I pierced my septum a year ago today (8/13/06). It was quite liberating, haha. Anyway, I've always been fascinated with piercings and tattoos. I will remember the day I got my septum pierced for the rest of my life. It was the day of my sister's baby shower. I woke up early, called my friends, and we went down to No Regrets in Long Beach. It was quite an exciting adventure for me.
At A Glance Author Erika Contact Erika@bme.anon When A year ago Artist Juan (?) haha Studio No Regrets store Location Long Beach, california (on pine street)
The car ride to the piercing place seemed to drag on forever. I was quite excited about the whole thing. Anyway, we got to No Regrets. I walked in the store a little hyper and nervous. I guess I was a little nervous that it was going to hurt (yes im a pussy but i am over it!). Anyway, I introduced myself to Juan the piercer and I was explaining to him what I wanted. He told me to take a seat and wait a little bit because he was going to pierce someone that had arrived before me. I was sitting around and my heart was racing. I knew that if i was going to go through with this, my parents (who happen to be very conservative mexican catholic people) were going to have a shit fit. I was sitting down in the lobby thinking about how great this experience was going to be.
Several minutes passed and a petite, young, woman walked out of the piercing room. She was crying. She too had gotten her septum pierced. She was walking around crying saying that her nose piercing hurt. A few moments later, she took it out. I was a little taken back by what she did. I thought to myself "It isn't that bad is it?". But whatever, I sucked it up and walked myself to juan's piercing room. He was cleaning his area, prepping up for my septum piercing. I sat down on the chair and he was talking to me about the procedure. He put on some latex gloves and he was checking my nose, sticking his fingers in there, touching my nostrils, and pulling on the cartilidge. Then, he rubbed the inside of my nose with that iodine shit that the doctors use whenever they are going to cut a patient open. I was sitting there, with that nervous/excited look and feeling running through my body. Juan asked me to relax and he was telling me that he was going to count to five and then he was going to prick the needle in . I was relaxed and juan began to count slowly. When he got to the number 2, I felt something pop! Then I heard "Awesome! you're done and it looks great!!". Holyshit, it went by so fast and it didn't even hurt one bit! I was so excited after!! My friend took a picture and phone video of the whole thing. I got up and soon after, he was explaining to me what I should clean my nose with and how to take care of my piercing. I was walking around the piercing shop and I looked at myself in the mirror...my new piercing was looking great! I know this is going to sound a bit corny but my septum piercing gave me a huge confidence boost. It helped my self-esteem out, Im serious. It sounds so cheesy but it's true. I've never felt better!! So after, I thanked juan, tipped him, and I was on my way, walking out the door feeling great. I went straight over to my sister's baby shower and of course the family almost died. My parents didnt talk to me for days, my grandma thought it looked cool, and my siblings said that I was going through a "phase". Im 26 for crying out loud!! I knew what I was doing and it sure as hell wasn't some phase. My parents are ashamed of it to this day. No kidding. It was a great experience but my parents to this day do not approve and they still think I look like a "cow". :) Oh and my septum is a 16g. It hasn't given me any trouble. The only time it did was when I got this bad sinus infection and I took it out for two weeks. It didn't close up though. I popped it back in two weeks later with no trouble at all. All in all, my septum piercing didn't hurt when I got it done. I love it and I love the way it makes me feel. Yes I decorated my body to make myself feel better but I don't care. I am not taking it out anytime soon. I wish I could let it hang out for work but I can't. I usually tuck it up my nostrils but that's okay. At the end of the day, it comes out.