So, I seem to have some sort of addiction to piercing or something, because everytime I get a new one I say, "Ok, I'm done. I love this piercing and this should suffice for the rest of my life." Ah, if only. For me it doesn't seem to work this way.
At A Glance Author Jess Contact Jess@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Ashley Studio PTC So I was looking at a septum piercing, because it is easily hidden and therefore not a problem at work or with the parents, who happen to be quite conservative and anti-bod-mod people. I happen to have a friend in the business (piercing business that is) and knew I could get it done without consent. For whatever reason it didn't stick to me too much, probably mostly because my piercer friend didn't like the idea of piercing my septum saying that "I was too pretty for that." Well, whatever. This piercer is young and inexperienced, but she's a great friend, and she does great (but tedious) piercing jobs everytime, which is why I keep returning. She had previously done a navel project on me, which I have in currently and still love just as much as day one, if not more.
One boring day, like so many, I was searching around BME and I came across the tragus piercing. I had seen it on some girls at school but it had never really seemed to be a piercing that I wanted. But the more I thought about it and looked at the pictures the more I liked it. I convinced my parents to let me have it done by showing them pictures of the least offensive tragus piercings possible (thanks BME!) I wanted to get double trags cause I see girls with one side or the other done all the time and I wanted to be a little more hardcore than that (you bet.) I read up tons of stories, which may or may not have been a good idea, because some people said they didn't even feel it and others were saying they would have rather birthed a baby out of their pooper than have this piercing done again. I usually anticipate the worst with piercings...
So I finally got a hold of my lovely piercer, and we made an appointment for the next day. I got a friend to tag along with me and watch the drama unfold. We showed up the next day when the shop just opened. Ash wasn't there yet so we looked (and laughed) at some of the tattoo drawings around the shop. Finally she showed up and it was time for the fun.
I sat down on the chair and she marked my ears (didn't clean 'um, didn't ask me if I liked the positioning.) Her cell rang, and she answered it, which was a little unprofessional but hey, I love this lady so you know what, I'll let this slide. She clamped one ear, told me to take a deep breath, which I didn't, and alas, the needle made its way. It hurt. On a "pain scale" of piercings, I'd probably give it a four or five. It took about 3-5 seconds for the needle to go through, and another minute or so for her to slide the jewelry through. So, switch over, it's time for the other ear. The other side took about ten seconds for the needle to go through, which royally sucked, and the jewelry slid through with a little more ease.
The worst part was trying to get the balls to snap in the circular barbells. She struggled and struggled for about five minutes on each ear, and that amount of tugging on a fresh piercing is not exactly recipe for a fun time. I'm pretty much bleeding like an Irish pirate by now and getting a little frustrated. I'm patient though. And pain tolerant, which is a good thing for everyone in the building.
Finally it's all done. Very decent pricing, at twenty doll-hairs an ear. I tip twenty bucks, just because I'm fortunate that I have a piercer that's cool enough to give me good prices and doesn't make me drag my parents in every time I want a fresh hole. I went about my business for the rest of the day, and my piercings stung for about ten or fifteen minutes after getting them done. I was pleased with that seeing as how they got yanked around like mad. I don't even really feel them anymore, and I've been cleaning them with Q-tips and trying to keep my hands and hair off of these incredibly adorable holes.
Some say that piercings are a sign of personal pain, which may or may not be true, but for these particular small, tragus piercings, I dedicated them to my uncle Doug, who died a day prior to having them done. He was a beautiful man and I always have a piece of him of course in my being, but also represented through these beautiful jewelry pieces through my ears.
Yes, I love 'em. They are subtle and symbolic, definitely worth the amount of pain. I'm hoping that these will be the last piercings I want, but we all know how it goes.