The entire reason I got my nose pierced was because of my English teacher.
At A Glance Author Kris When A year ago Artist the lovely Erin Studio Chameleon Tattoo & Piercing Location Cambridge, Mass No, no, that's not true at all. It *is* true, though, that I had an enormous crush on one of my teaching fellows -- and her beautiful nostril piercing. The bright gem and golden stud highlighted her fair complexion and hair beautifully. She was more the inspiration than the reason, which was more that I love the look of piercings, the edge, and the way it helps me further express myself. (Also, the masochism, but hey ...)
So, nearly a year after I got out of that class, I finally had the funds (and the cojones) to get my own nostril pierced. After waiting a couple days for the jewelry I wanted to be restocked (a silver stud with a clear rhinestone -- apparently they're all the rage these days), I went to the parlour where I got my tattoo and told 'em to poke away.
My piercer was a lovely young woman named Erin, with long dark hair, friendly dark eyes, and colorful tattoos all down her arms. She was already wearing a fresh pair of gloves by the time I entered the room, so we bumped elbows instead of shaking hands. I sat, removed my glasses, let her swab my nose with iodine and disinfectant, and then took the "deep breath in and deep breath out" as she wielded the needle.
It hurt more than I expected. Tears sprang to my eyes -- I felt like she turned my nose inside out as she pierced it. (I figure that the immediacy of the pain, compared to the sting of the tattooing needle, was probably due to the proximity. I mean, right in the middle of my face! BETWEEN MY EYES!!!) The sensation of that bit of metal up my nose -- and through my nose -- was a little disconcerting at first. When my face itched, I had to think twice or even three times before scratching it. I didn't know if I could I blow my nose without knocking it out. Should I be afraid to sneeze?!
Then that night, just as I was about to wash the piercing with the hippie soap like I'd been instructed, it jumped out of my nose. I didn't think I had touched it, but there it was in the middle of the bathtub. I had taken special care undressing and washing my face with normal facewash, but a glancing blow from my hand knocked the damn thing out.
I dried off and tried to get the stud back in. No luck. Much pain. After about ten minutes of stinging eyes and swelling nose, I stopped. I pouted, I bought a pack of cigarettes, I went to bed.
The next day around one pm, I went back to the Garage and Erin, sympathizing all the while, repierced my nose and reinserted the stud. She reminded me that, if it fell out again, I could put a regular earring in to hold the hole until I returned to the parlor. I vowed not to let the damn thing free again, despite my burgeoning crush on my piercer :)
Alas, a few nights later, it snagged on my towel (the stud, not the crush) and, unsurprisingly, fell out again. I put a straight earring in through the hole (and stuck an earring-back up my nose to keep it there) and went in the next day. Sadly, Erin was out, but the helpful male piercer instructed me to get a ball, not a rhinestone stud. The clasps around the gems were notorious for catching on fabric Properly equipped, I sat in the Den of Iniquity for the third time in a week and let him spear my nose. (It hurt much less with each successive session in the parlour, as I grew accustomed to having my nose handled as though it were a piece of denim in desperate need of studs.) My piercer also took the time to bend the spiral-back stud to contour my nose and (hopefully) to stay put a little better. The ball looked *imbedded* into my nose because of the inflammation from all the handling, so he told me to take ibuprofen, put some ice on it, and come back in the next few days if there were any problems.
So far so good, though, a week and a half after my original piercing. I can blow my nose with no worries, and I don't have to be paranoid every time my glasses slide down a bit. I love the subtle look of this little silver ball, and I'm looking forward to my friends' reactions ... and maybe a tongue piercing sometime soon as well. At least that's less likely to fall out onto the bathroom floor ....