All I had wanted since the age of 15 was something else besides the piercings in my ears. I was pierced for the first time when I was 13 months old. I then got the second piercing right behind the first one when I turned 13. I am not a person who likes pain at all, yet for some reason wanted piercings. I could barely handle the stupid gun they use on your ears, and yet I wanted a huge needle shoved through some part of my face. What the hell was I thinking?
At A Glance Author PixelatedStars Contact PixelatedStars@bme.anon When Three months ago Artist Rusty Studio On the Wild Side Location Las Vegas, NV I had gone back and forth deciding on what else I wanted to get pierced besides my ears from the age of 15 to the age of 18. I even bought a fake lip ring to see what I would look like with it. I had originally started out wanting a tongue ring. I don't know there was just something about tongue rings that appealed to me. I then read into it and found out from my mother that if anything were to be done to my mouth I would have to take antibiotics. I decided I probably shouldn't do that, just because of the heart condition that I have and if the blood in my mouth got infected it could kill me. So that just etched the labret and lip piercings right out of the picture. Next I thought maybe my nose. That choice was quickly discarded too. I figured that it would feel like there was a booger stuck up my nose the entire time. That still left plenty of spots to be pierced on my face but I couldn't see myself with any of the piercings such as: the bridge of my nose, any other parts o f my ears, my cheeks, etc. That left me with one choice, my eyebrow.
I had gone back and forth for a few months after turning 18 and graduating from high school and working at a job that didn't accept piercings. So one night I was on the phone with a really good friend of mine who has had her nipples and tongue pierced before, and she was telling me how much they didn't hurt. I questioned her about a few things and she told me that we should go get my eyebrow pierced that night. After being completely indecisive I decided what the hell, why not. I walked out of my living room to inform my mother of what I was doing. She didn't seem too excited about it, but was happier that I was getting my eyebrow done than anything else I had decided on. This all occurred the night of October 19, 2003.
On the way to pick my friend up, I felt extremely nauseous and was a bit shaky. I'm one of those people who hate needles, and yet I wanted to get a piercing. I'm weird I know. I picked her up from her house and I drove to the tattoo/piercing shop. On the way she told me what her piercer's name was and that she thought he might be piercing me because he usually works the late night shifts. On top of me being nervous she tells me, "Oh yea the guy's name who is more than likely going to pierce you is Rusty." How fitting, I told her. Thanks for making me a bit more nervous than what I already was.
We arrived at the shop at about 11pm. It's Las Vegas you can get pierced and tattooed anytime of the day here. We walked in the front door of a tiny little shop covered in flash art, beautiful flash art at that, and a few cases full of body jewelry. Rusty asked me what I was there for and then what I was getting pierced. After finding out what I was getting done he handed me a release form. I had to fill out things like my name, address, phone number, what I was getting done, and if I had any medical problems. I made sure to tell him before even coming near me with a needle that I had a heart condition and he told me that I would be fine.
After I filled out all my information and let him know about any medical problems I had, I paid him the 35 dollars for the piercing and the jewelry and he sat me down in the chair. I watched him open up all new sterile packaging for everything he used, while having gloves on. He then picked up a marker and marked my eyebrow where he thought the piercing should be. I agreed with him and we went on from there. I told him I was extremely nervous and he told me I shouldn't be. He even went as far as putting the clamps on a piece of skin on my arm to show me what it would feel like. He then wiped my eyebrow off with some sort of cleaner and put the clamps on it. At this point my eyes were closed, because the last thing I wanted to see was a huge needle coming towards my eyeball. He instructed me to breathe in slowly and then breathe out. At soon at I did the breathe out part he shoved the needle right through my eyebrow. It hurt a lot less than I thought it would. It felt like a little pinch and nothing more.
I was a bit scared to look at it right after I had gotten it done. I swung the chair around and looked. I was a little unsure if I like it where it had been placed, but it was too late to have it moved from where it was placed. I started to stand and felt a bit uneasy so I sat back down. Rusty informed me that I could sit there until I was ready and I did. We asked him if the soda machine worked because I was thirsty and unfortunately it wasn't working, he then nicely offered us two soda's from his own fridge. Most artists I have been around would not have been nice enough to offer their own stuff to some random client. I finally got up from the chair and thanked Rusty for both the soda and a great piercing. He was very polite about everything. We talked a bit more and he told me what I needed to buy to clean my piercing and what all I needed to do. He also told me when I could change my jewelry. He also informed me that he pierced me with a 14 gauge so that when I went to b uy jewelry I could.
We took off towards another On the Wild Side shop to buy a retainer, because Rusty was out of them. They were not as nice at the other one, and it was a lot busier than where I was pierced. There wasn't as much one on one service. Things weren't as comfortable. We then left and went to Albertson's to buy antibacterial soap, and some other things. I dropped my friend off and came directly home. Once I arrived I came inside, washed my hands with the antibacterial soap, and moved the CBR ring in my eye around. I put Neosporin on it, covered it with a huge Band-Aid and went to sleep. I made sure not to sleep on the side the piercing was on due to it being really sensitive.
The next morning I woke up cleaned it and showed my mother. She was really pleased with it and liked it a lot more than she thought she would. My stepfather even liked it. Right before I had gotten my eyebrow pierced I made sure it was ok with my work. They OK'd it but told me I would have to wear a retainer in while at work. So the next 2 weeks at work I covered my eyebrow piercing with a Band-Aid. When the two weeks were up, I took the CBR out and put in my retainer, which I have in right now. It's what I wear the majority of the time due to work.
This is a piercing I definitely recommend people to get. It doesn't hurt at all. It's also one of those piercings most people don't even give a crap about. I have not had one person give me crap about my piercing. I have found that more people are curious than they are freaked out. I am happy that I decided on my eyebrow as the piercing that I wanted to get.