For a few years now, I had been thinking that I really want to get my Industrial done. I had seen it on one girl before, and I thought that it looked really pretty, and like something that I might like. I wasn't sure about it at first, for a few reasons: I am needle-phobic, I play soccer (no jewelry during games), and I wasn't sure how bad it would hurt. But, like I said, I thought this was a very pretty piercing, and I liked my ears quite a bit. They're rather small, and I thought it would be a nice attention grabbing adornment.
At A Glance Author Jada Contact Jada@bme.anon When A month ago Artist The Randolf Studio Metro Location Olympia, Washington Eventually, I got to my senior year, and that means it was also my final year of playing soccer. So once soccer season was over, I decided that I must celebrate, and what better way to celebrate than to get this done. Sure, it might hurt, and the needle would be scary. I reasoned that I didn't have to watch it, it was on the side of my head. And it would only hurt for a while, and I think it would be totally worth it. So, after saving up money, I finally had a day picked out to do it, and informed my mother that we would be going to Oly to get this done. (I needed parent permission. Silly old rules!)
We went up there on a Friday. The Randolf was not there, and they are very strict about their rules. I had forgot to bring my birth certificate. So they would not pierce me this day. So, we returned home. The next day, Saturday, we returned – birth certificate in hand – and The Randolf was there today. So, he welcomed us back, (we'd been pierced there before) and talked with us for a bit while we filled out forms, telling them I wasn't anemic and that I didn't have fainting problems. He had to pierce another girl's ears, and then it was finally my turn.
As it happens, I was extremely nervous. We went into the piercing room, and he explained the procedure to me. He showed me the extremely clean jewelry, needle, clamps, and toothpick. On a dentist bib type thing, he put lubricant, ink and something else, I forget what. He put the jewelry in the little pile of lubricant. And the needle he put in the pile of clear gel looking substance. With the toothpick, he marked the holes that he wanted to hit, and then had me look at them. I said yeah, that looks like it would be a fine angle, I'm a bit nervous. He told me that I would do breathing exercises, and it would be fine.
A song comes on the music maker of the studio, and he tells me that if I can guess what movie this song is on, he'll pierce me for free. I didn't know the answer, so I had to pay. I don't think he was serious though. For the record, the movie was Killer Klowns From Outer Space.
Anyway, next The Randolf then takes the clamps, clamps the upper part of my ear that is to be pierced, and is getting everything all situated. The Randolf tells me to breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breath out. I do this, and on the third breath out, he pushed the needle through. This part was especially gross, I could hear it going through my cartilage. He then takes the clamps off of that part, and situates them on the lower hole. He tells me once again to do breathing exercises. And once again, on the third breath out, he puts the needle through. On this hole I actually gasp, it hurt much more than the first hole.
Then the excruciating part: sticking in the jewelry and putting on the ball at the end of the barbell. I think this part was second worst, the absolute worst being the second hole to be pierced. When this is all finished up, my ear is extremely sore from being prodded at, and from having a giant steel bar rammed through it. I look at it in the mirror, and it was completely worth it. It was gorgeous even then, all red and swelled up.
I'm kind of dizzy from being so nervous, and then from being pierced, so I sit on the little piercing bed-bench thing for about 5 minutes. The Randolf asks if I am okay, I say yes, I just need to sit here a few minutes. It was a very big adrenaline rush, and it made me rather sickly. But eventually, I get up, and I go to pay.
The Randolf tells me my total, tells me to take a can of H2Ocean, some more sea salt, and this sheet of piercing after-care directions, with his business card stapled to it. He also gave me a discount for coming back, and he said with a big smile that he would see me back there for my next piercing in a few months. I tell him thank you, and that I will see him soon.
After the Piercing Procedure:
At first people that I was around weren't too used to me having a big bar in my ear, and so they hit me in the head a few times. This was especially bad, it got rather infected at this stage. My ear went through a bit of trauma at this point, from being pierced, and then hit and nudged three or four times within two days. This is the part when I semi-regretted getting this done. It hurt so extremely bad, it was sore to the point that all I had to do was think about it and it was just throbbing. It hurt an astronomical amount.
At this point in time, I was doing at least two, but most of the time three, sea salt soaks a day. This helped get out all of the infection, and it really helped my ear to not throb so much. Eventually, after about...probably four days, the infection was gone, and it has been doing wonderfully since then. It has not got infected again, and people have quit hitting me in the head. Now my only problem is I try to roll over on it when I sleep and sometimes I take off my shirt too fast, thus hitting my ear.
Even though it hurt quite a bit, and was expensive, and got infected, I am so glad that I got it done. When I look in the mirror, I think "Wow, that is a beautiful piercing, it's so shiny and big." I'm very pleased with it, and I would definitely do it again, even if it did get infected again. I think it was completely worth all of the pain, because I am enjoying it so much.