When I was sixteen years old I decided I wanted to get my lip pierced. I just thought they looked freakin' awesome. My parents had allowed my older sister to get her tongue pierced when she was sixteen, so I was sure they would let me get a piercing as well. When I asked my mom if I could, she said it was up to my dad. He said absolutely not. When I pleaded my case and told him that he was being unfair he made me drop the subject. I was heartbroken...My dreams were had been crushed. A few weeks later I brought up the subject to him again. This time he told me I could get it done, if I gave up my car and my cell phone. I could live without a phone, but if I didn't have a car I couldn't get to work. Conundrum. I gave up for the time being.
At A Glance Author anonymous Contact anonymous@bme.anon When Two years ago
Finally, a few month before my 18th birthday I layed it down, "I'm going to be 18 soon and I need to be treated like an adult. I'm getting my lip pierced." Suprisingly their was no objection. I went in to the piercing shop and to;d a guy with more piercings on his face than I could count what I wanted. Since I was under age my mom had to be their to sign a concent form, and he had to scan our driver's license's. He asked me what size I wanted and said the smallest possible. He suggested a 16g. I went in thinking I would get a stud, but he told me it would look really weird at first because he's have to put a really long one in to allow for swelling. That made me decide on a ring instead.
We went back in to a sterile room and he washed his hands and put gloves on. All the needles were clean and the room looked clean too. He marked asked me what side I wanted it on. i said left. He took a marker and placed a dot on my lip. He gave me a mirror and asked me if that was okay. I said it was, but now I kinda wish would have had him move it up a little bit. After I told him it was okay, he took the needle in one hand and my lip in the other. I'm sure I looked silly. I think I even drooled on him a little. He told me to take a deep breath and let it out. I shut my eyes and did what he said. As I exhaled he put the needle through, and then quickly put the jewelry in place. I felt some pressure, but no pain.
My lip was a little tender and swollen for a week or two, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I had to wash my mouth out with special mouth wash after I ate, and soak the area in salt water. I also had to clean it with anti-bacterial soap everyday. It was a hassle, but worth it not to get an infection.
One problem that did pop up was my job. I waited tables at a restaurant and wasn't allowed to have facial jewelry. Fortunately I worked the night shift and was told that I could just put a band-aid over it. This sounded simple enough, but because the band-aid was literally on my mouth it would get soggey and fall of. That's really not what people wanted to see while they were trying to eat. and it was really annoying to have to go change my band-aid several times a night. It also irritated my piercing. I only had to tough it out a few weeks though. By then my piercing had healed enough to put a retainer in it while I was at work. The clear stud was way more subtle that a huge band-aid.
I now work at a convenience store located in a rural area out in the country. I don't have to wear a retainer anymore, now I can just wear my regular lip jewelry. But every day some old smart ass man asks me why I have a fish hook in my mouth. Or someone asks out of curiosity if it hurts. Why would I keep it in if it hurt? Duh...I know most of them are just trying to be funny, but it's incredibly rude. Also, I'm a shy, quiet person, but they assume I'm hateful or bitchy just because of something as trivial as a piercing. It's ridiculous. I guess it just comes with the territory.
If you are wanting to get a piercing but are afraid of the pain, you should just go for it. It really doesn't hurt. If someone tells you it 'hurt so bad' they're just exagerrating. And if you are afraid of what people will think of you, fuck them! If you like it that's all that matters.