Okay, so I've been fascinated with BM since I was a little girl. My grandfather had these great tattoos that he had done when he was stationed in Hawaii during WII. I used to climb up into his lap when he was napping and I'd make the panther on his right arm talk to the snake on his left arm. I adored them. I was just fascinated by the fact that you could draw on your skin and it would stay there. When I was five years old, I announced to my mother I was going to get a tattoo one day. She cried, a lot.
At A Glance Author Melanie When It just happened Artist Shannon Studio Big Red's Location Bloomington, IN Now I'm 18 and I think piercings and tattoos are just wonderful. One problem: I'm seriously aichmophobic (that's fear of needles). I see hypodermic needles and I have a panic attack. I pass out when I get blood drawn, from sheer fear. I've had my ears pierced before (three holes in each), but that was with guns. I really like a few piercings, and I know a lot of girls on my dorm floor that got their nostrils done and said it wasn't so bad. I figured I'd start with a nostril and work my way up to the scarier stuff (like nipple and hood piercing). I got on BME and did a lot of research, reading about everything, I asked some friends, talked to a few piercists I know.
A few weeks ago I visited this place at my college that gives out $5 off coupons to students. I talked to the tattoo artist and he showed me how everything worked, and then my friend Adriana and I went to talk to the piercist, Spliff. He was really nice and very friendly and told us some great jokes. Adriana had 11 piercings and decided right away to get her second nipple done. Compared to the excruciating pain she felt from the first one, she said her second nipple was nothing. I decided if Spliff could make a nipple piercing okay, he was the guy to do my nose. I just needed some courage.
This morning I had my Japanese culture mid-term. I studied for 5 hours, I knew everything. I bombed... and I knew all the answers the second I walked out the door. I NEEDED something to spoil myself. I decided I was going to get my nostril done. Today. Unfortunately, I didn't want to go alone, but my friend (again Adriana) was in class, and when she got back she had to write a paper. She kept assuring me Skinquake was open until midnight. The longer I waited, the more I panicked. I even skipped dinner because I was afraid I'd throw up on the piercist (Yeah, needles scare me that much). Finally, at 11:30, she announced she was ready to go. We got to Skinquake at 11:45. They closed 45 minutes ago. I couldn't believe. I couldn't wait any longer, because I knew if I did, I'd chicken out. So we drove a few blocks up to Big Red's Tattoos.
I went inside, and there was a girl that just had her right nostril done. She looked SO happy. The tattoo artist was very friendly and teased me. He even let me watch a tattoo being done while I waited. Then Shannon, their piercist came out. I filled out all the forms and she gave me the lecture, blah blah blah. Then she told me that I couldn't pick my jewelry, because they always start people out with 18 gauge rings, no balls. I spazzed. I did NOT want a ring, but my two friends and roommate assured me I was so cute it didn't matter (I still think they lied). I couldn't chicken out then, so I said screw it and went ahead anyway.
She cleaned it all off, with iodine AND alcohol. I was impressed. She showed me everything and marked this teeny little dot, and held a ring up so I'd know how it would look. I thought the ring was a bit big for my face, but I said alright. Just before she was about to put the needle in, the panic started to come. Shannon was so great. She told me jokes, answered all my questions (like if the receiving tube would fit in my nose) and sat there for 15 minutes with me helping me calm down. When I said okay, we went for it. It didn't hurt at first, but I had a hard piece of cartilage so she had to push harder to get it through. That HURT. Then she put my ring in for me and we were all done. I was so shocked. I didn't cry, or scream or curse. I was so proud of myself! I actually started crying I was so proud, and Shannon gave me a big hug and made me promise to come back when I got the rest done. I'm sold. She's marvelous.
We went to Denny's to celebrate at 1 am. I got a free piece of pie, because we're late night regulars and the waiters were excited, because everyone at the Denny's by us is into BM. They said we had to celebrate my first real piercing. Now, about 3 hours later, it doesn't even hurt. It was sore for about an hour, like that "I stubbed my toe" kind of sore. I'm trying so hard not to poke at it. Shannon said in six weeks I can change it to a screw, but I want to switch it to something smaller before Thanksgiving so my Dad doesn't have a heart attack. She told me if I take really good care of it, she might change it for me in 4-5 weeks instead. I've already picked out what I want.
I can honestly say I don't regret I thing. I planned it all out, my plan fell through, but I was still brave enough to do it. I'm prouder of myself today then I was the day I got my college acceptance letter, or the day I graduated. If you want something done, do some research. Wait a bit. If you still want to do it, wait until "the mood" strikes, and don't hesitate! Dive in nose first. You won't regret it. I just have one question. What happens if I sneeze?