I'm a seventeen year-old 4.04 GPA student applying to colleges like Harvard, NYU, and Berkeley, so most people who know me probably wouldn't classify me as a wild, crazy, rebel...but then again, most people don't really know me. Only those who truly know me would say I have an inner wild-child waiting to get out; this seems to be more accurate than the former. I do have an inner urge to be different and express myself...and shock people. What better way to this by getting a piercing? Last year I attempted this by getting my nose pierced (common and not too crazy, but better than nothing). It felt good having something that made me stand out from the crowd I was in (which consists of basically AP kids), but I ended up taking it out. I wanted something else, but I didn't know what. I had decided I didn't want anything on my face again, but other than that what else is there? A nipple ring that no one would see? A navel piercing everyone and their mother has? I wanted something a little different that no one has ever seen and that looks gorgeous.
At A Glance Author Vanessa Contact Vanessa@bme.anon When A week ago Studio Lefty's Tattoo Parlor & Piercing Location San Diego, California Fast forward about a year later, I was surfing BME and came across pictures of the industrial piercing. It immediately caught my eye and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I know people with one-inch ear lobe holes or nose, eyebrow, and lip piercings, but no one with this. I knew this was something that I wanted, but I decided to get my ear lobes done first (I had gotten ears pierced as a baby but they were uneven. I wanted to make them symmetrical and I ended up getting three holes total in each ear lobe) and then get the industrial later. This changed when I called Lefty's, the best tattoo and piercing parlor in my area. I wanted a quote so I could budget for it. I was told it was usually fifty dollars, but because it was around the holiday season, all piercings were thirty dollars until Christmas. How could I pass that up? I decided I had to go...but I had to convince my mother to let me first. Surprisingly though, it didn't take much to convince her to let me do it. Basically, all I had to do was promise not to let my father see it until I became eighteen (he wouldn't be able to do shit then). So when all was said and done, four days later on Christmas Eve 2004, I took my mom and sister to go get it done.
On the way there I was nervous. I had heard it hurt. I usually have a high pain tolerance, but I knew piercing with a fourteen gauge would probably hurt more than an eighteen gauge for my ears and nose. When I got there, I met this guy who was waiting for his friend to get tattooed. He had told me he wanted an industrial and he said he had came a couple days ago, but they didn't have any barbells for that piercing; he was given a coupon and was told to come back the next Monday. Although I would still get this discount even though the deal was supposed to end on that day, I was still disappointed. However, when I asked the piercer, just to make sure, he said he got some in that morning (lucky me). Knowing that, I was excited to get my piercing, but at the same time, the anticipation and nervousness excelled. Since I am seventeen, we had to take care of all the legal stuff. After that was done I sat in the chair. I was a little nervous. Wouldn't you be? The piercer even said it would hurt ...several times ("It's gonna hurt...but you'll live." That's exactly what I want to hear before I get pierced...)! I sat in the chair waiting. The piercer came up and marked my ear...and so then came the hard part. With everyone in the studio watching (it was actually pretty crowded that day, too) he stuck the needle in and made a hole at the top of my ear...and it did hurt a little. Then he did the second hole...and that hurt a little, too. Then he slipped the ring in and it was done. Although it did hurt, especially in comparison to my nose and lobe piercings, it wasn't that bad. No blood, no screaming, no crying, no nothing. In fact, I wouldn't really classify the process as painful...more like uncomfortable.
The aftermath of the piercing wasn't very pleasant. It throbbed, swelled up a little, and turned red. At first, it was uncomfortable to laugh, smile, and chew, but now, it's been about two weeks and the swelling is pretty much gone (however, it still prone to a little redness, throbbing, or swelling when irritated). So far, I haven't had any problems because I think I've been taking care of it pretty well. For cleaning, I use two spray bottles, one with a cleaning solution and one with purified water. I spray with the solution and then rinse by spraying it with purified water (it's a hell of a lot better than sticking your head under the sink all the time). Also, I never sleep on it, and in addition to that, I take a multivitamin and zinc and vitamin C supplements. The only problem that I had, and still will have until I turn eighteen in a couple weeks (because only then will I be able to show it freely) is that my hair gets wrapped around the top hole sometimes because I have to wear my hair down to cover it up at home. Other than that, it's all good!
When I went back to school, a lot of people were shocked, mostly because no one had really seen one before. One of the first questions I was asked was, "Did it hurt?" I tell them it did...because it did. I get mixed reviews; some people like it, while others are like, "?" (these are the people who are in my AP classes). I love it, though, and that's all that matters! I would recommend it to anyone who is considering it. It looks really great and it's relatively unique. Even though it's uncomfortable and doesn't completely heal for a while (I've heard two months to a year), I think it's totally worth it!