I recently stumbled upon BMEzine while I was researching the bump on my nostril piercing. I became thoroughly intrigued with the site, which put me into a right state of piercing-horniness. And when that bug bites, I get impatient. It's sort of a fascination with how little something that hurts will actually hurt, like when you were a kid and couldn't help but poke that big purple bruise because it hurt but didn't hurt. Now is when my boyfriend would tell me I was crazy and didn't make any sense. (But I understand me, so at least I make sense to someone.)
At A Glance Author MyMuse Contact MyMuse@bme.anon When Three months ago Artist Carey Studio Expressions Location Boone, NC My nostril is my most recent piercing. I got the piercing bug around my birthday (late September) and, after much debate over a septril, decided to go with a nostril by October. My good friend, Carey, had just finished her apprenticeship at Expressions' in Boone, NC. So, for a late birthday present to myself, a friend (Christy) and I drove up the mountain on Halloween so I could pay someone to put a hole in my flesh, yet again.
By the way, did I mention that I'm the biggest baby in the world? Well, I am; which is why I opted out on getting my septum pierced. I had only wimpy piercings before this one (eyebrow, earlobes a couple times, no cartilage) and was a little worried. Expressions' is actually a retail store with a piercing studio in it. When Christy and I got there, it was pretty busy. I found Carey helping a girl in the "adult" section with some funny Halloween costumes. She hugged me and told me she could be with me once the store died down a little bit.
After about ten minutes, Carey said she had to wash her hands and she'd be ready. Christy and I went to the booth to wait for her. When I sat in the piercing chair I noticed a stuffed "Alf," which I promptly grabbed and fussed with to ease my mounting jitters. Ah, adrenaline. Carey came back and started getting everything ready while talking to me about the process, risks, and aftercare. Christy and I were both thoroughly amused, and grateful, to watch Carey change her gloves a bajillion times during this. (And, yes, she had me fill out the standard waiver form.)
Finally it was go time. Maybe I should input here that I have quite a ticklish nose. I was that sneezey kid that had to walk across the classroom to get a tissue, holding my nose, at least once a day. I have seasonal and perennial allergies; my nose is generally runny. That being said, I'll continue. Carey swabbed the inside of my nose with a huge cotton ball soaked in betadine – much to the enjoyment of her and Christy, who both laughed at my reaction to having my nose raped. Carey tried to put the clamp on, but having something stuck up my nose tickled and made me want sneeze, which made me move my nose away from the violating object. After a couple times of this, Carey stopped and sort of looked at me like, "do you want me to do this or not?" So I said, "I know, I'm sorry, go ahead." I concentrated all my effort on sitting still long enough for her to get the clamp on. Once it was, my right eye started pouring like a faucet. She had me start the well known breathing exercise, and on my third breath out, stuck me. Ouch, that smarted a bit, and my other eye started pouring too. Funny, that, how nerves connect. Apparently, I have the toughest mucous membrane of any nose she's pierced. It took a lot of force to get the needle through my nostril.
Once the needle was through, and the clamp was off, it didn't hurt at all. Carey put the ring in the end of the needle, and I was good as gold, or so I thought. She started to pull the jewelry through, and just before the end of the needle passed through the inner hole of the piercing, I flinched. The needle came out but the ring didn't make it all the way through. I hadn't even realized I had flinched! I felt so bad; I was giving my friend such a hard time! She put her index finger in my nose and tried to feel the jewelry and get it through, but after about a second she looked at me and told me it would be easier and probably less painful for her to put another needle through. She looked really sorry, and I felt really bad because it's not her fault that I'm a big baby and had to flinch right at the end. I told her that was fine; I just hoped it would be quick. And it was, and it didn't even hurt the second time through. Once again, I concentrated all my effort on sitting still, and this time I really was good as gold. Carey handed me a mirror, and I looked and smiled. It wasn't love at first sight, it was actually about an hour later after looking at it several times that I decided I loved it, but I'm always like that.
Carey kept apologizing for having to stick me twice, but I still don't see how she could possibly think it's her fault that I flinched. I really enjoyed being pierced by a good friend. I've known her longer than she's been piercing, so I know she is truly a clean, smart, healthy and capable person. She's just anal enough to do things properly. It's all very comforting to know the person putting holes in your flesh that well.
As I said earlier, I did get a bump. It developed after a couple weeks, then went down, then came back and stayed, some time after I stopped cleaning it. Like I said, I have perennial (year-round) allergies, and I blow my nose a lot. I'm pretty sure it's hypertrophic scarring, caused by aggravation from me sneezing and blowing/ rubbing my nose. I started cleaning again with triclosan soap two times a day, and using vitamin E oil once a day to every other day. It seems to be going down slowly, but I've noticed it's a little bigger when I wake up in the morning. I don't know if that means there is any swelling/drainage involved or not. I'm going to take a chance and change to an 18g nostril screw which I think will take less abuse than the 16g CBR it was pierced with. Also, if there is any swelling/drainage, maybe downsizing the jewelry will help. The piercing has gotten a little tight around the 16g ring. It's definitely not infected. It doesn't hurt, isn't discolored or smelly. It just has a bump. If it doesn't go away in a couple of weeks, my next steps will be hot sea salt compresses and then careful and moderate use of tea tree oil or hydrogen peroxide. I plan to discuss these things with Carey next time I see her, but I did a lot of research before coming to these conclusions.
Now I'm trying to decide what to pierce next. Getting pierced is just so fun. It hurts sometimes, but it's not unbearable and its over as soon as it starts. Maybe it lets me pretend like I'm tough, I don't know. But I never could understand why I always poked my bruises either.