My story should serve as a warning to those that read it.
At A Glance Author Allie Contact Allie@bme.anon When A week ago It all started out quite innocently. I was a little girl, and being quite similar to other little girls, I wanted my ears pierced. Just like all my friends. I would whine to my mother "Kara and Amanda have their ears pierced! Why can't I?!" My mother's steadfast response was that I had to wait until I was twelve, the same age she had been.
Eventually, my twelfth birthday came around the corner. I was so excited, I was getting my ears pierced. My mom drove me to the mall and we found ourselves in Claire's. (For those that you don't know, Claire's is pretty much a cheap jewelry store.) My mom signed the appropriate forms. The lady took out a piercing gun (which should be against the law) and my ears were pierced with cheap gold earrings. My lobes kind of burned, but I was so happy I didn't care.
I was young. I was actually pretty religious about cleaning my ears... but I touched my earrings all the time. My mom had informed me that twisting the earrings was good to do. At that age, you don't question much. (Obviously, touching your earrings without clean hands is a very bad thing to do.)
I got an infection.
It was my right ear. It hurt. It swelled. Eventually I had to go to the doctor and (WARNING: THIS IS GRAPHIC) the doctor drained the pus from whatever had developed. Needless to say, I had to take the earring out and let it grow in. I kept the left hole, planning to get the right side done after it had healed.
Kids can be mean. They can say things without thinking.
"Hey, do you only have one earring?? You look like a boy."
I ended up in the bathroom, and I was crying my eyes out. I was an extremely emotional little girl, and couldn't take comments that were really simple observations. Still. It hurt. I couldn't wait to get my right ear pierced again.
Several months later, I was back at Claire's. (BIG MISTAKE, I know that now. You're probably shaking your head as you read this.)
3 more times my ear was re-gunned, at Claire's. I will spare you the gory details. They were re-done because of improper placement. Me, being a perfectionist, was not going to stand for improper placement. I hate to think of how much money my poor mother spent. (I was charged for two piercings each time.)
I would actually cry when thinking about my crooked earring. It was simply something I couldn't get used to. Each time they were messed up I would focus blame and hate onto whoever had pierced me. Anyone that wields a "gun" of that sort should realize the terrible emotional distress they can cause people.
Then.... yes, this does have a happy ending, I DISCOVERED NEEDLE PIERCING!!! Research on the internet saved me. I got older, and wiser. (Yup, I'm fifteen! I know EVERYTHING! Or at least I think I do...) Websites were very useful, but I found BME to be the most valuable source of information. I researched piercing. After so much disappointment, I wanted to do it right.
And this time I did, much to my relief.
I found a wonderful local place. It had been recommended by friends, and their piercings had been done perfectly. My dad took me to check the place out, and they were amazingly clean. There was an autoclave inside the piercing room, and the studio is checked by a near-by University every two months. I talked to the piercing lady, and she filled me in on all the details. I was incredibly nervous. This would be the fifth time that I would get my right ear pierced.
We signed the forms (which were much more detailed than at Claire's, no surprise there) and I opted to buy two CBR's, gauge 16, and she would only pierce one ear. She worked it out so I could get the best price. Already I was calming down.
She sat me down, and proceeded to wash her hands. After using soap and hot water, she put on rubber gloves. I was nervous again. She took a new needle out of its package.
This is the best part. I had explained to her that my ear was getting re-pierced because of improper placement. She readily agreed with me, balking at the shoddy workmanship. Luckily (and surprisingly) I didn't have very much scar tissue.
She dotted my earlobe about five times. She herself was a perfectionist as well, and kept re-dotting my ear until we were both happy with the placement. By now I was at ease. I was dealing with a perfectionist!!
She told me to take a deep breath in – and then it was done. She slipped the other CBR in, and I was done. Done.
I looked in the mirror immediately. I WAS SO FUCKING HAPPY! I'm sure you know what it's like to want something so incredibly bad.... and then when you get it, you're ecstatic!
I left with the proper cleaning solution (as well as a detailed pamphlet), and a great big grin on my face. My dad didn't really care how they looked, but was happy that I was happy.
6 weeks of steady cleaning and careful maintenance, it's healed. And I'm still happy. The only mishap I've had is that one of my CBR beads came out. I was participating in a sport, and had taped my ears to make sure they didn't get pulled out. Upon taking out the tape the bead came out and I lost it. Other than that, everything has been fine. My ear healed faster with the needle piercing and CBR. I would strongly advise you to turn away from piercing guns.
My ear piercings are very special to me, and the experience has made me a lot smarter. Unfortunately, I am forever tainted and wary of piercers... but with the right person I'm sure I could overcome that. I'm actually considering a collarbone piercing.
In case you missed it, (you moron!), the moral of this story is NEVER GET YOUR EARS PIERCED WITH A GUN. Also, be sure to check out the place you want to get pierced at. Recommendations are always good. Lastly, don't touch your piercing without washing your hands first.
Happy piercing!
- Allie