There are many reasons to get body modifications. Some get modifications for appearance reasons. Others for spiritual purposes. Yet there will always be those who do things just to fit in or be cool. I get body modifications for a variety of reasons. With each new modification I get, I feel like a piece of a puzzle is being set into place. A puzzle that is me. Body modifications let me express who I am, as well as making me feel mentally, bodily, and spiritually that I'm alive.
At A Glance Author MoDvAyNe Contact MoDvAyNe@bme.anon IAM MoDvAyNe When N/A Artist Shawn Moores/Matt Studio Spectrum/Inkin' the Valley Tattoo Convention Location Sidney, OH/Wilkes-Barre, PA The same basic body modification can vary from one practitioner to the next though. While one practitioner can make it a joyous and spiritual event, another can turn it into a nightmare. My nipple piercings are a good example of this. I got my right nipple pierced by my friend and practitioner, Shawn Moores, and my left by Matt. I'll let you draw your own conclusions once you have read all of the facts about my nipple piercings.
I began getting into body piercing, aside from standard ear piercings in 1999. That's the year I got my tongue pierced. It was that summer when I decided I wanted another piercing, but I was also aware that any piercing I got, I had to be able to hide to a certain degree. Unfortunately, I lived with my mother, and she had told me that if I got any other piercings I would be required to find somewhere else to live, even if it meant sleeping in my car. It only seemed logical that I get my nipples pierced, but I had heard that nipple piercing hurt like no other piercing, aside from possibly the septum. I decided I would at least consider getting my nipples done however.
I thought about the procedure long and hard, until I finally decided to go down to Spectrum Tattooing and Body Piercing studio to discuss it with my friends who work there. I talked it over with Shawn, Paul, and Barb. They all said that while nipple piercing hurts like hell, they had never heard anyone complain about the procedure once it had healed. I inquired about any complaints during healing, and was told that the only complaints they ever had was about the pain of getting it done. I wanted both nipples done, and hoped that the experience wouldn't be as bad as I was being told it would be.
That started a real nightmare for me. Shawn removed two 14g captive bead rings from the display case, and took them back to be autoclaved. Once he had placed them in bags and begun to autoclave them, he went into the piercing area of the studio to get set up. Approximately fifteen minutes later, all was ready, and I was about to get my nipples pierced.
Shawn put sterile gloves on and removed the bags from the autoclave, and took them over to the piercing area. He told me to come on back, and remove my shirt. I wore a loose fit button up just for the occasion. He showed me that everything was laying on a steel surgical tray, and that nothing had been removed from the packages yet. There were clamps, two 14g needles, and the jewelry in blue autoclave bags. The blue color shows that they have been autoclaved. Also on the tray were a package of lubricant and a toothpick used for marking placement.
Shawn asked if I had any questions before we began, which I had asked them all already, and had them answered, but it's always best to make sure before beginning. He put on a pair of sterile gloves and emptied the contents of the lubricant package onto a sterile cloth laying on the tray. Changing gloves with each package he opened, he laid out the clamps, a needle, and one of the captive bead rings. He then once again changed gloves as he sprayed a cleansing solution on a paper towel and wiped the area to be pierced. He then soaked the area with iodine, and got ready to mark my nipple for placement.
With everything ready, he put on a fresh pair of gloves and grabbed the clamps. I knew this part was going to be painful, I just never could have imagined how painful it would be. He looked at the placement, and clamped my nipple. It hurt, but not as bad as I would expect. With the clamp in place, he picks up the needle, and rolls it around in the lube. All lubed up, he begins to push the needle through. About halfway through, the clamp slips off. Not a pleasant feeling, it hurt worse than anything ever before. He asked if I was ok, and once again puts the clamp on adjusting it a little this time. Once again with the needle halfway through, the clamp slips. It took four attempts before the clamp finally held. The needle halfway through each time. I was starting to think it was a bad idea to get my nipples pierced. Finally though the right one was done.
I opted to only get my right nipple pierced that day. I didn't think I could go through it again. Shawn explained that I should wash it three times a day with anti-bacterial soap, and rinse it with saline solution. I was also informed that I should rotate the ring through to aid in cleansing and healing. I paid and tipped him and left. It healed in approximately three months, with only minor crusting after the first month.
I felt like something was missing since I'd had my right nipple pierced for so long without having the left one pierced, but I remembered the nightmare I went through as well. It wasn't until Labor Day weekend 2002 that I would finish my nipples. That was the weekend Ed and I went to the Inkin' The Valley Tattoo Convention. The plan was to have Matt pierce my left nipple while we were there. I was unsure about going through with it though.
I spent almost all day Saturday considering whether I would follow through or not. Eventually, with Ed's persistence, I agreed to allow Matt to do it. Matt was working from a booth along the back of the convention. I hoped beyond hope that it didn't turn out to be another nightmare experience. I wouldn't be disappointed.
Ed and I talked while Matt got everything set up, and he assured me that Matt would make sure the experience was a positive one. About five minutes later, Matt poked his head from behind the curtain and said he was ready for me. Nervous as hell, I stepped behind the curtain. I could see everything laying on a steel surgical tray covered with a cloth, and knew that I could trust Matt to do the piercing properly. Putting on gloves, he began opening packages and laying instruments and tools out on the cloth.
Matt looked at my right nipple and measured the ring. For symmetry he explained. He wanted to ensure that both rings were of the same diameter. The right was an odd size he said, it wasn't a 1/2 inch, but it wasn't quite a 9/16 inch either. He put on a pair of gloves and changed it out with a different ring so that they would be identical when it was finished. All he asked was that I buy him a beer when the convention closed for the night. He then looked at it again, and began cleaning and marking the left nipple, constantly changing gloves.
Happy with the placement, he picked up the clamp, and put it into place. He adjusted the rubber band on it to ensure that it wouldn't slip. With the clamp in place, he made one final adjustment, and lubed up the needle. This was what I feared more than anything else. All I could see was the needle going halfway in, and the clamp slipping. It didn't happen though. The needle was through and the jewelry in place in less time than I could have imagined. It was virtually painless. I now have a matching set. Matt explained the same basic aftercare, with one exception. Instead of rinsing using a saline solution, Matt said to soak it in a sea salt solution.
My nipple is almost completely healed, and I'm extremely happy to have a matching pair. I felt incomplete with only one, but I'm now one step closer to being complete. Following the aftercare for both piercings, and in both methods, I prefer the sea salt method. My left nipple seemed to heal better and faster for using it. While I can't say that nipple piercing is completely painless, I can say that it varies from person to person, and piercer to piercer. It hurt when Shawn did one, but the piercing Matt did didn't hurt at all. I can definitely see myself getting more piercings by Matt.