Everything You Need to Know About... Ear Pointing
(WORK IN PROGRESS)
Introduction
I originally wrote this post many years ago, back on Tumblr. Samppa liked it so much that he shared that link with new clients! This post was my mini bit of internet fame. I don't know if people still looked at it in more recent years, or if Samppa still shares it, but I thought I would keep it updated on this new website.
Ok, so I might not quite get EVERYTHING but I’ll probably have a bit more info than you’ve previously found. Before I got my ears pointed I looked everywhere for personal stories and general tips and only found a small amount of information which didn’t have all the information I was after. I as much as possible, and specifics, so this will be the blog post I wish I’d found to calm my nerves before I got mine done, I hope this helps you!
This post will be really long, be prepared!
Trigger Warning:
You hopefully would have figured this out already, but there's discussion of modifying bodies and that involves blood and whatnot.
Disclaimer:
I haven't re-checked all of the links. The information provided was correct at the time that I originally wrote this post (year unknown). It is YOUR responsibility to do your own research.
Finding Your Artist
I got my ears done by Samppa Von Cyborg, meaning it’s a reshaping method rather a standard pointing (I’ll go into more info about this), but much of what I write will still be helpful for people getting their ears done by a different artist.
I had been thinking about ear pointing for years, and had looked at different artists long before deciding to actually get it done. You will need to research your artists, look at photos of their work and make sure they include healed pictures. Read other people’s experiences with them (if you can find them) and talk to people who have had mods from them.
After reading about Samppa I feel he is considered the best in the world by many, as he is a revolutionary in the bodymod industry, was trained under a plastic surgeon, and created the technique he uses. You can read more about him on his About page on Facebook, see photos on Facebook here and here, and on Instagram here.
Before I continue I'd like to make a note that I do mention other artists here, but I am not endorsing or condemning anyone's work and I simply cannot remember everyone I read about in the bodymod community. I can only suggest Samppa as he is the only one I have had experience with. These names are mentioned purely for you to look at them for comparison.
I am aware that there are a few artists out there who are "hacks" and I am not doing the research for you on every artist I mention. However, I will provide information on how to be responsible.
I know Zephyr Le Strange (Instagram here) originally got their first ear pointing done by Lukas Zpira (website here, though it appears to only be about performance art rather than body modification, and BME entry here). This was later fixed by Efix Roy (again, body modification information appears to be light, but the shop he owns and this website may be interesting).
I originally linked Zephyr's blog post about this here, but I am unable to find this. However, this Tumblr post gives a timeline of their ears with additional information and photos.
The only other name I know of who does ear pointing is Roni, who you can view here.
At the time I originally wrote this all three of these artists had ear pointing in their portfolio, however it appears they either don't anymore of are quieter about it online. With ear pointing as with ANY artist you choose you should do research first.
As far as I know, all the people I’ve mentioned do (or did...) a different method to Samppa, who is the ONLY person I personally can recommend ethically, with research to back it up. You can read about the two different methods here, and read more about Samppa’s technique here, here, and here. There is also a pretty cool video to explain more, as well as this one, and a separate interview.)
DO NOT get it done by anyone who isn’t safe and legitimate, as not only your ears but your health and even life are at risk. Find other people’s testimonials for that specific procedure - some artists might be good at one thing but be a hack when it comes to ear pointing, so be wary. If you want to see what one hack-job is able to do here are some horrible ones that Samppa has fixed.
6. Booking the Procedure
In most cases you will need to book FAR in advance. Many bodymod artists who do this kind of procedure will travel the world, and you’ll either need to travel somewhere to meet them or jump on the opportunity when they’re near to you. Since writing this there have also been scandals in Australia and the UK, meaning getting work in those areas is even more difficult and travel more limited.
Be prepared for the cost. This is expensive. I won’t say the exact cost of the procedure as it may be different depending where in the world people are, and different artists will charge different amounts. Please do not ask me, or any public forum about pricing - this can only be discussed directly with your artist in private.
Think in the thousands of dollars, and always add more to quoted amount to make room for Paypal fees, travel costs, accommodation, other bookings to get sutures out etc.
And then add even more money to your budget, just in case.
