I've been tinkering with getting myself pierced again, but this would be my first proper piercing in actual fact. My first one was about six years ago, aged seventeen and naive to all things sharp... I went along with a mate at the time to the local chemists and we thought it would be cool to get our upper ears pierced (the helix I think its called? im still learning these ear parts) and the place used a gun. I Guess that was our first mistake... the gun. It hurt like Hell, not that I know what hell hurts like, but if hell hurt it was probably close. They also used studs. Looking back on it and going on what I know now that was bad... the hole was tiny, forced open (Stu the piercer explained this to me today) and I also think the stud did not allow for swelling. Add that to the fact I wasn't really told how to clean it and two weeks later we have a very swollen bloody ear and then a hole from where I pulled the thing out because it was unbearable. Its now a small scar on my ear, but Stu said it could have been worse and that I was very lucky.
At A Glance Author Gary Gibson Contact soralan@hotmail.com IAM Soralan When A week ago Artist Stuart Studio otherside (@In-shops) Location belfast, northern ireland So skip forward to the now. I had my first tattoo done and im looking at BME a lot, and im seeing a lot of piercings I like... but im scared because of my bad experience at the hands of the gun. But I read a lot of the experiences on here and there all good, and they make me start thinking again about getting something done... But what? I really liked lobe stretching and industrials, so I decided id like one of them at the least. Just a matter of when now.
Now its the today and im in work and the urge is really getting to me... I had taken some dental needles and was piercing my skin (I work in a hospital store... these things are easy to get) when I decide to head into town on my lunch break and get my lobes done. So I do not tell anyone...I am like that I do a lot of stuff on my own, always have and always will I guess. Its in my nature. I got my tattoo done on my own and it was a very personal experience for me, and i wanted the piercing to be somewhat similar.
Having already decided where I was going to go I head there and talk to the guy behind the counter about various piercings and hes really helpful and says they have small plugs that can go in on the first peirce that start to stretch the lobes, but unfortunately theres non sterilized and they need a few hours notice to get them ready but i was welcome to either wait or call down before-hand on another day. So I say what about an industrial, he says yeah and calls out Stu the piercer to look at my ear for size. Stu says great and that it would work really well,and that he would be with me in a moment. Two minutes later and I am on the bench in a very sterile room (there was a yellow clinical waste bin and plastic sheets down on the bench I notice and a lot of spotless surfaces) and starting to feel weird inside, but also I start to get a rush. He was really cool and professional about the whole thing, showing me the needle in its pack and the bar and that everything was sterile and explained to me the procedure that he would use.
First my ear was cleaned and then he marked it up and showed me where the bar would be going and was i happy with it. I said it looks fine to me and trusted his judgement. He explains that the needle would be entering via the top of my ear first and then down in through the 2nd hole.
Then I feel the needle going in, its sharp and tense and I could feel the force needed to get it through. Then i felt the upper ear with the needle moving about in it as he lined up for the 2nd hole and then i have this needle hanging in my ear. I glance in the mirror in front of me (I am a pussy I had been squinting when the needle went in and did not want to see my reflection with it in me) and see the needle stuck there in my ear.. is this what I have been putting off for years? Then i squint again and look up and the bar was in, I had not even felt the needle being pulled out and the bar put in because stu did such a good job. All I felt was the needle going in and then nothing.
As Stu cleans up and explained to me the aftercare and making sure im happy with my new piercing we start to discuss tattoos as he was going to get a partial cover up done on one of his that afternoon if time allowed him too, and I talk about how i would like a sleeve but I am finding it hard to get ideas and need to think more about it (feel free to contact me if you have any ideas or advice on this, I am always happy to listen)
I was having such a rush afterwards that I even ran to get my bus back to work (well otherwise I would have missed it!! But thats a moot point) but if you know me, I am not the running sort, I was just feeling so overjoyed and full of energy at my new piercing and was filled with pride and happy-ness and some form of euphoria.
I get back to work and get mixed reactions, as I had not told anyone why I was going into town, but they were not surprised after all I turned up randomly with the tattoo 6 months ago and some said it was only a matter of time before i got pierced.
And now the pain (well the small sensation in my ear, hardly pain) has nearly eroded, but I have to get through my first nights sleep with it in. I am not looking forward to rolling over, but I think my body will soon learn not too or failing that I can tie myself to the bed and get an extra kick whilst im tied up.. but thats maybe for a different experience from this one.
Suffice to say im very happy with my first real piercing and have plans for more, the next will be to get plugs in both ears on pay day (end of the month) and then go from there, a few rings in the cartilage between the industrial would work well I think. I also am tinkering with the idea of getting a nipple pierced but my girlfriend say she is not keen on pierced nipples and its her who gets to play with them when im not licking them in work.