At A Glance Author mr7083a Contact mr7083a@bme.anon IAM mr7083a When Three months ago Artist Don't want to libel the artist Studio See above Location Connecticut I wanted a tongue piercing since the first time that I heard that a tongue could be pierced. My parents, like most others threatened to sue whoever pierced or tattooed me before I was 18. So, like the chicken I am, I waited. Since turning 18, I'm now 20, I have gotten seven piercings and three tattoos, which I guess by BME standards is not really that much. I have gained a lot of experience, and a community by following my heart and becoming a modified person. The most important part of my experience does not have that much to do with aftercare, it has to do with making a transition. My new dimples have almost opened up a new world in a way that my lip and tongue and other mods did not. I'm on the other side of the looking glass now.
I worked at a particularly conservative financial services company over the summer as an accountant. Needless to say I had to wait until that stint was over so that I could go get my cheeks pierced. I talked to Jon at Infinite in Philly about getting a medusa and cheeks done at the same time. He informed me that while it could be done, it should not be done because the cheeks are hard enough to heal on their own. I was a little disappointed, but still excited even though I had another month to wait before I was free from the suit and tie, so to speak. At the end of the summer after my internship I headed to New York with my girlfriend for her family reunion. From there we went to Connecticut where I got pierced. I was too impatient to wait to go back to Philly to get pierced by Jon. I should have known by now that impatience was automatically going to get me in trouble.
I ended up at the piercing shop I met the gentleman who did the piercings. Because I have heard that it's not nice to speak badly of piercers, I will leave out where it was done and the artist. The biggest thing I can say is that he was extremely personable. And this is where some more experience comes in. I have read several comments by one of the QOD guys who said that people tend to mistake niceness for good piercing techniques. I originally had a problem with that assumption, that good bedside manner was not really important. But now I know for myself that being nice DOES NOT always mean that you're dealing with an experienced piercer. I do not think that he had ever done cheek piercings. He did change his gloves at least a half dozen times during the whole procedure. I saw the jewelry that he was about to use, and asked how long the jewelry was that he was going to use, and he commented that he was happy that I was comfortable with longer jewelry because som e people become alarmed out when they see long jewelry. He never did say how long it was. I'm pretty sure the jewelry was autoclaved although it came in plastic packaging with a black piece of cardboard with the name of the company on the inside. I really should have gotten up right then and there. I know that those companies do not make long enough jewelry for initial cheek piercing jewelry.
But of course I stayed because I really wanted to get pierced that day. He marked and measured and clamped and pierced my right cheek from the outside in. For the first time the clamps actually did hurt more than the piercing. They were sharp and pinched my cheek on the inside a good bit. The needle wasn't too bad, it slid through easily and the pain started when the swelling started. The second one hurt a good deal more, I felt like throwing up when he pushed the needle through, but I was strangely calm and remember remarking to myself, "Hmmn, that hurt a lot, I feel like throwing up now." But he put a taper in behind the needle and then put in the jewelry. My girlfriend was standing against the wall taking a video and pictures of the second piercing. The artist discounted the price $20, I think because it was his first, but I tipped him the $20 anyway. So, all in all I paid $100 for two 14g cheek piercings.
My face swelled, and swelled, and swelled. I ended up looking deformed, and the numbness caused by the swelling and the jewelry being consumed by my cheek was frightening. I tried to remain calm because I have a tendency to panic. Ice brought the swelling down, and I didn't have trouble eating. I washed the piercings twice a day with Satin and sea salt soaked every time the pain got bad. I also took three Advil or Motrin to bring down the swelling every four hours, which only worked a little bit. I took too much of the medicine because the swelling was persistent, and ended up feeling pretty crappy. The swelling was still out of control though, and after about a week and returning to Philly, I went to Infinite to get it checked out. I had become especially alarmed when the jewelry had nested inside my cheeks and I had to cut through the tissue on the inside with the backing of the jewelry in order to keep it from sinking in and having skin grow over it. I had to p ush it out every 10 minutes or so which got to be annoying, painful and extremely unsanitary. Every time I pushed the jewelry out it cut me fairly deeply and bled a lot.
When I got to Infinite I was relieved to see Jon there, because I knew that he could fix the problem. When I had my nipples pierced, the wrong jewelry was put in and needed to be changed and I went to Jon to have it done. I had to wait a few minutes while he finished a navel piercing and then he set up and looked at what was going on in my mouth. He cursed a little, I think maybe he was slightly angry that someone would put such short jewelry in a new cheek piercing. It turned out that the original jewelry was 5/8ths. Jon laughed and showed the guy at the desk and the guest artist see the jewelry that had been in my cheek. He said something I think I'll never forget, "That guy must have been on crack! These are 5/8ths! Guys look at this, he was on crack!" Now, I'm not sure about crack, but he obviously did not know what he was doing. But I'm not angry, it's difficult being a piercer. Jon tried a couple of different lengths, first ¾, and then 1". Changing the j ewelry was painful because I was so swollen and because it was tender and had not really begun healing in my mouth. The 1" fit with a good deal of room to spare and I cannot begin to explain the relief I felt once they were in. No more pressure, and a lot less pain.
I paid $70 for the jewelry and the change, and tipped Jon $10. I was so thankful, I wanted to empty my bank account and give it to him. I'm not getting pierced any where else but at Infinite or at No Ka oi from now on. Now my biggest problem is that people stare. Just be prepared that if you're going to get these that people are going to stare. And if you're non-violent like I usually am, it may even provoke you to do a little fighting or make some obscene gestures. What I mean by being on the other side of the looking glass, is that I now appear modified to other people. They see it as radical and new, neither of which is true. Some ask me why, and honestly, I can't really explain to them. And it is none of their business. I really am happy with the piercings and the way that I look at the world now. Everyone says "go for it" at the end of their experience and I can't really tell you to go for it or to think twice, but with this one, don't let impulse let you ma ke stupid decisions. Talk to the artist before hand, and make sure he or she knows their stuff. I ended up paying $180 for two piercings, which I love, but a lot of pain and expense could have been avoided if I had been patient.