At the time I booked there wasn't a verification process but there now is. When you get in touch with Aneta they will ask for some personal details and ID - this is OK and not a scam, they are protecting themselves. Make sure you are contacting the correct people; the emails they have provided are:
I was asked by Aneta Von Cyborg to provide photos of my ears before they would book me, and after they accepted me I had to pay a deposit of half the cost of the procedure. I annoyed Aneta for a while with lots of questions, but to be fair if your artist isn’t willing to answer questions then something dodgy may be going on. Aneta was SO helpful, giving me lots of helpful information about the procedure, aftercare, and even telling me of the one time it went wrong (not due to any fault by Samppa or the client) which Samppa went above and beyond to fix.
7. Preparation
I think it’s best to buy your aftercare products before the procedure, so you’re ready to go in case you don’t feel like shopping after. I bought Arnica tablets which were recommended by Aneta, and Nurofen for if I needed pain killers. I’ll go into these more in the Aftercare section.
Aneta also told me to take antibiotics, but you can’t get these without a prescription so I didn’t get them. I don’t go to my doctor much and don’t have much of a relationship with them so didn’t think to go and just ask anyway.
Samppa told me that people will go to their doctor beforehand, explain the procedure, and are prescribed the antibiotics, but they also said that many clients don’t do this and are totally fine. For my own peace of mind I wish I had tried to get the antibiotics as I can get quite paranoid, but it’s totally fine if you don’t, it’s just an extra precaution.
If you were to go even further you could get vitamins and just generally healthy things like that. Don’t bother getting creams or anything topical, as I did this and Samppa told me not to use it anyway.
If you have shaved sides of the head like me, then definitely shave it down before the procedure as you really don’t want hair in the way. If you have a more normal haircut I believe Samppa now asks people to shave the area around their ear. If for some reason you do not need to shave, and for preparation for when your hair grows, play around with ways to keep hair away from your ears. It would be a good idea to pack some hair clips.
Wash your hair beforehand, as you won’t be able to wash it for a while after the procedure.
Pack some juice or sugary lollies JUST in case you feel faint afterwards, I didn’t at all and I normally do get faint after piercings etc. so you’ll probably be fine, but hey why not.
8. THE BIG DAYS
January 2015
I believe some artists will do both ears in one day but Samppa will do one each over two days, and it takes 2 - 4 hours. The venue they used for me was Absolution in Christchurch (New Zealand).
I made sure I ate lunch so I had my strength before the procedure, I don’t think it would be a good idea to have it done on an empty stomach. Obviously don’t drink alcohol either as it’s a blood thinner, and while you should keep hydrated - maybe don't over-drink any liquid beforehand, you're not going to be able to pee during it (if this is a concern for you I don't think there's any shame in looking at the option of adult diapers).
For my first ear Samppa and Aneta were actually late, apparently Samppa likes to sleep a lot!! When they arrived they wanted to get lunch, so I joined them at their table and they talked me through some information. This was awesome as it put me at ease a bit more and they were able to answer questions. Samppa told me about aftercare and I’ll include what he said in the Aftercare section. He is nice but is a bit intimidating!! Aneta is SO lovely and friendly so she calmed me down a lot. I bought a pulpy orange juice to get some natural sugars in me (but just keep in mind what I just said about drinking liquid beforehand...).
Aneta checked out both my ears, to see which one may be harder. They like to do the harder one first. She thought mine seemed basically the same (but actually the first one DID end up harder!). She cleaned my ear, and then I had to lie down on my back on one of the tattooing seats. Samppa numbs the ears, which can be uncomfortable but totally bearable. Please do not send me, or any public forum questions about numbing - this can only be discussed directly with the artist in private.
NOW FOR THE CUTTING!
I didn’t feel a thing! It was amazing! Samppa told me it wouldn’t hurt at all but of course as clients we’re always going to think it’s going to hurt. Honestly, this procedure is painless. This of course calms you down when you realise you won’t be crying and screaming!
Obviously I couldn’t see what was going on, but I believe he cuts the edge cartilage off in two sections, then cuts the flat cartilage into a point shape. After this the edge part will be sewn back on.
This last part may be re-done. This is what happened with the first ear. They expected it to take 2.5 hours and it took 3.5. What happens is they will cut the shape, it looks correct, but after sewing it looks a bit wonky. They will then have to un-stitch and resew. This is TOTALLY FINE, just time consuming. It made me nervous at the time but it’s just something that happens sometimes and is totally fixable.
The best way to understand how it works is to watch the video I linked earlier.
The sounds are really strange, as you can hear the scraping noise from the cutting, and you can feel pushing and pulling from the stitching. I got feeling back slightly a few times but that’s ok because all I had to do was tell them and they numbed it again. This did panic me a bit, as I suddenly had feeling when I wasn’t expecting it which is a bit scary, but as I said it’s easily fixed!
