At A Glance Author anonymous Contact anonymous@bme.anon Artist Mick Studio Cold Steel Location Haight District, San Francisco As long as I can remember I have had an interest in body-mod and piercings. I am one of those people that worships the pain, enjoys the purity of a needle entering my body, and the feel of cold jewelry slipped inside. I wasn't able to seriously pursue my passions until I was eighteen and entering college. I was one of the first people I knew to have piercings (I went to a very conservative school); and as they started gaining in popularity, I started getting more and more "obscure" work done. I did not want to be branded with the image of all those little girls out there with sparkly pink jewels in their navel and daisy clips in their hair. I now am back up to twenty piercings in total, after a mishap with a cartilage piercing (beware of the gun!), twenty piercings after I pierced my septum last Friday.......
Let me just back up and say that this piercing scared me. We are talking an absolute irrational fear. I have six genital piercings, and even those didn't frighten me like this one did. I can't even explain rationally why I was so apprehensive of this particular piercing; maybe because of all the stories I had heard, maybe because I know how much it hurts to get a little cut on the inside of your nose, whatever the reason, I won't lie: I was petrified. And I felt ashamed to admit my fears. I like the pain,....I find it liberating, erotic, satisfying; why was I backing away from this particular one? It was doing a number on my psychie, and perpetuating an identity crisis before I decided to finally just fucking do it.
I decided to go after work on a Friday. I work in downtown San Francisco, and am lucky to have some great tattoo/piercing studios close by. I have been especially impressed with a chain of studios called "Cold Steel", which have two locations in SF, and one I believe in London. I am most familiar with the studio in the Haight District, so I had a co-worker drive me out there, after confirming there were openings available.
When you walk into Cold Steel, one of the first things you notice is their display of tribal art, including plugs from around the world, antique jewelry, and of course, a human skull. I can't imagine the level of professionalism in this studio ever being rivaled. There are signs on the counter instructing people not to touch or remove any jewelry they might already have, no touching your piercings with your hands, the jewelry is handled with gloves, everything is up to the strictest of sanitary codes. They even have pre-made samples to hand out to all those getting pierced of seasalt (and for facial piercings pierced ear antiseptic). Behind the register hanging on the wall are also the certificates of training for the piercers (they were trained at "The Gauntlet", for all you who are familiar).
I didn't even try to act nonchalant when I went in there, I let them know I was apprehensive. I told the girl behind the counter I was there to pierce my septum, asked a few routine questions, and sat down. And then changed my mind. Then changed my mind again. Despite their sign, I kept finding myself chewing nervously on my three lip piercings. One way to look like a idiot, let me tell you.
My piercer's name was Mick, who is so down-to earth and relaxed, I immediately felt better. No time was wasted, he cleaned out my nose (I forgot for a quick second to breathe through my mouth), he told me to take a deep breath, and when I breathed out he would push through. I inhaled deeply, and just sat there.....no breath escaped, because I knew the second I let out air, that damn needle would pop through my nose....finally I let it out, and let me tell you, No Pain. Not even the good kind of pain I adore from piercing. It was probably the easiest piercing I've ever had. I don't think the endorphins completely kicked in until half an hour later. I just sort of thanked him (I even forgot to tip him; had to go back the next day), walked out onto the street, lit a cigarette and went home. It was on the train ride home when I could see the little black retainer sticking out of both sides of my nose that I felt the piercing high rush over me. Incredible.
I now join the ranks of many telling people out there, if you want this piercing, don't let anything stop you. Especially if you are afraid of it, then this is exactly the piercing you need to go get. This piercing has so far played a pivotal point in my life. Not only is the piercing itself beautiful, experiencing the fear I had conjured up in my head, and then battling those self-imposed demons....nothing like the rush of not being afraid. I am now inspired to start on a major piercing project: surface piercings around my belly button, attached to a tribal tattoo. I welcome anyone to write back if they feel so inspired, or wish to share their stories. Peace.