While watching an MXC marathon one day, I happened to watch a particular music video in which the singer had a lip ring on the right. After seeing the music video, I found myself noticing lip piercings while out in public. I subsequently realised that I thought they looked awesome, and wanted one myself.
At A Glance Author skenasis Contact skenasis@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Don't know :o( Studio Alien Tatooing and Body Piercing Location Melbourne, Australia After doing all the research I could the night before, I finally decided that I wanted it done the next day. I spent said day fretting and ringing the studio I'd decided to get it done at several times to ask questions, making sure I could just walk in and get it done, what procedures they used...stuff like that. I was particularly nervous because just over a month beforehand, I'd had a right helix piercing done with a stud gun, and didn't find out until later how much of a no no that is. Fortunately I didn't get an infection or anything, although I have noticed that I can't wear certain kinds of earphones for much more than an hour without my ear starting to hurt.
In any case, I finally found myself heading to the studio at the end of the day. My first impression was amusement, after seeing the spider-shaped door handle adorning the entrance to the studio. Upon entering the studio and heading up some stairs, I found myself in a small room, adorned with floor times that would not have looked out of place in a bathroom and walls adorned with tattoo designs. Since a buzzer had gone off when I'd gone in the door, a guy was waiting at the counter when I got there. Asking how he could help, I told him I wanted a lip piercing. He asked whether I wanted a bar or ring, and I told him I wanted a ring. He went to a room around off the room where we were talking to find some rings. He came back about a minute later with a rather large ring, asking me if I still wanted it done considering that the large ring was the smallest one they had in stock. After driving over half an hour out of my way to get there, I decided I would go ahead with it anyway.
Without further questions, he led me to a small room with a dentist chair look-alike, which he told me to sit in and wait. He then left the room to collect all the equipment he would need to do the piercing. While he was gone I felt a bit dubious – sure, the room looked and smelled clean, but they hadn't asked for proof of age or anything. But I thought that it was too late to turn back by then anyway. Soon after completing this thought, the piercer returned with cleaning solutions, a clamp and a few unopened needles, all of which he left in plain view. He then asked me exactly where I wanted the piercing done, and a dot where he though I meant, and asked me to check it in the mirror. It looked a bit high to me, so I asked if he could do it slightly lower. Remarking my lip, I decided that the second spot was fine.
He then put on sterile gloves, and sterilized the clamp with a solution. Leaving the needle unopened, he put the clamp on my lip. Making sure it stayed in place, he then opened the needle. We'd been chattering the whole time, making me feel slightly better about the whole experience. After coming back with the needle and checking the clamp yet again, he asked me if I was ready. I told him I was, and he pushed the needle through.
From the research and reading I'd done, I'd gotten the distinct impression that it wasn't going to hurt that wrong, entirely discounting the fact that everyone feels pain differently. And sure enough, it really hurt when the needle went through. Comparatively, it made the helix piercing feel like a tickle. So, while he got the ring and prepared to put it in, I joked about how good the needle looked where it was. He laughed and said he thought it would be rather difficult to live with. Putting the ring in didn't hurt, thought he accidentally pinched my lip with the mutated plier-kinda things he used to adjust the ring so it fit properly. My first, overwhelming response was that the ring was way too big after looking in the mirror. I was greatly discouraged when the piercer made the same comment. After all, the ring looked too thick for my lip, and despite the piercing itself being halfway between the middle and edge of my lip, the bead sat on the middle of my lip. And being shiny and black, it was incredibly obvious, even from a distance.
Anyone I saw over the next week commented on how the ring was way too big, so (like I'd decided when it was done), I rang up a week later and asked if they'd gotten any smaller rings in stock. The guy on the phone mentioned that he remember me (even though he wasn't the guy that did it), and said that since I'd been such a sport about having such a big ring, they'd do the change at (as I figured out) 40% of the normal switching price. So I went back and had a smaller ring put in. Stung a bit when the ring was being put in, but didn't hurt afterwards.
Over the next week I found that because of the size difference between the two holes, if the ring moved too much it would tear my lip slightly and make it bleed. Fortunately, it's healing well and doesn't bleed anymore. I love it and don't regret getting it, despite the annoyance of having an overly large ring for a week. I encourage anyone who wants to get a lip piercing to get it done.