This is one of the many piercings where legality has come into play. My mother would have never signed for the pain I pay another to inflict on me, especially something of this nature.
At A Glance Author littleone89 Contact lilgemini_horn07@yahoo.com When It just happened Artist Brent Hale Studio Trilogy Location Memphis, Tennessee I now have three beautiful holes in my cartilage that are connected by a continuous shiny barbell, which spirals around my ear three times.
For me, piercings are a way I express myself artistically and also a way to connect with myself. My spiral represents many things, most prevalent being the fact I will be leaving home in two weeks. It shows how leaving it all behind will be a painful process, and connects the past, present and the future together. No one I know has it, and I have seen very few on the internet. I figured that as my going away present, I would want this, to represent the world from which I have come, and the one I am about to embark on.
Brent was somewhat expecting me, though I had to wait for him to take a break on the tattoo he was doing. I signed the paperwork while he went to bend the barbell especially for my ear, since it is small. He finished bending and told me and the boyfriend to come on back.
Ahh, the room I know so well. The smell of cleaning solution fills the air, as I sit down and he starts to mark my ear. For the first time in a long while, I am completely calm. I have gotten at least four piercings there in the past year, and I am about to embark on one of the last for a while. So, the marks were a bit high for my preference, and we remark. They feel perfect as I felt the cold metal of the barbell against my ear, and check the markings in the mirror. I sit back down and start to breathe deep as the moment looms.
Breathe in, push needle through as I exhale and push the jewelry in. First hole, not so bad, or at least as I expected it to be. Ready? Breathe in, push needle through, exhale, push the jewelry through. This one makes me a bit faint, take a moment and breathe deep. Last one, breathe in, push through, exhale push the jewelry though. This one hurt the most, but it is the last. I am dizzy, from the adrenaline or blood rushing to the area, I do not know as he screws the bottom bead on. Sitting there for a minute, I realize that the piercing I have wanted for two years has finally occurred. Brent tells me that I should not bother it too much during the next few days, as it is tender, and right then, a dribble of blood falls. My boyfriend, who has just sat in on another piercing trip, makes a joke about blood gushing, and I giggle a bit as the blood is wiped away. We chat for a moment about tattoos, and mention the idea of one I want. I take another look in the mirror before I leave, get the written aftercare and leave to go home.
As I walk through the door my mom knows that I have done something, and I show it off. Ironically, she thinks its cool, considering she never "gets" the idea of me having holes poked in my body. My sister and her friend gawk, and want to touch it. I just want to go to bed.
It is incredibly funny how much I try to avoid hitting the loops while trying to rest. I sleep on my right side, or at least towards the wall, and attempt to bury myself into the couch. I end up not sleeping well, but it is fine, I have my piercing. While going to accompany my sister's friend to band camp, I show my beautiful ear off with pride to the souls who attend school there.
It bleeds a bit more, and I clean it again. My ear throbs in pain, but I believe that it is completely worth it. I reverse my couch in order to sleep, and I accomplish a few hours before awakening to make dinner. I hit it as I arise from my bed and almost scream the pain is so intense. I make dinner, chill for a while and take a shower to clean my new holes. I am gentle as possible (although my hair wishes to catch on the balls) clean it and get out.
All in all, I am very happy with my piercing, as it is something my highly modified friends don't even have. It is unique and interesting to look upon, and means so much to me. I just hope work accepts it...at least the two weeks while I'm still there. It hurts, but that's the price of beauty, or at least beauty in the eyes of this beholder.