This is often underestimated, but it really helps a lot!
Both my piercer and my bodmod-artist trained me into that - they tell me to take a deep breath in, and the moment something painful happens, I breath out. Breathing out (deeply) has a relaxing effect on your body, and you’re either a bit distracted from what’s happening (because you’re concentrated on your breath) or in the right mood for it (because you are trained for what’s going on)
When I had the pretty painful little dots of my scarification done, my artist worked completely synchronized to my breathing, and that was really great - the pain was intense, but I was soon in a flow-like state of mind.
I think it can be learned, though - usually the fear of pain is much worse than the pain itself, and by being afraid, you put your body in a state of “fight or flight”, which is definitely not helpful
He sure is a great artist!
So few do that, though… it’s more of an “old school” approach.
That’s a very good approach.
I always synch the breathing with anyone I’m piercing, get it into longer/slower breaths, and pierce while in mid Exhaling.
Some people literally don’t even realise they already got pierced. until I’m turning to the side to pick up the jewell.
Definitely!
And this goes far beyond just feelings like pain.
Jumping is a prime example here. But I feel like that would be derailing the thread too much.
I approach pain management totally differently: I need 30 seconds before whatever must happen happens. I “retreat” into my own mind, my breathing and my heartrate plummet (measured by a hospital at around 45 bpm, when my normal resting heartrate is 55), and when I’m ready, I signal whoever must do their thing that they can go ahead. At that point, I feel the pain, but it’s like it was happening to somebody else. It takes quite a lot to drag me out of that state.
I have heard of something like that before, and I wish I’d be able to - especially for my visits at a dentist…
But for bodymods (as you know), I actually love the experience and the pain as well, so I try to be as present as possible - the breathing just helps me to keep my mindset
I’ve put in over 5000 implants into people and I have them do a deep breath in and out, then in, then on the 2nd out I go… it does help deal with the shock of pain, but more importantly it helps people who are nervous and don’t notice they have stopped breathing. Many people pass out going through procedures like this because they have basically stopped breathing, or have been breathing so shallowly that new air is not getting to their lungs… just moving up and down the trachea over and over for 3 minutes. The stress creates adrenaline which stops the normal autonomic alert process of “hey you need oxygen”… and boom out they go. My wife passed out just waiting for the needle… basically because she stopped breathing for 5 minutes prior to the installation. After picking her up off the floor, THEN we did the installation hahaha!
Of course, many people do a classic vasovagal after the install and want to pass out… but yes… instructing people to breath is important.
Next hurdle, I’m probably going to keep my hand wrapped as long as I can, since there will be a lot of various points of swelling (give or take 7) and want to reduce swelling
But work has already caught wind of my intentions and apparently, you are only allowed to wrap your hand with a doctors note,
Which seems mildly convoluted
I need to see if I can get my installer to write up a some kind of note
“I am trained to do _______ and performed ______”
His hand should be wrapped to help reduce swelling and will not
Also
Wait… your work is preventing you from applying a bandage without a note? That sounds like legal action territory… unless wraps impede your ability to work your job? Crazy
Probably, but I am looking for some compression to keep fluid buildup down
I’m planning to actually talk to hr tomorrow about it, and give them the benefit of the doubt that stuff is getting twisted as it moves from person to person
(Which it should be direct anyways)
It’s one thing that if someone is injured enough to need to wear a brace they shouldn’t be working, also prevents them from being blamed for said injury
It’s another, when I tell them in advance, hey I’m going to have my hand wrapped in tape for a couple days just to keep swelling down from a thing I’m having done, which is not an injury or effects my ability to work
