As most people here, I've always been obsessed with any and all kinds of body piercing. I'm one of those that make nearly a ritualistic habit of scoping out the BMEzine on a nearly daily schedule.
At A Glance Author PhotocopyRomance Contact PhotocopyRomance@bme.anon When A week ago Artist Dave Studio Star Rocket Location Ellicott City, MD It wasn't until recently that I decided I needed to get my very own piercing. I had recently turned 18, and actually had money. Unfortunately, my source of said money isn't very tolerant concerning body modification. No visible tattoos or facial piercing, only one ring per ear. Hooray for work place dress codes?
Anyway, so I had decided that I was going to get a piercing. The only question remained...what, exactly? After surfing the internet and reading some experiences on BMEzine, I decided I liked the look of a pierced snug the best. At the time I decided this, I never really gave it much more thought. I had done this sort of thing a million times over: fall in love with a piercing, obsess over it, wuss out when it came to actually getting it done.
A week or so passed, and then one day, after randomly getting out of the shower during on of the days on my Spring Break, it hit me. It was the day to get a new hole in my body. I was going to get a snug piercing. I looked over the BMEzine one more time before hunting down my wallet and walking out the door. I was a total wreck on my to the piercing place I wanted to go to. I had walked by the shop at least a million and a half times, only having gone in twice to get the pricing of a tongue piercing and get a recommendation for a local tattoo joint.
I stood outside the door of the place for a few minutes, pumping myself up for what I was about to do. I hate pain, as I'm a complete wimp when it comes to said pain. I've backed out of so many things out of fear I was going to get hurt. I realized then that I would probably go through with the actual piercing if I had someone to hold my hand. After calling everyone on the cell phone and finding out all of them were very much busy (or thinking I was kidding. It WAS April Fool's Day, after all), I nearly backed down once more.
Something pushed me to go inside the shop, though. I was all nerves, nothing but them. I was greeted by a wonderfully kind lady, who I quickly told I had no idea what the hell I was doing and was very, very nervous. She reassured me and calmed my nerves a bit, after explaining everything that was going to happen. I filled out the paperwork and paid, once I decided I enjoyed the look of this product she was selling called H2Ocean.
Now, the shop itself is very, very small. The actual piercing room is above the lobby, so I had to climb this itty bitty rickety stairs. I came face to face with the piercing room. The first thing I saw was the bed thingies that you see in doctor's offices. And someone moving room. My heart and throat met once again. I didn't know if they were busy, so I slowly tip toed forward, and saw the piercing, Dave, fiddling this something. I greeted him, and he was nice. He told me he was going to piercing me with an 18 g straight barbell, and that there was only one place where it would heal properly. He marked me, and I checked it. He was slightly distant, though I didn't mind that much. I'm sure he could tell I was a total newbie piercee, especially when I squeaked out, "Will this hurt?".
"This piercing does hurt a little." He told me, and then instructed me to lie down.
I wasn't expecting it at all. I thought maybe I was going to count to three, wait for some vital cue...something. I can't remember if he told me the take a deep breath, but the next thing I knew, I was in the most pain I've ever been in, in my life. It hurt. So. Bad. Like I mentioned, I'm a complete and total wimp. I made a little whining noise, and I'm sure I had my face contorted in that lovely "OMFG PAIN" face. He asked me if I was alright a few times, and I just remember being in pain. I may or may not have attempted to nod, because if I opened my mouth I would have cried. It was right then that I remembered the shape of my ears. They don't look it right off the bat, but I have thick and reeeeeally hard cartilage. Naturally, my piercing was accompanied by the poppy-crunch noise. Can't forget the poppy-crunchy noises.
When he had the needle in, he warned me that the jewelry was going to hurt a bit. It felt more like a constant pressure really, and a slight burning pain. I was bleeding, he told me, and I felt him stand back, heard him get something, and return to my side. I had my eyes clamped shut the entire time. Finally I was let up, and of course, I rushed to the mirror to see it. It was so wonderful! I was smiling ear to ear, and chatted with him for a bit. I left a tip, feeling a bit like a goof, and went back downstairs. The woman that was at the desk was there, smiling and asking me how it went. She told me the aftercare again, and I was on my way. It was amazing.
It's been two weeks now, for my wonderful little snug. There have been ups and downs already, and right now I'm having some downs with it. It's been incredibly sensitive, and I find I'm starting to miss sleeping on my left side. It didn't start swelling for three days afterward, but I did have some terrible headaches when it wasn't swelling.
When it swelled, it swelled a lot. I kept asking my pierced friends if I should go in and get a curved barbell put in like Dave had told me to do if the swelling was up too much. They told me to leave it the hell alone and soak it, and put ice around the area before I went to bed. It worked, and a few days later the swelling was completely down, it seemed.
But, I'm a klutz. And I managed to smack myself incredibly hard in the ear at work with, get this, a telephone. I work at a Pet Store...I thought I was more likely to have it knocked by a dog or something. But no, I smacked myself in the head with a telephone. It's been very, very swollen since. However, since it's swelled, I've finally been getting crusties. Until a few days again, I hadn't had very many of them. Nothing noticeable in the mirror or anything, nothing around the barbell. I'm back to babying the hell out of it. I won't lie, when the swelling was down I played with it. I had readjusted the position of the barbell, as the previous swelling had pushed it all the way to one side, so I had a random chunk of barbell sticking into my ear. I've been shopping around for future jewelry, though I've had some trouble finding some...I'm very, very picky.
And of course, I am so very much in love with it. I can't wait to get something else. It's odd. I know it hurt. I know it aches a bit right now. I know it's going to hurt a bit in the future. But I can't wait for it to heal more so I can have something else done.