Before I begin, I do apologize for writing about two experiences in one submission. In my own defense, they are both on the same body part and the first one explains why I went through with the second one.
At A Glance Author Hyacinth Contact hyacinth@happyhya.com When A year ago Artist Geoff Studio Skin Factory Location Las Vegas, NV
I had never really been partial to navel piercings, so getting one wasn't even a thought in my head. It's not that I thought navel piercings were "played out" or anything of the sort. In fact, I thought it would be awesome to have one and stretch it a bit so I could have a curved acrylic spike through it. But I'm not necessarily stick thin by any means and for some reason, I thought that only thin people got navel piercings.
At the end of my junior year of high school, one of my close friends turned seventeen and her parents took her to get her navel pierced. She wasn't exactly a toothpick either, but her piercing was so beautiful. I would even go as far as to say that it looked even better than some of the navel piercings I've seen on the slimmer girls. "Hyacinth," she said, "it doesn't matter what your body may look like to other people. As long as you're comfortable with yourself, you can do whatever you want. Other people's reactions shouldn't matter." And I realized she was right.
I was only sixteen years old and quite stupid, for lack of better words. I was sitting at home, bored out of my wits with thoughts of getting my navel pierced in mind. I hadn't really been reading up on hazards of self-piercing at this point of my life (obviously, I hadn't been introduced to BMEzine yet), so I decided to pierce my navel by myself. In hindsight (because hindsight really is 20/20), this must have been the dumbest thing I had ever done.
I took a large safety pin out of its casing and wiped it up with an alcohol soaked paper towel. I took a curved barbell (which I had gotten from my aforementioned friend as a reminder of what she had told me) and wiped that down with another alcohol soaked paper towel. I numbed my navel with some ice and stuck the needle through. That was so painful. I took the needle out and forced the 14ga barbell through the hole. I could literally feel the tissue rip as I slid the externally threaded barbell in. But I got it done; I pierced my own navel.
(I do NOT endorse this procedure at all. This was a very stupid thing to do. If I would have known about all the hazards of what I had done at that time, I would have kicked myself for even thinking about doing it. Again, I do NOT recommend doing this at all.)
A week later, the skin around the entry and exit wounds of my self piercing was bruised and became discolored, and yellow pus came out of the wounds. I immediately took the jewelry out and cleaned my navel thoroughly. I was mortified.
Flash forward to a little more than two years later. I got my nipples pierced on the day of my eighteenth birthday, and the day afterwards, I hung out with a friend in celebration of my birthday. We drove around, doing random stuff, when we started talking about my new piercings. He also had his nipples pierced, and we started talking about how I came about to getting them done. I told him the story and I ended with, "...I was going to get my navel done last night, but I thought that nipple piercings would be more daring as a first piercing." He got this brilliant idea to get my navel pierced as his present to me.
A rush of adrenaline came through me and I flashed back to the time I had done it myself. As stupid as it was for me to do, I was quite happy with it. It gave me a sense of empowerment, so to speak. Doing it wasn't what made me feel so empowered, but the mere fact that I did it because I didn't care what other people would say when I had my navel pierced. I went into the the shop hoping to come out with the same sense of pride in myself.
I had gone to the Skin Factory several times beforehand, but this was the first time I actually went in to get pierced. I had heard nothing but good things about this shop, so I wasn't too worried about them screwing up my piercing like the other shop had with my nipples.
I filled out the paperwork, gladly handed them my identification, and chose the jewelry. I knew I had wanted a curved barbell instead of the CBR, so I closed my eyes and pointed my finger somewhere on the display case. My finger ultimately pointed at a curved barbell with a white gem in each of the steel beads. It was so girly (for I'm not much of a "girly-girl"), but yet so adorable at the same time.
Geoff waved for us to come into the back and had me stand totally straight in front of him as he gloved, cleaned my navel, and carefully marked the entry and exit holes. I was surprised at how meticulous he was at it and I suddenly felt very calm and at ease with him piercing me. I had asked him if a navel piercing hurt at all, trying to hide the fact that I had done it myself. He had said that most people usually say that the clamp is the most uncomfortable part.
He had me sit in his chair (the chair that I'm now most familiar with) and he tilted the back so that I was now laying down. My friend was standing by, taking pictures of the procedure (pictures I no longer have, unfortunately) and just talking to me. While I was yapping away, Geoff had clamped my navel and I heard him say, "Just remember to keep breathing. Are you ready?" I said yes and continued the conversation with my friend. I had just got done saying that I was so afraid that it would hurt when my friend interrupted with, "You know you have a needle stuck in your belly button now, right?" I looked down and sure enough there was this shiny needle protruding from my navel area. The follow-through was nice and smooth, I didn't feel anything throughout the entire procedure, not even the clamp. I was given my aftercare instructions, as well as instructions on how to better care for my nipple piercings, then my friend paid and tipped Geoff.
(Geoff is now the only person I trust in doing my piercings. Since my navel, he's done my tongue and re-did my nipples, and neither of those piercings have ever given me any trouble.)
When I got home, I took a shower and cleaned it like I was supposed to. I looked at myself in the mirror and there was this jeweled piece of metal on my body. It was beautiful. My friend from high school was right, what other people say or think doesn't matter. The only thing that mattered at that moment was that I was happy with this piercing; I felt beautiful and comfortable in my own skin.
Six months later, in March of 2003, I had realized that my navel piercing was rejecting more and more by the minute. After six months, there was more metal than skin showing in between the two beads and I decided to take it out. There was discoloration around where the holes were and it continues to remain there.
Although quite sad about having to take my navel piercing out, I'm not so sad about the scars that remain. I don't need the piercing itself to make me feel empowered, beautiful, or comfortable in my own skin. The discolored bits of skin around my navel are reminders to me that I didn't worry about what anyone said when I had my navel done. They remind me that I'm beautiful to who it matters...me.