Note from the author: This experience was written in a unique way. The first two/three sections were written about a week before the piercing was done. I did this so I would remember what I was feeling while waiting for the day to come.
At A Glance Author Robyn Contact guitarists_arebeautiful@yahoo.ca When It just happened Artist Maxine Seymour Studio Studio Maxx Location St.John's, Newfoundland, Canada
Introduction
At the age of 14 I've got my share body modifications. My lobes are stretched to a 12ga, I've had two different nostril piercings(August 8th 2005/retired & January 2nd 2007) and I also have a labret piercing(January 31st 2007) and I've had my inner conch pierced(December 2006/retired).
For my 15th birthday, July 27th, my parents had told me I could get the tattoo I've wanted for ages. It was a black and gray lion, about 7" by 7". I couldn't wait.
Unfortunately, my parents ran into some financial problems and I was told my tattoo was going to be postponed. You can't imagine how mad that made me! However, I respected my parents troubles and, sulking, went to look on BME(a daily habit).
I had been looking in the Labret section and saw a girl with a simple centered labret and a shiny little Monroe piercing. To my own surprise, I thought it looked gorgeous. You see, I've never been really fond of Monroe/Madonna piercings. They seemed to me like something preps or ravers got, not something I would ever consider getting. Though, when I saw this picture, I fell in love. I had to get it.
It was around this time that I started to get the familiar itch for a new piercing. The Monroe seemed a worthy choice. However, since it took me a good year and a half to convince my old fashioned parents to let me get my labret piercing, I didn't bring it up to them quite yet. I mentioned to my mom that I wanted a new piercing and she asked me what I wanted and I replied with an, "I don't know."
One night, a couple days later, I was sat at the computer, my mom sitting next to me working on her laptop. I found the photo I had found on BME, downsized it and turned to my mom and my dad, who was sitting in his chair a few feet away.
I said, "Mom, I know what piercing I want."
"Oh? Which one is that?"
"It's called a Monroe piercing. It's named after Marilyn Monroe."
My mom got the drift, knowing which piercing I was talking about. However, my dad, being a bit slower, asked, "Where is that kind of piercing?" I pointed to the right side of my upper lip and smiled.
My dad gave me an odd look as if to say, "Yea right. If you think you're getting that, you've got another thing coming."
By this time, I was determined to get this new piercing on or before my birthday. I asked my mom if I could get it for my birthday because I couldn't get the tattoo I wanted. "You'd save $160!" I proclaimed.
My mom said she'd 'think about it'. In my mom's world, that translates to "If you father says you can get it, sure. Now let me finish my work."
A couple days later, July 12th, I asked my mom about it again and she said we'd talk about it after supper. So, supper came and went and I asked again. It was my dad who replied.
"I'll make you a deal." he said.
'Oh no.' I thought to myself.
"Alright." I replied, bracing myself and thinking about what I'd say if he said I had to take my labret out.
"You can get that Monroe [He pronounced it 'Minrow'] piercing if you put a smaller ball or stud on the lip one you have now."
After a couple minutes of arguing that that 'wasn't fair', I agreed. Now that I think about it, putting a smaller ball on my labret when my parents are around is no sacrifice if my dad actually let me get my Monroe piercing.
We then decided I could call down to the piercing studio the next day and make the appointment for my birthday, the 27th.
The Day I Made The Appointment
I was babysitting the day I called down to Studio Maxx to make the appointment. Around 10:30am I went onto their website and got their phone number. I told Erika, the 2 1/2 year old I was babysitting, to hush while I was on the phone. The owner of the studio, Maxine, answered the phone. Maxine is one of the two piercers at Studio Maxx. The other piercer, Fred Sharpe, is the one who has done all of my previous piercings. My sister, however, got her nostril piercing down by Maxine and it was done quite well. I told Maxine I was calling to make an appointment to get a Monroe piercing. She asked me when I wanted it for and I said the 27th which was a Friday. She said that I'd have to wait for the 28th because she was the only one who did Monroe piercings and she only pierces on Saturdays(Fred works Monday to Friday and has the weekends off).
I was a little disappointed because I was hoping Fred would be doing my piercing and because I wanted to get the piercing on or before my birthday. I asked Maxine if I could call her back and she said it'd be no problem. I hung up the phone and called my mom who was at work. I explained to her that I would only be able to get the piercing on a Saturday and that I wanted it before my birthday. She said I could get it done on the 21st, the Saturday before my birthday. That made me happy. I called Maxine back and fixed the appointment. I was going to be pierced on at 2pm on the 21st. That was only 9 days away!
The days leading up to the piercing.
July 14th - 7 days to go
I've got exactly a week before I get my Monroe piercing and I can't wait. I've had BME constantly open on my computer for the past 4 days. I'm always checking to see if there's new experiences or images up in the Monroe/Medusa section of the site. It just makes me more and more excited.
Though, I have been thinking about my boyfriend's reaction to my new piercing. He left yesterday(the 13th)on vacation with his family for 10 days. The last time I was talking to him was about an hour before he left. At that particular time, I was hoping to get my piercing on my birthday, 4 days after he got home. I haven't been talking to him since the date of the appointment got changed. He's not exactly fond of my piercings and wasn't looking forwards to the few weeks without kissing. He was hoping to have a few days home before I got my new piercing. Sorry John! :)
July 15th - 6 days to go
This morning when I woke up I did something I always do when thinking about getting a new piercing: I looking in the mirror for a good 10 minutes hoping my new piercing would look good. While doing this, I noticed a small scar exactly where I want to get it done. At first I was a little disheartened because I knew a lot of piercers wouldn't pierce over a scar that big even though it was only a couple of millimeters big. I just hope Maxine would say it was no problem. I know piercing through scar tissue hurts more than a normal piercing, but I don't really mind.
