I had been thinking about getting my septum done for awhile and when I got back to Salem for school I decided I would just head on over to Addictions, a nice shop with a great reputation from my fellow students to get it done. I already knew they accepted walk-ins thanks to their website.
At A Glance Author Betsy Contact Betsy@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Emily Studio Addictions Location Salem, OR I got in and one of the workers promptly asked me what I was there for and as soon as I told her she said she would let the piercer know, asking me what kind of jewelery I wanted. I asked for a circular barbell which the piercer said she could do but would cost $5 extra. No problem since it was what I really wanted. I did my paperwork and waiting while the piercer set up. The nice girl who was working in the front came out to talk to me about aftercare and gave me a very nice pamphlet of instructions as well as a bag of sea salt (very cool not to have to run out immediately and buy more!) This wasn't my first piercing so it went pretty quick. She also told me what I could expect and that my eyes were gonna tear up due to the nose-eyes link. She also told me that after a few months it might start to smell really bad, something that could last for a month or even several months, like smelly gym socks I believe is how she put it. I also got a chance here to ask about what to do on a keloid I've developed on my daith, apparently the best is tea tree oil which can be purchased at Bath and Body Works in case anyone was wondering!
After about 10 minutes the piercer was ready for me so we headed back into the room. I sat down and the piercer explained a little more about what she would do. She told me that she would have me breathe and then take a deep breath and blow out like I was blowing the candles on a birthday cake. She also said that my friend could get in close and take pictures no problem, flash would be fine as well but the room was very brightly lit so no real need. She explained that she used to do septums freehand with a tube but now prefers to use septum forceps, I forget why exactly but she's also the shop owner and seemed to definitely know what she was doing. It was going to be over really quickly, and she said the exit wound would swell up for approximately 5 days following the initial piercing but that it would settle down afterwards.
So she leaned the chair back and stood behind me. She asked if I would be using my jewelery as a retainer by pushing it up my nose, I said yes so she adjusted the size of the circular barbell accordingly. She showed me a trick for stretching out my septum in order to push it up into my nose more easily.
Then she marked me up and placed the forceps on my septum. She told me she was putting the needle in place and that it would feel like a toothpick poking me. She handed me a tissue in case I teared up and then she had me start taking deep breaths and then "exhale" and in a millisecond it was all over! The needle was in place! She then told me she was going to put the jewelery in and that I might feel the threads a little. She screwed the ball on and then told me not to clean it that night but to start the next day cleaning off the crusties. I was congratulated on my lack of exclamations of pain and the fact that I didn't have tears running down my face.
I must say, septum piercing was no worse than either of my lip piercings or my daith. As long as it's quick it's all over in a millisecond anyway so it's hard to measure which one is worse. So far the afterward on my septum is way easier than the swelling of my snakebites. I am really happy I was dissuaded by people saying that septums are really painful. It is a little painful when I accidentally push on it the wrong way although I think I would have to put considerably more force on the tip of my nose than they were telling me for it to hurt there. Mostly it's if I accidentally squish my nostrils together from the top of my nose (I did this twice the morning after in the shower, ouch!).
After I was done I also had her fit me in some lip rings to replace the studs I had in my snakebites. She was really helpful in letting me try out a few different sizes and then I had her just put them in for me. I had lost a ball from one of my studs and she threw a new one in for free!
Great experience with some nice ladies! Very easy, I would highly recommend this shop to anyone.