At A Glance
Author	dirty kitty
Contact	dirty kitty@bme.anon
Artist	Bonni
Studio	Bear's SKin Art
Location	Edmonton, Alberta

"IT TASTES LIKE... BURNING"

I lied. It does not taste like buring... it does not taste like anything, for that matter, as the procedure I'm describing to you was not, in fact, an oral piercing, but instead the puncturing of my septum

To begin with, I'd like to state up front that personally, I find being pierced purely an aesthetic process. In my experience, the passing of needle through flesh is not a spiritual or transcendental occurrence, but merely a means to an end. I simply think that shiny things look nice when placed against a back drop of human skin.

Right. That said, I will now get on with my mostly typical and mundane septum experience. Here goes:

After deliberating over whether or not to have my septum pierced for quite some time, I eventually realized that spending my hard-earned money on a new and exciting body decoration was no worse than blowing it all on say... more textbooks. I also came to the conclusion that I was like to be more satisfied with the piercing, as opposed to the furtherance of my already questionable study of linguistics.

Cash in hand, I made my way to the nearest reputable studio, Bear's Skin Art, located in Edmonton, Alberta. Although I had been referred to the shop a few times in the past, I had never been in the place before. I was pleased to find it an exceptionally clean, well lit, and
friendly place to have work done. As I removed my shoes at the door, I was greeted by a smiling and professional woman named Bonni. After completing the usual handful of forms, presenting my identification, and choosing my jewelry(a 12 gauge titanium circular barbell), we were off to the piercing chamber in the back of the studio.

At this time, I happened to notice that even though I had removed my shoes upon entry to the shop, my black socks remained free of dust and common floor debris-- very cool, and very clean.

Bonni was very careful to open all autoclaved equipment in my presence, change her latex gloves whenever she came into contact with an object of questionable hygiene, and answer all my questions in a polite and informative manner. After preparing for the piercing and explaining the procedure thoroughly, we were ready to begin.

First, my nose was poked and prodded, leading to the exclamation that I had "quite possibly the smallest nostrils Bonni had ever seen." After cleaning and marking my "pocket," a receiving tube was placed in
my left nostril. At this point, trepidation set in , and I frantically
commenced a relaxing breathing technique I had learned in the past(I'm
asthmatic). "Ready?" I was asked, and almost before I could respond, BAMM!! my nose had a hole in it. good times.

I'm not saying it didn't hurt, but I will tell you that the pain was nothing to speak of. After all, people sit through piercing sessions every day-- if the pain was unbearable, no one would ever have jewelry inserted in their body.

I digress.

Once my nose had stopped bleeding, and my eyes had stopped their profuse watering, I gazed into the available mirror in order to appreciate my new adornment. After a few minutes, I was given an aftercare sheet as a reminder to take care of my new wound. After paying the receptionist ($65.00 including jewelry), I was free to go.

the aftercare sheet looked something like this:

1. Wash hands before handling.

2. Clean two to three times per day with a mild glycerin based soap. * NO ALCOHOL OR PEROXIDE *

3. No oral contact for a minimum of six weeks.

4. 6 months of healing is recommended before changing jewelry.

5. If irritation occurs, an antibiotic ointment can be used two to three times per day for a seven to ten day cycle. If the irritation persists, contact your piercer or doctor immediately.

My healing has been going well, thus far, though only eight days have passed since my appointment. It feels rather like someone has punched me in the nose... but only when I touch it, of course.

I have since modified my aftercare routine to include more saline solution, and less soap, as I find soap irritating and drying to my sensitive skin.

In conclusion, Bear's Skin Art is a fantastically clean and professional studio in which to be pierced, and penis jokes are funny.

Thanks for your time,

dirty kitty

Apparently, I have been too concise in relating my experience to the masses. So I add this:

If anyone out there happens to have any questions whatsoever, I'm probably not the one you should be asking. However, If you are so inclined, feel free to send me an email regarding whatever it is that you wish to discuss. I like strangers.