The reason why I love getting piercings is because they make me feel like I’m in control of my own life. I got my first set of lobe piercings when I was in the fourth grade as a birthday gift (took a lot of pleading on my part to my parents), but I was discouraged from getting more after that. In high school, I really wanted my cartilage pierced, but I knew my parents wouldn’t approve of it due to their culture and upbringing (I was also scared because my cousin told me when I was younger that someone lost their eyesight by getting a bad cartilage piercing – I have no idea if this is true or not). It wasn’t until my study abroad year that my friend convinced me to get one with her. I was super nervous both from the anticipated pain (and the blindness scare from my cousin – again, I have no idea if this is actually true or not, but I can’t deny that it still freaked me out a bit) as well as doing something I knew my parents would not approve of; however, it was something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, so thank you Vivian for telling me it wouldn’t hurt and for holding my hand during the piercing process. I remember being very pleasantly surprised that there actually was no pain at all when the needle went through. I didn’t even realize it was over because I felt nothing at all. I was so excited that I finally did what I was so scared to do for so many years; the rush of adrenaline was unreal. It truly felt so liberating to do what I wanted to my own body. To most people, it may be just a single piercing, but to me, it symbolized the breaking of invisible chains.
My mom found out when we were on a video call together and she noticed before I mentioned anything. She was a bit distraught and asked me to promise her I wouldn’t get any more. I didn’t want to lie, so I laughed it off, telling her I couldn’t promise anything. I could tell she didn’t really like what I had done to my body, but I felt more empowered now to do what I want and live how I want. My mom found out about next piercing in the same manner. She asked “is that another piercing?” and I just replied “yup!” This time, she just laughed it off and the rest is history. I can’t remember exactly, but I think my dad found out in person after I returned home from study abroad with all piercings. He noticed my conch piercing (he already knew about my cartilage and lobe piercings) and was like “is that a piercing IN your ear?” to which I responded “yup!” I don’t know if it was because we were outside with another family at the time, but he was chill about it too. Maybe, like my mom, he gave up and stopped caring about it. All in all, they know about my piercings, and it’s not a big deal anymore.
Right ear 
Left ear
I currently have seven piercings – a pair of standard lobes, a pair of second lobes, a double helix/cartilage on my left ear, and a conch on my right. I remember heat suddenly rushing to my face when I got my first set of lobes; I can’t exactly remember if there was any pain, but if there was, it was definitely tolerable since I remember not crying. The second set of lobes stung, but it was tolerable. Unlike the first cartilage piercing, my lower helix did sting a bit. As for my conch, I remember a second push was required for the needle to fully go through since my cartilage is thicker in that area. The great part though was that while my lobes and cartilage piercings continued to sting during the healing process and would get caught in my hair, the conch piercing, although it hurt a bit more during the piercing process, there was no pain at all during the healing process. I do plan on getting some more, but I haven’t quite figured out what I want yet. I’m thinking an industrial on my right and a tragus as well as a forward helix on my left. I’m also playing around with the idea of a double helix on my right ear and maybe a third pair of lobes. I am considering an inner conch on my left ear, too. I wish I gave more thought on the overall placement before I got my piercings, but oh well, it is what it is.
I didn’t include the piercings I currently have on in my the photos above in my collection photos below. I currently have on a matching pair of rose gold chain drop earrings on each of my lobes; an Aries constellation, a moon with a chain drop star, and a small hoop on my left ear; and a blue jewel planet with tiny stars and a small barbell stud on my right ear. My first pair of lobe piercings are a standard 18-gauge, and the rest are 16-gauge. I like earrings with twist-on ball backs because they look cleaner than butterfly backs. I don’t mind butterfly backs for my first pair of lobes, but I personally find that too many on one ear can be a bit messy. The ball backs just look like barbell studs and make for a nicer appearance in my opinion. I also prefer rose gold jewelry since it gives off a romantic, softer vibe. I do have a good number of gold earrings, and I like having those on hand for a more refreshing, cool look. I pretty much avoid silver since I don’t think it looks good on my golden complexion.
The earrings pictured to the left are for my 16-gauge piercings. They all have ball backs except for the rightmost star in the middle row. That one has a flat back. As you can see, most of my piercings are either celestial or floral themed. I tend to sport a celestial theme during the colder months and a floral theme during spring and summer.
The longer earring in the second row had a white flower that matched the leftmost earring in the first row, but it fell off and got lost. I wish I still had the floral piece because I liked pairing it with the other matching earring for a cohesive look.
Next, we have my studs and basic hoops. I’m on the lookout for some smaller infinity hoops for my double helix, but I got a set of assorted sizes for my lobes. Sometimes, I use the bigger ones for my conch. The small rose quartz earrings on the left side were actually my first earrings ever from when I got my ears pierced at Claire’s in the fourth grade. They have sharp, pointed ends since they are piercing earrings made for use with a piercing gun (which I do not recommend). I find these earrings to be handy for when my piercings start to close up though. My favorite among these would probably have to be the planet ones. They are the same style as the blue planet earrings I mentioned above, just a little bigger and with a yellow jewel and an additional tiny moon.
These next earrings are some of my threader and dangle styles. The gold chain drop earrings are the same style as the rose gold ones I am pictured wearing above. The heart threader did not come in a pair, which I’m ok with since I like a bit of asymmetry when it comes to my earring selection. I find cross earrings to be hit or miss, but these are the perfect style and shape for me. I love that they are infinity hoops with dangling crosses of the perfect dimension. They go great with any kind of laid back look. The same goes for the spiky arrow style earrings. I really like the asymmetry of these and how they are simple enough to go with any casual look. Fun story, my previous coworker once asked me repeatedly throughout our shift if I could sell these to him (spoiler alert: I said no).
The following two earrings I have not yet worn out, but I thought they might look nice with the right outfit. I bought these online, and I’m sad to report that the pearls look very fake in person, but I’m sure I’ll find some use for them.
The next three pictured are my more contemporary-style earrings. These are all gold, which I think works better for that contemporary look. These work great with a simple white tee, blue jeans combo or a beachy island look.
Last but not least, we have my collection of more elegant drop earrings. With the exception the leftmost pair (just because they have a lot of light-reflecting crystal bits), these are simple and classy enough to wear around the office while still having a modern and youthful design. These all really elevate any look.
Just for fun, I thought I’d end the post by sharing my storage methods. I used to store all my earrings in a plastic earbuds case that came with my old phone, but as my collection grew, I’ve had to transition to a larger storage container. I currently use this pink jewelry case, and I separate the earrings by style as shown above. I use the ring section to organize and display my 16-gauge earrings. I still use the earbuds case from time to time as I find it helpful for travel since I don’t need to take my entire collection with me. While this set up is nice, I’m finding that I may need to get another storage case as my collection recently grew. I’ll be sharing my new earrings in subsequent posts, so stay tuned if you’re interested!
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