After careful consideration, and an unbelievable amount of research done online (I suggest both things for anyone who wants a piercing), I finally decided to take the plunge and poke a few holes where no holes have been poked before! My nipple, to be exact, was to emerge from a piercing studio with a rather large hunk of metal hanging from it. I had no idea what to expect, but I wasn't nervous, so much as...queasy.
At A Glance Author MixMasterSteve Contact MixMasterSteve@bme.anon When A week ago Artist I don't recollect his name, but he's the only piercer there! Studio Frontier Gold Exchange Location Belleville, Ontario, Canada Firstly, let me say; the guy who did my piercing at Frontier was AWESOME. I was going in with a younger girl who was getting her eyebrow pierced, and from the moment we stepped into the store, I felt comfortable. He wasn't skeevy or gross – he was a little old for a young lass like me to comfortably expose herself...but I never once felt the experience was unprofessional. The first thing I noticed was the assortment of jewellery he had in store; it was all so beautiful!
I had purchased a ring prior to visiting Frontier, and asked him if I could use it; he was sceptical because it was plated stainless steel and was a wee bit small, but he said if he COULD use it, he would. He sterilized it for me while my young friend and I filled out our consent forms. We went into the back room, where (as I was going first) I sat on the chair and the other girl stood by.
He discussed general piercing information with us – care, what to expect, etc. However, he said that because the places we were being pierced were so different, he would have to talk to us separately. Additionally, he told us the most important things are relaxation during the piercing, and cleaning after. He told us his background in order to maintain our comfort level; he was licensed in Germany for...well, more years than my young friend had been alive, and has been training in Canada ever since. He told us he will be positive prior to piercing that our body can actually HANDLE the piercing; for whatever reason, if he feels it cannot be done safely, he will refuse to do it. He also said that we could come back whenever, even 5 times a day for the rest of our lives, and he'll clean and check our piercings for free. He gave us a sheet with a toll-free number and care information, in case we had any further questions.
This is where I was ABANDONED by my friend, and left in the room alone; which was fine, I'm sure she didn't want to see my breast ;). I took my shirt off in order for him to check whether or not my ring would be adaptable to my nipple. It wasn't, so he brought in a larger ring and asked if it would be fine; I felt he was competent enough to have made a good change, so I said it was fine. He didn't recommend a D-ring, which I suggested, because of a lack in stimulation.
Before the piercing, he told me basically how it would feel and what he would be doing; he would not use clamps, even though he taught with them, because they "hurt like hell" and it's unnecessary. He would clean the nipple and apply a topical freezing agent, then add more on the needle and the ring. Then he would mark on either side where the needle would go in, push the needle in, put the stopper on it, and push it out with the ring. Then he would put on the captive bead and I'd be done.
He stressed the importance of breathing, but I suppose I didn't listen; I tensed up a great deal when I felt the needle go in. I could FEEL the "pop" of the needle going in, then a burning sensation (which he informed me I would feel). It felt like an ETERNITY for the other "pop" out, but it must not have been more than 3-5 seconds. Initially after, I went cold and clammy and I felt I would pass out. He held off on closing the ring until I felt better, giving me water and offering me chocolate bars to get me breathing and increasing the oxygen/blood to my brain again. I laid down on the chair (I had to sit up during the piercing, as I wanted the "wrong" side done) and eventually he closed the bead.
I continued to feel a little light-headed for a while, but eventually felt better. After my friend's eyebrow piercing, we paid. They charge a standard price for piercing ($26.50, I believe), and it's the jewellery that makes the price difference. My personal piercing cost $45, and if you pay cash, they don't charge tax. We said our thanks, and were on our way!
I definitely recommend Frontier Gold for piercing and jewellery, it was clean, comfortable and an overall positive experience; it's only been a few days, but I'm already head over heels for my nipple ring! It had minimal bleeding and is easy to move around, if I keep it moisturized and clean. I definitely do not regret the experience, and would do it again in a second (though I'd probably breathe this time...). Next stop, my nose piercing...same place, too!