I've been interested in various body modifications for several years, and for a long time I've wanted a tattoo. As I learned more about them, though, I realized I would be better off waiting until I could find a high-quality tattoo artist, and enough money to afford a nifty tattoo, even after I turned eighteen. The thought of getting an illegal under-aged tattoo never entered my mind, because in my mind, if an artist is willing to break one law, they're probably willing to break others and hepatitis doesn't make me smile.
At A Glance Author Cassandra022 Contact Cassandra022@bme.anon When It just happened Studio Andromeda Peircing Location NYC, US So, deciding that a tattoo was for the future, I instead focused on piercing. I've never had anything but two earlobe holes, because my mother is controlling and strongly disapproves of body modification, but I wanted some kind of body piercing. In April I bought a clip-on earring out of curiosity, and discovered I really liked how a lip ring looked. I decided to get one. My mother, however, refused to give her consent, so I had to wait until I turned eighteen. In that time, I discovered snakebites, and debated for months about whether I'd prefer one center lip ring, or snakebites. I looked at pictures of both, I read accounts of both, I asked random people and friends for opinions, and I still couldn't decide. One was more common, simpler, and cheaper to get; the other was unusual, interesting. As my birthday drew near I continued to debate what I wanted in my head.
Well, yesterday I turned eighteen. Having done my research online, I decided to get my piercing done at Andromeda Piercing studio at St. Marks Place in the East Village (I live in NYC); they're website looked nice and the place seemed, from the description, safe and clean. Together with my friend we went there. We had some yummy hummus and falafel beforehand, and fortified with that we went to the piercing place. It did indeed seem nice and clean. I talked to the man at the counter, who was quite um, attractive, and picked out jewelry, got aftercare instructions, etc. I paid beforehand, and with all that out of the way, the peircer, a woman whose name I didn't catch, led me to a small room in the back. I rinsed out my mouth with Listerine while she prepared everything. She disinfected my skin, then marked the spots where I'd be pierced. She measured it very exactly to make sure they were even, taking the fact that one side of my lips are apparently a bit thicker into account. This pleased me because I am very obsessive about things being symmetrical. She also marked the insides of my lips.
I wasn't particularly nervous. Pain doesn't bother me, and I'm one of those weird people who really likes needles, to the point where I like giving blood because I enjoy watching them stick that big straw-like needle into my vein. I found the experience interesting more then anything else, and also a bit unreal, because I was finally getting something I'd wanted for a really long time but had been unable to have, because mother wouldn't agree and I didn't want to take the risk of an illegal piercing.
When she was ready to actually do the piercing, she used a clamp to position it correctly, then inserted the needle, took it out, and put in the jewelry. She did the same on the other side. It didn't really hurt much at all, and was certainly manageable. I bled enough for her to comment about my having thin blood, but it didn't really surprise me because I drink like eight or more cups of coffee a day so it'd be a bit weird if my blood wasn't a wee bit thin. The jewelry was captive bead rings, and it was somewhat uncomfortable for me when she close them. I rinsed my mouth again with Listerine, and rinsed the outside. I felt perfectly fine, with no dizziness at all or any such.
It's the next day now, and I'm pleased to see that my lip hasn't swollen up hugely, as a part of me feared it would. Slightly swollen, but it still looks like a normal lip would look, albeit a thicker lip then I normally have. I've been rinsing with Listerine, washing the outside with ear piercing solution and anti-bacterial soap, and using ice occasionally. I rotate the rings a bit myself but a lot of the time they move around without me meaning them to. No pain today for the most part, very low level pain yesterday right after the piercing. There is some discoloration around the right ring, which leads me to believe that piercing probably hit a capillary in my lip or such. But since there are no major veins, I'm assuming the blood will be absorbed eventually and it wont be a problem. Honestly if it stays like that more then a week or two I might go back and ask the peircer about it, but it doesn't hurt so I'm ignoring it for now. I've been eating and drinking pretty much normally, and the rings don't make it too inconvenient. Bought sea salt this evening so shall be doing the whole sea salt soaks thing too.
Honestly though, I love my piercings. The snakebites look awesome. Assuming nothing goes wrong, as the fatalistic and paranoid part of me insists it will, this will make me very merry indeed for a long time. It was totally worth waiting a bit to get a nice, safe, properly done piercing.