I had wanted my center labret done for a long time. When I got my lip pierced the first time, it was the one I truly wanted, but didn't get because my boyfriend at the time had his center labret done. I thought we would look kind of stupid walking around with the exact same piercing, so I went for the side instead.
At A Glance Author the fragile Contact the fragile@bme.anon IAM the fragile When It just happened Artist Nick Studio Alley Cats Location Harrisonburg, VA
The past couple of weeks I have been dreaming of getting my center labret pierced, but couldn't because the inspector was due at work, and we can't have any jewelry in our piercings when she's there, not even a retainer. I couldn't get it pierced, obviously, because you can't leave the jewelry out of a fresh piercing. So finally, last week, she was there (and lucky me, I wasn't on that shift anyway). On Friday I was still trying to decide whether or not to get it, but I was really excited at the prospect of getting some new body mod. The problem now was that I couldn't get it pierced with standard silver-colored jewelry, because I was going to have to wear it to work. I am allowed to wear a clear or pink acrylic ball on a stud in my other lip piercing. I was hoping to be able to get it pierced with this type of jewelry.
On Friday night I was hanging out with my friends Katie and Maida, and I decided to at least see if I could get my lip pierced with the type of jewelry I needed to wear to work. They went with me to Alley Cats (I think cats is spelled differently, but I'm not sure how they spell it) and the piercer was sitting right there at the front desk when we walked in. I asked him the price and then showed him my 16g stud that I wear in my left side lip piercing, asking him could I be pierced with this sort of jewelry but in a 14. He said yes, however they didn't have any of that sort of jewelry in stock, so I would have to go buy it somewhere and then he would clean it for me and pierce me. By this time it was already 9:30pm, and the mall and all places that might sell body jewelry were already closed, so I told him I'd be back in tomorrow (Saturday).
Saturday morning I went to work and it was just a horrible day at work, everything was going wrong. But at least I had my post-work piercing to look forward to.
Finally after what seemed like FOREVER 4pm came around... and I was still stuck at work. Katie was supposed to come with me at 4 to get my piercing!! Finally at almost 5pm, I got to leave and rushed home to change and then to go get Katie. First we went to the mall and to the body jewelry kiosk (no idea what the name is). After looking at all the jewelry on cards, I went over to the other side and found some studs and then a separate little tray of clear balls of all different sizes. She found me two 14g studs, and I picked the longer one, just in case my lip would swell, and then a ball that fit on the end. Only $10, and I was set for the jewelry.
We then went to Alley Cats, found no parking, had to go to CVS and park and walk over, but I was so excited that I was bouncing around, probably annoying the heck out of Katie. We went in only to find out that the piercer was on his break and I'd have to wait a few minutes. I was looking at all the pictures on the walls of tattoos you can get. Various students from the local college were coming in, saying they wanted tattoos, and then looking really perplexed when the artists asked what they would want... They came in asking for a tattoo but had no idea what they wanted or where they wanted it... OOOOOKAY.
Anyway, back to my story. The piercer got back and introduced himself as Nick. I showed him my jewelry, and he said it would be just fine. He asked for my ID, I paid him the $30, then he gave me the paperwork to fill out while he went to clean the jewelry. In a couple of minutes he came back and said he was all ready if I was. I asked if Katie could come in and watch, he said sure. She's never seen anyone get pierced or anything before, so she might have been more nervous than I was! We went in the piercing room where he had everything set up on a tray. As he was putting on gloves he was telling me it hurt for him to walk or anything because he had just gotten some work done on his back piece earlier that day; the part that was on his legs. He then had me rinse for a minute with mouthwash, and cleaned the outside of my lip with some white gel sort of stuff. As he was doing that, he noticed the star tattoo in my wrist and asked me where I got it, who did it, etc. (Margaret at Painted Lady.) Also who had done my first lip piercing, and why hadn't it been him!? Haha. (It was done in MI, by Chris at A Touch of Color.) He said he knew the shop where I had gotten the piercing, because he used to go around the country selling body jewelry. He marked a spot in the middle of my lip with a Sharpie, but it was a little higher than I wanted so he wiped the first mark off and moved it down a bit. Perfect. He was then putting a rubber band on the clamps and asking if I was ready. I said "I guess so", nervous giggle. He cleaned the needle in the white gel, and set the clamps on my lip. Ready to go! I was so nervous, it had been awhile since my first lip piercing, I didn't really remember what it felt like. He was like "You'll be fine! You've done this before!" He had me breathe in and on the exhale he pierced me. I had my eyes closed... and it didn't even hurt. A little pressure, I could sort of feel it sliding through, and that was it. I had expected to get really sick, because with my first piercing I had been sick to the poin "\Ãw¨"‚ t where I actually thought I was going to puke. I told him that and he kind of backed up and was like "Well are you ok?" And I said "Yeah, I feel great! It's weird, I felt so bad after my first piercing." And he said, "Well that's because I didn't do it!"
I tipped him because he was really just awesome, and just chatting while he was getting everything ready really helped the process a lot better than terrified silence.
I asked him what he would recommend as far as aftercare, because I wasn't really informed the last time, any more than "mouthwash". He said to go to CVS (I was parked there anyway) and get some biotene for the inside and saline solution for the outside. Then we said our goodbyes and thank you's etc. and I was on my way with my new addition.
It's now Tuesday, and my piercing is doing really well. It's been helping me not smoke as much too, because I don't want to tote around that bottle of biotene for use after every cigarette! My lip is not sore at all, and it wasn't even sore the night I got it done. The only part that hurts a little is where it is rubbing on my gums when I talk, but maybe that will go away once it is done swelling. I don't know if it doesn't hurt because Nick was a good piercer, or the placement I chose on my lip, or maybe a combination of the two. This has been the least painful piercing I've ever gotten. And I already love it!