I'd been wanting to get my nose pierced for a long time, but was held back by my general tendency to be indecisive. But I finally made up my mind about a week and a half ago, while in the mosh pit at the Big Day Out (big music festival, for those not in the know). A couple of girls next to me had theirs done, and they looked great. All of a sudden, I knew that I wanted one- and I couldn't wait!
At A Glance Author Miseria Contact Miseria@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Not sure, I'm terrible with names. Sorry about that! Studio Hairhouse Warehouse. Location Adelaide, South Australia. The next day I woke up, all ready to get pierced. I then looked in the mirror to see that my forgetfulness had gotten the better of me- I'd forgotten sunscreen and was horribly sunburnt. It hurt enough to touch my nose, let alone stick a needle through it. And I knew that no piercer would want to it. No reputable piercer, anyway. So I decided to leave it until the next weekend. Which couldn't come fast enough.
I woke up early that morning, all excited about my long-awaited nose stud. Of course, in my excitement, I forgot to take my ID with me, and was told that I would have to come back later. To console myself, I made an appointment for that afternoon and wandered around the shopping centre to look at all the cool new jewellery I could later buy.
After a rushed lunch, I headed back with two ID cards and a mother in tow. I didn't feel too nervous until we got there- as I walked in, I felt really thirsty and almost nauseous, but I knew that this was what I wanted, and I had to tell the apprehensive part of me to shut the hell up. This nervousness disappeared when I first met my piercer (whose name I've forgotten. Sorry, mate!). He had pierced a friend of mine a few times, and she couldn't recommend him enough. He was really nice, and not too bad looking at all (which always helps).
He led me into a small room off to the side, where I sat down on a cushioned bench and filled out a form. Standard stuff- "if you get infected, it's your own fault", and so forth. He then handed me a box of different studs in plastic packets, and I chose a silver one with a clear stone. I showed Mum, and asked her if she liked that one. She just nodded silently and looked far more scared than I felt.
The piercer took the stud and cleaned it, as well as all his equipment and, of course, my nose. He marked the spot with a pen and asked if the position was okay. I nodded- I hadn't really thought that much about where it should go. It was on my nose, and that was good enough for me. He then took something that looked kind of like oversized tweezers with holes in the end and held the right side of my nose in it. He told me that I could close my eyes, and I did. Otherwise I would probably laugh from having him staring at my nose that close. And I didn't want to move and mess it up.
He told me that I would now "feel a bit of a prick" as he put the needle in. Prior to going to get pierced, I had read heaps of other stories on BME, with different accounts of the pain- "It hurt so much", "It didn't hurt at all", "It was just a bit of pressure". For me, it just felt like a normal injection (without the chemicals being squirted into me). It hurt a little bit, but no more than my last ear piercings. Probably even less. And it only lasted a couple of seconds. As he put the jewellery in, it was a bit uncomfortable- but not painful. My eyes watered a lot, but not from pain. Just as a reflex.
I then got my first look of my new piercing in the mirror. And it looked great. No blood or redness, just perfect. I couldn't have been happier with it.
The assistant, a girl with several really nice lip piercings (Hmm, ideas...), told me about how to take care of it. She said not to touch it, to use antibacterial liquid soap, to let water pressure in the shower clean it, and to dry it with a hairdryer. She then gave me a bottle of aftercare spray to keep it clean and soothe any soreness.
They both checked that I was feeling okay and not sick, before letting me happily leave. After paying them, of course- $45 (Australian... that's about $35 American) for the piercing, jewellery and aftercare stuff.
It's been two days since then, and so far I've managed not to get it infected or accidentally knock the stud out. It feels a bit funny when I move my nose, though, and the aftercare spray makes me sneeze, but there's been no dramas. It looks fantastic, and I can't wait to show it off. I've already convinced one friend that she should get it done, too. It's definitely worth it.
And I would say the same to you- if you want to get a nose piercing, go for it! It doesn't hurt that much at all, and looks great. Go on... do it now!