xG3v2 Removal / Break

Just dropping this image here because I think it’s kinda neat. It is from a break I took when I needed to drink some water and breath mid-cutting.

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It should not cause any functional disfigurement since the implant was superficial. What I mean is that without suturing, it may not heal into a narrow, linear scar — though it could still heal fine without sutures. It’s just not as predictable. Suturing is done at the time of the procedure to be most effective.

If you feel confident about the sterility of the extraction, sealing the wound with NewSkin isn’t a bad strategy to help prevent bacteria from entering. However, if there is any chance that bacteria are present in the wound, sealing it could backfire — trapping the bacteria inside and giving them a protected space to proliferate.

Based on the picture, you are allowing it to heal openly, which I agree is the better choice.

Hydrogen peroxide is commonly used to clean wounds, but I use it with caution, as it can be caustic to healthy tissues and may impair healing.
For future reference, my agent of choice for deeper wounds is sterile water. If I need to create a pressure wash, I place sterile water in a clean syringe with an IV catheter sheath (without the needle) to create a narrow pressure stream and flush the wound thoroughly.

As long as you give the body a chance to expel any remaining debris or bacteria, it should handle the healing process well on its own.

I typically cover open wounds with a sterile bandage and apply an agent that helps maintain a moist, healthy environment. You can use Neosporin if you don’t have any allergies to its ingredients. Otherwise, a simple smear of plain petroleum jelly (from an over-the-counter pharmacy tube), applied under a sterile bandage or gauze, works well.

So far, the wound looks clean. It may even contract and shrink as it heals. It’s important to leave the wound open so it can heal from the inside out. Non-infected wounds generally fill in at about 1 mm per day (give or take), so roughly 10 days per centimeter on average.

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This breakdown is super informational.

Dually noted. There is one good layer on at this point, primarily by the edges of the wound. The center in theory is mostly open.

I was aware that peroxide isn’t great for tissue in general. It was a metered tradeoff: More heal time, lower risk of infection. My extraction was by no means perfect (it was done in my apartment), but as clean as I could muster, so going a little extra aggressive with the antiseptics felt like the correct choice here. The bottle of saline wound wash is about as close to what you’re describing with sterile water as I believe I have access to.

Yes, mostly open. It has access to air at least. Again, I do have the single layer of newskin on, especially the two ‘tips’ of the cut, but the very center should have very little, just what possibly migrated during the drying process.

I will post an updated image sometime today. This particular bandage is starting to peel off on the ends, so it will be replaced soon :slight_smile:

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Overall, it sounds like a solid plan. Keep us updated.

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Hand is from last night. Let it be fully open air for an ~hour after my shower.

The glass broke as I was handling it on the microscope, but was cracked before as well. I got lucky.

Let me restate: The glass piece came off as I was handling it. It was held together seemingly by this red fleshy substance.

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Healing update:

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A battlescar, of the cyborg army! :robot:

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Healed great! No signs of infection. Enough time has passed, so you should be good to go.

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Final healing update unless something changes:

The glass cap is still in there but will probably remain for at least a few years. Maybe I’ll die with it, who knows. It can serve as a reminder that I wanted this new experience, went through all the steps to get it installed and healed properly, and when something did go wrong I took the responsibility to go through a slow and painful process to tear it back out on my own (with input from this absolutely astounding community of course).

It has been roughly 19 days since literally peeling the implant out. For now it is stored in a little tiny bottle. Later I’ll make a display out of it when I have time. The scar is large but nothing crazy. Based on the feeling of the scar tissue underneath, it is best I retire my L1 for any implants, at least for a few years. It’s hard and large.

Despite the damage being a result of my own clumsiness and therefore explicitly not covered under warranty, DT still offered to replace the implant free of charge… The exact words from Michael were “We’ve got you.”

Now that on its own is above and beyond what any company is obligated to do. Replacing a product that was broken at fault of the user 100+ days after purchase? Crazy. Now it gets more crazy.

I made the decision that, if only to avoid worry, I won’t install another glass encapsulated magnet any time soon. So I made a request for a different product instead. I don’t believe this product is out of “DT Club Limbo” yet, but those of you who are following along there (or those of you who are about to subscribe there, wink wink) can probably put two-and-two together. Michael responded, saying that the moment that it is possible, this product that they do not offer and will likely be of higher value than the original item I purchased will be shipped to me.

What an insane agreement to come to, really. I am properly confused at this point to see how well this company - and this community as a whole really - have treated me though this entire process.

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