I had seen this type of piercing a couple times before and absolutely loved it! It's the kind of piercing that would make you look twice but its not TOO obvious.
At A Glance Author Lan When N/A Artist RJ Studio New Tribe Location Toronto, ON I'm not one with a great tolerance for pain. I like to think I might be just a bit since I play rough sports like Rugby but I'm also not really pierced all that much either (I have my firsts and second holes in my lobes). So after about a good half a year of debate, on the spur of the moment, I decided to go downtown and get it done.
So, one day after school my friend and I headed down to New Tribe (a highly reputable piercing and tattoo parlor...in the same week one of my girlfriends got her nose pierced there and another friend of mine got his spacers done there and another friend had gotten her industrial done there a while back) So I was pretty confidant everything would go smoothly. New Tribe has two piercing artists and all my friends have been pierced by both, so I was happy with whoever I got.
The few days before I had decided on the day to get it done I had been FREAKING OUT. My nerves were going crazy! But everyone kept telling me 'its not worth the nerves' and 'just get it done, it'll hurt for 2 seconds, then you're done and your gonna feel like a dork for freaking out so much'. So surprisingly when we walked into the place I was completely calm. I knew it would hurt, a hole is being punctured through my flesh, it would hurt a little at least. I guess I was just apprehensive of the time leading up to the real deal.
We walked in, and the woman at the front desk asked for ID even though I'm 17 and my parents were fine with it, saying I could get it as long as I don't complain about it to them...fair enough to me (you have to be at least 16 to get pierced w/out parental consent). I told her what I wanted to get pierced and got the choice between a barbell and a CBR (I got the CBR) and she got me to fill out a bunch of forms (one part which required me to check the box clarifying I was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol...I thought about it, but it was like 3pm and thats just way to early to get a drink on) and told me my piercer would be RJ and to wait and I would be called. Normally, I would have thought my nerves would be off the scale but I was fine.
After waiting maybe 10 minutes, my name was called and I went into a little room with what looked like a masseuse table. RJ got his tools ready. I asked him, realistically, how bad it was going to hurt. And RJ went on to explain that the Rook is one of the most painful cartilage piercings and that most people complain of a feeling of pressure while he put his purple latex gloves on, showed me that everything was sterilized and cleaned the area on my ear with Ibuprofin. It would also be more painful since the Rook is somewhat curved and the piercing process would take a little longer, in order to avoid piercing any other part of the ear. After that, I was just about ready to walk out and say I didn't want it anymore. But I went through with it and RJ instructed me to lie on my back and turn my head to the right (as I got my left rook pierced). He explained to me what he did as he did it (before getting it done, I did EXTENSIVE research on the internet and read of piercings do ne with CLAMPS, but i didn't have a clamp). He used a plyer-like instrument to open the area up more though, not painful. And told me to take a deep breath in and a deep deep breath out.
I felt the needle go in but it honestly, did not hurt at all. It was a little uncomfortable and awkward but no real intense pain. I didn't even know when it was done, it was like my ear had no feeling in it because I felt absolutely no pain. Once the CBR was in I looked over at my friend, sitting beside me crammed between me and the wall on the bed, and her face was a little contorted. And I gave her a concerned look, as if something had gone wrong, but RJ explained it was normal for this type of piercing to bleed. So it continued to pool for a bit but ceased soon after. I sat up, looked at in the mirror and LOVED IT! RJ finished it off by saying 'you're pretty brave Lan, and I think I did a damn good job on that rook!" It was a good laugh. He explained the cleaning for the next 8 weeks, tea tree oil soap twice a day (turning the CBR so the ball touched each side of the hole 10 times, and rinsing under warm water turning again 15-20 times).
Cleaning is a lengthy and tedious process but I don't mind so much because its so worth it. The several days after it stung and felt HOT but wasn't detrimentally painful. Two weeks later and I'm so content with the healing process. Only stings a bit when I play with it or after cleaning sometimes. Just have to think twice about giving friends hugs, pulling tight shirts over your head, talking on the phone, sleeping on it, etc etc.
In the end, an amazing looking piercing definitely NOT worth the nerves!