Weddingbee Blog

… And it’s through the earlobes, not the heart, if we’re being honest here.

My ears were first pierced when I was seven-years-old at a hair salon, and it didn’t go very well: the piercings were immediately infected, and Mama Spaniel didn’t want to do all the necessary cleaning to get them to heal and be healthy, and so we let them close. My ears were pierced again when I was sixteen, this time at a dermatologist’s office. I can’t remember if she used a gun, but I think so. It hurt, it got infected, but I was old enough to care for it myself and after several weeks, they healed and I was able to wear and change earrings for a few years without too much trouble. But I apparently got carried away by this ear piercing success and my ability to wear normal jewelry, got a second lobe piercing in each ear three years later, and had to start the whole healing process all over again.

But wouldn’t you know, two holes in your body in such close proximity tend to want to spread infections back and forth? I decided to take out the second set of earrings, and to put in a pair of hoops into the first hole that I knew were really easy to keep clean… but once I took out the pair that were already in the first hole, I couldn’t put another pair in: my lobe was too swollen. By the time the swelling went down, the first hole had closed.

So for nine years, I’d had unpierced ears, but a strong and abiding love of earrings. Not only do I love them, but I really, really wanted to wear a great pair of heavy chandelier earrings for the wedding day, so I knew I really needed to do it soon to make sure they were 100% healed before then.

So the day after my step-sister’s wedding (I would have hated to have red, swollen ear lobes to complement my green bridesmaid dress in her pictures) ;)—I went to a body piercing studio and got it done once and for all! I was totally being a baby about it, but I was scared. (Hold me!)

When I successfully got my ears pierced, I took a picture a little to share with you all (I am that dedicated: I got home and made Mr. Spaniel take a picture with my cell phone solely to post here), and I’ve learned two things from the experience.

(personal image)

For one, I have a freckle on my ear. I did not know that. And two, professional piercers are the only people you should ever allow to stick a metal rod into your body (unless it’s, like, a surgeon for actual medical purposes). It’s kind of intimidating to go into a piercing shop when you don’t look like you have an alternative bone in your body—it’s in my heart, man—but if you go to people who really know what they are doing they will educate you and treat you well, no matter what you look like. And I feel like I got better post-care advice than I did even from my doctor the last time I had my ears pierced, so there’s even a chance that this piercing will stick! I was so excited. They didn’t even hurt! And the holes are large enough that I might even be able to wear the earrings my aunts are sending from Pakistan (they usually have huge posts compared to what you buy here in the States). Yay!