I've always been fascinated with body piercings, even when I was a small child. When my family would visit the mall, I would stare at the people who were getting their ears pierced at the kiosk near the food court. It was usually at this point that I would beg my parents to let me get mine done, too. Of course, they would tell me I had to wait until I was older. After a few years, however, they relented, and I got my very first piercings, normal lobe piercings, one in each ear.
At A Glance Author Meggo When Six months ago Artist Don't recall, it was weed related, like Spliff or something Studio Skinquake Location Bloomington, IN
As time passed, my ears got infected. (For those of you who haven't had an infection, be oh so grateful. They hurt like a son-of-a-bitch.) After they finally healed properly, I became lax, as most grade schoolers are apt to do, and my left ear closed up.
A few years later, I got it re-pierced, and a month after that, a second set of holes in each ear. I was proud of my new found fame, for at that time, most sixth graders didn't have 'double holes' and suddenly, I felt awesome. My piercings made me cool, something eleven years of bending over backwards for others had never done. I was hooked.
My freshman year of college, I was bored, had a little money, and decided "What the hell." I went to a place recommended to me by a hallmate, where I was going to get not only my navel done, but traguses (yes, both of them) done too. It was my luck that the tragus piercer was out for the weekend, so I just got my navel done.
It was crooked, which I didn't realize until it was done. And it rapidly got infected. And not just a little bit, but the mother of all infections, lasting for roughly six months, and staying well just long enough to heal, then getting infected again. Out of the year that I have had it, it has been infected 75% of the time. I was now pretty hesitant to get something else done, because of the high rate of infection my body seemed to have, but I wanted something more in my ears. I had ruled out the tragus (friends informed me of its intense pain) and decided instead that what I really wanted done was the rook.
I went to a new place, because I wasn't about to get something else crooked, at the beginning of finals week, smiling and happy, because I was about to get yet another piercing. Secretly, I was just wishing and hoping that this one wouldn't get infected as well.
I walked in, and the place was hopping, but I filled out the form, showed my ID, and waited. After I was called into the back, the piercer marked my ear and made sure I was happy with the location. Then he asked if it was alright that his 'apprentice' watched, because she'd never done one before. I was fine with this, since I knew I wouldn't be able to see what was going on. Since I was fine with the mark, he had me lay on my side, with my right ear (the chosen one) facing the ceiling. He told me to take a deep breath, and as I exhaled, he inserted the needle.
Now, some people get piercings, tell their close friends how much it hurt, and then, when Joe Schmo asks, they act like it was nothing more than a pinch. Then there are people like me, who will tell you that that piercing hurt like all the rest, infections included, combined. The rook is a very small spot, and they used a right angle needle to get in there. Once he had worked the needle through (it is cartilage, it's thick stuff), he pulled it through and used forceps to pull the jewelry through. (hoop, 18 gauge) I actually think pulling the hoop through hurt worse, since my ear had just been traumatized, but some people don't even notice it. The girl asked the piercer if they usually bleed that much, and he told her it was all relative, sometimes more, sometimes less. He cleaned my ear up, gave me some Provon, and sent me on my way.
I walked back to my dorm, beaming, in that way that you can only get after you've just gotten a piercing.
I religiously cleaned it with the Provon and dixie cup method (you soak your ear in warm water first to loosen any crusty stuff, then soap it up) for the first few weeks, and it seemed like it was never going to hurt, or crust, and that for once, I had the perfect piercing.
However, it was not meant to be, and it too got infected, though this time, it was more through my carelessness than through my body being on crack. I was so pleased with how it was progressing, I became lax in my soaking/washing habits. It took a little longer to heal than expected, because of the delay the infection caused, but now it's fully healed, completely awesome looking, and a great conversation piece.