The piercings had been migrating since the spring at least: the posts stuck out further and the ends weren't flat against my skin anymore. I noticed at the beginning of September that I could see the metal of the back (the part that lies under and parallel to the skin) through the hole and knew it would be coming out soon.
Migrating? Essentially it's the same process as when you get a deep splinter: the body recognizes it as foreign, so it works to push it out. That doesn't always happen with this kind of piercing, but that's what my body decided to do. It could have been that they just got one bump too many. Who knows.
I intended at first to go to a piercer to see if they could do something to reverse the process. But even I could tell that one of them was almost ready to fall out, and the piercer would have charged me money for fixing or proper removal, so I just...plucked it out. The first came really easily. The second one still had some skin around it, so I tugged and cut at the back part a bit and then gave it another day to finish on its own, which it did.
You can see what they look like now/how big they are, the back part together with the top part that's visible on top of the skin when they're in. The little metal things by the acorn.
I was really, really bummed and shocked when I first realized they were coming out, even though I had noticed them migrating. I thought they'd be gone in a day or two, and seeing as they were an important part of my appearance, it would have been kind of like waking up without freckles, or with a different hair color. I would have felt disoriented and somewhat...unfamiliar. And of course, because I got them with my very beloved Ellie, who still has them on the opposite side, it would mean losing the most immediate reminder of our time together. Luckily, I did have time to prepare myself mentally for not having them, to go through a bit of grieving. Once they were finally out, I wasn't sad, since they'd been looking kind of wonky.
So they're gone, after a little over eleven months. I probably won't replace them, because it's expensive and it wouldn't be the same. I've toyed with the idea of getting two small white-ink tattoos over the spots where they were, but I kinda like the scars too.
[part one]
Aww :( They were so pretty, but I agree, I also like scars, they will be lovely. I quite enjoy the scar from my Monroe piercing. Gives my face a little character ;)
ReplyDeleteOh, too bad. But I'm glad you don't mind anymore. What will the scars look like once they've completely healed? Two little bumps?
ReplyDelete(By the way, do you get emails when someone comments on your post? You didn't respond to my comment on your last "Goodness" post, so I thought maybe the email got lost in cyberspace?)
I was about to say you could get a tattoo as a reminder. I hate that they fell out though. The heart you drew on my window is still there, it's lost the reddish color....more white now.
ReplyDeleteScars are cheaper than tattoos.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's a metaphor for healing.
ReplyDeletelickmycupcakes - Aw, I hadn't noticed your Monroe was gone! I just ascertained from your flickr stream that this is because you always take picture of the left side of your face. Heh.
ReplyDeleteJenica - I'm not sure. They've been pinkish for three weeks or so, and they're pretty flat, actually. (I do...sometimes I'm a bit slow, but I do.)
pinkapplecore - You understand. Thanks. <3
Q - cost of piercings > cost of same-size tattoos > cost of scars
Shelley - Yes. I like that. (Much better than when I was told it was a metaphor for my [nonexistent] fear of Ellie rejecting me! Just 'cause I used the word "reject," gosh.)