I got my right conch pierced on December 29, 2005. Since I am underage, I had to choose something that I knew my mom would agree with. She wanted me to get a "regular" cartilage piercing on the outer rim of my cartilage but I had my heart set on a conch since I had seen so many on BME and they really appealed to me. I printed out some pictures of a conch with a barbell and a conch with a ring just to show her how it would look as I was having a hard time explaining it to her. I also took a CBR and put it on my ear to show my mom how it should look. My mom was still unsure so we compromised: If I was allowed to get my conch pierced, I would remove all the lobe piercings on my left ear except for my 00 gauge piercing, and I would wear a screw in my nostril piercing (as opposed to a ring) when I'm at church, with my grandma, and for work (I go to high school for half a day and work at the National Institutes of Health clinical center for the other half. There are no restrictions on my piercings there).
At A Glance Author Sarah Emily Contact Sarah Emily@bme.anon IAM SarahEmily When A week ago Artist Shannon (I think that was her name) Studio Ambrotos Tattoos Location Silver Spring, MD My mom and I went to Ambrotos Tattoo and Piercing in Silver Spring, Maryland. I had been around the shop because it's downtown, but I'd never actually gone in. One of my friends had gotten her septum done at Ambrotos and was also friends with the artists there. Another friend had gotten a small tattoo there and was pleased with the results. When we walked in, it was silent except for the buzz of a tattoo gun. A boy was smoking a cigarette outside but there was no one in the front of the shop. Flash covered the walls and there was a couch against one of the walls. There was a small glass case that displayed jewelry. I flipped through the artist's portfolios as a girl named Shannon came up from the back. I told her I wanted my conch on my right ear pierced, but I'm on amoxicillin due to an infection in my jawbone. Shannon said that it would be fine and I should just continue to take my medication. My mom and I gave her our driver's licenses so she could verify that she was my mother. Shannon told my mom and I that she would do it in either a 16 gauge or a 14 gauge and that I could either get a ring, a barbell, or a curved barbell.
I asked Shannon if she had any pictures to show my mom and she opened up a binder that had drawings of each piercing and a description. My mom was uneasy and asked to see the jewelry. Shannon took a board of jewelry out of the display case and showed us the different sizes and types. I really, really wanted a ring but my mom said she felt more comfortable with me getting a barbell since it would be more discreet, and she wanted me to get the smallest possible size. Since my mom was nice enough to let me get pierced, I agreed and decided on a 16 gauge curved barbell. It cost 55 dollars and my mom charged it. I signed a sheet that was kind of like a waiver and Shannon went to the back to set up.
In the back, there were about four rooms with walls on three sides and a black curtain that could be closed. My mom was not allowed to be in the back with me which was okay because I didn't think she would enjoy watching it. In the piercing room, there were jars full of cork, cotton, and a box of gloves. I sat on the orange padded table while Shannon put all her things out on a tray with a paper towel over it. She had the lubed up needle, a cork, Q-tips, a little container of betadine, and the jewelry. Shannon swabbed down my ear with betadine on the front and back, and then marked it with one of those purple pens. I checked it with a hand mirror and decided I wanted it to be placed closer to the outside. She re-marked it and I agreed with the new placement. I asked Shannon if it would bleed and she said it was possible but not a big deal if it did. I lay on my back on the table with my head facing the wall on the left side. Shannon pushed the needle through without warning and told me to inhale deeply. The needle was painful going through; it felt like a sharp tiny bite. I gasped at the shock of the needle piercing me but my eyes didn't water like they did when I got my nostril done. The pain lasted for about 5 seconds, and I took deep breaths to let my heart slow down a little bit. Shannon swiftly pulled out the needle and inserted the jewelry, which was painful because it was externally threaded but not as bad as the piercing. I don't think it bled at all, and I was pleased about that.
She cleaned it and then told me to slowly sit up when I felt ready. I usually don't feel faint or lightheaded after a piercing so I sat up to check it out in the mirror. I was kind of disappointed, because it was just a small bead showing and I really did want a ring. The placement was perfect and it didn't look swollen or bloody. Shannon handed me enough sea salt to last for about 432394578932 years. I thanked Shannon and gave her a ten-dollar tip. My mom didn't really like my conch piercing at first, but I don't think she can really dislike it either since it's barely noticeable. On the way back to the car, she explained that I'm going to hate her when I'm an adult for letting me do all this to my body. All in all, the procedure took about 20 minutes.
For the rest of the day, I did not feel throbbing pain, it just felt warm and kind of tender if anything would brush up against it. I have been able to sleep on my right side; I just have to make sure the weight of my head is not completely on my ear. I don't clean it, and I've only done one salt soak. Well, pretty much I'm just lazy and my other piercings have healed fine with just rinsing in the shower. It is loose enough that I am able to slide the barbell back and forth, but it does hurt to pull at the jewelry. Over the next couple of days, my ear was a bit swollen but it was unnoticeable unless you knew I'd just recently had it pierced.
I really like the way my new conch piercing looks, even with the curved barbell. Even though Shannon told me to wait three months to change the jewelry, I might just go with my own judgment and change it to a ring when I feel it's ready, perhaps after a month or so. I would recommend Ambrotos because it was my first experience in a piercing and tattoo studio and I felt really comfortable and safe. I was worried that my mom would feel intimidated in this environment, but she was pleased with the service as well.