So most of these people who are into the modifications are proud to show the world, but I have another view on all of that... You can get amazing amounts of amusement, entertainment and pleasure from keeping a piercing secret!
At A Glance Author anonymous Contact anonymous@bme.anon Artist Someone in Sydney Studio Bee's Knee's Location Darlinhurst, Sydney About three years ago, just before I left Sydney to work in the US for a few years, I decided that I was finally going to get my septum pierced. I remember seeing a guy working in a bookstore with one a few months before, and thinking that was so amazing and looked great.
So I wandered into a couple of different body mod places in Sydney, and the Bee's Knee's had a couple of women working there that seems the friendliest and competent as well.
So almost before I knew what was happening (probably good for me, being one of the world's most effective procrastinators), I described what I wanted, and one of the women had a septum piercing, and showed me what the retainer looked like in and hidden (more on that a bit later).
A question at this point - why do most piercing places seem to have dentist's chairs. Don't they know that chair is one of the nightmares of childhood? Anyway, enough on that...
I sat on the chair and was lined up for the piercing. They were careful with all the gloves, single use equipment and all that sort of thing. But also they were careful with lining up the piercing itself. It was to be readily hide-able (I work at a programmer for a consulting firm, had to wear suits and be "all professional" a lot of the time), but also low enough so that I could wear a long spike out either side if I wanted.
I think the anticipation before anything is probably the worst, but then maybe this piercing proved that thought to be wrong. As the needle went in, I got tears in my eyes, and an incredible pain for about a second. Then it was done. I only chose pretty small jewellry at the time, and picked a retainer for the "hide it from work" reasons listed above. So my nose was sore - think that someone had punched you in the nose - it is JUST like that. I thanked them, paid the bill (note in Australia no one except unknowing americans tip!) and headed off down the street. I used the cleaning recommendations religiously, and it healed pretty well.
I imagine everyone's read the general description of the actual piercing. The weird thing is that for two or three weeks afterwards, your nose is so damn tender. A touch at the end of your nose feels like a punch. Still, rotating the jewellry and using antibiotic cleaning stuff seems to do the trick.
Although at this point I have to add - I wonder how much influence one's body has on healing - I think a lot. It doesn't matter how much care some people take - they will reject, while others might neglect something a bit and get away with it. Fortunately, I think I am in the second boat. I had a girlfriend who got a cartilage piercing on her ear that just wouldn't heal, I had no trouble a bit later on. Similar with my septum piercing.
But now to the amusing part of this story, and the main reason for telling it. I've had that piercing for 3 years, and I must say that it has helped keep me sane. I've been working with a whole heap of self appointed geniuses, and just thinking that I have this secret that all those anal types don't know about brings a smile to my face. I've revealed it to girlfriends, normally for a pretty good reaction, and I still enjoy having this big secret for so long.... Sounds a bit like I'm being an ass, but it is interesting to find out what the other person thinks of piercings before springing it on them!
About a year ago, two years after getting the piercing, I stretched it from 16 or 14 to 12 or 10 gauge. I find this a better size - if you leave the jewellry out overnight by mistake or whatever, you aren't in danger of losing the hole, and the bigger jewellry looks better anyway.
I've also had an opportunity to wear it out at parties and dress up occasions. Always the response is one of surprise - what is such a clean cut person doing with something like that?
So my advice is to think about a secret septum piercing. It is sort of like a quiet "up yours" to all the moral majority that expect you to behave and be a certain way. I've certainly had some fun. I might even stretch it a bit more in the near future...