I could say I always wanted my cheeks pierced, more than anything, since I was some ridiculous age like eleven. Well, that would be a lie. At the age of eleven, the only piercings I knew of were ears and navel, and I didn't much like the idea of either of those.
At A Glance Author Hannah Contact trinket@opiumlullabies.net IAM cobain When It just happened Artist Marty Studio Joe's Tattoo Studio Location Gorleston High Street, UK Skip forward six years, here I am. I have both the ears and navel, though not in the ways I'd experienced them as a kid. My ears are 20mm and my navel is an inverse navel, a small variation, but I think its prettier.
Anyway, the fascination for cheek piercings for me, came, not surprisingly, from BMEzine. Clicking through the galleries, not looking for anything in particular, I saw them. And they were beautiful. There weren't many pages of them, back when I first set eyes on them, but they left an impression.
Which is why, two days ago I went to see Marty at Joe's Tattoos to get pierced.
I always get nervous about piercings, even now, which is distinctly unfair, really. You'd think I'd be used to it or something. Alas, no. My stomach was churning and I was shaking. I hopped into the chair and waited. Marty checked his jewelry case - and he was out of long labret studs. He said he'd order some, and to come back Thursday. Which is exactly what I did. I got him to change my navel to a cute skull design and left. Let's skip forward to Thursday (today, technically).
Okay, the stomach was churning again, and I was shaking like a leaf, but I wasn't about to bottle. Never mind how worried I get about a piercing, I'll always go through with it.
The marking up took ages. I thought the people who said in their experience that it took half an hour MUST have been exaggerating. But no, it seems it is a notoriously difficult piercing to get right. Each dot seemed to be too high, too close to the lip, or just not-quite-right. Finally, we got a placement I liked, and another staff member, Tony, I think her name was, she had really pretty purple hair and amazing eye makeup, and she checked the placement too.
A swish round of that disgusting rotten banana freezing spray, which, of course, I swallowed accidentally, I always do, then another lot, and I was ready.
The clamps went on, and I felt a tingle of excitement. No backing out now. Marty did the right side first, and I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. A small sharp pain, not worse than a labret piercing, and I was done. Jewelry transfer was seamless, I didn't feel it. It bled a tiny bit, but nothing worth complaining about. The jewelry was Bioplast, which is notoriously difficult to thread. Marty got the ball on, and clamped the other side, round two.
Same thing, quick pinch and I was done. Jewelry in. Ball on. Except not as easily. I think we lost three balls before one decided it wanted to thread onto the stud! I felt awful, wasting the materials like that. And that was it, I had cheek piercings. The labrets are 25mm long, I think, so if I swell into a hamster face, they won't get swallowed by my cheeks and there will be no nasty scalpelling of my poor mouth. I'm to go back in a week to see how they're healing.
After they were done, Marty looked at them and called them 'hardcore'. I was 'hardcore Hannah'. Excuse my geekiness. I paid - £50, I can't afford to tip right now, I'm a poor student with no job (though I'm holding out for a job in that very shop!). Soon as I can afford it though, that guy is going to get loads of tips, all the piercings he's done for me so far have healed amazingly. I examined my reflection, and left, everyone at Joe's saying goodbye, they're so nice there! I really do believe modified people are the nicest people in the world.
My dad had given me a lift there, he was waiting outside of the shop. He doesn't approve of piercings, he doesn't like the idea of me hurting myself. My mum - she's crazy, for her birthday last year, she got herself an adorable nose stud, and she's considering an eyebrow piercing! I told her it was addictive. I got home, and my sister, who's a bit of a piercing fan herself, (limited of course by ridiculous school rules that seem to allow monroes, eyebrow piercings, navels and tongue piercings, but not anymore than that. Something about them being a 'distraction'.) opened the door. 'Cheeky' she said, which made me giggle (ouch) and that was it. I showed my mum, who asked me what had taken so long. I hadn't realized how long the marking had took and how long I'd randomly hung out there afterwards!
For tea, I ate spaghetti Bolognese, which was a challenge, certainly. I haven't swollen up yet, I took a pre-emptive Ibruprofen before I left, and so maybe that's keeping it down for now. I'm not looking forward to tomorrow, to waking up to more cheek than I'll have a need for! But so far, they've been good, a bit tender on the inside and difficult to eat with, thanks to the long bars, but when there's no chance of swelling and I can get the bars changed, that should be remedied. I'm really hopeful about these piercings, they're adorable, and I hope they heal well. I'd recommend them to anyone, they don't hurt to have done, and they look amazing, plus - dimples. It's all good.