It's been almost five long years since I got my left nipple pierced, during which time I'd been thinking for a while about getting the other one done.(As you can see I didn't exactly rush this) So whilst taking a friend to get her navel pierced I decided that the time was right to get some symmetry back on my body. I really like the look of just the one nipple pierced, but the urge to get the other one done just took over, and both looks as good as just the one.
At A Glance Author Dalg Contact Dalg@bme.anon IAM Dalg When It just happened Artist Jacqueline Geddes Studio Glasgow Piercing Studio Location Glasgow, Scotland A little bit of background first. When I got my first nipple done, that night the dressing was soaked in blood, and my nipple looked bruised and sorry for itself. It seemed to heal up pretty quickly, but over the years it never really settled down. I would get periods where there was no hassle, and then periods of crusties that didn't want to clear up.
After four and a half years I substituted the cbr for a barbell, and lo and behold that was it. It was what it had been waiting for. The crusties cleared up and no problems since.
I decided that for my second outing, I would give it a go and get it done with a barbell from the off, to see if that would be any easier to heal.
Back to the present day, and I was sitting in the Glasgow Piercing Studio, waiting for Theresa to get her navel done. She was very nervous, and eager to get it done and wanted to go first to get it over with, so while she was in being pierced, I chilled out and looked in the jewellery cabinet. A few minutes later, Theresa comes out with a big grin on her face and a nice jewelled barbell in her navel, and it's my turn to go in. The studio is very reminiscent of a doctors surgery, rather than a shop, which may put some people off especially if they are nervous, but the attitude of Jacqueline and her apprentice (sorry I can't remember her name), is such that you are put at ease very quickly. It also show up the fact that the studio is spotless. After filling out the paperwork, and explaining that I wanted a barbell this time, as I had problems with my previous piercing until I swapped for a barbell, we were ready to go.
The piercing area is in a separate room from the waiting area (which has a small cabinet displaying jewellery), and there is a screen between the door and the part of the second room the piercing takes place in, so even if the door was open no-one can see into the piercing area, ensuring total privacy.
I hopped up onto the gurney-type bed, and Jacqueline cleaned and marked my nipple, taking care to line it up so it was level with my other piercing. Then is was time to lie back and go for it.
She used a freeze spray on my nipple, which although I no is really just a placebo as it only stops the pain on the skin surface, is a placebo I'm not quite ready to go without here. Ok so I'm chicken....what the hell.
I lay back, took a couple of breaths, and Jacqueline pushed the needle through. I'd been dreading this a bit, as the last few years, I've built up the idea that it hurt like hell for some reason, when in reality I remember walking out chatting away to the piercer, but in it went, slight discomfort but no pain, then in with the barbell, ball screwed on, and that was that. Virtually no sensation of pain at all during the whole procedure. It was now time for a look in the mirror to check out just how good it looked (and it DID look good) prior to the dressing being put on. Dressing on and that's it we're done. A short discussion about aftercare which hasn't changed any since the last time – salt water soaks twice a day - and it was time to pay her and go show my wife my new piercing.
The Glasgow Piercing Studio is located in Parnie Street in Glasgow, Scotland. It is an little shop front which is very discreet and not in your face in the least. There are other studios in Glasgow that are bigger, look a bit "cooler" and I have no doubt, got piercers of an equally high calibre, but I am a firmly believe that when getting a tattoo or piercing if it ain't broken don't fix it. If you are comfortable with the person piercing you, and I think that has to be the case (if I wasn't comfortable with someone who was about to pierce me, I wouldn't let them do it) then don't be swayed by a "cool" looking shop. It's the piercer that's important, not the shop front.