I'd been bugging my parents since my 16th birthday for an eyebrow piercing. I'd been fascinated by facial piercings since my preteen days, and by 13 I had quadruple lobe piercings. But my parents were unenthused and slightly nauseated by the idea of facial piercings. They were hard to convince.
At A Glance Author Anna Contact soundpicturebox@hotmail.com When N/A Artist Karl Studio Fusion Location Springfield, VA
Finally, after months of pestering, I had the bright idea to make them a flip-chart and PowerPoint presentation (always the professional, I was.. I highly recommend the professional approach to anyone trying to convince their parents to allow a piercing. They're suckers for it). After grudgingly reviewing the prices and health risks, they agreed to let me do it on the condition that I'd wait until after Christmas break--god forbid the grandparents see me with metal in my face!
So on New Year's Eve, we headed out to Fusion, a skate shop/piercing parlor in Springfield Mall. I know, I know.. getting pierced in the mall IS the worst idea ever. But it was the only place in the DC area that would pierce minors, with or without parents. It wasn't the... cleanest place, or the most professional... the piercing booth was just a screened-off corner in the back of the store. But I had a friend who'd had his eyebrow pierced there, and it looked pretty good, so I took his recommendation and trusted them. I asked at the counter about the piercer, and the clerk said he was pretty busy that night. She made me fill out the standard forms, sign the waivers, etc. and asked me if I'd had anything to eat in the last few hours... I hadn't, so she made me go buy a pretzel, which put me at ease with the knowledgeability of the shop.
So I went, got a pretzel, and waited on a mall bench outside the store for a little while. I wasn't really nervous about the pain, but I was scared to death that it was going to look like crap. After a while, Karl (the piercer) stuck his head outside and said he was ready for me. So I went in the back and laid down on a bench, which was the piercing table, and put my head on the pillow, which was a roll of paper towels. He was really good about calming me down... called me "love" constantly, which only middle-aged British men can get away with... let me know what he was doing, opened all the sterilization equipment and needles in front of me, etc. Despite it not looking too professional, he was doing a pretty good job.
And finally it came time for... THE POKING! He had me shut my eyes, take a deep breath, and applied the clamp (which is really the most painful part of the whole thing. It was tight and uncomfortable). Then... just a mild popping sensation, like there was something extra in my face. Didn't hurt at all.. but a weird feeling. I opened my eyes and peeked... it was bizarre to see a huge needle in my face. Then he began putting the barbell through, which hurt a bit, because he used externally threaded jewelry (MAKE SURE to ask for internally threaded starter jewelry! The threading hurts!). And then... screwed on the end... it was done. I looked... I saw... I loved. My very first facial piercing was done, and I love it to this day. So... overall, a pretty good experience. However, if you're underage and looking to get pierced... don't do it in a mall. Drive those few extra miles to someplace quality, even if it costs you an extra half-hour in the car.
So to sum it up, my basic guidelines for anyone getting pierced (especially underage):
1) Get internally threaded jewelry. It's sturdier, and hurts a whole lot less. Many sites like tonguestud.com carry only internally threaded stuff.
2)Don't go to the freaking mall! If anyone tries to pierce you with a piercing gun, hit them with a stick! Don't get your friends to do it! I've seen so many self-pierced and friend-pierced disasters. Go to a legitimate piercing place.
3)Make sure the piercer is opening the needles in front of you, and ask to see their autoclave.
4)Don't keep saying "hang on, give me a minute." It just makes you more nervous.
5)Eat a little something so you don't faint, but don't gorge so you don't puke.
6)Ask the piercer to let you see the placement he/she has marked before doing the actual piercing. You don't want it in some funky place.
7)Finally... CLEAN IT! Keep it clean! Don't screw with it, as tempting as it is. YOUR HANDS ARE NASTY. THEY ARE COVERED IN GROSS THINGS. DON'T MESS WITH YOUR PIERCING UNLESS YOU WASH YOUR HANDS THOROUGHLY!
If you want a piercing... go get it! Nothing to fear. Be careful, and enjoy!