Hey. This is my story of how I pierced my navel, all by myself. Yup, that's right. Me, myself and I. Wow, what an experience! I guess it all started when my brother started dating his girlfriend, who has hers done. The first time I saw it I was staying over at her house. She was stretching and when she lifted her arms up, I saw it. It was so awesome. I asked her about it. My free advice to you: Don't ask them if it hurt!! people get really annoyed when you do that. So I tried to figure out another way of finding out about it with out pissing her off. My first question was: how long have you had that done? She told me that she has had it in for about 3 years but not straight. She had taken it out a couple of times and re-pierced it because she just loved it. then I asked: Where did you get it done? SHE DID IT HERSELF!! All 4 times, except once. I asked her what about the last time and she said: My mom found out that I did it myself and made me take it out. Then she took me to get it done professionally. She went to Body Wurks in Saratoga and said it was an awesome place to go so if I wanted anything pierced professionally, GO THERE! Well, that settled it. I was going to do this. It just looked too cute! So I invited her over to my house and that night to help me pierce mine.
At A Glance Author pierced04 Contact alicia@nycap.rr.com Artist Me Studio My bedroom Location Ballston Spa, NY First she had my put ice on it. One ice cube under the little top lip and one on top of it. I think that the ice hurt the worst, but mabey that's because I was so nervous. I had never asked my mom but that really didn't concern me, seeing as how they were out of town and me and my 18 year old brother would be by ourselves besides some random friends :) for a whole nother 3 days. Finaly when I couldn't stand the ice anymore, I gave her the safety pin (yes, a safety pin) and she told me to lay on the table. I felt pretty wierd laying on the kitchen table with my shirt folded up on my boobs and laying there, waiting for her to stab me.
She got half was through before the ice wore off. Then I felt it. I think most of the pain was due to the fact that my stomach muscles were squeezed as tight as possible. She told me she couldn't get it through all the way with out bending the pin. I had her try a little more and the whole time my brother let me squeeze the hell out of his hand. He usually won't let me near him but ever since then we've gotten along great. I guess he really didn't think I would do it and I did go through with it so I guess he respects me more now. Anyways, back to the important stuff. So I got up (I could still walk fine) and went to get some more ice. I put it on for another couple minutes and then pushed it almost all the way through. The hardest part was getting the fat part of the needle (well, the sartey pin) through the top layer (we were pushing it through from the bottom) I didn't hurt really when I was doing it myself and finally i got it through. I pulled my shirt back down and plopped down at my computer. My brother's g/f just sat there and looked at me like I was crazy. She said that she didn't think I would go through with it either. And she told me she was proud of me. I was so shocked. I mean, I've always let my parents down with school (I suck at school) and nobody has every really told me that. I didn't know what to say back to her so I said Thank you. What a retard. lol. But then I just sat there after she left and played Quake 3 on my computer until like 11 o'clock and then went to bed. I tried to move it before I went to bed but it hurt like hell so I just went to sleep.
It didn't hurt to sleep because I slept the first few nights on my side. I almost forgot that there was a 3 inch long safety pin in my stomach until I got up to go to the bathroom. Talk about pain! I could flip it back and forth but I still couldn't move it up and down. I wasn't worried and it looked so cute! (despite the safety pin) I popped some tylenol and took off to school. I showed everyone and most people thought I was crazy and that it looked gross. But my friends weren't really surprised because I'm known to do some pretty crazy shit. And then about 3 days later I put this cute little barbell in and everyone told me how cute it looked!
To anyone that wants it done, DO IT! It won't hurt as much if you go get it done professionally, trust me. I didn't know anything about aftercare, I just washed it in the shower everyday and put a band aid on it when it started sliding thorugh on its own. It looks really cute now, I put a curly circular barbell in and when I show people they ask if I have 2 piercings! My mom eventualy found out. She was really cool about it but then she said she had to punish me somehow for not asking so I'm still serving time that she grounded me for. I got 4 weeks groundation but it was soooo worth it! plus, I only have about 2 1/2 weeks left! My next piercing will be my tongue (I hope). I asked my mom last night which probably wasn't very good timing on my part because she just looked at my shitty report card (on which I failed two things). She said no, but I'm not convinced. I asked why not and she said "There's no good reason to" and I tried the 'Because I want it' excuse but that didn't work. I still think she'll give in if I bug her too much. It might take a few months of begging and sucking up. I'll have to get my grades up but once I do that, mabey she'll let me. And if she doesn't say yes, I'll ask my dad (my parents are divorsed). If I get dad to say yes, he can help me convince mom, or mabey he'll just take me to get it done. Who knows? Worst case, I'll get it done and get and invisible ball, or a retainer and tell her later : ) Well, peace out and have fun with your body.After all, it is yours for life!
Me and my friends are gunna open a piercing and tattoo parlor when (and if)we grow up : ) sounds like fun? yee haw!! And by the way, feel free to email me with any questions! I'll write back...