I've always been fascinated by piercing. You could say it is one of my passions. If a friend has an infected piercing, or if it hurts or any other kind of complaint they could have, they always ask me what the hell to do, which makes me feel all warm and squishy inside. When I was 13, I pierced my own ears three times with a sewing needle. Hardcore, I know. But it was a start. My parents, of course, didn't understand my fascination with all things modly, but my dad was happy enough tutting and muttering "I don't understand why you would want to put holes in yourself", and my mum was just as happy arguing with me about my next pierce and finally caving after I put up a convincing argument.
At A Glance Author AsetK Contact AsetK@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Ellie Studio Cold Steel Location London After a while I got sick of just having the now mainstream cart piercing, the seven other lobe holes. So I got my navel pierced. I loved it, but five months later it still wasn't enough. I felt so... unpierced, so ordinary, even though no one I knew had as many holes as I did. I was considering a tragus, when a stupid bitch in my year decided she was going to get it done with a stud gun (boo hiss) and it instantly became trendy to have a fat diamond sticking off it. It looked (and still does look) ugly. I hope it swells up and gets infected and they have to cut her ear off. Ok so maybe that's not the most mature statement but it pissed me the hell off that she didn't even bother to research it or make sure anything was sterile or... grr. But I digress.
I had been looking around on BME for something really stunning that would make people go "Woah!" or even just look. Something a little less common than a tongue piercing. Something a with a little more pizazz than a side labret. This is when I thought of an industrial; but they were a dime a dozen. Gorgeous and stunning as they were, I'd seen too many. Then a picture flashed up of a helix-conch Industiral and I fell in love. You know the feeling you get when you WANT a piercing, the itch is intense. So I looked at experiences, argued with my mum for many a long week and finally was allowed to high-tail it down to Cold Steel, my padre Chloe in tow.
Apparently, conches are supposed to bleed and hurt like a mother. That didn't put me off; my grandpa has dental work without novocaine (owww) so if I was anything like him I would be a-ok. I have no needle phobia.
When I got there, Rob at the counter was very friendly and asked me how I wanted it placed. Unfortunately my original idea was not the best (very vertical in my left ear) as I have a shallow ear and if I wasn't going to be able to get a helix to conch, I'd get a conch-conch one which also looks really awesome. I chose two small titanium bars (turquoise, the single long bar will go in when it heals)and went up to the room, hoping that I could get my original helix-conch industrial. Luckily for me, Ellie, after much marking and re-marking and black pen managed to get a great placement and had me lie down on the famous chair (Chloe trying to get a good view of my ear-mutilation). She double checked and triple checked the placements and told me she was going to do my conch just behind my anti-tragus first, breathe in... and breathe out.... and I felt a sharp stinging pain in my ear, followed by a burning sensation. Not too bad, all I did was take in a breath rather sharply and clench my fists. No teary eyes or anything. The jewelry was screwed on and I was ready for the second go. My helix. It was going to be pierced very close to my tragus/head, you know where I mean, so the top ball of the bar would be in my hair basically. So again, re-check the placement was straight, breathe in... breathe out... and this one hurt a lot more. Not so bad I teared up or yelled obscenities, but more than the first one, due to lack of adrenaline and endorphins. Ellie then cleaned off my ear, told me there was absolutely no bleeding at all in either conch or helix and sent a much-grinning me on my way with aftercare instructions. I got a little headrush when I stood up but that happens all the time when I'm lying down.
It was pretty achey for the first couple of hours but now four hours later I can honestly say I can't feel it. Sleeping's probably gonna be hard but I really don't care. It's my baby and by far my favourite piercing (even more than my navel). It looks incredible, the whole 50 minutes it took was so worth it and Ellie is a top piercer, really professional and friendly. I love the Cold Steel crew and hope that I'll be able to go back there for my next mod =)