As well, I got an e-mail last night from my boyfriend in response to an e-mail I sent him in which I explained that we wouldn't have the extra few days after he got back. He said it was no problem and he looked forwards to seeing my new piercing! You have no idea how happy that made me!
Piercing Day!!! Written on the evening of the same day.
Alrighty! I finally got it done.
Last night, July 20th, I went out to the Harry Potter midnight release party at Chapters so I was REALLY tired when I woke up at quarter to eight this morning. It was around then that I had wanted to get up anyways. My plan for the day was to get a good four hours of reading in before getting a shower and going down to the Studio.
I lay down Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows a little after 12. Was about then that I got a call from my boyfriend, John, wishing me luck with getting my piercing. :) My appointment was for 2pm, but me and my dad arrived at about ten minutes after because we were late leaving and it's about a half hour drive.
We arrived at Studio Maxx and after signing all the Consents and all that jazz, I was talking to the guy at the front desk. I'm not sure what his name was but he was rally nice and had an awesome black/blue tribal tattoo on the back of his right calf. We talked about Harry Potter while Maxine was setting up the new piercing room.
When she was ready, she called us(me and my dad) back and the guy from the front desk(who I later found out is an apprentice) lead us back to a room in the far corner of the Studio. It was brightly lit and very clean. The piercing chair and autoclave were in plain view. Maxine told me to have a seat in the chair, which was kind high and I had trouble getting up on it, and she asked me if I knew about the risks and everything and I assured her that I did my share of research. I think she was mainly saying it for my dad's sake, who isn't very keen on piercings and doesn't know much about them.
Maxine then put on the first of many pair of gloves and cleaned off my lip. She cleaned both on the outside and inside(while informing me to avoid applying make-up to the pierced area while it heals). Though, with both of my lip piercings, I've never had to swish any mouthwash or anything of the sort. After she was 110% sure that it was clean, she got out The Marker. This was the first time I've ever been marked before getting pierced(shocking I know). When she had me look in the mirror, I confirmed and double confirmed that it was exactly where I wanted it. The tribal-tattoo-apprentice-guy passed her the clamps(he was gloved) and she clamped them on, making sure that they were perfectly placed. Now, out of the two other times I had had clamps on my face(nostril piercing and labret piercing), this was the time the clamps were the most uncomfortable. She got out the needle(14ga) and placed it on the inside of my lip. "Breath in and breath out twice. Pinch. Bar in. Ball on. Done." was what she had said while the needle passed through my lip and put in the jewelery. It all took about 20 seconds tops. Surprisingly, the actual pierce hurt more than I was expecting. Probably because I was expecting it to be the same level of pain as my labret. Boy was I wrong.
She cleaned it up, holding something that resembled a wet wipe to my face while it bled a little, the result of being pierced with a 14ga needle and inserting 16ga jewelery. This was the first time I had ever bled with a piercing! She explained the after care to us(more so to my dad) and I nodded a few times, indicating that I already knew what she was telling me, as I had been doing while she was explaining the risks and all that jazz before the piercing. I got a good look at my new piercing in the mirror as she had the tribal-tattoo-apprentice-guy to fetch me some ibuprofen and some water. When he returned and I swallowed them, Maxine gave me a couple minutes to sit there, just to make sure I wouldn't faint when I stood up. I took this opportunity to ask the tribal-tattoo-apprentice-guy about his stretched ears and told my dad that the size he had(I think he said they were 4ga) was the biggest I'd want to go.
When Maxine believed that I wouldn't fall over if I stood up, we all went out to the front desk and the tribal-tattoo-apprentice-guy rang it up for my dad, who was paying. It came to $39.90 but we ended up leaving the shop $60 less rich(yay for tips). I think that's a reasonable price for my happiness(until I get the Itch again, of course).
Well, I've had my Monroe piercing for a little over 9 hours now and I hardly know it's there! The only pain I have from it is when I smile big or when I make certain faces when I'm talking or something like that. None of my friends have really seen it yet, but the people who have seen it so far(my parents, my sister, my mom's friend and my sister's friend) have all said it looks gross. Well, except for my dad, oddly enough. He likes it, I think. The only negative comment he's given is that he thinks my face is a little crowded(having a lip, Monroe and a nostril piercing all at the same time). I, on the other hand, think it looks quite cute. My nostril jewelery is only the smallest of jewels, I have a small, clear ball on my labret stud(which actually looks more white than clear) and my small Monroe.
As for swelling and stuff... I've had a little bit of swelling so far but nothing really noticeable. There hasn't been any more bleeding at all. The only thing I've noticed about is that the flat back on the bar is quite small compared to what is on the labret stud I have in my labret. Quite smaller indeed. I'll have to get that changed in a week or so. I'm even thinking of getting it stretched up to a 14ga because I have so much 14ga jewelery and close to no 16ga, save for a couple small horse shoe rings.
Well, that's about all I can say. It's a tad lengthy, but you should have seen it before I edited it. :)
Happy stabbing! :D