To begin, I am anthropologist in the early stages of my master's research, which includes subjects related to body art and modification. I am sure I am not the first to write on these subjects, but I do feel I possess a unique perspective. I do not consider myself a novice to piercing, but I don't own any exotic or extreme piercings either. I have a nose ring, a labret, and two piercings in each ear, a rather tame assemblage compared to some. Furthermore, I never suspected I would bring myself to write about a personal piercing experience that most people consider mundane or commonplace. In the past I have regarded such accounts as self-serving and juvenile, not to mention somewhat generic. I never looked at them in terms of my own research, although I admit Nevertheless, because of my evolving research interest in body modification and because of the quality of my experience with my new navel piercing, I find I am now willing to relate my experience in a public forum with the hope that this contribution may go beyond the casual "cool me, I have a cute little ring in my navel!"
At A Glance Author sonanova Contact sonanova@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Neal Studio Bodys by Skeet Location Chicago suburbs, Crystal Lake, IL Before I decided to head to Bodys by Skeet in Crystal Lake to obtain my tattoo, I had to determine a good time to do so. Once I settle on getting a piercing or tattoo, I follow through. No backing out, no changing what piece I want. As a bellydancer, I planned to get pierced when I would have at least a week to heal. I chose a weekday, which would help me avoid a line and, hopefully, a distracted or disinterested piercer. I chose Skeet's because of price and location; while there are some Chicago artists I sincerely admire, I know I have access to cheaper piercings in Ohio, where I attend grad school.
Furthermore, I wanted a bit of privacy. To me, there are three types of participants in any body modification. Primarily, there is the piercer and the subject, who may be one and the same sometimes, and occasionally there is an audience. For someone who looks deeply into the modification experience and enjoys discussing it with others, I am a very private person when it comes to being pierced myself. Partly, this is because the urge to be pierced strikes me at random. When I feel the time is right, I go and get it done and it may not be in a time or place when others are available or interested in coming along. Secondly, I think my fascination with piercing is related to my desire to maintain control over my body. I don't want anyone looking on as I attempt to retain control over my reaction. Also, I attempt to minimize the chance that someone may say something inappropriate or distracting to my state of mind while I am attempting to relate to something as complicated as a new development in my personal space. Strangely, I have been an audience member for many friends who looked to me for support during their own experiences. It's different for everyone. Does my attitude seem odd? Let me explain a bit more about where I am coming from by relating my most recent experience in more detail:
I was determined to get my navel pierced, so I set my initial reaction to blank and went to work, mentally recording all the details. There were people hanging around outside the shop, most of which appeared to work at the shop. Many of the girls were young and tattooed and friendly. Inside, the shop was clean and empty, with a few rooms for privacy. There was a little bit of flash on the wall and a partial case of body jewelery, including some very good, less glitzy, more serious style ear pieces. I was signed in very quickly and my piercer, Neal, was ready to pierce in minutes, right after washing up. I was pleased that he was not planning on drawing things out, as some piercers seem to love to make people wait.
Sometimes a piercer is just that: a person who puts holes in bodies. Other times, the person is an artist. From talking to Neal, I discovered that the identity of the piercer is as dependant on the piercer themselves as it is on the person being pierced. For instance, Neal described tattoo parties where people get tattoos just to get one, making a lifetime commitment in the matter of a moment. In such cases, the person performing the modification is transformed into little more than a hack, a person being paid to perform a service, distanced from the mentality that caused the artist to get involved in the art in the first place. I told Neal about my attitude toward the piercing and my decision to get it done. I wanted more out of the experience than a seventh hole in my body. His treatment of me and my humble navel piercing leads me to believe that we understood each other perfectly.
We discussed jewelery and I was glad to find out he would be using a titanium hoop. Though I liked the idea of a bar on the outset, he said, and so I had heard before, that bars are that much harder to clean. He also stressed that, as a dancer, I would be more likely to contaminate my piercing, leaving it exposed while dancing, etc. When he had me stand up so he could place the clamp on, another employee came in and sat down. I think she was an apprentice, as she stayed silent through the piercing part, except to comment that Neal pierced differently than other piercers she'd seen, using the clamp for my navel and assuring me this was a step in the right direction. Generally, I like clamps because they seem to numb the area a bit for me; sometimes they are wonderfully distracting when they hurt more than the piercing itself. We discussed body mods for a bit more and then Neal instructed the girl, I believe her name was Kelsee, to close the door while I was pierced. There was no one in the shop, so I did not really care that it was open.
Neal reaffirmed my findings that very little research has actually been done on what goes on during the piercing experience. I guess I could go on about adrenaline or endorphins, but I don't feel they are much a part of my own experience as my mind set and what I am mentally doing at the time of the piercing. This time around, standing up for the clamping gave me a bit of pause, but I talked right through the needle. Neal did not attempt to ask me if I wanted to "count down" to the piercing, a typical bedside practice I despise. I suspect that because I have surpassed the two non-ear piercings mark, most piercers will now assume that I do not need to be coached through the procedure. I don't ask if or how much it will hurt. I don't ask the piercer to compare the pain of various piercings, as I think this has as much to do with physical pain as it does determination, interest, and mindset of the subject and the overall experience and skill of the artist.
Neal put the jewelery in very quickly. I didn't even notice a separate pain, only a hard pressure. The aftercare took longer than expected, though. When Neal went for the second paper towel, I sat up and took a look at my navel and realized why. I explained I was a bleeder and Neal agreed. I took the paper towel and handled it myself from that point. I was given some very general care instructions, including a business card and a ratio for sea salt baths. He insisted that I maintain the cleaning regimen even after the piercing appeared healed, as navels can take up to a year to heal. As well as demanding that I call him if I should have absolutely any concerns, he also invited me back to discuss further work, offering to contact others who have the next piercing I am considering.
Despite the blood (and the fact that my lights were out at home and I had to use a flashlight), I immediately took some pictures to record my piercing. I will try and post them here in the next few days. It's cleaned up now and I was able to turn it a few hours later - less nervous than I was with my labret!
In a way, this piercing felt like a gateway piercing to me; I think you reach a certain place with body modification where getting pierced or tattooed begins to leave the realm of just "getting it done", getting it over with, acquiring new "art". In this place, the relationships you develop with those you include in your experience is just as important as the modification itself. That said, this result has as much to do with me as it does with my piercer. Any tattoo shop can provide a sterile environment to put a hole in your body. To me, the shop proved to be deceiving. While Skeets is not fancy or flashy, but clean, the experience I received was excellent. Finding a place that was conducive to mentally framing my experience was dependant upon finding a piercer who cared more about the art than the money I was spending on jewelery or how many others were lined up behind me. I found that philosophy at this shop and I would highly recommend Neal's work. Furthermore, I offer that insight into the spirit surrounding body art and modification can be achieved with a something as simple as a navel ring.