The first time I got my ears pierced, I was about four years old, and they were done at a beauty parlor, with a piercing gun (something I won't let get close to me now). I didn't scream, that is, until I saw the gun pull away. And then I went into full hysterics.
At A Glance Author anonymous When Three months ago Artist Travis Studio Flesh Chamber Location Appleton, WI My second set of lobe piercings came years later, with a very different experience. Now, I love piercings. I'm looking to become a professional piercer myself, and I spend hours on BME looking at pictures and reading stories. This lead to me yearning for another piercing; having been only 13 at the time, I didn't have many options. I finally thought of the piercing I wanted done! A cartilage! I thought, I've only seen three or four around the city, and I thought they were beautiful.
The task at hand was convincing my mom. I badgered her for months, asking, and asking, but the answer was no (weird, considering when I asked to get my eyebrow pierced for my 16th, it was an automatic yes). So I went a year and a half without the piercing I so desired, and kind of forgot about it, and BME.
Well one night, I'm hanging out at home by myself, and I think... I could do this myself! So I googled "DIY Cartilage piercing"... and the first site that came up was BME! After reading a few stories (and doing a LOT of research) I decided I was too chicken to pierce my ear myself. The idea of my ear getting majorly infected, and then having to face my mom... not too great.
So I'm still really wanting to get this piercing (having my love been refired) when my dad asks me to babysit; and I thought bingo! My dad is open to let me do just about anything - I figure I know so much about this, I could talk him into agreeing to take me to get it done as payment. And he agreed!! I was getting it done that weekend, I was so excited. Even the babysitting, which I hate to do, seemed to be rewarding.
It was the day before I got my piercing done, while I was babysitting, and I get a call from my mom - and I can tell she's angry.
"So I just talked to your dad, and he tells me he's going to take you to get your ear pierced tomorrow."
"Uhh, yeah."
"Were you planning on telling me?"
"After it was done, yeah."
"[silence] Did you really think you could get away with this?"
"Obviously."
Apparently, she was going to take me to get it done for my birthday, but she doesn't care. Apparently, if I want it this badly, she doesn't mind. I can tell she's still angry, but I don't care! I'm getting a piercing, and both my parents approve! WOO!
So the next day, about an hour before we're going to get it done, I'm sitting in my room, and I have to get up. I decide to take some aspirin, at the advice of my friend Toni, and then sit and watch TV until it's time to go. My dad gets to my house with my step mom and little brother about an hour later, and as I'm walking out the door, my mom makes the observation that I look like I'm about to cry/throw up/runaway. Thanks, mom.
So we're driving towards FC West, and it turns out the place isn't even open yet. The piercer tells us to come back in half an hour, so my dad kills time by driving me out to see their new house, and we go back.
"So, what you looking to get done?"
"A cartilage piercing."
"Are you sixteen?"
To be honest, I almost lied. I look a LOT older than I really am, and I really thought, maybe I can get away with this. But I was honest.
"No, I'm 14."
"I'm sorry, but you have to be 16, come back then, sorry."
So we're leaving, and I swear, I was going to cry. My dad had a really confused look on his face. Finally, he says something.
"I don't think that's right... we're gonna try another place, I know you want this."
So we drive over to this place called Flesh Chamber. And the piercer is free, and says he can do it for us! So we fill out the forms, he does all the copying and stuff, and after that, I'm being led to a room in the back (the place was really clean, I noticed right away. Like a doctor's office - all the employees wear scrubs as well).
So I pull my hair back, and my piercer Travis is making conversation, we're talking about Kat Von D, and Miami Ink, piercing apprenticeships, etc. So my dad asks him about the "Flesh Chamber (FC) West", and why they said I had to be 16. Travis tells us the only place I have to be 16 to get pierced on my ears is my tragus, and apparently the piercer over at FC West is a weirdo, who refers people over to the Flesh Chamber all the time. And that FC West had stole the Flesh Chambers name, only to change it when they threatened to take legal action. It made me really glad I hadn't had my ear pierced over there.
So Travis is finally done cleaning and marking my ear, and I've agreed to the place, when he brings out the needle. I didn't look, which make me sad, because I've still never seen a hollow needle, but I know if I'd seen it I would've chickened out. So he asks me if he just wants me to pierce it, or count down, and I tell him just to do it. So I start taking real deep breaths, and I feel the needle getting pushed through my ear, and I just kept telling myself, don't flinch, or it'll hurt.
And it didn't hurt, it actually felt really cool. The best part was when my ear popped as the needle came out the other side, and then the adrenaline I got afterwards. It was a little tender when he was putting in the jewelry, but other than that it didn't really hurt. It was sore more than anything. Travis went over the cleaning procedures, and then we went to pay and my dad tipped him - he was a really cool guy.
Any ways, I'm really happy with my cartilage, since it's been in about four months. I'll admit - I'm not as diligent about cleaning it as I should be, and I think it's got a keloid on it, but I'm keeping it in, I love it. It's still kind of sore when I bump it, but I'm really careful about being gentle. I'm going back in a few weeks to have my piercer look at it, so I know what's wrong, as well as if my lobe piercings I got for my birthday two months later are healed.
The piercer who did my cartilage, Travis, was nothing short of awesome. He's a real sociable guy who knows what he's doing. He's answered all my questions when I call, he gave my mom an awesome deal when she brought me to get my lobes done for my birthday. I plan on going back to him when I get my eyebrow pierced for my 16th birthday, as well as to add about four more piercings to my ears. I really don't trust anyone else doing it.
To anyone out there considering a cartilage - go for it. It's a simple, beautiful piercing, and it's definitely worth the time, money, and any pain you had to go through for it.