When I was in Dublin earlier this year I came across a piercing shop called Metal Morphosis.
At A Glance Author Randomspectator Contact random_spectator@hotmail.com When It just happened Artist Lisa Marie Studio Metal Morphosis (In Selfridges) Location The Bullring, Birmingham As my friend needed to buy some more plugs for her ears anyway, and I'm always interested to see if places are good, bad or horrible, we went in and had a look around. I was really impressed by the wealth information they offered in their advice/pricelist leaflets, and in general the place was incredible!
As I had to fly back home the next day I decided it wasn't a particularly good idea to be pierced there and then, but I must admit I was disappointed by the thought of having found a place I would have loved to have had all my piercings at and having to leave without any.
A few weeks later I discovered via their website that they had opened branches in Selfridges department stores in Manchester and Birmingham. Seeing as I was going to Birmingham University this was great news!
Well, a month or so passed, and I got to Uni, got settled in and decided I was going to go check out the Metal Morphosis here. In December last year I had my left tragus pierced with a BCR (you can mind the account of this experience on BME as well) and as I can't have any facial piercings, (much as I would love to have had my labret pierced there and then!) I had been considering either a vertical tragus piercing or a tragus piercing with a bar on my right ear.
After discussing the feasability of a vert. tragus with Lisa Marie, my piercer, I decided to go for a 'regular' tragus piercing instead. We talked for a while about BME, surface piercing and dermal punches (as you do) and she seemed to really know her stuff.
I signed the forms, paid, inspected the jewellery, noticed the APP certificate (another good sign!) and after a short wait went in to have my piercing.
Whilst I was sat on the couch I mentioned that I had my last tragus piercing numbed, and that all I had felt during the piercing was cold. Lisa looked somewhat worried when she told me that Metal Morphosis aren't happy using topical anesthetic above the neck as a policy.
She also told me that she felt that healing times were improved if anesthetic wasn't used, and as I'm inclined to agree (well, this seems to be the case for my body at least!) told her I was very happy with this.
She got out the clamps, piercing needle and so on, and after a discussion about powdered gloves (again, as you do!) she was clamping my tragus and telling me to take a deep breath.
I won't lie, I was suprised at the pain this time. It wasn't intense, only slightly more than an injection for instance, but it did hurt, as did having the jewellery put in.
As an experience, I much more enjoyed being pierced without anesthetic though, as the pain of the needle going through (and subsequent 'crunch!'- I have stupidly thick tragus!) made this more of an 'event' rather than the anti-climax of 'is that it?' I had last time.
I also got a chance to take a look at some pictures of their head piercer's suspension, as they were up on the wall, and to discuss how she went about it. Now I have contacts in Birmingham interested in suspension, yay!
The aftercare sheet I was given was comprehensive, and they really seem to care about how your piercing is doing, as they ask everyone pierced there to come back after 4 weeks for a check-up.
3 days on, my piercing is a little sore, and I'm wishing I could remember how my other tragus felt at this stage to compare the two. I've been cleaning it twice daily with the antibactieral solution I was given by Metal Morphosis, and it's got to the stage of being slightly crusty now, so with any luck the healing process is kicking in! It looks amazing, with no redness and only a little swelling, which will hopefully be gone soon.
My flatmates, who are all either anti or ambivilant toward piercings even think that this is a pretty piercing, which is a bonus!
Metal Morphosis was an exceptional place to get pierced. I've never come across somewhere so thorough, informed and friendly. If you live anywhere near London, Manchester, Dublin or Birmingham and want a piercing, you know where to go!
Whilst I don't regret having my other piercings done at Hedonism (Stoke on Trent) and I still think that it is a great place, I think this experience has shown me the value of going to a piercer where you are given such comprehensive information on everything possible.