If you've ever had a cavity filled at the dentist, you know they numb your mouth with numby-stuff that's injected into your cheek by a huge needle. THAT hurt way worse than piercing my lip.
At A Glance Author Katie 1 Contact Katie 1@bme.anon When It just happened Artist My brother Studio my bathroom Location Where I live, Wisconsin, USA I'm 16 years old. A year and a half ago, my older brother pierced his own lip in a very un-safe and un-sterile way using a safety-pin and an earring. (For the sake of this being available to lots of people, I must say PLEASE PLEASE DON'T DO WHAT HE DID!) "Eww" was my first thought. But after a while (and after he got real lip rings to put in the hole) the piercing seemed more neato. I'd been contemplating it for quite awhile, and I decided it was time for me to get a piercing. First I thought, nose ring. But it just so happens that I know some VERY conservative people (a friend, and a middle-aged lady at church) who have their noses pierced. I didn't want a piercing that looks ordinary now-a-days. I want a piercing that old people still don't approve of, you know? So I decided on my lip. Although my brother did his own and it didn't become infected or make his lip fall off or anything, I didn't want to risk anything. So I started pricing and you know what? It may sound cheap, but unemployed 16-year old girls who get a V meager allowance (oh you don't believe me, try 5 dollars per month) don't have $40 to spend on a silver hoop. So a home job was the only thing to do.
Thankfully, my brother (whom I seem to mention alot) bought sterile piercing needles about a month ago. And he has tons of rings. But we didn't have a clamp. Not wanting it to be crooked, we had to come up with an alternate method. Time being a restraint at the time (my mum was only gonna be out for like an hour or so), we had to think fast. Here's what happened:
Step 1: Set up piercing area.
Step 2: Assemble supplies (sterile needle, ring, etc.)
Step 3: Brush teeth and rinse with Listerine.
Step 4: Take a styrofoam cup and tear it into little bits.
Step 5: Tape little bits together.
Step 6: Insert into mouth between lip and teeth.
Step 7: In goes the needle.
Step 8: Out goes the needle and in goes the ring.
And that was it. There was no bleeding, minor swelling, and minimal pain. Here's a good tip if you don't do piercings for the pain, Orajel. It is absolutely a lifesaver! Glob here, glob there and your mouth goes all numby-numb. Not that you can't still feel it, you can, but much much less.
"Are you sure?" he kept asking. Well, yes I was for sure! Why right now? I've been homeschooled forever but this year (my senior year in high school), I'm going to a public school. And the new year starts on Tuesday. I don't mean to imply that I did this only for popularity or any such crap. But isn't it better to meet people for the first time with them seeing you as you are than to make friends based on appearances who only ridicule you for your choice to decorate your face later? I think so.
But the actual piercing wasn't the hard part. More like when my mum came home and had an absolute COW about the new hole in my face. But my dad didn't care, he's just like "What? Her brother has one." ^.^ So that was thursday and I'm pretty much grounded for awhile. I really don't see why. Even my mother admits that a lip ring is hardly different from an earring in the sense that they are both on your head. My mothers are like that, I suppose.
So what's next? Nothing for at least 2 years. I don't trust my brother to pierce me anywhere else and I won't get parental permission in the meantime. After I turn 18, I do plan to do my nose. It looks way less wimpy with other piercings. I don't plan on eyebrows or tongue. Just not for me. More earrings for sure and I won't say never for other parts of the body. We'll just have to see.
My advise to those who are thinking about getting their first piercing: DO IT! Once it's over with you will realize it's not actually as big of a deal as you think. AND it looks really cool. Do your homework too, of course. Also, I don't if this is just a me thing but, keep chapstick on hand. Your lips may tend to get dried out afterwards.
If you want to see pics, you could e-mail me, (i_eat_ketchup@hotmail.com). But it's nothing spectacular really. Cute though, very cute.