I got my left tragus pierced a little over a week ago at Way Cool in Toronto
and I loved it so much that I had to get another one done. I knew the day
after I got my tragus that I wanted my right snug done to balance things out.
On the spur of the moment (it HAS to be on the spur of the moment) I decided
to stop by Chrysalids, having read favourable reviews right here on BME, and
NOT SO favourable reviews on another piercing/tat place here in London. The
price was very reasonable ($15 less than what my tragus cost), so I decided to
go for it. Since it was a weekday, she wasn't very busy and could take me
right away. Sarah, the receptionist, was very friendly and admired my tragus
piercing and mentioned that it seemed to be healing very nicely. The store
looks quite dark and narrow from the street, but once inside it's spotless and
tidy, nice cool A/C relief from the hot day...Cass put me in The Chair and we
had a talk about placement, because a snug piercing can sometimes be referred
to as a low helix, and of course we wanted to be on the same page. I wanted a
small barbell but Cass said that a CBR would be much more comfortable to wear
initially. I ended up with a 16 ga CBR with a small hematite bead, which I
learned was easier to crack or break than a steel ball, but I really wanted
something different. I wouldn't have minded a glow in the dark ball either,
but she didn't have any in stock. Besides, I read that hematite is an
antidepressant stone and it has worked for me in the past. She marked the
placement very carefully, as the snug is located at a slightly awkward angle,
and hooked the ring on to make sure I liked where it was. She was very
diligent in explaining the function of the different tools, and was also glad
to know that I had done lots of research on BME and was pretty familiar with
the lingo. I was telling her about some of the stranger things I've seen on
BME and she was quite amused. While she was cleaning my ear and preparing the
equipment, she made sure to ask the normal health questions on allergies to
metal, latex, etc, and I volunteered that I was perfectly sober as well
:o)
The piercing DID hurt (more than the tragus), because she told me that
I had a relatively thick but well-formed helix (so it was somewhat difficult
to get the needle through) but Cass waited a minute before putting the ring
and bead in, so I could catch my breath, told me to breath slowly, in and
out, and again gave me lots of aftercare advice, but I had the Bactine etc.
at home already, since I had just had a piercing a week earlier. She made
sure to answer all my questions thoroughly and was very friendly, not like
some piercers where the client tends to be treated like "just another person
to poke holes through". I just love my new earring and Cass loved it too,
because after she finished, she said that she wanted to get a snug piercing
too, and that it was too bad she didn't have her camera because she wanted a
picture of my ear. Cass also said that she was glad I came in with something
different, I guess since it was a weekday and pretty quiet, she had had only
minor work to be done, adjustments and small piercings, and mentioned that my
request was much more of a challenge. It's been about an hour and a half
since my piercing, and my ear has stopped throbbing. It was quite painful as
I was walking home from the bus stop, but I believe the pollution in the air
was to blame, since both places where I got my piercings were located in a
downtown area. By the time I got home I was completely euphoric and tripping
on the endorphin rush and literally bouncing off the walls. I did feel a bit
of dizziness as they wore off, because I didn't eat enough, but I am certain
that sleeping and healing will not be a problem at all, since I have now have
6 holes in my ears and the last infection I had was over 10 years ago. I
wanted to give Cass a big tip, but I only had a $20 and she said it wasn't
necessary, but I was so pleased with her work that before I left I promised
her that I would write her a great review on BME. And so here it is!
