Well for starters my past interest in body modifications has been limited to a fleeting interest in a lobe piercing when I was twelve or so. I never followed through with the desire, which was probably a good decision seeing as how I would have probably gotten it done for free with a gun, due to my lack of knowledge on the matter, which I now know would have been no good at all. Then there was also my brief infatuation with tattoos, looking through a tattoo magazine I found a picture of a flaming pineapple tattoo which was the coolest thing ever, and then there was a biomechanical Celtic knot which was even cooler, but that interested simmered down shortly.
At A Glance Author anonymous When A week ago Artist Heather Studio Holey Cow Location Corvallis, Or So getting to the story I expressed interest in an upper cartilage piercing after seeing a few people around with one at school and otherwise and was led to this wonderful site via search engines where I read up on all the risks, aftercare, read a few experiences, and looked through the galleries. Eventually I mustered the courage to ask my mom, who has two lobe piercings, if she held any great offense to me getting a piercing. She replied that she had no problem with it so that was one parent down. After calling the parlor where I wished to get my ear pierced, and having heard they were excellent, I saved up the money, and asked my dad. Being a strong Christian he said that he was against people getting tattoos and piercings to the extent that they drew attention to us and away from God (yeah that's capitalized, I'll have you know I'm a Christian too...). So he agreed to the piercing just as long as I vow to never get a tattoo, which I plan on upholding.
So seeing as how I already had the money and had called the parlor I decided to get it done the following Wednesday, due to how one of my friends who I'd wanted to come was leaving on vacation the following day. So she arrives at my house and we leave with my mom and we get lost on the way because the place moved and I got the old address. Fortunately they just moved down the street so we found them and walked inside. The place was very clean, white walls, nice jewelry cabinet, the sound of a tattoo needle buzzing, it gave a feeling of a sterile environment. When we arrived there was no one there except for the piercer, Heather, who was very courteous and helped calm my mother's nerves a bit with her mannerisms. She spoke to us about how she needed my mom's ID as I am a minor and gave us the forms pointing out where to sign and all the regular paperwork.
After we finished all the paperwork we went to the piercing room and I was pleased to see the cbr in a little baggy with a needle all sterile as it should be. Then we decided on the exact location of the piercing, I chose to have it done more on the side, a little higher then the lower piercing of an average industrial for measure. So the Heather had me lay down on my back, put the clamp on, and had me do the whole breathing bit while my mom cringed in the corner being comforted by my friend. She then told me to breathe in and I was confused and not quite sure whether I was supposed to breathe in or out so, luckily, I got it right and breathed in and in went the needled, or so I was told.
I had braced myself for all sorts of pain and horrible popping sounds but the feeling I got was even less painful then the clamp, which was rather petty in itself. So after the needle went through Heather was all "ooh we got a bleeder" and I was a tad light headed, though it may have been because I woke up no longer then an hour earlier... So as it went I bled a lot and was told that it was a good thing because I had good blood flow and the piercing would heal faster, which calmed me a bit seeing as how the 6-12 month healing period is unfathomable long. She wouldn't let me see the new piercing until she finished cleaning it up and when I did I was very pleased, a nice initiation into piercing.
Afterwards Heather went over all the aftercare, gave me a little cup of anti-microbial soap, I paid her the thirty dollars and went on my merry way. Though now I kind of feel bad for not tipping, I had an extra ten dollars because I was told the piercing was forty... but all is well I'll have to tip her next time I go when I get my beloved lobe orbital... but that is a story for another day.