I would like to start off this short narrative by saying how much I envy most of the people both young and old who have the courage to look for and aspire for new ways to express themselves. While living in a very conservative and image conscious area it is very unusual to see anyone male or female with anything more than a couple ear piercings. Industrials, navels, eyebrows, lips, tongues etc. were and still are basically unheard of in my community. Additionally, my choice of jobs since I started working seven years ago at the age of fifteen has always included a very strict dress code, thus any temptation to alter my appearance in any way was immediately squashed by the possibility of being fired, or at the very least, forced to remove or cover it up. As the years passed I started my undergraduate education at a small Catholic university, and my exposure to piercing has been nonexistent ever since, and I cannot imagine it becoming more common as I pursue my postgraduate education (Perhaps one day you will find a doctor with his eyebrows, lips and ears pierced, but today sadly is not that day).
At A Glance Author Diego Contact Diego@bme.anon When Three months ago Artist Mike Cruz Studio Cruz Creations Location San Jose The reason that I start off with such a bleak picture is so that you readers will understand that all those square, conservative, stuck up, naive, preppy, yuppie (I am sure there are more words for us) people out there might not be that way of their own volition. Many of them envy the freedom of expression that even something as small as a pierced ear would mean to them, but because of strict social standards, and fear being ostracized they shy necessarily away from it. Thus, my story is about finding a way to express myself, as well as fit in with the people and path I have chosen.
When I was eighteen years old I decided to do something completely rebellious, so I pierced my ear. Big deal, right? Strangely, it was. Suddenly my boss at the upscale clothing store that I worked at came up to me and said, "Piercings on males are against our dress code, take it out while you are working." I removed the stud, which had only been there for a couple of days. At the end of my shift I tried to put the stud in again but it had healed up, thus ended my rebellion. It was only after four years of college that my urge for self expression resurfaced.
Halloween is the perfect excuse for "radical" self expression. You can do whatever you want, dress however you want, and use the holiday as your explanation... should you need one. Since I am generally a slacks and buttoned up shirt kind of guy I figured that the perfect look for Halloween would be completely gothic. Going all out in this endeavor included, to the horror of my friends, a trip to the city for a touch of authenticity in my costume.
As for the actual piercing experience, it was great. My ear tingled a little bit, my nose stung, but the nipples are what I wish to describe in detail. Just like any other professional you might read about, I signed a release form, he observed my nipples (rather small so he recommended 16 gauge), and took out the sterilized needles and materials he would need for the procedure. I am a very relaxed person with very high pain tolerance, so I was not anxious about the procedure. I watched as he took the first needle, coated it in what I figure was sterile lubricant, told me to take a big breath in and let it out. After letting out the breath he pushed the needle into the side of my nipple. He did this completely "free hand" without tongs. I would best describe the pain as a prolonged "titty twister" which was unpleasant yes, but not by any means terrible. He followed the needle through with the jewelry (3/4 rings with ball ends, if knew I would have spent extra for internally threaded, but these unfortunately were externally threaded). Each piercing and follow through with the jewelry was about the same pain intensity. After the jewelry was in, I looked at in the mirror and was pleased with what I saw, two nice nipples with little hoops in them (my nose and ear were done as discretely as possible very small jewelry so as not to be noticed at work/ home/ school.)
To start my conclusion/ overall impression I would like to say that my piercer was excellent, and very experienced. He gave me a care sheet, answered all my questions and gave me a personal contact card for emergencies and questions. I did not bleed a single drop of blood the entire time, and as I left, my discomfort was minimal. I left his shop completely satisfied, and went strait to a dinner party afterward. In case of soreness, I bought some Alive in case of pain (he recommended also to help with any swelling, as ice is a no no). The next morning I awoke expecting a huge amount of pain as I had read from others on this site who went through similar ordeals, but strangely felt completely pain free, that is, until hooking my nipple on the shower door (Wow! F**k that hurt!).
My costume was a complete surprise and success as I wore a fishnet shirt. Afterward I took out my nose and ear piercings, but decided to keep the nipples for many reasons. First, they look awesome, I moved up to 14 gauge (don't do this if you have externally threaded jewelry before six months healing, unless you first, like extreme pain, or second, infected nipples. I was stupid and lucky only to experience the pain but don't be like me). My second reason for keeping them is that they are completely discrete unless I have an urge to go swimming during winter, or wear a thin skintight shirt (won't happen). Third reason, it is nice to have some sense of rebelliousness without worrying about incarceration, or exile. Some day soon I will be a doctor, but I will also be pierced.