BEFORE
At A Glance Author Becca Contact Becca@bme.anon When A month ago Artist Carmen Studio Cassioppia Location Manhattan, NY After a few months of perusing the many pages of septum rings and experiences, I was sold on getting pierced myself. I had had my tragus done a few months earlier by their sister studio, Andromeda [on St. Mark's place], but out of convenience I opted for the less-well-known establishment.
When my friend Brian and I walked in to the small studio, we were met with wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling displays of jewelry, leather, and everything else that one might wish to adorn their body with. The piercer, Carmen, greeted me and had me fill out the standard forms. The other girl who worked there (didn't catch her name, sorry - but she had red-orange hair and both conches done) was also nice and gave my friend some advice on his industrial while I was signing everything.
Once I turned in the papers, Carmen brought out a tray of rings and barbells. I originally told her that I wanted to get it pierced with a retainer, but she warned me against it. She asked me, "How are you going to clean it?" - because apparently, it would be too small to clean, which I didn't realize. Instead, she showed me a tray full of circular barbells and explained how I could flip them up inside my nostrils so that they would be invisible. I picked a black 14g barbell, but regrettably didn't think to ask what the material was (my main concern had been choosing something that was easier to hide... now one ball is slightly lighter than the other, my guess is it's titanium?). After I paid the $63 [total], Then the two of us headed up the tiny spiral stairs into the piercing room.
PROCEDURE
Carmen was honest in telling me right off the bat that my nostrils flare up a little bit, so she would have to pierce slightly higher than usual. It's a bit difficult to explain, but basically at almost any pierceable spot along my septum, the entry hole would be completely visible from the profile. She was really good with showing me the new, wrapped needles, and explained that she would be using a clamp to keep the needle straight while piercing. She cleaned me up with iodine and told me to pull my upper lip down tight over my teeth (it stretches out the nostrils, exposing the septum more).
Finally, the clams
p were put on and I was told to breathe. I inhaled, exhaled, inhaled, and on the exhale, I felt the needle go through. Most experiences here say that it was nothing, didn't hurt, hardly felt it, etc - but I definitely felt more than a pinch. It might be because she had to pierce a bit higher... but whatever the case, my eyes started streaming. Carmen started telling me that she was going to put the jewelry in and the worst was over. Of course that hurt a bit too, and my eyes kept going, but it wasn't as bad as the actual needle. When I saw myself in the mirror, I started grinning and told her that I loved it. She then showed me how to flip it up so that it would be completely invisible.
When we walked back down, she said "She decided not to go through with it after all." If I hadn't been grinning like a fool, it would have been believable because it wasn't even the slightest bit visible. I walked out of Cassioppia, happily pierced and armed with my aftercare sheet.
AFTER
All in all, it was perfect. I'm cleaning it daily to twice daily now with EarClean or antibacterial soap, then putting Bactine all over it and rotating it. Just a warning, though: don't turn it until AFTER you've cleaned it, because the little crusties will get torn and dragged into the hole. It hurts a lot more than you might think! I think the shape of the ring is a bit hard to hide, though... or maybe it's my nostrils?... because often I'll flip it up and it won't stay in place. Instead, it will just slide down from the roof of my nostrils and sit on the floor. It feels a bit like a large booger oozing down my nose and then stopping just before it's visible.
If you're not sure about whether or not to get it, I say go for it. The aftercare's easy and it's equally easy to hide or flaunt. The only two downsides were the cost and people's reactions. Brian is my only friend who both eagerly takes a needle to his skin and doesn't mind septums. My best friend's reaction was something like "Aw man, you got THAT done?...". The cost of the jewelry itself was also more than I expected, but so far, it's been worth every dollar.