Well it was winter/spring 2003 when my first ideas of modifying my body came into my head. I had always thought it would be 'cool' to get earrings because I liked the look of an external thing inside your body. So then I started researching mods, risks, piercers in the area, jewelery, etc. A few people I knew in the local music scene here, I knew had various piercings so for a little first person research I asked them about piercings and stuff. Then I was set on getting both my ears pierced at 16ga (which are now at 6ga). So then after persuading my parents to let me get them done, we agreed that for my 17th birthday I could get them pierced.
At A Glance Author skippykills Contact skippykills@bme.anon IAM skippykills When A month ago Studio Body Designs Location Bay Shore, NY So in late July 2003 I got them pierced at Tattoo Lou's, and I loved them. There was just something about changing my body that I really loved (which ill expand on later). So then about 2 months later I changed out my CBRs (I know, I'm a bad kid) I bought 14ga acrylic barbells and put them in with a lot of pain. So then everything was going on with them and I guess the piercing bug had finally gotten into me and I was soon looking for a new piercing that fancied my tastes. After looking at industrials, large gauge cartilages, and labrets, all which my parents didn't like, I found tragus'. I remember at my last job working at a pizza place, on a slow Friday night a guy who seemed in his mid 20's came in with both of his tragus' pierced and I thought it was the most intriguing thing I had ever seen. So then I knew I was pretty set on getting a tragus. Then after running it by my parent's, they seemed to like it a lot. My mom even told me that the first time she saw one on one my sister's co-workers a few years ago she thought it was disgusting, but had now thought it pleasant and nice looking, AWESOME!!
Ok so lemme get to the main story here, so then after a few weeks of failed plannings and even going to body designs but not having the slip notarized, me and my mom finally got to Body Design's Bay Shore location to get my tragus pierced one night after I got off work. I walked in and the place seemed very nice looking, interesting décor and such, and a sterile looking place. So then a young guy about 20ish I'd say greeted me and my mom at the counter and asked for my demands. So then he copied my license and all the legal crap, all while my mom was badgering him with questions about piercings, tattoos, and various other body mods which I thought was cool because she seemed really curious about them. So then he brought me to a small but cozy piercing room. Then we decided on going for 14ga because I didn't like the look of 16ga and he said I could actually fit 10 or 12 gauge if I wanted, but I thought 14 would be the perfect size. So then he got out the sterilized equ ipment and was very cautious with his actions which I liked. So right about when he opened the needle's package I started to get nervous, felt my heart beating a little bit faster than usual and I was swallowing a lot. And then he said something like "Some people say this is the most painful piercing, but its over so fast I'm sure you'll barely flinch." Which was a little reassuring and scary at the same time. So then he told me to look to the right and up a little (I got my left tragus done) and then marked and clamped my wee little tragus which hurt for a sex but then numbed up I guess. Then I couldn't really tell what was going on but a little bit later he said "You might wanna close your eyes now" and I knew I was in for a little bit of pain. So then he put the needle through the skin surrounding the cartilage, which I thought was the whole piercing and I starting thinking how unpainful it was, but before I could even finish that thought he pushed it through the c artilage. A little pop, a little blood, and not much pain, I was amaze d how fast and easily he got it in. Then he took off the clamp from the needle, then he threaded the jewelry in which, as most say, hurt a little more than the piercing itself, but still was nothing bad. So then he cleaned it up with some qtips and swabs and held up a little mirror for me to check it out. Before I looked in the mirror I looked at my mom cause my eyes were on the way, and I could see her smiling which made me really happy. So then I looked in the mirror and to my surprise it looked awesome, way better than I imagined it would have turned out. So then he told me aftercare and the usual stuff, then we talked for a little bit about the popping noise and common myths. Then I paid him shook his hand and my ecstatic self and my mom drove home.
Everything has gone great with my tragus so far, have had it in for about a month or so and its healing great, the skin has started to crust up less and is healing around the CBR now. If I could have changed anything I wouldn't have changed a thing, everything went so great for me and I'm so grateful for that. Now I get to look for future body mods now that I know how cartilage's go. Next I think I'm gonna go for a labret(if my mom ever approves of it) or a conch ring. If you're thinking about getting a tragus, think about it some more, then some more, then once you know it's something you really want, do it. I'm sure you won't regret it.