I am here to candidly discuss an oft neglected subject in piercingdom.
Even though the topic is usually avoided, I for one, was curious and
therefore did some investigating. This particular phenomenon, found
offensive to some, embarrassing to most, but fascinating to me is the
occurrence of odiferous piercing secretions which we, at Alchemistress,
affectionately call"Mung". As bodily secretions go, Mung is by far
more pleasant than the frightful Smegma, or the noxious Phlegm (see
also Gleet) but a bit more problematic than a sloppy Goober or some
innocuous Gunk. The fact that all these terms contain the letter "G"
(as does Gross) is food for thought indeed. At any rate, I am rather
fond of Mung, but then I bury my nose in the crack of any book, huff
on kerosene lamps and hang out in cellars a lot.
So what exactly is this infamous Mung, you might ask? Well, it is an
innocent by-product of exudation which is the slow discharge of fluid,
cells or serums from cells or blood vessels through small pores or
breaks in the membranes. This natural process can occur long after a
piercing is healed if the site becomes inflamed or irritated. Mung is
created from the accumulation and occlusion of these substances and
develops a distinctive smell when it remains trapped, for example, by
tight jewelry, flaps of skin or heavy clothing where bacteria can
flourish. In other words, if you don't clean it and aerate it, it
will stink! To what extent can be dependent on such things as your
own particular body, the type and placement of your piercing and/or
what kind of jewelry you wear.
Generally, the more you stretch a piercing, the more often you will
experience those noticeable "Mung Moments", especially if you are
wearing jewelry that is held in close contact to the expanded skin.
Since earlobes are the most frequently stretched piercing in the U.S.,
the preponderance of Mungi produced here yearly is found on the ears,
hence Earmung - as opposed to Navelmung or Nipplemung - is the most
pertinent to this discussion. ( Although Septummung can be particularly
fragrant to the wearer, for obvious reasons, of course. ) I like to
move my septum jewelry a tiny bit to enjoy the aroma, but I suppose
that could be just me. Unlike Septummung, which you will most often
be aware of yourself, Earmung can be frustratingly capricious. Right
when you think it's safely confined between the flanges of your shiny
earlets, a nod of the head, a toss of hair or just chewing gum can,
before you know it, send Mungus fumes wafting about your personal space.
That quick hug at the reunion, peck on the cheek at graduation or even
a whispered comment in the theater will have you wondering, "When was
the last time I washed my ears?
What can one do besides constantly brandishing a handiwipe and risk
smelling like a neurotic clean freak? Well, adequate care and maintenance
is the trick. Alchemistress Body Arts follows an all natural approach to
aftercare so I can recommend some useful items for your apothecary. An
herbal soap with antiseptic properties like tea tree, lemon or neem can
be used for cleansing. Then you should apply essential oils to inhibit
bacterial growth. I favor a neem/lavender concoction, myself, but you
guys might prefer an essence of pine or lemon. On days when the mungidity
is high, I dose the site with a hefty shot of tea tree oil and then replace
my washed and essential oil soaked jewelry. Do purchase your natural health
care goods from a reputable store or company such as Liberty Natural or
shop for pure, non-adulterated products at your local food coop.
For those of you out there with critical Mung issues, there are some
simple behavioral modifications that you can adopt to alleviate your
situation. Wear your hair loose, stand downwind during conversations,
avoid unnecessary embraces and never, I repeat, never play with your
ears in public! Seriously though, you can choose jewelry that is less
Mung friendly such as surgical steel rings which allow more movement
and , therefore, more oxygen to the area. Acrylic jewelry harbors bacteria
and promotes Mung formation as do things with crevices and edges like
o-rings and screw-on flesh tunnels. Someone should invent antimungal
material for plugs or manufacture large gauge jewelry perforated with
air holes. Or how about a Mung deodorizer?
All in all, I think Mung is an intriguing subject worthy of further
scrutiny. For, when reflecting on my own personal "Mung Moments", I
often find them to be endearingly special. Like the Mung produced after
my flesh tunnels served as finger pulls during......hmmm, what a fond
recollection.......Well, anyway, there are also new mungerities to
discover in the future. For instance, have you ever noticed that more
Mung forms during the full and/or new moon? Again, it's probably just
me, but you folks could do me a favor and keep track for a couple of
months and send in a report. I do hope you all will embrace your
mungessence to better learn your own mungal phases and nuances. Timing
is everything in life — which reminds me — I've got to
go clean my ears!!
Dana also fancies herself to be the Mung MavenMung Maven of this millennium. Email her with your memorable mung moments and other mungabilia...