I've been interested in piercings and tattoo's for a few years now. I've wanted so much done but thought I had a horrible phobia of needles... and I discovered the best way to get over this phobia is to face up to it! So that's exactly what I did!
At A Glance Author Iona Contact Iona@bme.anon When A year ago Artist Lee Studio LabMonkey Tattoo and Body Piercing Location Scotland I got my first 'alternative' piercing when I was 18. I went to London for a long weekend with my friend Lynn and while there we went to Camden market. I basically decided to get my tragus pierced right there on the spot. Which I think now is the best way to do it. Don't plan it weeks in advance or you may end up very nervous about it, but do some research about it, then you may know what to expect. Lynn wanted to get her dreads fixed, which was bound to take a good few hours, so while she did this, off I went for a wander around Camden market (I love that place, and I ended up spending a fortune :(). That's when I came across a very futuristic looking piercing studio. The place was called "sacred spirit" and a girl with very cool piercings and dreads pierced my tragus with a plain 1.2mm bcr. It didn't hurt half as much as I'd expected it to, and I was so proud with the outcome so a year later I decided to get my conch pierced.
The day before I got pierced, I went and met up with my friend Louise who was going to get her medusa pierced. We're both into piercings and tattoo's and she decided to get her medusa done because not many people had it done and because she also has her labret done, which is getting so common, and wanted to be that bit different. Getting my conch pierced was not something I had thought about for a long time, unlike my tragus which I had wanted done since I was about 15. My friend Anna had been given a voucher to get a piercing for her 22nd birthday and she got her conch done, and I really liked it so I decided to get one too! So we went up to see our piercer Lee who works at Lab Monkey in Stirling. He couldn't do us that day because it was too busy, but booked us in for 1pm the next day.
So the following day we heading back up to Lab Monkey. Louise went first (I probably should have so I didn't get so nervous and get myself all worked up about it!)while I sat and looked through various body jewellery catalogues, as Lee had asked me to look for things which I thought would sell well. She reappeared a bit later with a very cool and different piercing (looked really sore too!). It really suited her! Then it was my turn. I filled out the forms and followed lee into the piercing room. He got everything ready and told me to sit up on the bed so he could mark my ear. I chose a plain 1.6mm bcr to be put in and lee said he had to use quite a big ball in it initially but I could get a smaller one in a few weeks when it had healed a bit. He held a torch behind my ear so he could see where the blood capillaries were so he didn't pierce through and main ones and marked my ear on the front and back. Then he told me to lie down and take some deep breathes and said he would pierce on the 3rd breath out.... and he pierced on the 2nd!!! It was probably a good thing because I wasn't expecting it! It felt quite tight and my ear was burning, but it was soon over. I lay down for a while longer, just to make sure I didn't collapse as soon as I left the piercing studio then as soon as I felt alright I looked in the mirror at my newly pierced conch. I love it!! It was quite a sore piercing, but its over so quickly! I'm really into black line stuff just now so thinking about getting a new ring for my conch soon :)
I'd advise anyone who wants it just to go for it. I'm currently stretching my ears to 6mm and then want my rook done again, because unfortunately the first one didn't agree with me :( I've currently got 6 lobe piercings (2 at 1.2mm, 2 at 1.6mm and 2 at 5mm - the ones getting stretched!), my navel twice (top and bottom), my tragus, my conch and next on my list is my tongue.. anyone got any advice for this?
Oh, sadly Lee has gone back to work in Edinburgh now , so I'll have to travel for piercings... oh well!