This is my second experience for BME, so let's see if I can make it a good one. :)
At A Glance Author Arden_Drake Contact dallas_anderson@hotmail.com IAM Arden_Drake When Three months ago Artist Rick Gilmour Studio Adorned Precision Body Piercing Location Calgary, Alberta, Canada I had just recently moved out on my own, and my mind was reeling with ideas of what I could do with my new freedom. One of the first ideas that I came up with was to begin altering my appearance in all the ways I had wanted to for years, but could not due to strict rules at home. I asked all of my friends what piercing would look good on me, and the response was almost unanimous for a septum ring.
I spoke with a few people in Calgary and quickly heard about Rick at Adorned Piercing. Many people had told me how good he is, and I was soon to find that he more than lived up to his reputation. I had my friend Jeff drive me down to 17th ave to try and find Adorned which involved more work than it should have, but only because neither of us have a good sense of direction. Once we made it there I walked in and was greeted by a very friendly man with the biggest lobes I've ever seen in person, and heavy tribal tattooing on his arms that immediately made me envious.
I spoke with Rick briefly as Jeff and I had a class at SAIT to get back to, but even from the brief talk I knew who would be doing all my piercings for as long as I lived anywhere near Calgary. I would have gotten my septum done then, but I was supposed to visit my parents that weekend and they wouldn't have been pleased to see my pierced within my first month of collage.
So a little time passed, and eventually I set a date to have a needle shoved through my septum. A couple friends of mine were supposed to come with me, but were apparently too busy so I walked there alone. By the time I finally reached Adorned for the second time I was already a little nervous. I stepped in and asked Rick if he could do my septum and right ear lobe in the same sitting (I already had my left done, and I decided to get symmetrical with my piercings). He said something to the effect of "Well aren't you an adventurous boi", which I'm sure I was asking for with my blue hair, combat boots and long black coat. I smiled replied with "I guess so" as he handed me the legal forms and such. I quickly filled everything out and was soon walking to the piercing room.
I sat on the table and made small talk with Rick as he prepared everything for my piercings. He said we would do my ear first, both to get it out of that way, and because after the shock of the first piercing the second would hurt less. He examined the placement on my left ear ring so he could get the right piercing in the same spot. I felt his fingers pull down on my right lobe slightly as he pressed the tip of the needle lightly against my ear.
"Take a deep breath in and then let it out slowly" he said, and as I let the air pass out of my lungs he pushed the needle through. Because he didn't use clamps it hurt considerably less then my other ear, and he quickly place the CBR in. Then we moved on to the septum. To clean the area before piercing he had to push his fingers up my nose to get some kind of sterilizing wipe in there. He made some joke about me just coming down there to get a strange man to shove his fingers up my nose, and I played along, joking that he had found me out.
After a change of gloves Rick as ready to pierce my septum. He lined the needle up and placed a q-tip in my other nostril to catch the needle when it came through. I closed my eyes as I breathed in deeply, and as the breath passed by my lips I felt the needle quickly pass through my skin. My breath caught for a moment but Rick reminded me to keep breathing or I could pass out. So I sat there for a moment feeling the needle poke out from each nostril. I decided then to eventually stretch the piercing up so I could get a spike. In a moment Rick had the captive bead ring through my nose, and after taking a few moments to remember how to use my legs I was ready to go. Rick told me how much the piercings would be and as I only had $20s from the bank machine I simply rounded up and gave what I like to think was a generous tip. I stayed for a moment and told Rick about my future piercing plans and that once I could afford them I would be back to get both corners of my mouth pierced , and a cartilage spiral in each ear. Rick asked if I had an aftercare sheet, and I searched my pockets for the sheet he had given me with the legal papers. Fairly standard stuff that I had seen again and again on BME.
As I walked back to the C-Train station, feeling the metal hanging from my nose I saw the world with brand new eyes, the same way I saw the world after getting my left ear pierced. I knew then just how addicted I was to piercings, and that I would never compromise my need to be modded for anything.
As a final piece of advice to anyone in the Calgary area, or even western Canada; If you want to be pierced by of the best pierces in the business make your way to Adorned in Calgary.