What I found most difficult was Samppa and Aneta’s manner. I’ll say now that after I got used to it I realised it’s totally fine, but it was just unexpected so threw me off. They can argue a bit, and get irritated with each other, but as Aneta said it’s just “how they work”. Samppa is a perfectionist so he will get frustrated, but he also will make sure it’s RIGHT. If you end up getting work done by him just remember that if he says “FUCK” in the middle IT’S FINE, DO NOT WORRY.
My first ear ended up being the hard one, because after Samppa had stitched he had to un-stitch it and reshape part of it. This is because it looks straight where it’s meant to be, and it’s only when it’s sewn up that you start to see that it’s not as good as it could be. Do not worry if this happens, he will fix it, it just takes time. My first ear ended up being the better one of the two, it’s pretty much perfect.
If it ends up taking a while you may get stiff. I tried to move my legs around a bit, and I ended up REALLY needing to pee (damn that pulpy orange juice.... I had peed before hand but I think the nerves made it worse!). Just try and move when you can and relax.
After the first ear is done, you may feel a bit stupid walking around with one swollen, red, slightly bloody ear, I know I did, so I stayed indoors as much as I could. There wasn’t much pain, but the ear did ache and then started throbbing later in the night so much so that I had to take Nurofen.
The second ear the next day was a lot easier. They didn’t have to go back to do anything, and I found that afterwards it didn’t ache or throb nearly as much as the first ear. I assume this is because there was less stress and pressure put upon it since they didn’t need to un-stitch it (BUT this is the ear that ends up getting a touch up at a later date though).
Your ears will be quite red and purple after the procedure, and will stay like that for a while, gradually lessening. They will also be swollen. Mine stuck out from my head because where the ear joins the head was swollen, looked a bit funny!
Before and after photos, taken by Samppa.
Bear in mind, this is STRAIGHT after the procedure, they will swell and bruise more than this in an hour or two, and the final shape will be a bit different to this too.
The second ear particularly looked really gross after the procedure, but not to worry! I got told mine were actually less swollen than other peoples, and it will go down relatively quickly. That black part is something I had to keep an eye on. This disappeared after a day or so, so nothing to worry about.
Below are photos of my right ear, and then left ear (which later gets re-pointed) throughout the day after the procedure.
9. Aftercare
So aftercare is actually ridiculously easy! Paranoia is the worst part!
This section refers to the first two weeks, before sutures are taken out.
To clean it, all you need to do is run your ear under the shower water. DO NOT touch the ears or pick off any of the blood, just let the water wash it away. I found that the water didn’t get off all the dried blood so I just left it, it actually doesn’t look too horrible, and I knew it’ll come off eventually. I found that edging the lobe of my ear under the water first and then submerging the rest of my ear was the best way to do it, as I got nervous about the water pressure and heat so this let me adjust to it. It actually feels really nice once you’ve got it going, and afterwards my ears felt better.
If you have them, you can take the Arnica tablets, but if I'm totally honest I don't feel like they did anything. This isn't to say that Arnica doesn't help, but the tablets I found were homeopathic and I don't believe they made any difference. My tablets said that for sudden symptoms I should take two tablets every 15 minutes, up to six doses, so I did the full 6 doses after each ear was done, and the day after. After that I switched to the long-term dosage which is three times a day, and continued to do that until the swelling was mostly gone.
I wanted to have more things to do. When you get a tattoo and put a tattoo cream on it you know you’re doing something to heal and protect it, this is when the antibiotics would come in handy as you’re actively doing something. But my ears were fine without all of this.
Keep an eye out for any area that gets darker rather than lighter, especially if it’s black (like in the photo of my right ear). This could indicate poor circulation or some other blood problem. You can send photos to Samppa (or presumably your other artist) and they should be able to tell you if it’s OK or not, and will tell you to go to your doctor if there’s a problem.
The sutures will be taken out after about two weeks, but I’ll get into this more in the Getting the Sutures Out section. After getting the sutures you’ll most likely carry on looking after your ears as normal, just waiting until they’re strong enough to handle day to day life.
The main aftercare tips are a bunch of DON'TS.
For AT LEAST two weeks (while the sutures are still in):
Do not touch your ears.
Do not pick at the blood.
Do not wear insertable earphones.
Do not use phones unless on speaker.
Do not wash your hair.
For AT LEAST a month:
Do not dye your hair.
