#sternumpiercing

(I have a nose piercing but Im going to hold off writing that one because it's really old and im not sure how well i'll remember it and I am planning on getting another so ill write that one in real time)

Lobe: most basic piercing, got my seconds done within the last year so I felt confident I could remember. Total pain at worst: 1/10

day one: Got it done at claires, was a little scared because I prefer needles over guns and my last gun encounter was with my firsts which i got as a wee baby but all together you really dont feel it go in. site was a little sore but v easily tolerable, sleeping was a little no bueno because it was done on both sides so if you are a side or stomach sleeper it hurt, but easy solution I found was get an airplane neck pillow, then you can sleep with your ear in the hole

Day 2+: felt sore for 3-4 days, had to clean for 2 months but I stopped after about 1 because Im lazy and forgetful, took about 2-3 weeks for everything to look and feel normal, no swelling, redness, or pain

Industrial: Got this one about 8 months ago, along with the daith it's considered to be the most painful ear piercing you can get also considered to be the most prone to rejection. Total pain at worst: 7/10

Day one: definitely felt the needle going in, but still tolerable, right afterwards it felt really really hot, and it was super achey, I definitely complained a lot. It would be a good idea to not get an industrial on the same side you sleep on, but I did, I had to change the side I slept on for a while

Day two+: it was really hot for 2-3 days and still sore for 2-3 weeks, it was fine for about the first month but then I started to develop keloids on every exit point both insides and outsides, I treated them with tea tree oil, both the back ones and the outside front one went away in a few weeks with the tea tree oil. the inside one on the front was a different story though, I learned shortly after the others were gone that that one was in fact infected, and i learned that because while i was cleaning it i pushed on it harder than usual with the qtip and it popped, resulting in some gross liquids coming out, but it proceeded to shrink up after that so i suppose all it needed was to be emptied and in the picture you can see its still working on repairing itself. It was definitely rough having long hair, that liked to get tangledin it so be wary of that. Had to clean it for at least 6 months, I stopped after about 3 or 4, it took about 4 months for everything to go back to normal

Sternum: got this two days ago, also what triggered me to start writing a piercing log. I got a surface bar. Total pain at worst: 6/10

Day 1: Needle pinched a little, not as easy as lobe but not as bad as industrial, this one was probably the most painful when it came to putting the jewelry in because with a surface bar they put the bar in first then put the jewelry tops on, and the bar kinda tries to sink into the skin so my piercer has to pull it up so its tugging on the freshly pierced skin. If you are a side or stomach sleeper then at least on the first night, sleeping will be damn near impossible, I think i got in maybe 2 hours, because you have to sleep on your back, ibuprofen does help after the first night but that first night will be awful. Another note, Ive never felt that I NEEDED to have perfect posture before now, when you slouch it tugs the piercing and it looks as though its like receding back into your skin which is not ideal. Four month update: unfortunately because i got mine so low on my sternum it had just too many complications, i had to remove it, but i will be getting it repierced higher up at a later date

Day 2+: In terms of post piercing soreness it definitely isnt as bad as the industrial, but this is the first piercing ive taken ibuprofen for, because the sternum has alot of movement with it so i was essentially rendered icapacitated for the first day as I fought with my pride on whether or not i needed the ibuprofen. By the third day I was having some issues with it, I am by no means a small/boney girl, I have a heafty layer of fat, so mine was having issues because it wasnt sitting right on the bone instead it was suspended in my skin, so it started to sink, I had to go in and get the top jewel swapped out for something bigger that could hold its own better. 3 weeks in Im finding it to be a bit sore, not your typical fresh piercing soreness, it only seems to happen when i sleep on itor on my side even though its three weeks old, hopefully it will get better as it heals more.

6 week update after sternum: It feels completely fine for the most part now ive stopped cleaning it every single day and more just when it looks like it needs it, one downside to the sternum is unlike other piercings when you accidentally knock it or tug it and the area is completely isolated, this is in the middle of your chest and it causes like an achey pulsing feeling to spread all over your chest