I just had to remove an embedded piercing from a patient's face.

[Aristus]

It was a lip-piercing that had become embedded in the subdermal region of her left upper lip. I numbed her up with some Lidocaine, then made an incision in the oral mucosa, then used a clamp to push the jewellry through and out the incision.

I asked her afterward if she was going to give up piercing because of this.

"No. I love piercings!"

Okay...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Some people never learn, my dear Aristus...

I have never understood the attraction of pierced lips.

[Kenny913]

2. Let me guess...

... she has piercings along both eyebrows, a few on her nose, and ears?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Welcome to DU, Kenny913!

[Kenny913]

7. Thank you!

[Aristus]

9. Nope. That was the only one on her face.

If she has any others anywhere else, I didn't look...

[hrmjustin]

16. Welcome to DU Kenny913!

[Scuba]

3. "Shrapnel victim" is the hot look today.

[Aristus]

21. A comedian once used the phrase:

"He had so many piercings, he looked as if he had fallen down a flight of stairs while carrying a box of fishing tackle."

[Rhiannon12866]

27. Sad, but very funny, as well...

I don't get it, either.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

5. There is seldom a dull moment at your clinic, is there?

You're a man of incredible strength, patience and compassion.

[Aristus]

20. My job is......interesting.

And in case I didn't make it plain: I love it.

I complain sometimes, and seeing the suffering my homeless patients endure makes me want to cry now and then.

But I do love the work.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

26. That you love it comes across in

many ways across many posts.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. To each his/her own, I guess, but

facial piercings creep me out. Yuk.

[Neoma]

8. I have a nose ring.

Just throwing that out there. I'm not getting anything more than that.

[Paulie]

19. And here I thought they were like Jays potato chips

Ya can't have just one.

[Neoma]

24. Nah.

I did it in a planned spontaneous way... "Fuck it, politicians might have nose rings in the future anyways."

I think it's mainly my way of being punk without the blue Mohawk. Or artsy since I declare myself to be an artist once and awhile when really I'm just a student without the school at the moment...

[RebelOne]

10. I hate piercings.

I do not even have pierced ears. I have enough holes in my body.

[Brigid]

11. You should write a book.

[Aristus]

22. I've thought about it.

I think my experiences with my patients would really change the popular perception of homelessness in this country. (If enough people were to read it, that is...)

[MiddleFingerMom]

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[In_The_Wind]

13. I thought about getting a piercing.

But my face is fine the way it is.

[GiveMeFreedom]

15. Hi In_The_Wind

I kinda like the horns myself, look good on you for some devilish reason. Peace.

[In_The_Wind]

25. Thanks for your suggestion. I prefer something of a more delicate nature.

Had thought of having a small piercing through my eyebrow toward the outside edge.
But I haven't done it.


I wish you a beautiful Springtime this year GiveMeFreedom.

[Aristus]

17. It sure is, I_T_W_.

[GiveMeFreedom]

14. Hi Aristus,

I am real glad the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young were the hot groups when I was growing up. If it had been in today's world, I might be pierced someplace? Although I did do 4 years in the U.S. Navy and never got a tattoo, still clean skin today. Glad your compassion is genuine and your here on DU. Oh, the hospital stay I had was as I suspected it would be, tiresome in and of itself. Glad to be home. The doc will tell me next Thursday what is going on with my intake valve (throat), have had trouble swallowing, so they did the milkshake barium x-ray swallow tests, radiologist included! Oh, since your here, Peace.

On edit: added this video

[Aristus]

18. Thank you.

Like you, I made it through a hitch in the military (U.S Army, 4 years active, 3 reserve) without getting a single tat.

When I was young, I hated the way I look. I like the way I look now, and tats and piercings wouldn't improve anything...

[riderinthestorm]

23. Ugh. My older girl has NO piercings, my 16 yr old is on the fast track with her ears.

I refuse to authorize more but worry she's soooo susceptible to peer pressure I really worry she'll be a candidate for facial piercings.

I hope she's smart enough to grow out of it before she reaches 18.



You are a patient angel with your work...

[Joe Shlabotnik]

28. I had to cut off 2 nipple rings once,

under bizarre, almost Allman brothers like scenario pressure. My little SIL was double pierced, and gave birth to her son. But after a few days, she realized that breastfeeding wasn't going to work while she was still pierced (and she was starting to get into a great deal of pain).

So I was called in (I was an undertaker after all ) , and as we sat at her parent's kitchen table, I said.... ok... show me them. I Clipped off one cleanly with my side cutters, and then as her dad just about walked into the dining room another metal object went pinging off the window. This case worked out ok! If it didn't I'd have a lot of 'splainin' to do.