Just as with my tongue piercing two years ago, I knew once I got the idea in my head I would have to do it. Thus began my wild spin into the world of the nipple piercing.
At A Glance Author Eddie Arriola Contact thegr8singingblade@yahoo.com When It just happened Artist Glenn Studio Halo Piercing Location Tucson, AZ I researched all of the problems and advantages of getting a nipple piercing both at Halo Piercing (the only APP certified joint in Tucson) and across countless websites including the APP site and bmezine.com. My friends, C and A (I'll keep their names to myself) just had theirs done, and it was inspiring for me. As you could see above, my last name is Arriola, which sounds like "areola", so this was naturally a piercing I had to get.
After tearing out a few $7 off coupons from the Tucson Weekly, calling C and A to come with me and keep me from backing out, and severely pumping my body with adrenaline, I was ready to go.
When we got to Halo, I joked with the guy up front. "Is it okay to be nervous?"
"Of course, it makes it more fun!"
"Gee, thanks."
"Oh, no problem."
He gave me the paperwork, I filled it out. After paying, turning in the paperwork, waiting for the person in front of me to finish, and having C take a picture of my nipples before getting pierced, the piercer came out. He's a really pleasant chap, soft-spoken, clean shaven, arms covered in vibrant tattoos (the same fellow who did my tongue). He helped me pick out what jewelry I wanted, and all that jazz. Glenn then proceeded to take me in the back, where C followed to keep me cool. C is a great guy, I owe him big.
The back room is like a doctor's office. Absolutely clean, sterile, immaculate. The old needles are for display in a biological sharps disposal, the new jewelry is in a glass (or plastic) container in individual plastic pouches, and the marking pens were in a glass jar next to the jar of cotton balls. Glenn washed his hands, put on gloves and went to get the tray, clamps, needles, those pliers they hold the needles with, cotton, antiseptic, etc. He peeled off the wrappers to pretty much everything and laid it all out on the tray. I stood in front of him to get them marked. He gave me the marking pen afterwards. I sat down and he changed gloves, sterilized my nipples, and told me about breathing.
Breathing is fun there. Above the dentist-like chair is a blue spiral-springy thing. I would breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 6, breathe out for 8 and watch the mobile above me dance. C told us some jokes and Glenn and I laughed at them while he was clamping my right nipple.
The clamp didn't hurt. It wasn't tight, it just held my nipple and almost felt comforting. The needle going in didn't hurt, either. It was like a really intense pressure coming out from my nipple, trying to explode. Not really painful, just intense. The exit was the explosion. Once the jewelry was in, I could feel my nipple squeeze around the newly acquired 12ga surgical stainless steel circular barbell. Wow. What a rush!
The left nipple. That was more painful. I had adrenaline in my blood, my brain was on high alert, my sympathetic nervous system (the one responsible for "flight or fight" responses) was in overdrive. I felt every millimeter of that needle. I didn't even need to look at it (which I didn't!) to feel it all. It was the right piercing but three times as intense. I let out a pseudo-war cry and felt better, not to mention getting a laugh from Glenn and C for the absurdity of my "Hoo-ah! Bring it!" The left one seems to be responding more severely to everything. My guess is that the added intensity of that piercing is producing a psychosomatic reaction (my brain says "that hurt more" and my body says "I'll get it!").
Glenn covered aftercare with me. I picked up my Provon anti-microbial soap. C, A, and I left on a high. I think the first song I listened to while driving home was Winds of Change, by the Scorpions.
I went to a part and C's house that night. Nothing too extreme. Didn't drink or smoke anything (nothing new there). But whenever my nipple would get hard, it felt like it was sliding off of my chest. I found myself feeling it through my shirt whenever no one would look, just to make sure it was where I left it.
All in all, I loved this experience. Normally, being a fencer (okay, so the nipples are a target in fencing, but I won't be doing it for a few months anyway!), steel entering my body is a bad thing, but this controlled project worked out nicely! Give it a try! It's SO worth it.