My new years resolution for 2004 is to get more mods. My labret of 8 years is lonely and I've felt recently that I'm far enough into my career that i can go "out" and not risk losing a job. I shall begin this with a beauty mark.
At A Glance Author Miztrezzz Contact miztrezzz@aol.com IAM Miztrezzz When A month ago Artist Jeremiah- iam:explodie Studio Halo Precision Piercing Location Mesa, Az
So over the weekend I spirit gummed an extra stainless bead on my face to see how I would look with a beauty mark. I tried it as a medusa and on both sides. I feel like my front gum line would make a medusa problematic, so I'm left with deciding between a left or right beauty mark.
I happened to have the fortune of meeting an interesting and cute guy off the Internet who turned out to be the piercer opening the new Mesa location of Halo piercing studio. Goody! Glenn at Halo in Tucson has done 90% of my other piercings, and he/they live up to every ideal of cleanliness and professionalism that every studio SHOULD have. I was confident that Glen would only hire a piercer of the same caliber to match. Plus Jeremiah went to school for massage therapy and this means he has more anatomy knowledge than the average piercer.
If you've never been to a Halo, I must recommend that you make a visit to them. Their studios are shining white and gleaming chrome like a sterile operating room. Everything is regularly hosed down with an anti-everything and nothing is touched with out gloves. Don't come in and handle your jewelery: they will yell at you. They are APP and OSHA approved for a damn good reason.
On my first visit, I was greeted by friendly receptionist Nicole. Shes a sweet and tiny thing who gently reminded me with wide eyes and a whisper to not kid around with the piercer that I'd ever use bactine to clean a piercing (it was a joke). She took my ID, and I filled out my paperwork and signed everything. She asked me if I was hungover, had any allergies, and made sure to eat 30 mins before coming (save yourself the embarrassment of being turned away by your piercer by making the appropriate preparations). Even if if its glaringly obvious that you've been pierced before, the Halo staff always makes sure to go over all the paperwork and after-care instructions with you before you sit in the chair. They will even question you to make sure you read your papers and didn't just skim over it, and stuff your after-care sheet into a pocket. This was made apparent because I checked off the health care questions and didn't initial them like I was supposed to. I was scolded.
I told her to leave the piercing location section on the paperwork empty as I wasn't completely sure on what side to put the piercing on. Jeremiah came out and we exchanged friendly chat and joked around like friends do, but when it came down to the jewelry and placement he was all business. He explained the potential problems with oral piercings gum/enamel recession, infection etc. Knowing I'm a heavy drinker he said "I know you, can you commit to not drinking while this heals?" It was a good call, and knowing that his ethics would override any friendship stuff affirmed that he was a good choice. I assured him I could. I told him that I wasn't sure which side the piercing would look best on, so I asked him and Nicole to give me their opinions on placement and why. They stood and stared at me and told me to smile and move my head around for at least 5 minutes, and then they discussed it and agreed on my right side. Apparently because one nostril is higher than the other.< BR>
Jeremiah selected a 16g with the tiniest ball and a long stem. "Its going to look funny; if anyone gives you any shit for it tell them you wanted an antenna". He gloved up, and meticulously wrapped the stud and ball into gauze, folding it up as many times as possible into a little package, into the tray, and into the autoclave. When that was done, he took me into the piercing room which is just as gleaming as the reception area.
He went into the scrub room and came out gloved and masked, squirted some foul yellow stuff on gauze and had me stick out my tongue, and swiped it on. He instructed me to move it all around in my mouth and up above my teeth, and then swallow. (I don't remember the name) This is infinitely better than the old days of the listerine rinse. He cleaned the area for the piercing and changed his gloves.
Marking the area is tricky, he poked his fingers around my lip and looked at my gums. He made a series of marks and asked me which one i wanted. It wasn't perfect I felt, so he wiped them off and marked again. He was patient through this 2 more times, marked the final spot and we agreed. A nice touch I noticed, which may or may not have been intentional, was that he kept his rolling instrument table off and back to my right so it wasn't sitting right there in front of me. Needles can be menacing. He chatted with me in another point I will attribute to keeping a client calm and relaxed.
"Okay, I want you to breathe in through your nose, hold it, and exhale through your mouth." I've never been real big on the relaxation breathing department since part of piercing for me is about the pain; I want it to hurt. He laughed at me and said, "Oh this will hurt, I've seen big tough biker guys pass out after thinking they can take it, and I don't need you passing out so start breathing deeply." Yes sir. He clamped me with smooth forceps, tightened it to his liking and asked if it hurt or was too uncomfortable. He told me what he was going to do and what to expect. "Okay big deep breath in and then exhale, you're going to feel a prick." I snickered, and on the outset of the breath he pushed the needle through the quickest anyone ever has. It made my eye water, Jeremiah noticed and asked, "Did that hurt too bad? Are you okay?" This was by far the least painful piercing I've ever had. I don't believe I bled very much, which is incredible for having blood clotting p roblems. I'll attribute that to deft piercing.
He went over the after-care and reminded me not to drink or do drugs or have oral contact for at least 5 weeks. "Hey its your choice to get shit faced tonight, but you'll be the one wearing a swollen lip that will take forever to heal and more than likely get infected." Thats a decent friend and a great piercer.
By the 2nd week there was virtually no swelling unless I played with it. On week 5 I had downsized to the smallest stud and now i have a pretty little mark that I get tons of complements on. I'm definitely going back to have the other side done.
N~*Miztrezzz*~N
kill everything, except me.