Forum Discussion: Is Sedation an Option for Body Piercing?
Nooo.....sorry.In addition to the fact that sedation comes with its own set of risks, it has to be performed by a licensed physician and most tattoo shops don't have doctors working for them. And since a piercing is such a quick procedure, it would be ridiculous to knock someone out for an hour or more.
Honestly, you can't say you have a passion for body art if you want to be sedated in order to have it. Maybe you like the adornment, but a true passion for body piercing includes an appreciation and a respect for the process it takes to procure the piercing. If you just like the adornment, maybe you can find a clip-on or magnetic version that doesn't actually pierce your skin.
OR......
You could look at this as a great opportunity to overcome your issues with needles. You walk willingly into a studio for a piercing you want and you know that, no matter how scary that needle may look, it's all worth it in the end. You take a few deep breaths and you face your fears. When you walk out with your new piercing, you will have a whole new respect for yourself and a reduced fear of the needle that provided you with the beautiful piercing.
Comments
Because of your tolerance of ear piercing pain I suspect that your problem is a phobia and not a low tolerance for pain.
Sedation is not at all appropriate for a body piercing and the after affects of sedation are (in my opinion) worse than the piercing.
If you don’t want to feel the piercing then a local anesthetic (preferably Ethyl Chloride Spray) is the way to go, there are many other things available but I’ve found them to be either nearly useless (topical ointments) to far more dangerous than the piercing (sedation).
The following is from the Body Piercing Encyclopedia V1 Tools and is used with permission of the author (myself)
Ethyl Chloride
A local anesthetic used in dental surgery, body piercing and other minor surgical procedures. It is sprayed onto the area to be numbed from about 30cm (12 inches) away for about 5 seconds, the numbing effect is instantaneous. Duration of numbing 15-20 minutes.
Use of this product generally requires a doctors prescription. Of all pain killing methods available the William Rafti Institute believes from (limited) personal experience that Ethyl Chloride spray is the best pain killer for professional body piercers to use.
It must be used carefully, and special precautions must be taken to dispose of it
(it releases toxins when heated). It’s highly flammable and can cause frostbite if it is in contact with the skin too long. The numbing effect does not actually feel cold (the patent feels a “wet” sensation when it’s been applied long enough to start working).
Wow. The pain is part of the art.