Septum Experience:
At A Glance Author Awry Contact sarcasticdreams@yahoo.com When Three months ago Artist Jack Studio True Art Location Santa Cruz, Cali Jut as a background on my experience with piercings, I got my first ear piercing at age 2. Ever since then I started basically collecting them. My seconds through-twentyish were all ear piercings, mostly just done with a hypodermic needle, some vasaline, some rubbing alcohol, and a tissue, or, and I am ashamed to say this but hey I was like 12, at Claires in the mall (by the way, piercing yourself when you don't know what you're doing is not a great idea). I pierced my eyebrow when I was in about eigth grade, which was horrible so I took it out. My first hardcore actual piercing though was done after I moved to Santa Cruz. I'd found a picture of an Industrial on BME's database and decided that that was the "one for me". I had never seen anything like it on anyone. Since then I've got both sides of my nose done, my tongue, and my bellybutton. And I WANT MORE!!! muahahhahaha
Anyhow, the septum story goes like this:
A couple months ago I decided to get my septum done. Now, I have no idea why, at the time, it was just one more on a never-ending list of body-related projects that i keep in my overflowing skull.
I Always thought septum piercings looked very, but every single person I asked about them always said "Oh god... the pain... the agony... I thought the pain would never end...yada yada." So needless to say I was a little on edge upon entering the Piercing Parlor, (True Art, my favorite piercing studio which I shamelessly promote).
So, when I walked in the Piercer, Jack was with another customer so I started looking the photo albums, browsing at the tattoos on the walls, etc. Well, looking at the pictures made it a hell of alot worse, and just got me thinking about how much it would hurt. I know the eye-tearing pain of even popping a small zit anywhere near your nose, and I was willing to bet that sticking a needle through it was probably a of greater consiquence than a mere blackhead.
By the time the piercer took me into the room, I had worked my brain into this "machismo bullshit phase" telling myself over and over, "I will not cry in front of this tragically cool person with a needle, I will not cry... I'M GONNA KICK SOME ASS!!!ARRRRRRG!!" Yep, it's what goes through my head every time I enter one of those squeeky-clean antiseptic rooms. It's the crazy agro side of a 5'2 105lb girlie.
Anyhow, the piercer was very informative (as always) told me the pros and cons of the piercing (how it's hard to center, how much it hurts, how i should NOT constantly play with it, did I realize how annoying it could be?) while he set up all his instruments of doom. He went over the gauge sizes with me and decided on something small and silver.
Then the freaky part came, he sat me down on this insanely large dentist-lounger-esque chair and leaned me back to mark the needle path. It tickled like the dickens I ken tell yer. He readied the needle with something that looked like and probably was vasaline, tilted my head back and said "shut your eyes."
Now, I really, really wanted nothing more at the time than to see the needle go through, but as soon as he touched the tip of the needle to the inside of my nose I chickened out.
five seconds later I opened my eyes and the damned deed was done. The needle was through, and I was no worse for the wear, except for the needle now sticking out both sides of my nose. It felt lopsided and rediculous. The painful part, as always, was getting the darn jewelry through the newly punched hole. It hurt. It felt like something was inside my nose stretching out the inside of my septum. very icky.
It was all done, with very, very little pain, and all the damage of one tear rolling down my cheek.
And it looked wonderful. Dude told me it was a little crooked, but that it was inside the nose, and so nobody would be the wizer, and it would probably straighten out in a week anyhow. (which it did).
He showed me pictures of his awesome old school yellow car, and then I departed with a new piece of metal in my face :)
So in conclusion, the septum piercing (at least mine) is not a very painful experience... just a little overhyped. Oh, and alot of 14 year old kids in SC trying to be hardcore get them. That's part of the reason I took mine out. People assuming that it was part of a "teenage rebelion" bullcrap. Could'nt have that sad misconception.
P.S. As of one week ago, I took out the piercing, I couldn't stand it when it rubbed against my lip or made my nose itch ( the cause of a mildly embarrassing situation) but yeah, it was fun while it lasted!