About a week ago I decided to get my orbital done on my upper right ear. I went to the place where all my friends told me to go. He used the cork and needle method. He also used a 12 gauge needle and a 14 gauge ring. The first hole did not hurt as bad as the second but it bled a lot. According to my friends that came with me it sounded like I was having an orgasm as the needle went through, but no it was just my reaction to the pain. The 2nd hole hurt much worse and my reaction to that needle was a long string of cuss words. It is still tender to the touch and I am expecting to to be for a while. The piercer said to do sea salt soaks 2-3 times a day for 3 months and to not pick at the crust with my fingers but to use a q-tip to remove the crust after the 10 min soak. I cannot sleep on that side, but the pain is not that bad. He also said to take midol for the swelling and pain if it got bad. He used a great analogy to explain why. The pain is like the cramps and the swelling is like the bloating. Midol definitely helps. H2ocean spray is also good to help clean it, but that's only if I can't soak it for the full 10 min. it is not infected and looks great. This was my 6th piercing and by far the most painful during the piercing process.