For AT LEAST one year (my original post said three months, but Samppa has since updated this to one year):
Do not sleep on your ears/on your side.
Do not bend your ears.
Do not wear big covering headphones.
Here are some general photos from the first two weeks of healing.
10. Sleeping and Other Tips
When the ears are still quite tender and swollen you will most likely need to sleep on your back. This is a pain, and this was possibly the worst part for me, as I tend to sleep curled up on my side. Buying a travel pillow (so you can put your ear in the centre while your head rests on the pillow) can help with this, or just putting a pillow upright and leaning against the wall or headboard. You’ll need to play around a bit, but I found that if I sat up more I was able to stay in position when asleep and not lean on my ears.
The first couple nights I sat pretty upright, and had the pillow upright so I could lean against it. The travel pillow was around my neck, which helped me not to move my head from side to side. This only works when being at least partially upright, because if I was lying down to much I would just sink into the travel pillow and my ears would press against it. I bought quite a cheap one though, so a better, firmer one, may be better. My partner put his (clean) socks on the travel pillow to make it firmer.
For the whole first week I still lay on my back. I was able to put my body to the side, and have my head somewhat facing the side, but generally on my back.
In the second week I was able to start lying on my side but still NOT ON MY EARS. As I said in the aftercare section I recommend not lying on your ears for at least a year (but because of the advice being different at the time, I lay on my ears after three months). What I did was put my travel pillow on my normal pillow, and put my ear in the empty part, so the travel pillow supported my face and head but there was a gap where my ear was. This is how I slept for the rest of the time.
The other tips I have are about getting dressed. Zip up or button up tops/dresses etc are obviously easier as you don’t have to put them over your head, but I managed to get t-shirts over my head straight after the procedure without much trouble. When putting tops on you’ll need to hold the neck hole open and just put it over your head, stretching it out so it doesn’t touch your ears, and then put your arms through when it’s safe. When taking off I would take my arms out first, and do a similar stretching thing except I would put one ear/half my head through first, then just pull it over the other ear.
11. Getting the Sutures Out
You will need to get your sutures taken out after two weeks. You can sometimes do this at the place where you got the procedure, but you may need to book with your doctor (which is what I did). You need to tell them that they CAN NOT BEND YOUR EARS. This is because the permanent internal sutures are what are supporting your ears until they have healed more. If your ears get bent all your cartilage can shatter.
I ended up having problems here, so for most people I think this wouldn’t be an issue, but I’ll tell you what happened to me as a warning for what could happen. See this video for a different suture removal experience.
Samppa’s stitches are really small, the nurse and a doctor commented on how tiny they were and how that would make them difficult. My nurse seemed really weirded out by the whole thing, and was worried I had an infection because one ear was still swollen. She pulled at the stitches and I think she probably cut my ear a bit, and it hurt. It was worse than getting the procedure done. I cried afterwards. She really had issues with it (I later found out that she was new...), and I got given antibiotics just in case there was an infection. She didn’t manage to get all the stitches out, so I had to book another appointment for a week later.
These photos are taken after most of the sutures were taken out, two weeks post-procedure.
I showed Samppa pictures and discussed it with him, and he said he didn’t think there was an infection, and that from the sound of it the nurse had cut my ears a bit. Because of the pulling and pain he was a bit worried that she could have damaged my ears and there could be scarring, but they seem to be OK. He recommended keeping the remaining stitches in for another week.
I had to go back to lying on my back when trying to sleep for a night or two, as my ears became tender again.
At my next appointment I had a different nurse, who had NO TROUBLE at all!! To be fair the small amount of swelling was down, but it wasn’t a huge difference. I found out that there was no infection (they’d swabbed and tested it), and that the nurse I had the week before was new. So I just had back luck and a bad experience. This second nurse was super lovely, and afterwards I didn’t have ANY pain or discomfort. I expect this is what it would be like for most people after getting the sutures out.
These photos are after all the stitches are finally out, three weeks post-procedure.
12. Externally Healed
My ears changed a lot over the first three weeks, after that the change wasn’t so noticeable. Samppa said that the basic shape would be apparent after three or so months, but it would be up to a year before they took the final shape, as the ear is still healing and growing.
This is what my ears looked like about a month after the procedure.
13. Re-Pointing
February 2016
My right ear (the first ear to be done) looked PERFECT and the left ear looked OK, but I must say I was a bit disappointed with the shape. I finally felt brave enough to email Samppa to show him the shape of the left ear and I got a response saying that it DID indeed need to be tweaked.
