Up until a week ago, I was one of those girls who, whenever a nipple piercing was mentioned, let alone brought to light, my immediate reaction was to grab my breasts and double over. I was shocked anyone could live through the experience of having metal shoved through some of the most tender flesh on their body, let alone want it done. And yet now I'm the one showing off my newly-pierced nipples to anyone who's willing to see them. (Which, unsurprisingly, is quite a few people.)
At A Glance Author anonymous Contact anonymous@bme.anon Artist Drew Studio Bonaroo Tattoo Location Aurora, Colorado I don't consider piercings permanent modifications, despite the 50/50 chance I won't be able to breast feed now. As a result, I feel free to play and get as many as I want, with the exception of facial piercings. (My job as a waitress doesn't allow it, and I'm not going to cover a piercing with a Band-Aid to hide it four days a week at work—ruins the whole point of showing them off.)
I had already had two piercings done the week before (my tongue and an orbital in my cartilage), but the idea of putting a piece of metal through any part of my body is still enough to make me nervous. Especially when the part of my body is my nipples. I'm not quite sure what made me change me my mind about doing them. I was just sitting around one day and the idea, which I was against only a week before, seemed like a good one. I went to a friend who had actually had them done, to hear first-hand about pain, increased or decreased sensitivity, healing, that kind of thing, instead of trying to sift through the rumours. I was tired of hearing "I heard this one time from someone that knew someone who got it done that you lose all feeling in your nipples...." Her straightforward answers certainly helped convince me.
I'm a tattoo and piercing apprentice, though a very new one, so I was already comfortable around my piercer, and he'd done my other recent piercings, so I knew I could trust him to be clean and professional. After choosing my jewelry (14 ga circular barbells) I had to autoclave them, which is fine by me, because it makes me more comfortable to know they've been freshly sterilized.
Thirty minutes later, in the room, shirt off, and I'm receiving a lesson on my own chest about where, how, and why to draw the lines on nipples so they end up even, straight, and the right depth. Forceps are put on, deep breath in, deep breath out, needle through, brief knee-jerk pain, grit teeth while feeling barbell being put through, nipple #1 is done. The hardest part about doing nipples, I've been informed, is doing both at the same session, because it's more difficult to get them even. Fortunately, we didn't have a problem with it. Forceps on, which hurt more this time, because my body knew what was coming. Deep breath in, deep breath out, needle through, which also hurt more this time, but still nothing too bad. Comparable to...nothing. It's just a quick, stabbing pain/burning feeling that lasts maybe half a second. I actually made him pause with the needle through and get a picture with my camera. Second barbell in and nipple #2 was done.
Looking down at my nipples and seeing the metal through them was at once a shocking and satisfying experience. Especially considering the fact that up until three days ago, I'd never even considered having them done. Now that the decision had been made and followed though on, I liked what I saw. Didn't feel too bad either, because now there was just a dull ache, which I had imagined would be much worse.
After cleaning up and going over basic routine – shower twice a day; liquid, fragrance free antibacterial soap; sea-salt water soak; keep girly smelly stuff away from them; touch as little as possible, and never with dirty hands—had another photo of the finished project taken. Now I could go show off my new additions. Since I was already in the shop, I decided the other artists there that day may as well be first on the list. The fact that there were customers in the store at the time didn't deter me. Everyone found it extremely amusing that I had no problem traipsing around the shop completely bare-chested. The two girls in there getting ready to have a belly button done didn't seem too thrilled with it though.
Since it was only done within the last few days, I'm still getting used to the feeling of the small weight on my nipples, and a tight bra has already been deemed a savior, because it helps keep them from moving too much while they're healing. But I already enjoy the way they look, and the reaction they produce when people who didn't know I was getting them hear about or see them. I intend to have a blast showing them off whenever possible!