It's been 5 long months since I got my first real piercing: my industrial. (I had gotten my lobes done twice and cartilage once previously but these were at the ages of about 6, 13, and 14 before I knew that gun piercings were bad...) So today I went back in for my next one. Piercing has truly become my obsession and I really love everything I have done. I had been browsing BME for my next piercing for a long time but didn't want to commit to anything. My industrial nearly got me fired from my job so I was trying to be careful. But it got to the point where I just couldn't take it anymore and I had to get another one done. I always looked in the ear gallery since any facial piercings would be an automatic firing, no almost. I wanted something different, that I had never seen before. I was looking at a tragus and new that a former co-worker of mine had one and it was fine. However, since she had one (and she was a pretty conservative girl) I didn't really want to get it. The next one that caught my eye was a conch. I really liked it but was very worried that it would be painful (which my piercer later confirmed.) Finally I saw it, the vertical tragus. It was amazing and I knew it would look great with my industrial.
At A Glance Author Lynn Contact Lynn@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Never got his name.. Studio Body Creations Location Glendale, Arizona So, off to Body Creations I went for the second time, but this time dragging my brother along with the digital camera so he could take pictures of the process. I was horribly nervous, more than I think I had been for my industrial, and I found it to be very hard to fill out the paperwork. The guy who helped me, and eventually pierced me, was very cool though so he made me feel a little better. Unfortunately I never got his name... Anyway, he went over the aftercare with me and discussed several different options. I had gotten sea salts and an anti-microbial cream for my industrial but he showed me a spray called H2Ocean that has sea salt, purified water, and several anti-microbial agents and is already completely sterile. He said I only have to spray it on 2-5 times a day and leave it. If I get any crusties I can just wipe them away with a cotton ball or swab. Of course I liked this a lot better than having to soak my head in a bowl for 8 minutes and then rub cream onto an already sore piercing. After that I paid for the piercing and jewelry that came to a total of $57. Not as cheap as some but completely worth the price to me.
After I paid, he asked me if I was ready. I said yes and followed him into one of the piercing rooms. He already had everything set up. He pulled on some gloves and marked up my ear, after getting my approval he had me lay back on the table. He explained all the autoclaving and I laughed when he covered the needle just to show me the strip to say it'd been in the autoclave. Though, I was glad he did because I'm not good with needles. He said that my piercing was easy to do and usually painless. He said that he thought it was strange that more people don't have them but then he told me that it has a tendency to be rejected and that if I noticed that mine was I should go back in and have it removed. At this point I was shaking very badly and now I was praying it wouldn't be rejected. Although, he assured me that he'd go as deep as possibly to try and prevent that from happening.
He messed with my ear a little to see if he wanted to clamp it or free hand it and eventually decided that it would be easier just to free hand. He told me that I was to take a deep breath in and on exhale he was going to pierce me. I said okay and took a deep breath, he told me to breathe out, and about half way through he stuck the needle in. I was so relieved that it didn't hurt. The most I felt was a little pressure and then slight discomfort when he placed the jewelry in. It did bleed a little and I could feel it running down my face but it wasn't much and I didn't worry. He finished quickly and I sat up to look at it in the mirror. I must say that it is beautiful and looks just perfect with my industrial. I'm so happy that I got it and I really hope it stays. It's been about seven hours since it was placed and all I am feeling is some pressure on the side of my head, this is because my face has swollen some around it but other than that it is hardly noticeable. I have some great pictures to remember it by too, one of which is me laying on the table with a giant needle sticking through my head! My brother is now considering getting pierced when he turns 18 so I'm proud of that too.
I have many more piercings planned, including a matching vertical tragus for my right ear. For anyone considering getting this piercing, do it! It doesn't hurt and it looks awesome. There's always the possibility of rejection for any piercing so don't let that hold you back!