So it's been done, I have stabbed myself.
At A Glance Author Bandora Contact Bandora@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Tammy Studio Tattoos by Lou Location North Miami Beach, FL After years of wishing, months of wanting and just a day of feeling like I had the courage I decided to finally get my nostril pierced.
I've had bad experiences with piercings in the past where they would get infected out of the blue years after they had healed so I had limited myself to tattoos since they you don't have to worry about them after they finish healing so this was my first attempt at a piercing in 10 years and the first facial one.
Being impulsive, I wanted to do it asap and since aunt Flo is scheduled for her monthly visit this week I wanted to do it before everything started to hurt more than it should.
Ideally I wanted to have a friend join my for moral support but that meant that I would have to wait several days so I decided to be a big girl and go by myself.
So I went to the Tattoos by Lou in North Miami since it's way closer to home than the Kendall location that I normally visit 10 minute drive compared to an hour in traffic, it was my first time there but I've had nothing but good experiences at 2 of their other locations so I was expecting the same standard of quality.
The piercer had just left so I found myself with 1.5 hours to kill at Walmart before I could come back. Thankfully my courage didn't dissipate that quickly and I couldn't wait to go back.
My timing was excellent, I arrived just as she had finished settling in and the staff knew exactly what I was there for and just handed me the clipboard to fill out the form and pick my stud.
I decided on the left nostril since that's where Hindu women place theirs, it's supposed to help with childbirth, not that I'm planning on having a kid right now but I can use all of the help I can when the time comes. I chose the plain stainless steel stud since it's a pretty generic one and this will need to stay in place for months before I can change it for something else. After internet research I decided against the retainer stud because it's not recommended during healing since the plastic is porous and it's a breeding ground for bacteria. I'll just need to hope that work won't be a problem.
So after paying $45 for the piercing and stud plus $10 for a can of H2Ocean, I followed Tammy, my piercer to her booth and chair. She got me marked up and got everything ready putting on gloves, opening the clamps, needle, etc. She then disinfected my nose.
So when the time came she asked me to sit up, I then closed my eyes as I didn't want to see the needle coming at my face. I felt the clamp being put on, just a slight pinch, then she said, take a deep breath and exhale on 3. 1.... 2... 3... sudden sharp pain, not so horrible, actually better than I feared, it was weird to feel the needle in there and the fidgeting to get the stud in, the stud insertion hurt a little, like scratching an open wound, which is essentially what it was but also no big deal.
Everything was over in less than 10 seconds, it hurt more than plucking an eyebrow but it wasn't horrible.
She then wanted to wait and see if I would bleed, no bleeding, I immediately went to take a look in the mirror. It wasn't placed in the spot I envisioned but I still liked it. Then as she started to recite the aftercare instructions I had to sit down as I got a sudden case of dizziness, nothing major but best to sit down.
That was odd as I usually get dizzy during the needle part, not after, so after a minute I was good to go and on my way to the Kmart nearby to purchase Dial antibacterial soap per the cleaning recommendation. I got the H2Ocean spray which is very convenient for daily use but I won't be able to take on the plane during my trip next weekend so I'll have to do the old fashioned sea salt soaks while out of town.
So while in Kmart I walked by a mirror and noticed that I had bled just a tiny bit so the first thing that I did after getting home was to clean it, I tried to be as gentle with the q-tip as possible and got most of the dried blood out but I didn't want to fidget too much since it was still so soon and tender.
So right now the nostril is a little red but it doesn't hurt, I'm just very aware that it's there. So now I just have to be careful during the healing process and remember to avoid the hot tub while at the hotel.