I seriously believe piercing is an addiction. I don't really trust people who are satisfied with a simple earlobe piercing, or just a tongue piercing. In a way though, I wish I could be satisfied with what I've got! In my quest to pierce some part of myself (other than my lobe or cartilage) I decided I needed "professional help". So I did some soul, I mean web searching and found the BME website. With the numerous amounts of body mod pictures I was able to choose my next piercing.
At A Glance Author anonymous Contact anonymous@bme.anon When A month ago Artist Tom Studio Comes a Time Location Fairfax, VA My rook piercing was my first, but not last "professional piercing". I definitely had to do some research because I like being prepared. I found a piercing/tattoo studio about five minutes from where I live, Fairfax City, Virginia. A university town, tattoo and piercing places are readily available here. I checked on-line to see if they had a website. They don't have a website but I felt much more comfortable going there after reading a story from this website.
On BME I happened to read an experience about Comes a Time (a tattoo and piercing studio in Fairfax) and got some very useful information. I decided after looking at some rook piercings, I wanted one. I could easily put a CBR in and match it up with my other lobe and cartilage piercings. Not even thinking about the possible pain, I walked into Comes a Time, told the girl what I wanted and payed my $45, signed the consent form, and got some aftercare information. I thought it was strange that you pay first, but I didn't really question that. It was a really tiny studio with one tattoo room and one piercing room separated only by a waiting area and a few curtains. As I walked through the curtain to his "office" I couldn't help but notice the large framed picture of his wife and children. I guess (stereotypically) I didn't expect him to have a "normal" family. As with most piercers/tattoo artists he was very well adorned with both piercings and tattoos. I was especially impressed with the work of art in progress on his back depicting his internal organs. It really made me think of the human body as a canvas (I'm sure I've heard that many times in relation to tattoo, and of course piercing falls in the same area).
I was a little nervous and didn't really know what to expect until I was sitting in the dental type chair and waiting to be pierced. All the while closing my eyes so I couldn't see any kind of needle. I opened them up long enough to approve the CBR. (I found out that he only pierces rooks with CBRs, not barbells). I was happy, anyways because I have no idea how to clean a barbell in there! There was some silence and I got nervous wondering when IT would happen. So I checked with Tom if he was gonna let me know when the needle was going through. He said, Umm... (My main objective is knowing WHEN the needle will be going through). I tend to jump when this happens so I always notify nurses, etc to tell me EXACTLY when the needle is going in :) Thanks to BME I had the info that Tom's style of piercing is to tell the customer that he'll count to three and then pierce on one, so the whole process is done by three. Well, knowing this I asked him if he was gonna count to thre e. He said, "Sure, if you want me to." Surprise, surprise he pierced on ONE. But by this point I'm completely relaxed, because my biggest fear is not knowing the piercing point. So I can't say enough thanks to the writer of a previous rook story who saved me from possibly having my EYE pierced!
I felt the initial part of the needle going through but then I kept waiting for THE PAIN. I had no idea what had been done because he didn't tell me the step by step processes. For me, though, that's just as well. I've always been told that I have a high threshold for pain, but it was not bad at all. It started throbbing a little when I got home and maybe for that day and the next it was red and throbbing so I just put some ice on it and cleaned it with Tea Tree Oil. They tell ya not to sleep on it, but I've noticed that it's not a problem, especially compared to newly done cartilage piercings which really get in the way. I am still cleaning it and it periodically gets sore so I try not to touch it. I have NO idea how to change it so I'll definitely have to go back and see my friend Tom
for that.