For my girlfriend's birthday I promised her that we'd go and get our nipple's pierced together. She had always wanted to get them pierced only she wasn't eighteen and was unable to get it done at a very professional studio. (And wouldn't you rather wait and get them pierced by someplace you feel safe and comfortable in rather than a little office with blind's pulled down so no one can see into it except through that huge gap in the side where the blind has caught a nail?) So we ended up going the day after her birthday (as we were busy due to dinner's and present opening and such) and we went to Halo.
At A Glance Author DeFluxx Contact defluxx@yahoo.com IAM DeFluxx When Three months ago Artist Kelsey Studio Halo Location Tucson, Az I've been here before and had my septum pierced here by Glen, and was acquaintance's with an apprentice piercer there. I feel completely safe and in good hands here. We filled out the mandatory 'permission to defile your flesh' slip and choose the jewelry. I choose 12ga barbells. I always prefer the smallest gauge (largest diameter) that a piercer would want to pierce me with. After the room was set up by Kelsey, the woman who would pierce us, we went in. I've researched the average studio process and was semi-acquainted with what was going to happen. I opted to go first as I was anxious and nervous to get it done and over with. I took my shirt off and laid it on the back of the chair so my skin wouldn't stick on the chair when everything was over. After the after-care preview the piercer had me stand up to mark my nipples and so I could examine the marks and give my judgement. She originally marked them horizontally but I wanted them vertically, just forgot to men tion it. She remarked it and I examined them, they looked fine so she had me sit back down and she began.
The piercer clamped my left nipple which would feel just like you imagine, the hardest, tightest and strongest pinch you've ever felt in that area! She had me begin breathing deeply to relax me, Halo has this spiral cut-out hanging from the ceiling, most likely to distract you from the experience, and I've found out it worked fairly well as I was staring at it watching it twirl from my breath. After four or five breaths she pushed the needle through, the first nipple took about three or so seconds to get the needle completely through and I never felt the jewelry go in, she tightened the beads and I was done. What I gravitated for in my readings of nipple piercing experiences was what it felt like. The best I can describe it was a shard of metal being twisted behind my nipple. It hurt, a lot! But it was completely tolerable if you truly want this piercing enough. My girlfriend went to the main part of the studio and grabbed me a cup of cold water. After two minutes t o relax she asked me if I wanted to continue, and she prepared my right nipple. Same procedure, clamp, same feeling and breathing... then the piercing. It lasted the same amount of time and the jewelry insertion was painless. This nipple felt worse than my left, for no reason I can think of, it just did. After another two minutes of relaxing and chatting I sat down in the chairs in the room and my girlfriend laid back and everything was repeated for her. She choose to get her nipples pierced horizontally. Everything happened the same, only this time I was the water bitch =) Afterwards we carefully put our t-shirts back on and tipped Kelsey $20. Ten from each of us.
Healing has been troublesome. Apparently vertical piercings have a tendency to catch more than horizontal piercings (which never occurred to me) but, believe me, I noticed fast as I've changed the way I take off my shirt at night. The first three or four days after the piercing my nipples would sharply ache, the pain slowly decreasing as time went on. It was pretty funny when I'd just be watching TV and all of the sudden I'd just go "OW!" and no one knows what the fuck it was about. I cleaned them twice a day with Provon soap for a month, than once a month for another month and now I'm down to once every two days or so. I've caught my nipples on some clothes and have caused some pretty painful tears(?) (That's what it feels like) by making a sharp movement while lying on my side that have thankfully healed and haven't caused any scarring or rejection although they did cause some small leakage that has gone away. It's three months later and while it's still not complet ely healed, I'm almost there.
This is my second piercing at Halo, out of four total, and I can't say enough about it. If you live in Tucson or Phoenix, GO TO HALO! There is no other studio I would recommend in Tucson. I've never been disappointed there. Kelsey and Glen are complete professionals and put up with my light headed rambling. (which I have a tendency to do when getting pierced) If you are worried about the pain, which I certainly was, you'll be fine if you sincerely want this piercing for your own reasons... nothing is unbearable when you have your mind set on it.