As long as I can remember, I've always had an ever growing fascination with piercings. It all started with my lobes. When I was around 12 or 13, I stumbled upon a few people in malls, the streets, neighborhood shops, and found that their plugs and tunnels were absolutely amazing. I knew I'd wanted those. So, I slowly started stretching my first holes [my goal was a 0 gauge, that of which I am at now, and very proud of], along with the second and third holes.
At A Glance Author Maia Contact Maia@bme.anon When Six months ago Artist Kim Studio Fashions For Ecstasy Location Baltimore, MD [on Eastern Ave.] Fast forwarding to when I was 15, I soon found that stretching just wasn't enough. I was browsing the net, and, thankfully, lingered upon BME. I immediately fell in love with the site [good job guys, keep it up!]. I looked through all the piercings, mostly in the ear, because all the other one's I saw were rather boring. I'd seen so many people with their eyebrows, noses, labrets, and I just wanted something that stood out and said, "Look at me!". That's when I spotted it.. the industrial. I fell in love at first sight. I knew that's exactly what I'd wanted.
So, I mentioned it to my parents, but I don't believe they took me seriously. One day, after school, I rummaged around for my school I.D, and my birth certificate, marched up to my mother, and said, "Mom, take me to go get my industrial, I have the money, all I need is a parent, so we're going today." She finally took me seriously, and we drove to a shop called Fashions For Ecstasy.
We went in the shop, and the walls were clad studs, spikes, leopard print skirts, shirts, all the fetish clothing. It was amazing. I loved the bright colors. I immediately felt at home in this place, and I had just stepped foot in the shop! We were greeted by a girl named Kim, the shop owner, and the main piercer.
Kim had asked what I wanted, and I told her I wanted an industrial, with the barbell. I mainly wanted the barbell, rather than having two captive ball rings because I'm impatient, and just couldn't wait for it to heal, then get the barbell. She explained to me the risk of scarring and rejection, and I just nodded my head. At this point in time, I really didn't care. I just wanted to get it done. Whatever my body did after that was it's business.
We went through all the paper work, and it came time to pick the jewelry. I chose the longest barbell, to give room for swelling. I held it in my hand for a few short seconds, admiring the beauty of it, even though it was just an average barbell, but it was now my barbell, which would be placed in my ear within the next few moments.
She first placed the barbell next to my ear, to make sure it was long enough. Then, she sterilized the barbell in the autoclave [I believe that is the name of it], and said it would take about 15 minutes, so we browsed around the store, but I mainly focused on the glass counter of jewelry, admiring all the different pieces. Brightly colored, UV, glow-in-the-dark.. then it was finally time. I was so excited, as well as nervous.
She walked me into the back room, and the walls were clad with pictures of people who had previously been pierced here. It automatically put me at ease. All their piercings looked as though they'd turned out fine. I knew I was in good hands, but I was still nervous.
She told me she was going to pierce it a gauge lower, so it would be easier to put the jewelry in, so she had grabbed two, newly packaged, 12 gauge needles, and sat them on the tray beside me. She then sterilized my ear, and marked it up. I looked in the mirror, and merely shook my head. She didn't use a clamp, because she said it'd be awkward for where it was placed on my ear. I, again, just shook my head.
Kim then took the barbell out of the autoclave, and placed it on a napkin on the tray. She began unwrapping the needles, and my nerves were just going insane. I had began shaking terribly, since I have a huge fear of needles. She gave me a cup of water, and told me to just breathe and take it easy, and when I was ready, we would go through with it. I sat there for a few moments, and we chatted about the different piercings she'd done, how long she's been piercing, and why she enjoyed her job. Finally, I was ready.
Kim grabbed another packaged needle, sterilized my ear again, then began unwrapping the needle. "Breathe in, one, two three, exhale.." and the first hole was in place. It didn't hurt as badly as I had anticipated. The pain was slightly sharper than getting your lobes pierced. "This isn't nothing.." I thought to myself. She slid the barbell through the first hole, and I felt no pain whatsoever. Then, she unwrapped the second needle, and counted once more, told me to exhale, and the second hole was in place. I didn't feel the second needle go through at all. She placed the barbell through the second hole, and struggled slightly to thread the ball onto the barbell. She cleaned up the slight amount of blood with a Q-Tip, and I was good to go.
Kim was great. She gave me a card with cleaning procedures, and told me if I had any questions or problems, don't hesitate to call. After thoroughly explaining everything to me, we left the shop, and then came the healing process.
The healing process was a rather long one. Being a person with sensitive skin [I have a skin condition known as eczema], it was sore for a few more days than what she had said. It became infected, and it looked like there was a keloid forming on the inside of the top hole. This had really upset me, and I thought I would have to take the piercing out and would have a deformed ear forever. But, I was wrong. It was sore, and infected, and one day, I was careless, and took my shirt off, ripping the barbell slightly, and the keloid-like bubble popped. It was disgusting, but the bubble was gone. After that, it was smooth sailing towards a nicely healed industrial.
My industrial is doing fine now, and I have yet to regret getting it done. I'm in love with this piercing, and couldn't imagine myself without it. When I take it out to clean it every once in a while, I look at my ear without it, and it looks so empty. This was what my ear had needed all along. I'd suggest getting this piercing to anybody looking for a bod mod. It's a lovely piercing, and I love it more and more each day.