I still remember the day I asked my mom to get my nose pierced. I was in the sixth grade, shortly after I had my second hole done in my lobes and I had seen a guy with the most fantastic jewellery in the world. He had a hoop in his nose! I couldn't have been anymore than 11 years old at the time, however, growing up mostly as an only child and your company consisting mainly of adults, you grew up quickly. I felt that I was mature enough to be able to rock that piercing and was determined to get one.
At A Glance Author vetiver Contact georgie_gurl@hotmail.com When A year ago Artist Ivan Studio Anipeg Tattoo Location Sault Ste. Marie, On. I ran into my mom's room where she was counting her change that she had been saving. I asked her straight out if I could get my nose pierced. I got the typical "Are you out of your (insert curse here) mind" look and she said a flat "No." I realized how silly I was: I never get anything out of my mom. I had to ask my father. He always came through.
So, I sought out my father and asked him the same question. I didn't get the same "No." response from him, but rather a reasonable one, as I look back now at the time and situation. He told me that "as long as you are under 18 years old, you'll stick to only your ears." In retrospect, I couldn't really argue with that. It is fair, as 18 years old allows you to vote, gamble, and rent/buy porn in Ontario, I figure I should be old enough and responsible enough by then to take modifications of my body into my own hands. But that wasn't the last of my mentioning of the nose ring: every so often I'd bring it up, trying to see if I could convince my parents otherwise. Alas, to no avail, they held fast to their original statement, my mother desperately wanting to change the agreement to my not being able to modify my face at all. But a deal is a deal.
Fast-forward 7 years...
My 18th birthday fell on a Friday. I spent it with friends and had a very good time. But the whole time all I could think about was: "I can get my nose pierced. I can get my nose pierced." It had become my mantra. All my friends knew that I had been dying for it for as long as they've known me and even longer yet. I suppose I could have done it myself, but to be really quite honest, I'm really not much of a "rebel-against-you-parents" type. I rebel against social norms, typical behaviours and I do possess some radical Libertarian tendencies, but I still believe that good children start and end with good parents and maintaining respectful and healthy relationship. As an aside, it doesn't mean I didn't think about going out and getting my sister, who is eight years my senior to sign for me or even doing it myself. I was scared I'd mess it up and have a terrible scar on my face. I really didn't want that. Although I had the experience of witnessing one of my very best friends pierce her nose in our highschool bathroom in grade nine. She had guts – I didn't.
So here I am, 18 years old and not entirely sure what to do. It had been a while since I'd mentioned the whole "nose-shenanigans" thing to my parents. They had most likely forgotten all about it by now, writing it off as another one of my "phases". By this time I had done the typical angsty-pubescent changes and had gone through a tomboy phase, grunge rocker phase, and a goth phase. I was now into my hippy phase and was determined to finally get a hole in my nose.
It really wasn't until about 5 months later when I got the nerve up to go and do it. I made sure to talk to all of my friends, telling them that I was going to do it so I couldn't back down. I am notorious for changing my mind so the more people I told, the more I had to stick to my plan. A few weeks earlier, I had held my friend's hand while she got her VCH done. (Yes, I am that good of a friend...) I had met Ivan, my piercer, and watched him go through the "sterile-speech" and was just amazed at how many times one person could wash his/her hands and change gloves. In total, I counted 8 pair. How's that for waste? At any rate, I was impressed. And I trusted Ivan. He was about to shove a needle through one of the most delicate (albeit awesome) parts of the female anatomy, not to mention that specific part belonged to my very good friend. If she trusted him, I could too.
Having seen how fantastic Ivan was, I was determined to make my appointment. So, exactly a week later, almost down to the hour, my friend accompany a very nervous me to Anipeg, the studio where we had been simply a week before. I was a bit early, so I had a chance to peruse the flash artwork on the walls and wait until Ivan could come out. When he did, he brought along with him the paperwork, a form of which I had to sign and an aftercare sheet. That was done and I was promptly escorted into the room, my friend following along behind me. The whole time I am talking like a madwoman. When I'm nervous I being to talk and have a very hard time stopping.
Once in, I waited while Ivan disinfected the chair with some kind of alcohol-based cleanser. I sat down, my friend on my right in a little stool that was provided and listened while Ivan ran through the speech once more. After washing hands, changing gloves, washing hands, changing gloves, etc. etc. he showed me my nicely sterile nose ring, needles, and clamps, all nicely wrapped in peel-packs with the every-so-important black lines on the tape, indicating sterility. (My mother works in conjunction with the O.R. at the hospital as a sterilization tech... I learned about all kinds of things, including what to look for when instruments are removed from the autoclave.)
So Ivan ran through what I was likely to experience as he cleaned my nose (twice!) with iodine. That tingled a bit and tinted my nose kinda brown. I had already decided beforehand I wanted the left side done for a variety of reasons, that of which I'll skip. But he told me about "traditional" placement and "modern" placement of nose rings. There is a whole science to this, which takes into consideration the curvature of your nostril in conjunction with the tip of your nose. Really, really cool.
Anyway, as he kept talking, before I knew it I had a receiving tube up my nose. That, really, was the most uncomfortable part of the whole thing. When I had thought that the needle had just gone through, the jewellery was already in! By this time my eyes were watering like crazy. Ivan told me it would happen, but it was simply because his hands were pretty much in my eyes and the pressure was a little odd. The tears were uncontrollable, but subsided almost immediately once he had moved his hands. I had been given tissue to catch the tears previously, so I was prepared.
Afterward, once the needle was thrown into the biohazard container and my nose cleaned up, Ivan went to get my a juice box as the adrenaline slowed down and he was certain I wasn't going to faint. I was absolutely ecstatic with the new metal and couldn't shut up about it. I had hardly any blood (apparently I'm not a bleeder) and was one of the most calm customers Ivan had ever had. Which made me even more happy. My ego was being stroked AND I FINALLY had my nose pierced. It was a fantastic day. I was briefed again on aftercare procedures, paid the money, and was off to get some food and sea salt for cleaning. I had my nose done in February in Northern Ontario. The new metal wasn't very happy about being exposed to -20 Celsius temperatures, having been freshly done and all. Anyway, I had to get to my evening class and I wouldn't have to face the gauntlet until later on.
That night, I got home after my parents were in bed. Partly disappointed and partly relieved, I cleaned up the crusties and went to bed, anxious about the next morning.
The next morning came and I woke up, sat and had a coffee with my parents. I was so nervous. I hadn't told them about my plans to get my nose done. But they didn't even notice!!! I literally had to point it out. All that worrying for nothing and they didn't even care. Well, they cared, but I was an adult now. It was my body and my choice to do what I pleased. The real test would be going in front of my conservative, Catholic grandparents. But I always love a challenge.
The whole aftercare was relatively problem free, only having some flare ups when I slept on my nose or bumped it somehow. I changed jewellery after two months and have had few problems ever since. Over a year has gone by since, and have had few issues. I do sometimes have problems when the monthlies arrive or when I get a bad cold or the flu. But otherwise smooth sailing!