At A Glance Author Starlet Contact Starlet@bme.anon IAM Starlet When A month ago Artist Mike French Studio Omega Red 2 Location Cedar Falls, IA Nipple piercings have always appealed to me on an aesthetic level, and that was all I really took into account the first time I had them pierced with 14 gauge barbells. The thinness of the jewelry was laughably inadequate in wake of my size 34D breasts, and that in conjunction with crooked piercings made it more convenient to simply remove the jewelry and plan on having them redone after the scar tissue had dissipated a bit.
A year and a half down the road, I decided the time had come to have my boobs re-punctured. I knew I wanted something big enough to be on the receiving end of rough play and not tear, but I wasn't sure just how big my body could handle. My stash of old body jewelry gave me a visual aid and I finally settled on an 8 gauge.
I stopped by Omega Red to talk to Mike French about the project. He briefly examined my anatomy and said that it should be okay if I really absolutely was sure I wanted to get something that big stabbed through a sensitive part of my body. My friends all thought I was nuts, but I told him that I was sure. He put two 9/16" 8g barbells on order for me, and said that he'd call when they came in.
Unfortunately, they came in about two and a half weeks later than I was expecting, so by the time Mike called, the appointment to start my chest tattoo was only three days away. I told him that I'd call back after I got inked and healed a bit, and that maybe I could come in between my outline and shading session. There was no way I was going to go sit for 3 hours of chest tattooing with brand new nipple piercings. I'm not that much of a glutton for pain. The tattoo went well, and I anticipated a quick recovery. Even more misfortune was headed my way, though. The day after my tattoo, I was struck down with a case of something that wasn't strep throat but put forth a valiant effort to knock me on my ass for a week and a half. I think by this time Mike was starting to doubt that I was ever going to get around to being pierced.
I eventually recovered from my bout with death and set off in quest of nipple piercings! I suddenly decided one Tuesday that it was time. My boyfriend swung by the shop's other location on the way to my house and picked up a whole bundle of autoclave packets containing things like giant needles, jewelry, clamps, surgical scissors, and other wonderful toys. He then picked me up, and we traveled the short journey to Omega Red. The butterflies started to set in and I tried really, really hard to not look at how big those needles really were.
We arrived at the shop and spent some time making small talk with Mike and admiring his collection of paintings. Finally I'd done all the stalling I could handle, and we got to setting up. Mike put up a screen so that innocent passers-by wouldn't be offended by my bared breasts. He put on a pair of gloves and assembled the tray of autoclaved piercing goodies while I got myself situated on the bench.
He swabbed my nipples with disinfectant which tingled a little, as usual. The excess was wiped off after a few seconds. He marked the position for the piercing first while I was lying down, but thought better of it and had me stand up to do another set of lines. Good thing, too, as the original markings would have left me with very not-level piercings. I evaluated the markings and gave the go ahead.
He got the receiving tube and needle ready, but I objected. "You're going to do this the hard way and it's going to be all slow and hurt a lot," I whined.
He gave me an incredulous look and said that if I really wanted him to, he'd use clamps. I said that I would, if only in hope that they might distract me from the intense pain that was coming my way. Man, was I wrong. I couldn't even feel them. But they did put my mind at ease just a teeny little bit.
So, clamps reluctantly in place, and two breaths in and out, the act of piercing my right nipple commenced. The pain was phenomenal. Fortunately, my brain prevents me from accurately recalling just exactly how badly it hurt, so I can't really say. It hurt bad enough to make swear pour from my body in remarkable amounts and I apparently made some pretty fearsome faces.
Just as he was putting the jewelry in, a pair of other customers entered the shop. Mike went off to assist them while I simultaneously recovered from the last piercing and mentally prepared for the next. After the brief intermission he came back to finish the job. All things considered, the left nipple went pretty much the same as the right except that it hurt more and took longer. And I swore a lot.
After the jewelry insertion, I lie still on the bench for quite a while before attempting to even sit up. I gradually regained my muscle coordination enough to sit up and have several people assist in the application of my bra. Mike commented that it was the first time he'd ever helped a girl get her bra on before. My chest properly reassembled, we ventured away from the shop and toward home.
The pain immediately afterwards wasn't intolerable, but there was a bit of residual stinging from the disinfectant. Therefore, the first order of business upon arriving home was to do a quick sea salt soak to relieve the discomfort. Aside from that, it was an issue of just leaving the new piercings alone as much as possible.
My after care regimen consisted of a gentle sudsing with Provon soap during my morning shower and a nice long sea salt soak while getting ready for bed. The piercings bled a fair amount for the first few days, but that tapered off completely by the end of the first week. By the time two weeks had elapsed lymph crust had all but disappeared. Now, coming up on three weeks, I sometimes forget that they're even there.
I did have an issue early on in healing with a somewhat overzealous boyfriend which led to my right nipple becoming extremely swollen. It tried it's best to eat the barbell I was wearing, so I had to make an emergency switch to one of the 3/4" diameter 8g CBRs I always wear in my ear. The ring has been an endless source of irritation, but the swelling shows no signs of going away. So I'm stuck in this cumbersome jewelry until I can afford something closer to the right size.
In all, I would definitely recommend starting out at a higher gauge. I'm so much more comfortable at this size, and I'm not plagued by the fear of getting one of them caught on something and ripping it out. They have also healed much better than a smaller gauge. I endured a 3 hour tattoo session 10 days into the healing process with no adverse reaction. I would also highly recommend straight barbells over rings. The added movement is irritating and the bigger jewelry is infinitely harder to keep out of the way.
Oh. And watch out, because shiny metal in your boobs is apparently irresistible to one's playmates.