anti-Helix)
Tragus/ Anti-Tragus
Vertical/ Surface Tragus
Rook
Daith
Conch
Industrial

FACIAL AND ORAL PIERCINGS
Eyebrow/ Anti-Eyebrow
Nose bridge
Nostril
Septum
Cheek
Monroe (Also known as a Madonna)
Medusa (Philtrum piercing)
Labret (And other lip piercings eg. Snakebites etc.)
Vertical Labret
Chin (Also known as lowbrets)
Tongue
Tongue Frenulum (Smileys and Frowneys)

BODY PIERCINGS
Hand/ Hand Web
Wrist
Nape
Collarbone
Sternum (Or cleavage piercing for those who don't know.)
Madison (Basically a horizontal sternum.)
Nipple
Navel/ Inverse navel (And other navel piercings eg. Side, True navel etc.)
Hip
Corset (Generally as play piercing)

Of course, there are other various piercings in the genital and pubic area but I'm not gonna list them down here now. Hmm probably next time in a special segment.
There are also some piercings which are less commonly found or known of and here are some of them:

Forehead (To me, a wtf piercing cuz it looks queer. LOL.)
Eyelid piercing (I kid you not!)
Rhino piercing (Not sure if this is an actual piercing or someone experimenting, but it's basically a vertical piercing going through the front of your nose.. Like a rhinoceros.)
Dahlia piercing (Contemplating on getting this one)
Surface Tongue
Horizontal Tongue (Seriously risky much??)
Uvula (It's that little bit of flesh dangling at the back of your throat which activates your gag reflex)
Neck (Not nape! There's a difference.)
Ribcage (As in, at your ribcage. Not the actual bone.)
Deep Chest (Okay, why the fuck would anyone want to do this, why??)
Finger piercing (Usually done to emulate a ring)


We will pay to have somebody poke holes in our bodies with a needle.

END of Part I

Labels: Body Decor, Piercings, Primitive Art, Singapore

♥ 5:05 PM

It just seems too damn fast. It's wow, Wednesday already? What happened to last week? What happened to July?
It used to be me feeling like the Os would never come.. Now it's me feeling like I have wasted 6 years of primary school and 3 years of secondary school.
Sigh.. I don't know what I'm supposed to do.
So many things to do, so little time.

Right now, I'm composing music for my music elective coursework. I hope that I'll get an A1 for this subject :)

Tomorrow's holding an A Math and Social Studies test. I don't know which one to study first. This type of dilemmas shouldn't be present now.
Best thing to do is to pick a choice, go ahead with it and don't look back. Then again, it's like playing Russian Roulette.
It's too late for "I should have"s and regrets. Now, all I have left is to look forward to the future. "Easier said than done," I had said to my friend yesterday, "for we are only human."
And as that friend, Jun Lin, puts it, "I want O Levels to rebuild what hurricane PSLE has destroyed."

Anyways, I better stop here. I've got enough on my shoulders and I really don't need people to begin judging me or whatever. I used to be able to stand it like, one day ago but now, I really can't.
No idea why.
Don't ask why.
You people tell me, really, why.

♥ 5:53 PM

HARLOW HARLOW!!
I'm in a super good mood today!! Any idea why? Well.. I have no idea WHY either! Maybe it's because I went to Orchard road today. Hee hee.
After my 3 hours of Chemistry, and after my tuition, :) I went to Orchard road with my family. We took public transport to travel there. My dad was like some little kid. He was sort of whining, "Are you sure or not? I can't believe we're actually taking public transport when we have two cars." LOL. It's cuz we want to avoid any parking problems or jams la.
Anyhoo, went there and headed straight to Orchard Ion. Was freaking crowded. Had lunch at the food court known as "Food Opera".
We actually bought food from the snack stalls and the food court manager came over to tell us that outside food and drinks are not allowed inside.
Aiya I also don't care. My mother was acting guai lan. LOL. She said, "Ya ya I know" to the manager with that tone of voice. Hee.
Walked around Ion, then walked to Taka. Blah blah didn't buy anything.
Was going to be 8pm by the time we proceeded out. Was walking towards Plaza Singapura when we went into Orchard Central. The concept is nice :) Ion's concept is nice too of course.
Central= More futuristic, urban version of Vivocity + Iluma
Ion= Hybrid of Raffles City + Vivocity

Then went out. Walked to a shoe shop to get my Doc. Mart's. Lucky got stock. I think almost didn't get the shoes cuz almost don't have stock. Hahas.

Then went to Plaza Singapura. Dinner, bought some groceries cuz I'm cooking for my family tomorrow, then went home.

♥ 10:30 PM