Here is a photo of the healed left ear, before the re-pointing. You can see the curve on the short side of the point.
I personally found the procedure for re-pointing a lot more difficult, but this doesn’t mean it would be the case for everyone. With the beginning cuts I kept bleeding, meaning we had to numb the ear again, and made it harder for Samppa to see what he was doing. The bleeding is not an issue really, just makes it take longer, but it’s harder to re-point anyway because instead of shaping along drawn lines Samppa had to cut exactly along the scar line. I went to Australia for the procedure this time (at The Stone Heart in Sydney), and the room we were in didn’t have air conditioning, so the excessive bleeding we put down to the heat.
After cutting along the scar line the procedure seems to be pretty much the same as initial pointing. Samppa seemed to have trouble getting the desired shape, and the heat was bothering all of us. He had to leave halfway through and have a break while I lay there with a cut open ear. We expected it to take about an hour and it took three.
The part that made it hard for me was the end when Samppa was most of the way through stitching up. I was in pain, which thanks to the numbing wasn’t an issue the rest of the time or in the initial procedures. It was strange because I couldn’t actually feel the stitches/the needle going in, but Aneta had to hold onto my ear and the pressure hurt, a lot. I was lying on the chair completely rigid, doing heavily controlled breathing, and could feel myself getting shaky. Immediately after they were done I asked one of the piercers to give me a lollipop they had for when people are low on sugar because I felt quite weak (with the first procedure I brought lollies for this purpose but didn’t end up needing them). My Auntie (who is a doctor) later told me that anesthetics effect pain but not pressure, so I assume this is why I could feel Aneta’s pressure so strongly, but I’m not quite sure why it hurt so much. It is possible that the numbing had worn off and it was adrenaline/my mind that made me not feel the needle.
Samppa posted a before and after photo with the caption “ Sometimes I have to fix my own work as well. Ear pointing touch up we did in Sydney today.”
Luckily, after the pain at the end of the procedure, the healing was WAY easier than the first time!! I only had a throbbing pain for a short amount of time on one day, in fact I was so unaware that my ears were all cut up and stitched together that I was worried I would forget they were healing and end up touching them, they felt completely normal.
This is a few hours after the procedure.
Now on to getting sutures out. As you know, the first time I went I ended up with the new nurse who was very inexperienced and seemed uncomfortable. You’ll know that I found her taking out sutures more painful than the procedure itself. I couldn’t believe it when I turned up at the doctors and a year later somehow ended up with THE SAME NURSE!!
I recognised her straight away and my heart sank, but I give her credit - she was obviously just nervous the first time (which I took as being judgmental) and was a lot friendlier and more comfortable this time. She remembered me too (coz… how many ear pointing stitches would she have taken out...). She got the sutures out pretty easily.
She didn’t clean any of the dead skin off though, so my ear looked a bit crusty afterwards, but I found that pieces were just falling off so I cleaned it up and it looked pretty awesome.
Below are some photos after the ear is cleaned up. I don’t remember there being such a distinct line on the tip last time, it looks like two pieces of playdough stuck together in these photos, but this does disappear over time. You can also see little dots from where the sutures were which I also don’t remember last time.
This ear generally seems to be fatter/thicker than the other one so it will never look exactly like the other ear, but I definitely feel it’s prettier now! I have asked Samppa if it's possible to remove some of the flesh to make the edge less thick and he said this is possible, but at the time of writing (April 2020) this is not something I have yet done.
14. Healed
One thing I didn’t expect is my ears are still sensitive even after they’ve healed. If they get knocked and even when I’m just sleeping on them they feel a bit delicate and sometimes hurt. It’s not a problem and I don’t regret getting the procedure so it’s not something you really need to worry about. Just be careful. If you’re someone who plays sports it may be an issue, so after a year of healing just ease into it.
Here are photos of my right ear (that wasn't re-pointed) a year after the procedure.
I will be honest that I’ve seen photos of other people’s ears and preferred their points but this is something you need to accept - everyone’s ears start out different and this effects the final shape. My ears still look amazing and I love them.
15. Photos Years Later
Here is a gallery of photos where you can see my healed ears. The year they are taken can be seen when you click on the photo. I decided to add a LOT of photos because people always want to see more!
If this still isn't enough you can also find me on Instagram or Facebook, though of course not all my photos are specifically showcasing my ears!
