"Why the hell would you want something like that?"
At A Glance Author Lexi Contact jainedeaux@aol.com Artist Nick Studio Cold Steel Location San Francisco, CA "Because it looks cool. I like it."
"You're dumb. It's gonna hurt."
"Gee, ya think?"
Yeah, that's the reaction I got from the majority of my friends when I mentioned my plans for a septum piercing. Their main objections: 1. it's ugly 2. it's painful 3. your mum is gonna kill you. I don't think septum piercings are ugly at all. Of course it's painful, but only temporarily and it's worth it. And yes, my mum is going to kill me... but only if she finds out. I had it all planned out.
In a month, my mum, my friend, and I were all going on a vacation. Destinations... lake tahoe, redwood forest, and san francisco. Jesus Christ, this is THE perfect chance for me to get the piercing I want without my mum having ANY idea. And so, it was planned. While in San Francisco, my friend and I would go "sight-seeing" and see ourselves right into a piercing shop. I did a little research and got the names of 10+ piercing shops in San Francisco before the trip so I wouldn't be walking into this blindly.
Well, the vacation finally came. And my gosh, I have the best luck. I lost an o-ring on one of my earrings. I had the perfect excuse to go to a piercing shop if my mum happened to question my whereabouts. The last three days of the vacation were spent in, quite possibly, my favorite city, thus far. San Francisco. That city just exudes the coolest vibe. I love it. Anyway, our last day in San Francisco started out on Alcatraz island, in the famous prison. Just visiting, of course. But after that, boy, did I ever have plans.
Off the island, my friend and I ate lunch (my mum opted out of the alcatraz visit). I hailed a cab and directed him to the Haight/Ashbury area where I happily paid the overly expensive cab fare AND tipped the driver. We got out, and what was right there but a piercing shop. Mom's Body Shop. We went inside, I stood near the door and watched a few people come in and a few people go out. The employees were happy, polite, and helpful. The shop was clean, pleasant, and accomodating, so I stepped up to the front desk. I asked the girl what their price was for a septum piercing. She said it would be $25 plus the cost of jewelry. Not bad at all. I told her that I wanted a septum retainer put in it instead of a CBR. Apparently, that was a problem. She didn't really have a reason, so I gave up on this shop. She directed me down the street, though, to a shop called Cold Steel, and told me to avoid another shop called Anubis because of the bad quality jewelry. I thanked her for her time and we (my friend and i) went on our way. A few blocks down, we found Cold Steel. We walked in and I inspected the jewelry. The girl at the desk was quick to greet me and ask if I needed any help. I went through the same conversation with her, and bingo! I was on my way to a brand new 12ga septum piercing (with retainer). She showed me the jewelry, and gave me the same price. With the jewelry, my total was $42. Simple as that. She handed me my aftercare supplies and instructions and directed me to the waiting area so I could read over my instructions and hang out until it was my turn.
After about 15 minutes of browsing through the tattoo portfolios and talking to one of the employees, who was apparently on his break, my name was called, and Nick, the piercer, showed me into a room. He was extremely friendly, asked if I had any questions, then explained what the procedure would be like. I sat on the table, and he talked to my friend and I while he got everything ready. Then, it was time. I was so excited and nervous at the same time. I made my friend hold my hand and warned her that I my nails were getting kind of long. Nick reassured me that it wouldn't be nearly as bad as I anticipated and made me feel really relaxed and comfortable. He talked while he did the procedure explaining what was coming and what I should do. He cleaned my nose, found the placement, and got into position. Everything in place, he told me to take a deep breath, then told me to let it out. By the time my breath was out, the hard part was done. It hurt a little, but not nearly as much as I thought it would. "A little pressure now" he said as he followed with the jewelry, and voila! I was done. My eyes were watering like crazy. I wasn't crying, 'cause it really didn't hurt any more than a pinch. But apparently the sensitivity of the area prompts your tear ducts to flood. But, my gosh, was I ever happy. I sat for a couple minutes, and talked a little more with Nick, while he watched me to make sure I wasn't going to pass out or anything. I just kept laughing and tearing up. Finally, he gave me the OK to leave after a few extra aftercare instructions. I happily left with a new 12ga septum piercing and a free o-ring. You couldn't ask for a more pleasant piercing experience.
It's been all of three days since the piercing and everything is going perfectly. It's a little sore, but that's to be expected. Cleaning it makes my eyes water. Moving certain muscles in my face pulls on it just right that it makes me want to scream. The crusties are a royal pain in my ass, as they make things more painful, and I have to be careful when I sneeze in front of my mum because sometimes it pops down into view. But, other than that, I absolutely adore it already. The placement is perfect. I can't wait until I can change the jewelry in it. But I will be patient and wait my 8-10 weeks before I even think about it. I highly recommend the Cold Steel studio, Nick (their piercer), as well as septum piercings. I'm definitely happy with the results.