This is probably unusual as far as septum piercings go, although perhaps not. To be quite honest I don't actually know (personally) more than a handful of people who even have septum piercings, and of them, I'm the only one who had it done as their first piercing. By first of course I mean the actual first piercing of any kind, I was 18 and hadn't had even my ears pierced, although I would, almost a year later, have six piercings to call my own. I was in every sense of the word, inexperienced in the world of body modification. The closest I'd ever had was stitches, and even then I would think how odd it is that to close one hole the doctor had to poke more with a needle and pull thread through them. All that said, I entered into the whole afair willy-nilly and entirely without forethought. This is not a period of my life I'm proud of.
At A Glance Author jeffthree Contact jeffthree@bme.anon IAM Jeffthree When Five years ago Having just been withdrawn from one college for so called medical reasons, (I was briefly institutionalized) I enrolled with an entirely different major at another school. Unhappy in my decision to do so I found myself looking constantly for the slightest reason to avoid class. One day, as memory serves, in January, I met a young lady with a similar desire to avoid class, who proposed we go off with the goal of getting her septum pierced. I had the car with which to get us there and she the knowledge of the shop. Off we went. Needless to say she got it, though I ended up paying for it, but this is only included to illustrate my inspiration and introduction to piercing.
Some few days after this I decided that I would like to have a similar hole put in me, and having witnessed her procedure I felt confident and relaxed about the whole thing. I went to the shop alone, she being in class, (I'm excluding her name as I haven't seen or spoken with her in years) and informed the proprietor of my wishes. The man in question was very friendly and had many clearly visible tattoos and piercings of his own, as well as extensive portfolios of his work and maintained a very clean parlor (all these nice things aside I'm excluding his name as well because his shop is no longer in operation, and for other reasons I'll mention later).
He was not at all surprised that I should have been so inspired by previous events and provided me the forms to fill out while helping me to select the appropriate jewelery from his case. He even informed me of the popularity of this particular piercing among submissives in the homosexual community (which I have since seen countless times first hand). When I found an 8 gauge CBR with three decorative notches in each side I was quite smitten with it, except for the fact of the captive ball itself. I was completely aware of the fact that my parents would not be supportive of my new addition and intended to flip the piece up into my nostrils as one would a retainer when I was with them. I mentioned this and he suggested he could grind off a portion of the opening making them into points and thus making it easier for me to flip up, and giving the jewelry the appearance that it was never meant to hold a ball at all. That very day, as I waited we made small talk and generally enjoyed each others company, while he made the alterations and ran the jewelry through his autoclave.
That stage complete we entered the room in which the piercing was to be conducted, and I took a seat in what appeared to be an old dentists chair. Tools laid out and gloves on he swabbed the inside of my nose with some sort of numbing agent. Had I known what an uncommon and in my opinion terrible practice it is to reduce the experience by diminishing sensation I would certainly have balked at this. I was not however, given the choice. While he waited for the substance to take affect he made marks on my nose with a pen to determine placement. I was provided a mirror and allowed to see if the line was in fact straight and not crooked, (but never mind the line being straight if the piercer doesn't follow it with the needle! you see where this is going i'm sure) he made no comment about how some times a straight piercing will appear crooked and a crooked straight because of the anatomy of the nose and of the face behind it. Doubt me? Well there is a reason the Parthenon was built with pillars at a slight angle my friends.
The clamps were put in place and I felt nothing but a dull ache when, after being advised to take a deep breath he plunged the needle through. I did however hear, or at least feel in a manner that approximated hearing an odd crunch. I would best describe it as the sound you might hear upon biting into a piece of gristle that was hidden in your hamburger. No sensation but the dull ache again as he passed the jewelry though after the needle. Clamps removed, there was blood, though very little and it stopped quickly. He advised me verbally of after care and provided me with a small pamphlet lest I forget. Standard stuff which I will not bother to here include.
Now for the oddest advice I have ever received with regard to any piercing, he said that during the healing process I should throughout the day, whenever I happen to think of it, twist the jewelry either towards or away from one side of my face to help it to heal straight. Specifically that if I should notice it appearing crooked I was to correct it manually! Perhaps this is the sort of advice piercers are wont to give to ensure better results, but it seems to me that piercing it properly in the first place should be enough to ensure correct placement! The jewelry was lovely, but the piercing was never straight and the experience left me with no profound moment or sensation by which to remember my enterance into the world of piercing, just a dull throb when the numbing agent wore off.
At the advice of some friends (devoted subscribers of BME), a good deal more experienced in piercing than I, and to the releaved joy of my parents (who saw it right off because placement was so very close to the bottom edge of my septum) I removed the jewelry after a bit over two weeks. The advice I chose to follow being; that if it was done crooked the only way to make it straight is to let it heal and have it done again, advice I have since seen again and again being given by both professionals and enthusiasts here on this wonderful resource.
I have since had it pierced again (at a different studio) by what I would call an infinity more experienced and conscientious piercer (but will contain myself and limit this to the required "ONE mod only"). Thank you for taking the time to read my experience.