Dermal rejection in it’s finest. If yours it at this state, you’ve really done it wrong! The best time to get a dermal removed is when it starts going red around the edges, it’s weeping after being previously settled, extreme itching, you can start to feel to footplate more etc. Leave it this late, and instead of a tiny hole and scar, you’re left with an open wound which is wide open for infection!
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Dermal rejection in it’s finest. If yours it at this state, you’ve really done it wrong!

The best time to get a dermal removed is when it starts going red around the edges, it’s weeping after being previously settled, extreme itching, you can start to feel to footplate more etc.

Leave it this late, and instead of a tiny hole and scar, you’re left with an open wound which is wide open for infection!

Surface Anchor/Microdermal Info:

(“3 Anchors..top 2 with anatometal 1/16 rise, 3rd with 3/32 rise. I.S. tops…4mm TZ 3mm TZ, and 2mm demi natural stone AM.”— done by Sarah LaRoe at Sol Tribe)

Terminology: Surface anchors are called many things such as microdermals, dermal anchors, microdermal implant, and so on, however “…the preferred terminology for this type of piercing (from the Association of Professional Piercers) is a “surface anchor.” We want to distinguish it from implants and other more serious forms of body modification, because we view them as simply another type of piercing. When we use the terms “microdermal,” “dermal anchor,” or “microdermal implant,” that can cause legislators to think we’re doing something more serious than we are.” (source: under ‘SURFACE ANCHOR TROUBLE’)

Healing time: 2-3+ months 

Procedure: 

It’s hard to explain the above diagram (source) so i’m hoping the diagram helps: the piercer will use a piercing needle (or dermal/biopsy punch and taper) to make a small pocket to insert the jewelry.

Aftercare: The aftercare suggested to me from this wonderful piercer was to soak the piercing in saline 2-3x a day for 2-5 minutes. After I was done soaking and after I rinsed off the piercing site, she suggested that I fold a sanitary, single-use paper towel and clean under the gem/head of the surface anchor with the fold (this was to make sure I cleaned up any lymph, dead cells and anything else that can collect under the disc that could cause rejection). 

ABSOLUTELY NO SOAPS USED FOR A SURFACE ANCHOR— the soap residue can get into the wound, build-up and ultimately cause/lead to rejection so please, NO soaps (not even Satin or Provon). 

What’s normal/what to expect: Initial bleeding, bruising, tenderness, and swelling are normal. You may notice that you have a bruise for awhile that’s green/yellow in color, this is what my piercer (Sarah LaRoe) calls “zombie bruising”— it’s nothing to worry about and should go away in time.

Expect some itching, discoloration, secretion of lymph (please do NOT force lymph out of the piercing, let it naturally secrete), and crusties while the piercing is healing.

Rejection: According to Elayne Angel’s research, surface anchors last an average of 2 years (this was an average, obviously the life of a surface anchor can be much longer or shorter). Please ONLY get a surface anchor knowing that it is only a temporary adornment. If any signs of rejection appear, please go back to your piercer immediately for their help (please do not try to remove a surface anchor on your own). 

Removal: PLEASE go back to your piercer for removal. Once the surface anchor is removed, your piercer should give you advice on how to heal the wound to prevent infection. 

Sternum microdermal removal story:

emilyarmstrong:

The grand old tale of Emily’s short lived Microdermal:

Just got back from the piercers and had to have it removed. She was hoping we’d be able to save it by massaging into a better position and a top change, but NO WAY would that happen! 

I got there and she sat me down after doing the washing and the gloving and the couch covering, took one look and said, ‘well fuck!’ She massaged it a little and had a poke and prod around, and decided the plan of action to remove it, and also, where she went wrong in piercing it as she’d never seen something like this before!

So, it began. On a scale of one to ten, one being minor pain and ten being so bad I want to die, the insertion was about a 4, and then removal as at least a 15! She got out an 18g needle and began to scrape the skin off around the gem (which had sunk by 1.5mm - we measured!). This wasn’t too painful, but pretty ouchy! Once she’d removed most of the grown over skin, she inspected and tried to work out where she’d gone wrong.

She’d commented that it was incredibly easy to punch through my skin, and we both realised that she had probably pierced too far down, which was problem number one. Then, when she’d popped in the dermal, that had been pressed down too far into an already too deep hole, it immediately began to sink. To top it off, she’d used a new dermal anchor from a different supplier, which had a shorter stem length, which just added to the deeply pierced hole! 

Once we’d established the cause of the problem, removal began. At this point she’d given me one of the towels that she keeps handy (she runs the entire shop which also does manicures and tanning and fish pedi’s so there are a lot of them!) for me to bite on (!!!) as I was in a lot of pain. She’d seen the photos of when I was freeze sprayed, so used it very sparingly to prevent the hardening and the dodgy swelling it causes me. The jiggling and manipulation and the jiggery pokery of the hole thing began. It was the single most painful modification experience I’ve ever had!

She unscrewed the gem first, which wasn’t that horrific. She then screwed in something into the exposed stem which let her manipulate the base and stem out of the skin easily. She was comforting me through the entire time and making sure I was okay :)

Out it popped! After a lot of my whining and screaming and crying! 

This entire process took 20 minutes. Yes. 20 minutes on a 3 day old dermal.

Once it was out, the wound packing and closing began, and there is a HUGE hole in my chest. She steri-stripped it up and placed a plaster over them, and told me to change the strips twice a day and not to get it wet for a week. It needs to be covered for at least 2 weeks, as the hole is so big we don’t want to risk infection or excess scarring.

She was incredibly apologetic and gave me a massive hug and gave me a coupon for 75% off of a piercing. As long as it wasn’t a dermal because she isn’t going to do them on me, a) because she doesn’t want to put me through it again and (b) I think my body just really dislikes dermals anyway. 

So, here’s hoping to a quick and speedy hole healing!