Doug's Piercings

At A Glance Author Doug Contact doogman@msn.com Artist I did the piercings myself. Studio Home Location Connecticut

I saw a picture of a woman with her nipples pierced in a magizine and said to myself that is something I would like to have. Back in the late 1980's piercing was not as popular as it is today. I first got the phone book out and decided to call all of the tattoo shops in my area. They said we would be glad to do your piercing but then I asked them did you have any expierence, and they all said no. So what was I going to do, trust them or maybe perform the piercing myself. I decided to go out and purchase some piercing books. I sure did some seroius research on this probably more then some of my term papers in school. The more and more I read the more comfortable I felt about doing the piercing myself. So my delema was do I trust some inexperienced person or do I trust myself. And guess waht I won this one.

So I got my piercing needles from Gauntlet in San Francisco and purchased two Gold 12 gauge 1/2" hoops. As I got my clamps and needles ready for the piercing I started to have some self doubt about scaring my body, but I decided what the heck and go for it. It was a very hot day in July and I was all alone at home, my brother and parents where away on vacation. I thought this was perfect if I had to scream from the pain then no one would here me.

I was not afraid of needles but putting one into your own skin was something unthinkable, but I really wanted the piercing. So I marked the exact point where I wanted the needle to enter and exit and prepared to begin the piercing. So as the adrenalin started to kick in so did the needle. I broke through the first layer a skin, I began to sweat alot and the pain was much more than I had expected but not that unbearable. How could I stop now I was almost there. So I pushed a little harder on the needle and it went all the way through. I could not believe I had done it. I inserted the gold hoop with no problem. I was really sweating at this point and said do I really want to pierce the other nipple and my mind said yes and my body said no. My mind won out and I begain piercing the other nipple. The experience of my first nipple helped alot with my second. I put the forceps on my nipple and began pushing the need though and once it broke through the skin I just keep going. The needle went all the way though and unlike the first nipple piercing I did not stop this time. That is the way to do it, just give the needle one big push right though. The second piercing bleed much more than the first one but alot less than I had expected.

As I finished the piercing I said to myself that was not as bad as I had expected and boy did they look great. I probably stood in front of the mirror for about two hours, well at least it seemed that long. As I stared at my piercing I said to myself there goes my days around the pool with my shirt off for a while. My parents are really conservative and the thought of a piercing would have totally shocked them. But the sacrifice of a month or two is worth it.

Now the most important period begins. The healing process. The first day I keep a band-aid on the piercing just to stop the bleeding. Once the bleeding had stopped I washed the piercings with salt water and put Neosporin on them twice a day for the next two months. The healing lasted alot less than I had expected but I usually am a pretty quick healer.

My girlfriend lived in California and she knew nothing of what I did. When I saw her and took my shirt of in front of her for the first time I thought she was going to pass out on the floor. But once she touched them and knew they did not hurt me she really fell in love with them.

Their are only a few people to this day that know about my piercings. One of the persons who found out was a real suprise. I was really careful about hiding my piercings. One day at work the secreatry which I really liked, said to me can I ask you something. And I said without hesitating and without thinking say of course. She said to me do you have your nipples pierced, she caught me totally of gaurd. As a church going person and not telling lies I said yes I have both nipples pierced. I thought so she said, and I asked her how did you know. I never seen a guy with nipples as big as yours and she Had told me that she had read somwhere that the nipples increase in size with piercing and they were really poking throuth your shirt. She was excited to here this and said can I please see them. We went into another room and I lifted my shirt, and I never seen her smile like that before. So I said to her I guess approve and she said yes and I really like them too. If she was able to figure this out I wonder how many other people know about my secret.

To this day I have no regrets and would recommend to anyone who is thinking about doing this go for it. If not by youself then by a quailfied piercer. Always remember the piercing is the easy part but the healing process is the most important.