For months, I've been lusting over that little piercing of the "flap" of skin on the side of your face covering your ear, known as the tragus. I've seen all the pictures there are, read all the stories and experiences there are, and anytime I saw anybody with one, I was sure to talk to them about it. I brought the subject up to my mom a few days ago, and she said no at first. But after a few hours of begging and pleading and justifying, she agreed. We agreed on Saturday afternoon, at 23rd Street Body Piercing.
At A Glance Author Ash Contact HotPink659@aol.com When It just happened Studio 23rd Street Body Piercing Location Oklahoma City, Oklahoma I was so excited about it, I was telling everybody. Well, my friend from work had been wanting it done for a while too, so she decided she was going to come with me. This I was glad about, because I didn't want to go by myself.
So I continued to read every story and experience I could get my hands on... and the more I read, the more I became scared of it. I read stories of people who got nasty infections, a girl who became deaf because they pierced it wrong, people who could had to sleep with cotton balls in their ears because it bled so bad. Imagine it, and yea I probably read it.
Nonetheless, my friend, my mother, and I were at the doors right when they opened at noon on Saturday morning. We filled out all the forms (since I was under 18) and the lady went over all the cleaning and care for it. She had had hers done, and she asked if I had ever had my ears pierced with a gun before. I had, and she told me that it didn't hurt as bad as a gun did. That eased my fears A LOT! Then she handed us two small packages, each with a tiny silver ring in it, with a tiny silver bead that goes on it. She said she had one with a black bead, but I went ahead with the silver bead. I think it was an 18g.
So back we go to the room, and the first thing I notice is how clean the environment is. It felt like a doctor's office. You could see all the sterilization tools they had, and you watched them take the needles and such out of packages to be sure that its sterile. My friend Janessa goes first, and so she lays down on the table. The piercer takes everything out of the packaging, cleans her ear, etc. Then he piercers her. Her face turns red, and her eyebrows kind of scrunch together, and then, it was over. My turn! I lay down, and I have Janessa hold my hand because I was so nervous. After everything is cleaned, he asks me if I'm ready. I agree, and then I feel not really a pain in my ear, but more of a burning sensation, and pressure. Then he threaded the jewelry on, which hurt a bit more than the actual piercing, but I think it was more me being impatient than pain, and I was set. I look in the mirror and admired my new piercing. I loved it! It wasn't red or swollen, or blee ding! Yay! We both had decided to get it on our left ears.
As soon as everyone saw it, their face got this look of pain on it and asked if it hurt. Honestly, its not as bad as you would imagine. The lady was right, getting your ears pierced with a gun hurt worse than getting that pierced. And I never had to have a cottonball in my ear either to stop the blood. There wasn't any blood at all actually.
About 30 minutes after I got it done, it began to throb, and the slightest touch would give me a little jolt (but I'm a sucker when it comes to pain, my friend was doing just fine.) Later that day I took a nap, and I couldn't sleep on that side (duh). Well, my phone rang a few times and I forgot about it and put the phone up to my ear. That is not fun. I took a Tylenol and the pain went away though.
Two nights later I was able to sleep on that side comfortably, without any pain really. Today (Monday) it doesn't hurt any, even when I'll touch it for a second, and turn the ring. If I bump it though it will start to hurt, as expected. But other than that, my piercing is healing fine. Better than I expected actually.
To anyone thinking about getting this done, I say go for it. You won't regret it. Its a very fun and cute piercing to have. Its almost worth it just to see people's reactions to it.