Wishing for a new modification, I think I read over a hundred stories on BMEzine about the piercing experiences and browsed through just as many pictures, hoping that I'd fall in love with something soon. My parents are definitely against any sort of modification which, to them, includes stretched piercings, facial piercings, and tattoos so it was crucial that I get something that could be hidden. I looked for hours and finally decided that I'd get a septum piercing, something symmetrical and easy enough to keep hidden from the dreaded parental units.
At A Glance Author Laurel Contact zyral@msn.com When It just happened Artist James Raimar Studio Holey Body out of Old Town Tattoo Location Saginaw, Michigan Through the time that I was saving my extra cash I kept having second thoughts. At one point I held the rounded end of a pin to the inside of my nose, saying that it would hurt too bad to have done. I'd try and talk myself out of it, saying that I'd look stupid with something in my nose, or that it wouldn't work with the shape of my face and what-have you but I knew deep down that this was something that I'd love to have. So, with that settled, I finally had enough money to go and get it done, but the piercer I wanted to have do it was out of town in Las Vegas. I never even considered going and having it done somewhere else, I only trusted James Raimar with a needle around me, so I waited another week until he got back. It turned out this was a great decision to make, he printed off coupons as an apology to his clients for being gone worth 10 dollars off the piercing of their choice. Finally Jim was back and I waited until the weekend to go and get it done.
Stepping inside the now familiar territory of Old Town Tattoo I was still thinking about whether or not I should get my septum pierced. I had brought a good friend with me, Liz, who had also come with me to get my nipples done. I procrastinated in the lobby for 20 minutes and watched a girl that Liz happened to know getting her tattoo. PJ, the tattoo artist, heard in our conversation there that I wanted a piercing, but I was still nervous, so to end my misery he called Jim up front so I could talk to him about what I wanted.
Staring at the jewelry case up front and without meeting Jim's eyes but maybe once or twice, I explained that I'd like a circular barbell at a 12 gauge. I'd never really liked the look of the staple shaped septum retainers and nor had I liked anything much smaller than a 12 gauge so this seemed the logical choice. The shape also meant that I could flip it up, to hide it from prying eyes at school or at home.
Jim asked at that point if he could feel around in my nose for my sweet spot and I consented. He slipped on rubber gloves and put his pinkies right in my nose. I couldn't help but laugh and I had no choice but to look straight ahead. I love facial piercings, but I've always been taught not to stare, but stare I did at all of his gorgeous mods. I said something then about feeling like this was "professional nose picking." He laughed and tossed the gloves in the trash, heading back to autoclave my jewelry. Through the whole time we talked and laughed, which made things so much easier for me because I always get so nervous around people, especially people with needles. Bringing back some forms I signed (he already had a copy of my driver's license) I was ushered back into the piercing room, which was immaculately clean, as always.
With Liz at my side, I hopped up on the table and watched Jim wash his hands and pull on the rubber gloves before touching my jewelry and the needle packages. For a more custom fit to my nose he was able to bend the ring with a pair of autoclaved pliers and check to see if it would easily be able to flip up. My nose was then swabbed out with a cleaning solution that smelled strong enough to burn my nasal passages clean and then Jim held the receiving tube up to my septum.
I squeezed Liz's hand, knowing that pain would be coming soon and he told me to breathe deeply through my mouth as he pushed the needle through my sweet spot. I had closed my eyes when the needle had been brought up to my face, but when it was through I opened one to look down. I felt like a complete caveman with a long needle just sitting there, but immediately I started smiling. It had barely hurt at all, even when the needle was being pushed out the other side of my septum. I couldn't believe how much of a baby I'd been earlier that day. My eyes watered a bit as he slid the jewelry in to place and put the bead on, but I was so happy all I could do was wipe the water away and smile into his glove covered hands, which, come to think of it, probably made screwing the bead on fairly difficult. When he was finished he cleaned my nose up again and I looked in the mirror, it was awesome! I had myself convinced that I'd look like an idiot trying to be cool, but I seriously couldn't get over the fact that it looked so right on my face. Liz liked it too, which helped cement my brain into loving the new piercing.
After the initial giddiness had subsided and Jim was done cleaning the piercing room, he asked if he could take a picture for his portfolio and I gave a big smile. We laughed together at the cheesiness of it and headed up front so that I could pay. I was already very clear on cleaning instructions and I left Holey Body that day with a hug of congratulations from Jim, a huge smile on my face, and a new bit of jewelry, one that I hope will be with me for a long time.