At A Glance
Author	Aaron
Contact	nymtra@gmail.com
When	A month ago
Artist	Ian
Studio	Harm City
Location	Baltimore (Towson area)

I live in Florida, but last month I went to visit my sister who lives in Maryland. She's had several mods done, and we'd talked for a long time about having my first mod done when I visited her. I decided on my septum because I thought the stereotypes people associate with it would contrast well with my very quiet personality. Also, I'd heard that it was quite easy to hide, and because I still live at home with rather conservative parents I wanted the option of blending in.

I arrived at my sister's abode and it was decided that I'd get my septum pierced the next day. When morning came we set out with her boyfriend and "Big Dan" (who was, appropriately, quite big), and after riding around for about half the day doing errands we arrived at the studio. I'll admit that at first, I was a bit apprehensive about the place. First off I was terribly nervous because I had never been pierced before, ever, not even my ear lobes. Secondly, as I walked up the rather poorly kept stairway and into the slightly sketchy waiting room, I thought back to some of the less-good experiences I had read on bmezine. That said, I looked back to my sister and her boyfriend, noticing the numerous holes they'd acquired from this particular piercer without mishap, and felt a bit better.

We all settled in on a ridiculously comfy couch and waited for Ian to finish with the patron who was in before us. Huddled next to the heater, the mood was very light and jocular. I guess it was probably nerves, but I started giggling at the slightest provocation. The lady who was there first left, and Ian came out to talk to us. I immediately warmed up to him because he had a mohawk (I had parted with my pink mohawk about a month ago), and as he led me through filling out paperwork I became very comfortable with him. He held up a circular stainless steel barbell, exactly what I wanted, and I agreed. He took the jewelry back to the autoclave and my sister went through the financial transaction with him. I was still feeling very comfortable as he gave me a small piece of paper with aftercare instructions on it, and read everything to me. We chatted for a bit afterwards, and then he led us into the back room.

Compared to the front of the shop, the back was very clean. I noticed the autoclave immediately, and Ian directed me to sit on a chair that looked like it might belong at a dentist's office. At this point I started getting nervous, and so when my sister cracked a joke I started laughing and had a bit of trouble stopping. Ian swabbed my nostrils with an antiseptic while I was giggling, and started feeling around in my nose for placement. When he was satisfied, he went to get the needle from a very well-organized drawer, and suddenly the time had come.

I leaned back properly into the chair, no longer laughing, and Ian positioned a hollow clamp on my septum. He hadn't made any marks, but I knew that was a question of preference on the piercer's part, so I was still very comfortable. He asked me if I was ready, and I said yes. At this point I closed my eyes, and I felt him place the needle against the left side of my septum. He told me to take a deep breath, and I did, then he said to let it out slowly, and I began breathing out. The feeling of the needle going through my nose wasn't the blinding pain I had been expecting, nor was it terribly painful at all. I'd say it felt like pulling off a scab, but very smooth. My eyes started watering a bit as he maneuvered the jewelry into my newly acquired hole. Putting in the ring actually hurt more than the needle did, but still it wasn't bad at all. After he put on the first bead I sat up to look in the mirror, and sure enough I had something metal coming out of my nose. I laid back down again and he finished attaching the other bead.

At this point I sat up on the chair and faced my compatriots. Ian advised me to wait a few seconds before hopping up, and I did. Everyone assured me that the placement looked good. I began to feel a bit light-headed, and it occurred to me that it had been quite a while since I'd eaten. That said, after a few more seconds I stood up. Apparently I wavered a bit, because Ian asked me if I felt alright (he looked like he was about ready to catch me), but I felt fine aside from being a bit dizzy. With the endorphins I was feeling, I'm not surprised that I looked a bit unsteady.

We thanked Ian, and after emphasizing how much I shouldn't fuck with it for a day, he bade us goodbye. We walked down the stairs and continued with our day. The most interesting thing that happened afterwards is I suddenly found an appreciation for reggae music, which I blame on the endorphins. I felt much better after we stopped for some food, and I took this picture after we got home:


(I apologize for the terrible quality, it was a camera-phone)

It's been about a month since then, and everything is still fine. Aftercare was cleaning twice a day everyday for the first two weeks, and still once or twice a day depending on how it feels. I don't find sea-salt soaks to be very easy with a septum piercing, but I've still managed it several times. No ill-happenings to speak of, fortunately.

And I love it. Really and a lot. As first experiences go I'm very happy, and I'm look forward to stretching it soon and eventually getting my bridge pierced too. It wasn't the best idea to get pierced on an empty stomach though, so try to remember to eat. Hell, you should eat even when you aren't getting pierced. Other than that, go with people you trust, and know about whats about to happen before it happens. Unplanned piercing is one thing, but surprises when you're dealing with sharp needles are rarely a good thing. Also, don't forget to enjoy yourself! I know I did, and I still enjoy it every time I look in the mirror. In a very simple sense, knowing that I can deal with having a needle shoved through my nose has given me a sense of capability that I didn't have before.

I think it looks real neat too.