Firstly I should introduce myself, I'm Kiwi (nickname of course) and I am 17 years old. I have wanted a piercing since I was 15 but thanks to my sensible mother I wasn't allowed and I lost interest, until about 6 months ago. I had been browsing BME and kept noticing how attractive labret piercings looked to me, I spent months researching methods, places and aftercare. I have only had my first lobes done so I was a complete piercing virgin luckily I'm good with pain and am not afraid of needles.
At A Glance Author Kiwi Contact Kiwi@bme.anon When A week ago Artist Didn't bother to introduce herself Studio Kara's Location Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England So the day came when I had decided to tackle the issue with my mother, yes I am 17 and could go ahead with it if I wanted but her opinion matters a lot to me. I popped the question mid-sandwich and after a few questions bout cost and the schools reaction she agreed it was my choice and would support me. We went off to carry on with shopping when she asked if I wanted to do it right there and then, I was taken aback but agreed. This is where it gets a little bit odd.
We headed into Kara's and I asked the women behind the desk for a labret piercing, I should have been more worried when she didn't know what it was, but the shop had quite a good reputation so I continued up the stairs.
I filled in the consent form and had a chat with the other people waiting, one women was having her tongue pierced another, her navel. I was called in to the private rooms and plonked myself done on the doctor style bed, a definite plus of Kara's are the small private piercing rooms they are in twos but have a small window between each room for security reasons.. As she washed her hands and prepared the equipment I could hear someone in the next room who subsequently fainted and made a loud crashing sound, rather off putting.
We figured out the placement and I got myself psyched up, she put her gloves on but I only remembered afterwards she got the jewellery from an un-sterilised box and didn't clean it. I was numbed with a spray and clamped, at this point I was pretty nervous but the pain wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be. The most intimidating part of the whole thing was seeing me with a huge needle sticking out of my lip; I didn't even feel her put in the jewellery.
She told me to clean it often and not to play with it (not the most in depth advice), so I paid the £23.95 and left. I was only after I saw people staring that I realised I was a bleeder, making a quick stop in a Boots toilet I cleaned the blood from my chin and went home. I met my boyfriend who didn't know what I was doing but thankfully he liked it and pampered me when the numbing solution had worn off and the throbbing began.
I went straight on the internet to pull up information on aftercare, printed it off and began my regime. It began to swell and I talked with lisp for a few hours but it went down quickly, the net few days it swelled and went down regularly and my dietary requirements was mostly mashed potato and juice through a straw. The pain was minimal and was mostly just a throbbing sensation that was annoying more than anything. I cleaned twice daily and managed to refrain from fiddling for around two weeks, even though I had been told it would take six weeks to heal it felt and looked fine and I needed a change in jewellery length.
So after two and half weeks I went to my local jewellery shop which is the only place in town that sold jewellery but it notoriously bad for piercings. I got a shorter labret bar and set about changing it. I was nervous thinking it would really hurt but it was a breeze and has changed it again since for a clear retainer due to school pressures.
I think I am quite lucky that I didn't get and infection due to the unclean stud but a strict cleaning regime can do wonders. I guess it's true that once you get a piercing it becomes addictive; I am searching for another suitable piercing that will probably be a hand web or something unusual. I recommend labrets for first piercings and to anyone thinking about it I promise it isn't as scary as it seems! The pain isn't as bad as you would imagine and I believe the main problem is how freaked out you get before hand.
Love your piercing and it loves you back.
Happy piercing.