I also wanted to showcase this photo specifically. This is the left ear that got re-pointed, after I got a rook piercing at Ninjaflower (photo taken by them). This piercing was done in 2018 (so three years after the first pointing, and two years after the re-pointing). You can't get some piercings after ear pointing (see the Frequently Asked Questions) but this is one that worked for my anatomy and I think it complements the ear nicely. I have more piercing plans but I'm much more scared of piercings than I am getting my ear cut and stitched up so that will take a while!
16. Additional Resources
Since my initial ear pointing Sammpa has created a Facebook group specifically for his ear pointing, which you can see here. There are photos, questions, and general information on here, and if there's something specific you're unsure of it's worth a look.
Rusty Cyborg is another Facebook group about body-modification in general, so if you're looking at artists other than Samppa you may find some information in there.
Others have made videos of their experience, so I have added those as well as the previous videos I linked in a playlist.
17. Frequently Asked Questions
I AM NOT THE AUTHORITY ON THIS.
I have added this section purely because I see the same questions come up again and again. I can answer from my own experience, and the information I have seen from Samppa. If these are questions you have please read below, and then if you want further information SEARCH for the question in the Facebook group BEFORE asking it again - there's plenty of answers to all of these.
How much does it cost?
This is not discussed publicly. Please email Aneta directly for this information if you are serious about booking.
Where can I get it done, will you come to my country?
Samppa and Aneta are based in Spain, and if possible it would be best to visit them there. They have drastically reduced their travel, but the travel schedule is easy to find as they will post regularly to the Facebook group.
Does it hurt? Is there numbing?
It does not hurt. Any further information is not discussed publicly. Please email Aneta directly for this information if you are serious about booking.
My ears are small/weird shape/whatever, can I get my ears pointed?
Previously there were some ears that were too small to point, as you need enough surface area to work with. Recently Samppa has been able to do smaller ears than ever before. You can post photos in the Facebook group for opinions and Samppa can see them there, or just email Aneta directly
I have some sort of medical issue, can I get my ears pointed?
Again, I am not in the medical profession. However, I know of multiple occassions where Sammpa has worked on people with particular medical issues. He is aware of what can and can't be done and some of these have been discussed on the Facebook group already. Facebook is a good way to find other people with the same issue so you can learn about their experience specifically. Obviously mention these to Aneta when you go to book.
Will ear pointing effect my hearing?
The consensus seems to be no. Changing the shape of the ear almost certainly will make some difference, but not any difference that most, if any of us can notice. If hearing is specifically important to your career/life I feel this is worth researching more, though there are people in the Facebook group such as singers who have not had a problem.
What is the aftercare?
Please see my Aftercare section for my experience, and you can search the Facebook group but you will be told everything you need to know when you book/get the procedure.
Can Samppa take my stitches out?
I believe Samppa may do this but it's not necessary. Another body-modification professional or a nurse should be able to do this easily. Some people have even said they have had their partner/friend do it (personally I'd recommend a professional, just in case).
Do I have to take out my cartilage piercings to get my ears pointed?
Yes. Take them out as soon as possible and let them close. Samppa may need to cut out scar tissue, and you will lose these piercings by getting this procedure. Cartilage piercings don't appear to prevent ear pointing overall, but if you have a lot Samppa may need to evaluate this.
Can I get cartilage piercings after I get my ears pointed?
Mostly no. Any piercing that interferes with the internal stitches is not only an infection risk, but could destroy your points. As you would have seen, I got my rook pierced - I checked this with Samppa first and confirmed it was not in the way of stitches.
Can I get my ear tattooed after ear pointing?
You can, but apparently it hurts a lot - which I completely believe as my ears are sensitive years later. Wait at least a year.
How do you sleep when you're healing?
See my Sleeping and Other Tips section, and also search "sleeping" in the Facebook group. I had a normal, cheap travel pillow but others have posted links to better ones or even made their own. In short - don't sleep on your ears.
Can I do this physical activity if I get my ears pointed?
Wait at least a year if there is a chance your ears will be in contact with anything. There doesn't seem to be an issue with most activities, and a lot have been discussed on the Facebook group already so you can find yours there.
18. Self-Promotion
Thanks so much to everyone who has appreciated this text over the years. I've even been recognised in person! Just once, but still!
Obviously I don't benefit from this at all (except for minor fame), so if you'd like to check out the rest of my website that would mean a lot to me.
I don't currently have a shop on here as I've been working on new art and really refreshing that, but I'm open to offers on any old art. You can see my work here, and if you'd like to sign up to email updates (I don't send many, I'm not annoying, I promise!) you can do so below.