After turning 18 on Dec. 14th, I knew I was going to start a tradition. I'm getting one piercing a year in December. I was going to start with my tongue, but ended up with a nostril stud instead. I had been planning on going ON my birthday to get my piercing done but had other things going on that day.
At A Glance Author Noelle (SwirlingSpiral) Contact swirlingspiral@aol.com When It just happened Artist Jay Prince Studio Lifestyles Location Brass Mill Center Mall - Waterbury, CT I know Jay through my friend Michelle. He's her sister's boyfriend. I'd been wanting something pierced for a long time. My ears each had a hole, but I never wore earrings. Too plain for me. For the last year, I've been telling Jay I'd come let him stick needles in me when I turned 18, and today I finally did it. He's the piercer at Lifestyles at the Waterbury Mall, and a damn good one too. He's been doing it for a number of years. He has some crazy piercings. Holes in his ears stretched to the size of roll of masking tape. He just wrote here on BME about getting his lip scalpled at House Of Pain. And I do want to comment that Erick did a great job on it.
My grandmother told me if I came home with my tongue pierced, that she'd rip it out of my mouth. I was still going to do it...my mouth you know...but the tongue piercing came out to about $70. I only had $40 on me from Xmas money. So I decided I'd get something else. Looking over the list, I didn't know what half of them were. One that did spark my interest was the orbitals that my ex had. But again, I can't seem to stand things on my ears. Therefore, I settled for a nostril stud.
I waited while a guy got his labret pierced...quite sexyish. Browsed over the jewelry. They charge ALOT for jewelry I could get at wholesale for like, 86 cents each. I had been planning on going to a place in New Britian to get my tongue done, because they would do it for $40 even, but I wanted to keep my tongue. I didn't know these people as well as I knew Jay, and I figured I would go to someone who I could track down. :P
I picked out a stud with a clear gem on it. Paid the money and then went in the piercing room and sat down. The procedure for making everything nice and sterile took longer than the actual piercing. The room was very clean just as I had expected. Nothing shady. He laid out all the stuff on the table, and when I saw the needle I kinda cringed. I had heard that the nostril piercing hurts more than the tongue piercing does. He stuck a qtip with iodine up my nose to clean it, and also on the outside. "That's pleasant..."
He took out a new marker and put a dot on my nose and asked me if I like that position. It was right where I wanted it. He stuck something else in my nose, told me to take a deep breath and then to let it out, and shoved the needle through my nostril. I winced, but kept still, my foot banging on the chair to keep from yelling. But then, it was ok. I looked in the mirror and saw I had a few tears. I felt like an idiot. Then he said "Ok, just one more part.." and stuck the ring in. That didn't hurt as bad, but I banged my foot a few more times and then voila..it was done. It didn't bleed too much, and he cleaned it all up, gave me a paper with care instructions and sent me on my way.
I'd been told that piercings don't hurt. That's a crock. It hurt like crazy when it first pierced the cartilege. I was expecting that sickening crunch, but didn't hear it. I'm taking that to be a good thing! Right afterwards, on the way over to Hot Topic, it didn't hurt at all. Now though, it's a little sore. I keep seeing it out of the corner of my eye and trying to brush it off like it's fuzz or something. Wonder when I'll get used to it.
When I got home, I showed my gramma. She wasn't happy about it, but she figured at least it wasn't a barbell shoved through my tongue. She went as far as to kick me out of the house! That's a little drastic, don't you think?
So...my piercing next year? I might go with the tongue...if not, those orbitals are still lookin sexy. :P
Jay and Nancie, Michelle's sister, have a little boy named Kole who was born not too long ago. I wonder what and when HIS first piercing will be?