At A Glance
Author	Taylor
Contact	Taylor@bme.anon
When	It just happened
Artist	Byron Weeks
Studio	Earth's Edge
Location	Winston Salem, NC

So, I'm guessing you're interested in a snug. Very good choice.

It's probably not a good idea to read these experiences before getting a piercing. Hopefully you know that all experiences are different, and vary depending on your pain threshold, your piercer, and many other aspects. A lot of the experiences i read before getting my snug made me very apprehensive. It was a mistake to read a lot of these, especially the ones by people who went to bad studios, didn't take care of their piercing, or had a bad piercer.

But you're in luck, this is a good story with a happy ending.

So, today was my last day of school. I made a deal with my mom that if I made it to all of my finals, I could get a new piercing. Lo and behold, I made it to all of my classes. Reluctantly. Anyway, we went to Earth's Edge, which is right up the street from my school. Somehow, don't ask me how, one procedure (my lobes), turned into two, my lobes and a snug. We went through all the motions, paperwork, identification, payment, did you, do you, so on, and then we waited. My mother and i joked around looking at tattoos until finally, we were called back to the room by Josh, the apprentice.

I sat in the chair in the black leather chair corner, an upright lamp above me. The walls had a few classic posters on them, and my piercer, Byron, mumbled and hummed along to the Pantera playing overhead. Byron set up the tray of needles, jewelry, some cleaner, and what have you. Josh the Apprentice stood in front of me, watching Byron clean my ears. Between the two of them, they went through literally two dozen pairs of gloves. Very reassuring. Cleanliness is VERY important.

After making, correcting, correcting again, and piercing the lobes, we got to the snug. I was pretty damn nervous, of course. I had thirteen piercings prior to today, yet I'm always super nervous when I go to Earth's Edge for something new. I knew that Byron couldn't use forceps on the snug, therefore it would be a more tedious task. He smiled, "onto the fun part." How Reassuring. Oh boy. I braced myself in the chair, my teeth clenched.

What a drama queen I was.

He marked off where the barbell would pass, and showed me. Perfect. He smiled, took the needle, corked the end, and turned back to my ear. After about 1.5 seconds of pushing, which felt longer, the needle was through. He let go, told me to relax, and went to clean and prep the jewelry. He went through the process of putting a barbell into it, using the hollow needle and a tube to catch the needle with, and it was done. Easy as that. There was no popping sound like some people said, no crunch as others described it, and a minimal amount of pain, which was actually more of a sting. Byron smirked, looking at the new metal glinting in my ears.

"That is pretty bitchin'." I couldn't have said it better myself.

I actually don't have a very high pain tolerance, and it truly wasn't that painful. It has a mellow tingle now, still a bit stingy. I wouldn't suggest this as a first piercing, as it is a little more severe than others, but it's definitely an awesome choice.

It's been about 2 hours, and the pain is gone. The piercing is beautiful and my body seems to be adjusting well.

All in all, if you want this piercing, go for it. It's a little more expensive than other piercings, but it's like nothing else. If you're worried about the pain involved, it only hurts once, and it's with you forever, if you take care of it properly. I suggest H2Ocean, along with an antibacterial soap, as your piercer suggests. By the way, DON'T go into the studio all freaked out. If you're well rested, well nourished, and excited about the new addition to your body, you'll do fine.

It also helps to be calm and collect with your piercer. If you're piercer is harsh and rude, ask for your money back and go elsewhere. A bad piercer makes the event much harder mentally - sometimes physically. There are more piercing studios than the one with rude people. Your piercer should be as happy to do the piercing as you are. In my case, Byron was very casual and friendly, he joked with me and my mom about holding my hand - her suggestion, and Josh talked with me about his tattoos and working at Target during the whole event. Your experience should be like mine, cheerful and casual.

Now, stop reading this and go for it!