Before I start with my actual experience I'll start off with a little background information.
At A Glance Author Mae Contact StainlessSteelHeaven@hotmail.com IAM TwistedStainless When A week ago Artist Juliette Studio One Fine Arts Location Ottawa, Ontario My first piercing came when I was 11, with my ears being pierced by a gun. I've always been quite skittish around needles and have always hated the thought... until my urge for piercings set in. For my 15th birthday I was allowed to get my navel pierced, which was a fun experience and a very nerve wracking one to say the least, but it didn't hurt and the craving kicked in. I soon began to gauge my ears (Read "My ever growing lobes") that was also not painful but my craving was not settled. I already had a subscription to BME so I began to look through pictures and experiences of different piercings that looked good to me. After much research I finally came up with getting both nipples done.
I was still very uncertain about when I was going to go get them done, until my friend Steve called me up on the phone and told me that he could no longer wait for the tongue piercings we were both going to go get at the same time and that he had to go and get it done right away. Half way through my sobs of disappointment I came to the conclusion that I'd just get something else done (I don't usually make spur of the moment body modifications but I had wanted this for a while and the moment occurred... seize the day!) so I blurted out "I'M GETTING MY NIPPLES DONE THEN!"
Steve held me to this comment and the next day I took 80$ out of my bank account and we walked the 5 blocks downtown to my piercing studio One Fine Art to pay a visit to Juliette. I hadn't been nervous all day about my piercings but as soon as I walked into the studio the butterflies paid my stomach a visit. The studio is very calming, painted with yellows and greens and an oriental motif but it was still a piercing studio and my body knew it. We walked in and took off our shoes, and put on a pair of their slippers (so cute!) and sat down on their big comfy couch trying to ease my nerves. Juliette kindly greeted me with her usual cute and bouncy voice and asked what I was looking to get. Well I found (much to my disappointment) that I only had enough for one nipple to be pierced with a barbell (I really don't like the look of CBRs). I'm a sucker for symmetry and I reconsidered my choice at this moment, but I decided that I would come back the next day to get my other one don e. Juliette handed me the forms and I signed them in the beat of an eye. She told me to take some deep breaths (I was probably white) and calm down while she went back to set up the tray, I attempted to do that but no luck there. She bounced out from behind the floral screen and told me it was my turn... nervously I walked into the back with Steve and hopped up onto the table (I believe it's a massage table) where she told me to take off my shirt. I had to step out for a moment to use the washroom (yes I was that nervous) and when I returned Steve was happily chatting up a storm with Juliette with comforted me, even though I've talked to Juliette a bazillion times!
Finally it was time... I hopped up onto the table and laid down... my nerves getting the worst of me, I knew I would pass out as soon as the needle went though... Juliette began to clean me off after I flipped my bra up on the right side (the nipple I was getting done) and followed by apologizing for having to grope me, I was very inverted and she had to make me stick out more prior to piercing me. She cleaned me off again and changed her gloves before clamping me. She squeezed my nipple a little and then clamped it. I was extremely nervous and asked her if we could leave the clamp on until I went numb, she said no and the pain would just get worse, we had to do it soon if I wanted minimal clamp pain. I was so incredibly nervous she decided we should defiantly do some breathing exercises together, she told me to breath in deep then exhale, then breath in deep and exhale. Then she asked me to close my eyes and take another deep breath in and then exhale, as soon as I closed my eyes I would open them again since I had a feeling she'd jam that needle through as soon as I closed my eyes, it continued for about 8 breaths until I burst out laughing because I was so nervous and she legally could NOT jam that needle through. So I finally just closed my eyes and relaxed and she counted to 3 with me and then put the needle through. What an odd piercing was the first thing going through my head... not ow... but wow! I could feel the needle entering one side of my skin then traveling through me and out the other side... it seemed like an eternity before the needle was out, but when I looked down there it was! A 14ga needle sticking through my boob. She attached the joiner bar (I love her for joiner bars!) and passed the barbell through which was painless and screwed the other ball on.
My aftercare is going smoothly and my nipples both look clean and healthy. I clean them twice a day (before and after I go to sleep) and after any activities that they may get dirty while doing (sweating at the gym and such). I'm using "The Body Shop Facial Tea Tree Oil Wash" on them since it's gentle and soothing.
I was so happy with my new piercing, but non-symmetrically I went back the next day to get the other one done. Which I do admit hurt more, I've gotten a few reasons for this: 1) There's a large vein there above your heart and 2) Your mind thinks it will hurt a lot the first time but it doesn't and the second time you believe it won't hurt at all so it does slightly more then your brain lets you think.
It's been about a week since I got my nipples pierced and I love them so much! The first day after my piercings though I did have some bleeding but it quickly stopped within 36 hours. I've had a few problems but that only because my friend thinks it's funny to punch my in the boob when we're joking around... not funny... especially not when my eyes are watering with pain. I would highly recommend this piercing for anyone who wants it done. And I HIGHLY recommend Juliette at One in Ottawa, Ontario. I used to be self-conscious about my breasts but now I cant wait until there will be someone to discover them! A small, discreet piercing can be a big confidence boost!