My passion for piercings, like many other people, began with nothing more than a simple blunt stud through the ear at the age of twelve. Since that day modification has grown from a juvenile curiosity to something more profound in my life. Something almost indescribable in the way that a simple piece of jewelry can make me feel fulfilled and truly good about myself. But since about the age of eleven I've been unhappy. There's no other way to describe it, not depressed exactly just "unhappy". And so what I look for in life is simple, thing that DO make me happy. This of course causes the largest problem when it comes to modification and, in turn, piercing.
At A Glance Author anonymous Contact anonymous@bme.anon When A month ago Artist Rick Gilmour Studio Adorned Location Calgary, Alberta, Canada Of course I had been exposed to septum piercings almost immediately when my fascination into mods began to develop. They were something that, for many years, I saw as extreme and often times intimidating. As time passed I began to see something else mixed in with those pictures, I saw something beautiful and almost primitive in their allure. Although I now saw this piercing as equal in beauty, if not more so, than others it still wasn't something I considered seriously for myself, due mostly to the constant criticism of piercing by people I love and respect. But as months passed things began to deteriorate for me, the pressures to do well in school were going up, my father was no longer living at home and we hadn't spoken in almost a year, and my the relationship with my boyfriend of 10 months seemed to be crumbling beneath me. Finally one day I lapsed back into the familiar numbness of cutting. By the end of that day I knew that things had to change. I wanted to be everything I thought I never could be, or, more accurately, what I was too afraid to try to be. And so, for the first time I could remember, I made the decision be who I wanted to be, starting with my septum.
The next day I woke up ready for a new piercing. I chose not to bring anybody with me, for the first time I was facing a new piercing alone. In fact I didn't even feel the need to tell anybody about my plans. After all, this was something I was doing for myself and as far as I was concerned it was my business and mine alone. I headed out to Adorned at about 3 that afternoon. There's no other studio that I would trust more, they're extremely sanitary, professional and not to mention experienced. When I walked in my nerves instantly started calming when I noticed that impossibly clean smell that always hits you in piercing studios. I'll spare you all the little details about the procedure itself. But the forms were filled out and I was led to the back.
All my piercings have been done freehand and this was no exception, and since I hear that the clamp can be the worst part I'm always relieved. By the time I was cleaned and marked up I couldn't stand the anticipation. In some odd way I felt like I'd been waiting for this moment for ages. It was the first step towards the person I wanted to be, towards being happy again, as corny as that sounds. I took that last deep breath in and felt the needle push through. The pain was intense for that fraction of a second and then it was over almost faster than it started. Rick handed me a paper towel to wipe my eyes with after the retainer was inserted and then I was done. I finally looked in the mirror for the first time and it struck me that I had really done it. I didn't feel like I was just that average face in the crowd anymore. I was starting to match up with who I felt like on the inside and that made me happier than anything else.
The aftercare I'm using is simple, a mix of salt soaks and Dr. Bronner's lavender soap for the first two weeks. Now I'm mostly just sticking with the LITHA program and it seems to be healing without much trouble.
I still haven't worked up the nerve to show my friends and family my new addition but oddly enough this doesn't bother me too much, I couldn't, nor do I want to, hide this forever. So I know that showing them will happen in its own time. Overall this piercing wasn't the solution to all my problems, and I didn't expect it to be. It wasn't even well planned out. But it's a symbol. A step in the right direction to remind me of bad times but also to prove to myself that I had the power to change things for the better. I can be happy, even if I don't fit into the mold that most people would like me to.
"It's a luscious mix of words and tricks
That let us bet when you know we should fold
On rocks i dreamt of where we'd stepped
And the whole mess of roads we're now on."
-The Shins