So my obsession with piercings began with a septum piercing done almost a year ago. I agree with many that piercings have become common and are almost "trendy" in a sense...I am aware that it is nearly impossible to not follow some trends so to sort of bend the conformity rule, I like to get piercings that are either subtle, odd, or really stand out (hence, the septum).
At A Glance Author heaven shall burn Contact heaven shall burn@bme.anon When A week ago Artist Chris Studio Adorned Precision Body Piercing Location Canada I remember first seeing a scrumper piercing when I was just a wee lad, probably about 10 or 11 years of age, and a young woman who was working at the clothing store that my mother and I were at smiled and said "hi" to me. I remember first telling my mother, "look,look ! that lady has her gums pierced!!!" I thought it was the wierdest yet coolest thing ever. So perhaps the idea had been secretly instilled in me to get the piercing myself since that day. I figured that since it is only noticeable when you smile, it is a great way to gain positive energy by adorning and promoting smiling! So i had already made my decision to get a scrumper when the option of a new piercing arose.
Trying to get this piercing actually was more irritating and a nuisance than the procedure itself. The studio I normally go to for piercings wouldn't do it (even though they had said I had the best web they'd seen for it) and neither would any of the other studios in my city. But after much searching and holding off on the procedure, I finally found a place that would do it. So I walk into the studio and Chris, the piercer, said he could do it right away. This is good, as anxiousness builds when waiting for something like that.
Sitting in the chair, all the equipment was being laid out and Chris put on a pair of gloves and sent some guy to autoclave my barbell jewellery. The guy returned and handed Chris the barbell. Chris asked if the jewellery was the right one. Yes. He asked me to tilt my head at a 45 degree angle and throw on a pair of gloves. He had me hold my upper lip up quite a ways so he could dry the frenulum and make markings. On go the clamps, and in goes the needle. And that's exactly what it was. Alot of people say that they feel a tearing sensation but all I remember is feeling straight up endorphins but no pain previous to it. Wierd. I tasted a little blood and Chris had me look in the mirror. Pretty damn cool. i could only see the very edge of the beads when I smiled. 10 Points for subtlety. I thanked Chris, got all the aftercare info, paid the front desk and left. With a permanent grin on my face.
the next day my upper lip right below my nose was a tad sore, but nothing unbearable and i found that the sea salt rinse did wonders to expell the miniscule swelling. It took a few days after the procedure for the swelling to diminish totally and for me to get used to the strange feeling of metal in my mouth. Eating is sometimes a pain, but it really depends on the type of food you are eating. I believe I ate perogis and tofu salad for a week before moving on to my usual omnivorous diet.
Also, for those worried about the toothbrush near a new piercing, I find that if you brush in a side to side manner instead of a clockwise manner, you avoid touching the piercing altogether. There are always ways to keep clean and hygienic without having to compromise the safety and health of your piercing. Also, Try not to play with it with your tongue as fun as it is. I find that this just irritates it and makes it red.
Anyways, I found that it took a about a week for everything to feel normal and healthy but I still rinse with a sea salt solution once or twice a day to be safe.
With all that said, I think that the smiley piercing is truly lovely. My ego gets boosted, I get alot of attention (sometimes the negative kind, but only from wacky suited business folks), i can play around with different kinds of jewellery (straight barbells, bananabells, circular tusks, etc.), it accentuates my septum and I notice that I smile alot more and get more smiles back (even if they are half-curious smiles). I am very pleased with the results and the piercing itself. It's also good to know that not alot of other people have it, so I can bring some uniqueness into this grey world. Smiley = endless smiles...hahaha.