Thank you for the info. It is Tribe's policy that talk about methods of self-piercing (i.e. How-To) is not allowed on the boards. You've given some good, solid evidence why this is a risk that should be avoided.

I would like to add for new piercees that using a piercing "gun" is also not recommended for ANY piercing. I was silly enough to get my helix (upper ear cartilage) done via gun before I knew about this site. It was more painful than necessary, throbbed like a mother, and took significantly longer to heal. Piercing "guns" were developed to tag cattle. They cause blunt force trauma to the tissue, and are impossible to sterilize in between uses. Think of the aerosolized tissue being ejected every time the gun pushes a blunt "stud" through flesh, and how it lands on the surface of the "gun" itself. Please find a competent and experienced piercer. Although the idea of using a needle may seem like it would make it more painful, it really is so much less painful. Trust me.

To add to the discussion of cartilage collapse, take a look at the following link from BMEZine, which includes photos.

http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Ear_Collapse

I pierced my upper lip, because I was dying for a monroe.
It looked great, until it got swollen.
I ended up taking it out five days later because it got infected.
:3

ihave dont all 5 of my piercings (with proper tools and sterilizations techniques)and they all healed properly and there was no infection

gee, most people cannot afford an autoclave. Apparently you can? If you can't, then regardless of your assertion, you are not doing it safely.

Just because some people do the stupid thing and luck out, does not mean it's okay.

We at Tribe vehemently disagree with self piercing in almost all circumstances. It is not safe. Unless you are a trained piercer, with access to an autoclave, and experience with proper infection control techniques:

DON'T PIERCE YOURSELF!

psshhh i wish i had one most of my friends work at tatto/percing parlors thats why i got a hold of one.
but yeah i did get relly lucky..

so what the hell is your purpose in advocating self piercing? This is not helpful or educational to the general readership here.

We are trying to educate people on the best, safe practices--how to find a good piercer, how to protect yourself against infection, etc. Everyone who makes posts about "oh, yeah, I pierced myself and it's all good" is doing a disservice to the modified community as a whole (nevermind the disservice to themselves).

I strongly urge anyone reading such posts to take them with a grain of salt and protect yourself by going to a reputable, professional piercer.

Nero, your cowboy attitude doesn't work well here. You may have given great care and thought into your piercings. You give the impression you just stabbed yourself,and it was a-ok. That presentation is probably very flawed, and I sadly recommend locking this thread. My reason is this: Nero, on the sly, is actively promoting self-piercing. That is verboten.

The fact is that Nero got lucky. This website and its moderators stand to gain nothing by advocating going to a good, professional piercer. We advocate it because it is the right thing to do for your health. It is imperative that one go to a pro to get this stuff done. One of course may do whatever one wants with one's own body, but it is irresponsible to come here and suggest that your personal luck will translate into success for others. It is not only irresponsible, but will not be tolerated and any advocation of self piercing posted here will get either a sharp reprimand or be edited out.

The things that I wanted this summer. A new roof, a concrete driveway, new rain gutters on the eaves, and a frenum ladder. I hired a pro to do them all. Get things done by the person who is the expert.