I'm considering getting a tattoo. Yes, I know, this story is about my transverse lobe piercing, but just wait, it will all come together. Anyway, my boyfriend and I went around Virginia Beach and looked at the portfolios of a few shops, three in all. The last place we stopped at, Ocean Mystique Ink Gallery, we were simply in awe of. As we walked in, my boyfriend even joked, "Wow.. this place is too clean."
At A Glance Author srrh Contact srrh@bme.anon IAM srrh When It just happened Artist Jay Studio Ocean Mystique Ink Gallery Location Virginia Beach, VA
The shop was carpeted, with atmospheric lighting. Instead of walls and walls of flash, there were racks of flash, sort of like poster racks, that you could flip through attached to columns in the center of the room, and on the walls. The walls also had pictures of all sorts of piercings that had been performed there. There was a very comfortable looking seating arrangement at one side of the room, with a table full of magazines in the center. There was an atm, and stools around each side of the columns. The counter at the far end of the room was full of jewelry: titanium, steel, acrylic, internally or externally threaded, curved, circular, straight, surface, and just plain weirdly shaped barbells, captive bead rings, screws and studs and retainers. Their selection was amazing, even better than what I saw at Ocean Mystique's "official" piercing shop on the oceanfront. (The staff was also much friendlier, but I'll get to that.)
My boyfriend and I looked through the artist portfolios, and then I hemmed and hawed while flipping through the flash racks, not really looking at them (I already know what I want for my tattoo), but just considering my decision. My boyfriend told me that there was no way I was setting a date that day if I needed to think about it that much at that time; if there was any doubt about a tattoo, it was something I needed to wait on. I concurred, but said that while I was there, I may as well get the transverse lobe piercing I'd been wanting. I tried to explain to him what I wanted to do, but he thought I meant get another orbital (I used to have one on my left earlobe). Regardless, I didn't need his approval (ha), so I approached the counter. The receptionist was a really cute girl with an off center labret, a septum piercing, a scrumper piercing, and various ear piercings. She was very friendly to us. I asked her if they did transverse lobe piercings, but she didn't know what that was. I tried to explain it to her, and she said she would go check.
After a few moments, she came back, and said the piercer would be coming out in a few. We chit chatted about her various piercings and mine, and my boyfriend joked around with her about how he'd like a scrumper, but would be afraid the ball would get caught in the gap in his front teeth. Finally, Jay, the piercer (and, as I later found out, the manager) came out. He had lots of facial and ear piercings, and was extremely personable. I have been to four other piercing studios, including Ocean Mystique's original shop (which I mentioned before), and never had I had a piercer who treated the customer as more than a customer, but as a person. Usually the piercers were friendly enough, but they were still just performing a service, and it showed in their manner. Jay wasn't like that at all.
He was very knowledgeable, and when I told him what I wanted, the first thing he did was tell me the risks. He said up front that he wasn't interested in doing a "cool" piercing for his portfolio, and that if I decided to go through with it I was up for a slow healing piercing since it went through so much tissue and that if it scarred on the inside, it could deform my earlobe. I asked him how much of a risk I had, since I am so, so pale (that means less of a chance of keloiding), and I have nine other piercings, the only one of which that scarred was my industrial, and even that wasn't badly. Before he even tackled my question, he asked to see my industrial, which I showed him. He looked at the scarring and recommended hydrocortisone treatments (at least 1%) to reduce it (which, by the way, after only two days I can already see a difference), and then told me that I almost definitely didn't have a very big risk of any lobe deformities, but that he still wanted me to know of the chance up front. He then showed me scars on his lobes from vertical lobe piercings he had taken out, telling me that if at some point I took these out, I would probably be left with those. He also told me that if I ever decided to get a "normal" lobe piercing there and stretch it, I'd probably have to lose the transverse.
I want to make it clear, though, that through all this, he never once tried to discourage me. He kept reiterating that he would definitely do it, but he wanted me to be informed. I respected that so much. I had never had a piercer walk me through the risks so much, even with my industrial, which everyone knows is a pissy piercing (but fortunately I was educated about all the risks before I went in the studio for that).
After he gave me all that information, I told him I would still like to do it. He said that was great, and I told him I'd like to use a curved barbell, which he said was fine. He headed to the back to set up, and after a few minutes came back to ask what kind of placement I wanted. I asked if I could see a mirror, which he led me to (there was one in the corner of the lobby), and I showed him. He then chose a curved barbell suitable for the length, and went back to finish setting up. While he was gone, I paid the receptionist and filled out the paperwork, and when he came back, I headed to the piercing room, bidding my boyfriend adieu.
After a little small talk, he marked my ear with violet on a q-tip, and asked me to check it. I told him it was perfect, and then he took a seat next to me. He told me he was about to do it, and didn't make me do the breathing in and piercing on out, or counting to three thing, which I appreciated. I find I handle piercings better when they just do it. I could feel the needle slicing through the inch of flesh, but it wasn't painful in the least. He told me I was doing a great job, but I didn't think it was anything to be proud of -- like I said, it was totally painless! Then he slid the (internally threaded) barbell through, screwed the second ball on, and asked me to check it. It looked perfect and I almost wanted to hug him. I told him I'd left my pocketbook up front, but that I'd go get it to get him a tip.
When we went out front, some friends of his were there, and after I got my purse, he joked that one of them wanted to get a transverse lobe too. I laughed and gave him a 40% tip, which he seemed really grateful for, but I just thanked him again for doing a great job. He told me to come back the next day, just so he could check on it, and I told him I would.
That night, it was totally painless, even when I snagged it on one of my shirts while getting undressed. I was even able to sleep on it. Today has been much the same. A few hours ago, I took the trip back to Ocean Mystique Ink Gallery, and there was a different receptionist. I asked her if Jay was there, and she said he was, but he was tattooing. I asked how long he'd be, and she said she'd check. I told her to tell him who I was, and she did. When she came back, she asked me to follow her, and she led me back to the tattoo booth. Jay looked at my ear, and said it looked perfectly fine, and I said it was painless, and he said he was happy to have done such a good job. I thanked him again, and told him I'd be coming back there for my tattoo. He just grinned and said, "Whenever you're ready." (I love the way he doesn't pressure you into doing things just to make money!)
All in all, this was the best piercing experience I've ever had, and I told Jay so when he was first done doing it. Like I said, I've been to four other piercing studios, and even at Ocean Mystique's "official" piercing shop, the piercer was a bit brusque, and didn't really go that extra mile. The receptionists also pushed aftercare products really hard, even if you told them you already had some at home, which annoyed me. Ocean Mystique Ink Gallery was really the best piercing studio I've been to, and I will go there for all of my future piercings, and my tattoo too. If you live in the Hampton Roads area, I recommend them highly, even over their other shops. They are located at the intersection of Virginia Beach Blvd and Great Neck, so they are much easier to get to than the oceanfront shop too. If their other piercers/tattoo artists are even a QUARTER as friendly and knowledgeable as Jay, there is no way you could leave dissatisfied. And just in case they are not, Jay works every day but Tuesday. (;