Everyone needs a little motivation in there life, mine was a self-imposed restriction on piercing. Sometimes you have to reward yourself to get the motivation to actually change. I have had a lot of addictions over my twenty three years and I always said that when I can quit everything but drinking and smoking I will go and get my lip pierced.
At A Glance Author RabidTechnoBunny Contact rabidtechnobunny@hotmail.com When It just happened Artist Adam Studio Adam's Body Art Location Brandon, Manitoba, Canada Well I finally did it, I am finally clean and my reward... Snakebites, those nice matching lip rings on both sides of your lip. I have been waiting for what seems like my whole life to get them done. The very first time I saw someone with them I knew that I had to have them.
I went in to Adam's and started to look around, I figured I had been good and I can finally start to seriously plan some piercings. Well there wasn't much to plan I knew I wanted by Snakebites. The next thing I know I am actually sitting in the big chair and getting ready to face the needle. Well it wasn't my first piercing, I have had my tongue pierced for seven years now and I have stretched my left ear out to a 0 gauge.
I had read some of the experiences here on Bmezine so I did have an idea as what to expect, I didn't expect them to be painful, and they weren't. Adam made the whole thing seem so easy. He started by showing me every piece of equipment and jewelery inside there sealed and sanitized packaging. Then we went over the procedure its self as to how I wanted the piercings to sit. He even got the placement of the premarks right on only the second try, which is amazing because I can remember spending forever trying to decide where I wanted them, and all he does is draw two dots, take a quick look change one, and bang hes got them right where I wanted. After this he brought out a whole stack of sealed rings and lined them up one by one with my face to make sure he was using just the right size ring for my lips. The only part of the procedure that I was not looking forward to was the clamps, I remembered them to be a less than pleasant experience. But, sure enough as soon as he had them set he actually asked me if they were too tight or not. The piercing its self went smoothly after he bent the needles so they wouldn't poke into anything they weren't soposeto it was only a couple of deep breaths and they were in. There wasn't even any pain, not like I expected there to be, this was no worse than an ear piercing. As soon as the clamps were off and the rings were in (I chose to use Captive ball rings rather than studs) the very first thing I do... try and lick my lips and my tongue bar gets hooked inside the lip ring. So after that first painful and embarrassing moment I haven't had a single problem since.
Now I was never the type of person to listen when people try to give me advice, so I just kinda nodded as I was given the aftercare speech (I had heard it before). I myself have always stuck to the LTHA method (leave it the hell alone) of aftercare because thats what works for my body. This is where you don't really do anything at all. I do a quick rinse after I smoke or eat, and another rinse before bed. It's not that I am too lazy to care for my piercings It's just the way that works for me, sometimes people can "over care" this happens when you are constantly checking and cleaning. There's nothing really wrong with that unless you start to actually disturb and irritate the piercing, which may cause more harm than good. Thats why I have always used the LTHA method. It doesn't work for everyone and I don't recommend you try it unless you know how your body will react, it may result in a very nasty infection requiring you to remove your piercing or worse.
I have had my snakebites for three days now and there healing great. There has been no swelling, no redness, and no soreness. I have actually forgotten a few times that there even there, until someone comes up and points at my face and says when did you get that.
Now I haven't had to work yet since I got the work done, I work in a restaurant that has a no visible piercing/tattoo policy, so tomorrow I will find out if they will actually enforce that. I'm not too concerned, I don't want to work someplace that would try and fire me for the way I look anyway. It's who I am and I'm not going to change for anyone.
I have started my new drug free life, but I'm addicted to piercing and I couldn't be happier. In fact Adam and I are already discussing a 1" lobe scalpelling and possibly subdermal implants. Although my girlfriend seems to have something to say about that.