Bootleg piercing shops

At A Glance Author ~angel~ Contact ~angel~@bme.anon Artist Shaggy Studio Wizards Location CT

OK, I went into this experience totally the WRONG way. I mean I had wanted to get my nipples pierced for about a little over a year since I got my navel pierced for many reasons: 1) I heard about the increased sensitivity, and pleasure benefits. 2) They look very appealing to me, I am attracted to them when I see others with them, and I wanted this quality. 3) So I could have them, I just wanted them, and I had done research on the piercing i.e. effects on breastfeeding, ect. I had looked up information online about the different shops in the area, and checked out the online portfolios, and I had narrowed my options to about 3 different studios that looked good. My only problem was that I'm only 17, and it is not yet legal for me to get piercings in a shop, unless I acquired an ID stating I was 18.

So after forgetting about it for a while, waiting for my birthday, a friend of mine who was in college told me that he was going to get an earl piercing. I told how I wanted to get my nipples pierced, and he said that he would find a way for me to get them done. I was extremely excited especially since I had the money and I was ready to go!! He told me that he was going to go to Wizards, a place near the college, because it was where all the kids from school went, and it was supposedly a good shop. I unfortunately trusted his word, he found a college ID from a friend of his who looked similar to me, and we were good to go. When we arrived at the place my friend was going to go first, so he told Shaggy, the piercer, that he wanted to get his bridge pierced. To our surprise, Shaggy did not have the proper jewelry for the piercing, he told us he only pierces the bridge at 12 ga, and did not have the jewelry he needed. We were shocked, because we thought that since it was a piercing shop that he would have the proper jewelry, and equipment.

At this point I should have known that this place was not good, and just turned around and walked out, but I really wanted to get my nipples pierced, so if he was going to take the ID I provided then I was willing to get pierced. I told him what I wanted, and he seemed more than happy to do it for me. He barely checked the ID; it didn't seem to matter to him as long as I had the money. I watched him set up, and as I look back now, I realize he was not the most sanitary piercer, nor did he have the best methods (I wish I didn't stay there). We talked for a while getting comfortable with eachother, he told me about his piercings, and his motivations for the piercings, to get the rush of that passing out feeling. This is when I SHOULD HAVE seen the red light flashing, and walked out, but I was too excited, I really wanted my piercings, and I knew he was going to do it. If I walked out then I didn't think anywhere else would take the ID. So he went through the whole procedure with me, marking the nipples, he had me check them, then the clamps for my left nipple went on. Oh my god, this was not a pleasant feeling, he had to adjust them so the marks lined up, and that hurt more than the piercing itself did. Once he finished the left nipple he had me check it out in the mirror, I was happy with it, and surprised that it didn't hurt as much as I expected. Then to the right nipple, this one hurt so much more than the other he took more time in adjusting the clamps, and in the actual piercing. Than the other one, after the needle went through however, it didn't hurt as much. I did have that wave of dizziness, but I think that was on account of the pain from the clamps, not so much the piercing. At the time I was completely satisfied. He gave me the aftercare instructions, etc. and my friend and I were back to chillin.

My nipples remained sore for the next few weeks, and as I look at them more I see more imperfections. For one thing, they aren't straight, the piercings are crooked, higher on one side than the other, and one of them is actually farther out from the base of the nipple on one side than the other. I bring my friends to other shops, the ones that I looked into, and watch their procedures and they are far more sanitary, and cautious in placing the piercing, and in the jewelry they use than the ones that I went through. I realize that this is my entire fault in not waiting to turn 18, but I really wanted them then at that time. I mean I still like them, but I just wish I had gone somewhere else and gotten a better job.

Well, there's nothing I can do about it now, what's done is done. I just recommend that anyone else who is under-age either have a professional piercer that you know and trust pierce you, or just wait until you are 18 to go to a professional shop. Just look into the shop you chose, and make the right decision.