It's almost a year ago to the day when I got my industrial piercing. All I have to show for it now though, are two tiny scars on my ear. This was a piercing I'd wanted for a few months – I'd only met one other person who had one, and after looking at the galleries on BMEzine, I decided it was a piercing I really had to have. It was a nice compromise – an ear piercing – nothing too extreme, but with something a little bit more special than a lobe or regular cartilage piercings (both of which I had had done when I was in my early teens).
At A Glance Author kogii Contact kogii@bme.anon When A year ago Artist unknown Studio afflecks palace (the piercing place next to the UV shop) Location manchester, UK After deciding to go through with the piercing, I went to my local piercing studio, Skin Fantasy in Burnley (UK) in early January. I'd never been there before, but had heard good things from friends who had had their Navels pierced there. Although the thought of a new piercing always give me tiny butterflies in my stomach, I was put to ease by the man who would be doing the piercing, and his colleague, who talked to me about the piercing and the procedure – willing and able to answer all my queries and questions.
Once in the piercing room, I was sat on a bed and my ear was measured – to see what size bar would be suitable. However, once a size was decided upon – one that would leave room for initial swelling, I was told that the studio was currently out of stock for barbells of that size. I returned the week later, but alas, no joy! And after ringing the studio, as informed to, a few days later, I decided I was too impatient to wait any longer. I wanted this piercing, and I wanted it NOW! I decided to try another piercing studio – this time in Manchester. It was a studio I'd seen on previous shopping visits in Afflecks Palace – an alternative shopping wonderland for all things weird and wacky!
Once inside the studio, I was asked to sit in the waiting area and fill out 'the necessary forms' whilst waiting for the young piercer to finish dealing with another client. I got talking to two girls, the 'clients' friends – one of which was also interested in an Industrial piercing, and had just had one of the piercings done. I, however, had decided to have both piercings done at the same time – weather this was my second mistake that resulted in the loss of this piercing, who knows? The first mistake – being so hasty when choosing a studio.
This was a piercing studio I hadn't heard anything of, although I had seen it many times. I didn't know the piercer, his reputation, or the studio's reputation for that matter! I had never spoken to anyone who had gotten pierced there except for the girl in the waiting room, and although she was happy with the procedure, she could not tell me about the results of that piercing - two, three months down the line. Maybe with hindsight I am being a little harsh on this studio, but after getting my lip pierced at Skin Fantasy, 3 months later, I know the care I got at the Manchester Studio was not up to the standard of that which I received in my hometown.
I have no complaints about the procedure – the room was clean, the piercer checked if the piercing was in an OK position for me, although he didn't do much to attempt to calm me down which, at the time, would have helped! The piercing itself was AMAZINGLY painful!! I'm the kind of person who plays down the amount of pain she's in and puts on a brave face, but I cannot deny that this was one of the worst pains I had ever experienced in my life! The reason for this is, unlike most piercings, an industrial is not a quick procedure. Because a bar passes through two areas of cartilage, the angle that it passes through the ear has to be very accurate, especially for the first piercing. In my case, this was the piercing that is positioned at the top of the ear, near the head. Therefore, the needle passes through VEEEEERY slowly! It felt like it took a lifetime for that first piercing to be completed! And then there is the prospect of the second! (Which, by the way, wasn't nearly as bad – I was either in shock, or knew what was in store for me!)
After completion I paid, and was given the standard after-care leaflet. I was told that the piercing would be fully healed in about 3 months, but would be tender for the next two or three weeks. After the 3 month period I would be able to change my jewellery for a smaller piece (this one left room for swelling) – which I was rather excited about, after seeing a pink-metallic bar in another shop!
However, after three months, my piercing was still as tender as it was in the first few weeks. I had taken care of it exactly as specified – avoided soap and shampoo getting onto the wounds, cleaned in twice daily (not to little, not to much so as to irritate it – advice given to me by Skin Fantasy, NOT by the piercer), and was amazingly careful with it for the full four months I put up with it. I decided to get rid of it during a trip to the hairdressers in May, when I was asked to remove it, as the stylist was afraid she'd catch it. I had removed the jewellery a couple of times before to ensure full cleaning – this may have been my third mistake, but I waited until two months after the piercing to remove it, believing it would have been well on its way to healing by this time!
By the time I got home – about two hours after I removed the piercing – the holes had reduced in size greatly! I couldn't believe it – I knew the piercing wasn't healing as well as it should, but to close up in 2 hours after being there 4 months!?! Unbelievable! I could get a needle through the holes, but the jewellery would not go through and I decided, reluctantly, to let the piercings heal up. Although I longed for that pretty pink barbell, I was glad to be able to take a t-shirt off without having to plan it fully beforehand, so as not to catch the bar!
So, the moral to this long-winded story? RESEARCH! Research every aspect of your piercing beforehand. Research the piercing itself – pictures and stories that you find on this wonderful website should help you with your decision. Then research the studio – go in before you plan to have the piercing and speak to the piercer. Ask others who have used that studio about their experiences and opinions. And ALWAYS ask questions! And, of course, research all the after-care needs of your piercing, whatever it is. I did all of this...but then made a rash decision to go to a different establishment. Maybe I could still have my piercing if I'd have waited...who knows?
Whilst accompanying a friend during a trip to Skin Fantasy for a nostril piercing two months ago, I mentioned the problems I had with my Industrial. The piercer asked to see the scars, and suggested that my ear may not have been suitable for the angle it was pierced at – being quite small. This piercer, in the past year, has warned me against both a Naval and a Tragus piercing, saying my body is probably unsuitable, and the result of getting them done may be similar to the Industrial-Ordeal. This showed me he was someone I could trust with these issues – more interested in my health and well being than another £20 in the till. I wish now I had waited those extra days or weeks for Skin Fantasy to get the correct size of barbell. I still long for my Industrial piercing, but I couldn't go through the ordeal again. So PLAN your piercing, whatever they are – hopefully you'll then be able to keep them as long as you want.
xxx