I first decided on a septum piercing some four months ago during a piercing apprenticeship (the worst/best way to fulfill the itching of the bodymod bug). I started all the usual habits of one enamored of a piercing – browsing BME and other mod sites for photos and experiences, and looking at jewelry catalogs and our inventory in the store ... the usual behavior of the modobsessed. Because of an impending trip out of the country, however, I grudgingly put off my septum aspirations for another time.
At A Glance Author coqui kapok Contact coqui kapok@bme.anon When A week ago Artist Tony Dohme Studio Ace of Spades Tattoo Location Asheville, North Carolina (NC) When I got back to the States, I had relocated farther north of my beloved Asheville community and consequently piercer and good friend, Tony Dohme. I was so impatient to get my septum I called up another more local friend, who is both a beginning tattooist and piercer and asked about my septum. "Sure, I can do that..." he intoned, "But I have to warn you, I've only pierced five septums in my experience. If I pierce it crooked, we can take it out." I appreciated his honesty (a sometimes rare commodity among modifers) but warned by my experience through my piercing apprenticeship and with my own mods my septum ardor wilted. Although it was tempting to go and have it done right away, I realized it was best to have it done right. I should also mention that I've always been a Piercing Snob. My (first six) piercings were all done tastefully and rather painlessly by the talented and beautiful Andrea of Jinx Proof Tattoos in Washington DC; when Andrea made the decision to have a baby and retire from piercing, I took a leave from piercing as well, pining for a piercer with as much skill and who could earn my confidence. My first piercing since then was to be this one – my septum.
When I had the chance to visit Asheville I quickly took the opportunity to visit Tony, who had started piercing (and tattooing!) at Ace of Spades Tattoo just north of downtown Asheville. I spent several hours chatting and getting filled in on all the happenings since I had left town, admiring the shop, meeting the new coworkers and ogling over the beautiful organic jewelry. All the while, adrenaline was starting to flow and I was getting nervous and quite jittery, which was of quite unusual severity. I attributed my nervousness to having a "real" piercing done for the first time in years and for the first time by Tony, who had helped me stretch my lobes and helped to repierce a helix of mine – both of which were, comparably, no big deal.
After wavering for a while I finally brought myself to ask Tony if he could pierce me, which was a self-styled point of no return. He went to see about the jewelry as I fretted and doted on the experiences I had read of folks who had nearly passed out from having their cartilage nicked or having their septum pierced at wickedly crooked angles or what-have-you horror story. Tony came back with an autoclaved beautiful stainless steel 14 gauge septum retainer from Industrial Strength and went to prepare the room, while I scampered off to the bathroom, trying to calm my anxiety.
Tony's piercing room was very pleasant; a rectangular ottoman-like cushioned table made up the piercee's chair, with all the sterilization, storage and sanitation equipment and the APP's Piercee Rights prominently displayed, and of course no piercing studio could be complete without the obligatory window for modbuddies and the occasional curious gawkers.
I sat down on the edge of the ottoman dangling my legs and joked with Tony through the first setup procedures. After Tony had setup the piercing tray, however, my nervousness was getting the best of me and I scooted off to the bathroom again in order to try and calm myself down. I breathed a little, splashed some water on my face and steeled myself back to the piercing room – I was going to get a septum and I was going to get it today.
I perched myself up on the edge of the chair and presented my nose to the surgical-masked Tony, concentrating on the space between his eyes. He cleaned me off and began to poke and prod about my nose for the "sweet spot" right underneath the septum's thick cartilage. As he felt around I mumbled something about how I thought you couldn't pick your friends' noses. I laughed and let my anxiety out a bit, as this all suddenly seemed rather silly.
Tony made a mark on the left side of my septum and grasped a toothpick with his gloved hands. "This is the worst part." He warned and then proceeded to position the toothpick on the dot and apply pressure while feeling for the end on the other side of my septum. The pain from the toothpick's pressure started my eyes watering, and indeed it was rather annoying and uncomfortable. Tony prodded my increasingly irritated septum with the toothpick a few times more, checking the positioning from differing angles until he was sure that he could pierce it straight.
I wiped my eyes and took a deep breath, concentrating on keeping my body loose and staring into the magical portal that was Tony's forehead. He lubed up the needle and cautioned, "I'm going to put it in halfway and make sure it's straight, then pierce it all the way through." Instructing me to breathe in and exhale, he aligned the needle and began to pierce.
I felt a tiny sting from the needle's entrance, nothing compared to the awful jabbing of the toothpick, and I kept breathing. A brief pause and Tony was soon reaching for the retainer and I felt a tinge of confusion, elation and disbelief; the needle was through? I hadn't felt any pressure or horrible pain and now Tony had already inserted the septum retainer and was checking to make sure it was flush with my nose.
I had been pierced!
I graciously thanked Tony and we continued to analyze the retainer's placement. I was quizzed on aftercare (diluted sea salt rinses), paid and Tony and talked for awhile more, the warm afterpiercing glow sinking into me and spreading. Before I left I made sure to let Tony know that I would be back soon and up for surface piercing projects and just plain having fun.
Walking out of the shop I felt downright silly, the worst part really was that damn toothpick.