When you go to college there are always those "stories" about how kids go crazy and do stupid things and get tattoos and piercings just to make their parents mad. This was not my issue. When I left for college my parents told me I am now an adult and have to make my own decisions. Being a rather reasonable, sensible kid I did not do any of this right away, but I had always thought about getting a piercing or tattoo. I was not sure what I wanted though and had originally thought about getting my lip pierced. After months of thinking about piercings and inquiring about tattoos I decided to get my nose pierced. I figured it was not a completely "outrageous" piercing. I could have it and still work and not worry about employers giving me a hard time and asking me to take it out.
At A Glance Author anonymous When A month ago Artist John Studio Outer Limit's Location Anaheim, CA Well a few weeks after I decided to have it done I got hired at a grocery store and during the orientation they told me NO piercings and no exceptions. After trying to debate with the woman running the orientation program I gave up. This rule of course irritated me and I found rather impractical considering how many people have jobs and piercings these days and how many people are not asked to take out their piercings. The rule annoyed me but I still followed, it especially annoyed me once I started working and noticed other girls who had their noses' pierced and got away with it just because they were favored over other people, but I followed the rules. When I decided to go home for the summer and had put my notice to quite in, this was finally a chance to get my piercing. I knew when I went home for the summer I would be only babysitting and would not have to worry about an employer not hiring me based on my tiny nostril piercing.
So on my last day of work, and immediately after work, I went and got my nose pierced. My roommate took me and we went to a place in Anaheim. I asked the girl behind the counter all kinds of questions I had read about. I made sure they used needles and not guns and I signed all my forms. I decided on a amber colored nostril screw (the nostril screw being the standard jewelry the shop used, which was what I wanted to have used anyway) My piercer, John, came and got me and took me back into a room. I asked my roommate to come back; she told me she was just going to wait out in the front and anyway, she couldn't come back because of hygienic reasons John told me. Surprisingly, I wasn't nervous (I already had 12 holes in my ears) and John talked me through what the procedure would be like. He placed the dot on my nose where he thought it would look best and had me make sure that I liked it there. He put a long metal tube-like object up my nose after cleaning it inside and out. The tube was used to stop the needle from going too far. John told me to take a few deep breaths and on the count of three he would pierce it. When he pierced it, it didn't hurt, but it did sting for a minute and it was awkward feeling when he put in the nostril screw (the jewelry). It bled a little bit and was sore right away, but when John held up the mirror I loved it. When I asked him if the redness would do away, not thinking this sounded like a dumb question, he joking said "no" and laughed. I replied with a cool "alright!"
It was totally worth I have been very happy with me piercing and get compliments on it from other people including friends' of my parents. The service I got at Outer Limits was great. John was really cool and made me feel completely comfortable and I would definitely go back to him if I decided to get anymore piercings. In fact, I am planning on getting a tattoo soon and will most likely go back there and talk to a tattoo artist because the place was so clean, had great customer service, and has won many awards.
Although a lot of people have their noses' pierced, especially in Orange County, I still think mine looks great. I honestly do not think I will get anymore facial piercings just because I do not think they would look good on me, but I am now looking at getting my first tattoo. Before I got my nose pierced I did a lot of research on the internet to make sure I knew everything that should and should not be done and just to be completely knowledgeable about what I was choosing to do. Piercings and tattoos are not a joke. This is augmenting my body and I do not want to take the chance of getting it done and something happening because I was not informed, and I definitely suggest doing research before-hand to anyone thinking about piercings.