My septum was more than a little impulsive. I have never really and actually considered a facial piercing and had I given myself more time to think I probably would have backed out. My parents generally disprove of my ear piercings (even though to me its nothing more than wearing your favorite necklace or make up every day) but they generally keep quiet about it. A facial piercing would probably be going a step to far and I've grown out of my teenage rebellion stage and I'm pretty much a loner to be cool amongst my friends. Also when I first looked at septums I thought ugly, really ugly. If I was going to get a facial piercing that would be bottom of my list.
At A Glance Author anonymous When A month ago Artist Claire Studio Flux Location Worthing So. Moving on, I was in worthing one day, bumming around before work. I had brought a new dress and finally signed up for Jive dancing lessons after seeing the performance in the town square. I was feeling incredibly good about myself, but particularly good about one part of me that usually goes ignored. I felt incredibly feminine. Not a radical-feminist kind of feminine. Still strong, but inherently proud of her softness and classiness and attractiveness. So, what better way to celebrate that with some jewellery? I don't wear necklaces or bracelets, the only thing I could get would be earrings, except I have tons of earrings and likely be bored with them. Then I dithered about getting another ear piercing. I had only one more piercing to finish off my ears and I had promised to get it done with Juliet from work when she had planned to get her navel(first) piercings. So that was a no no. Still, I had this feeling throughout the day, something building inside which had to be expressed or I would explode.
Something had to be done. I now had a gap until work of about an hour and a half. I walked down from the library after halfway reading a book about Marie Antoinette on the trail of some lunch, on which I just could not decide what. You know, that feeling where you are hungry, but you don't know what for. I racked my empty brains until the word septum piercing randomly came into it and would not go out of it. I figured at least if I could make no decision about lunch, I could at least do something else to take my mind of being hungry. I was still a little nervous about a facial piercing, but I had heard that unlike the others, a septum could be pierced with a retainer and hidden. Fine for my parents and work and also if I did not like it at first and had to get used to it. And I did not have to get it actually done today, I told myself, I could just go in there and ask questions about it. (Yeah, right)
I trundled along to the street, could not find Kalima (they had moved) and so went into somewhere new, Flux. It was well lit and clean, rows of glass boxes of studs and rings in every color. A good start. I asked Claire about my particular problem(excuse). When I was a baby I was extremely premature, so much so that when they stuffed a tube up my nostril and it grew around it. Thus, I have wonky nostrils. Very clear in photographs, not in real life unless pointed out, thank goodness. Claire had a look up my nose and said that it may have to be pierced wonky to appear smooth but that it was not that much trouble if the piercer was careful.I asked if they pierced with a retainer(I was expected a U-shaped one) and she said yes and showed me a bullet keeper. Even better! I asked how much it was here and she said £28 and I said alright but I will have to go for cash. But, no need! She showed off her snazzy chip-and-pin machine and I was very much persuaded.
I choose the normal 1.6 in plain titanium. I don't want anything bigger and she even told me how I could down size to 1.2 in the future for that incredibly delicate look that I was hoping for.
I was led into the blue back room and we chatted about prematurity and how else it affected me(Claire had just a baby) and my other piercings while she got set up and made everything sterile. I lay down and she marked me up by finding my sweet spot which was very high up. Before the actual piercing there was pressure on each side with very sharp instruments. You could feel the sharpness and the pressure on either side before they went in, so I could tell that this was going to be a bitch. But then with all my piercings, telling myself that it is not going to hurt is stupid. It is going to hurt, but only really for a few seconds, then it will be a dull ache, then nothing if you clean it well.
1,2,3, then I was pierced. It hurt, a lot. I can't remember the exact pain sensations because it was three weeks ago, but I remember this one hurting a lot. Like someone casting off a fishing hook into your nose and yanking it, which I suppose it was exactly like that, in a way. And putting the keeper through was not all sunshine and roses either, I can tell you.
I got up and checked in the mirror. You could not really see it, but I could defintely see myself with a septum when it was finished and I really really liked it. And in a way, I liked its secret hidden nature. It was strange though, having a masculine type piercing made me feel incredibly feminine. It was strange too, when I next checked on septums on BME I thought they looked incredibly cute, whereas before I did not like them at all.
Claire gave me sea salt and proven soap and instructions and sent me off. It really really hurt in the next few days. I felt like I had been punched in the face. It was like sinus pain and the top front of my teeth ached too. I forgot just how much my nose moved when I ate and drank. I also wear suncream everyday and it really hurt to apply it. Still, I am incredibly pleased with it and can't wait to wear proper rings in it and even down size it.