I've wanted an unusual piercing for ages. Well, not unusual, just something that not everyone has, like the standard lobe piercing or just the "top ear" as they say, which is a cartilage piercing.
At A Glance Author Katiee When It just happened Artist Ian Studio Al's & Ian's Piercing/Tatoo Studio Location St Neots
I started begging my mum for a lip piercing, which I've been wanting for months. Of course, she said no, after I had my nose done and it got all infected and stuff. I took it out and my mum thought I did it because I didn't like it anymore, but it was actually because it wasn't done properly, it was really sore and I had a bump on the inside of my nose. Anyway, mum said there's no way I'm getting my lip pierced. She said I can have it at 16, as this is the age I can have it done without parent permission (as she said - she doesn't want anything to do with it). I begged for a few days and then gave up because I started looking at ear piercings and tongue webbing. I started being absolutely obsessed about the two, and my mum said that I can have my ear done instead of a lip piercing. I used this to find a piercing that not many people around me would have. I wanted my conch pierced but finally I decided - industrial. In my surrounding we call it 'scaffold'. A lot of people wanted it done but were too scared of the pain. Since I am the person that is not afraid of piercing pain at all, I started asking my mum for the money.
It took a while to finally get her to give it to me, as she kept saying "tomorrow" or "at the weekend". In fact, I didn't get it done until about two months later when I was at my friend's house on the first day of summer holidays feeling very "pierceable". Suddenly Lauren my friend said to me: "I'm going to ask for money so I can get my scaffold done". I've been calling my mum that day about the scaffold, but when she found out what it actually is she just went "Are you crazy?! It's really going to hurt!" and put the phone down. But in the end I used the argument that Lauren is getting hers done and I want to go as well. Finally mum agreed and said that I can have it done but she won't come with me, which wasn't really a problem. Lauren phoned up the place and asked about the prices and opening times. I went back home to get the money and me and Lauren were on our way to town. I called my boyfriend and told him that I'll be late (I was supposed to meet him).
About 15 minutes later, by the time we got to town I was SO excited. It was my first real piercing and it was just what I wanted. We took a deep breath before going in the place. We went in. In the piercing room there were two women with a little girl, about 9 years old. She had her nose pierced which I found a bit sad, but anyway. They were talking about a tragus piercing, which is what Lauren wanted as well. Ian the piercer, popped out of the room to ask what we were there for, and we told him. He said he'll be with us in a second so we sat down and waited. After about 2 minutes the people left and we were called in. I wanted Lauren to get her piercing first so that's what she did. She decided to get a snug piercing, which was £25. As the needle went through her ear I was about to faint. I knew I couldn't sit down because I would faint. I was just going to say "Sorry, I feel a bit dizzy, I'll come back later" but as Lauren got up from the chair and showed me her new piercing, I was ready.
Ian got some disinfecting stuff and cleaned my ear. He marked it while I asked "it's going to hurt isn't it?" and he replied "Yup" which made us all laugh and I felt a bit more relaxed. He took the needle out of the box and out it on the side. It was in sterile packaging one of these single use needles which I was happy about. He got a barbell that was going to go through my ear and disinfected it as well. He put some gloves in and asked me which ear I wanted pierced. I showed him my right ear and he told me to hold my hair back with my left hand.
Ian unwrapped the needle. It was THICK. I'm really interested in Body Modification and I know quite a lot about it, but I just haven't experienced it myself. I knew a scaffold piercing is quite thick but seeing the needle in real life was quite a weird feeling. I looked at Lauren trying not to think about the needle going through my ear. Well, that was impossible. I could feel it going through. It didn't hurt much at first which I think was just the skin - but then it felt like he was clamping it or something which was probably the cartilage. It stopped and he said "Hold on now". After a few seconds he began piercing the second hole, and I had enough. It was exactly the same as the first hole the little pain, then the clamping feeling. He put the bar through, which I didn't feel at all, and screw the balls on the bar. He told me to check it out in the mirror, and I did. I actually said "Woow". I loved it. He gave me some aftercare tips and we both paid and said goodbye.
We went to the park SO excited. I showed it to my boyfriend and that's when it started hurting. I asked for some Paracetamol, and it helped, I was even laying on the ear and I couldn't feel the pain. I tried to turn it around, but that wasn't a good idea. I went home and showed it to my parents, and they laughed, but oh well I already have it done. I thanked my mum for the money again and went to sleep I was so tired. The Paracetamol stopped working, and it was hurting a little bit so I too some more and went to sleep.
Right now, I was woken up by the pain about 2 hours ago, but it's not that bad. I can stand it. It's alright. I'm so proud of myself. I love my new scaffold, and I think I'm becoming addicted. I just want more and more piercings now. I'm also thinking about stretching my ear lobes. It's been about 14 hours since I got the piercing done, and it's all good.