First, I would like to say that it is not necessarily a good idea to do your own piercings but, that is what I did.
At A Glance Author Special K When Two years ago Artist Myself I had been thinking of doing a nipple piercing for a long time, partly because that is something I could pierce without my mother having a fit. It took a long time to work up the nerve, and when I finally did, I did not have the correct resources. Even so, I decided to proceed with the piercing.
I went to the Wal-Mart down the street at 4 a.m. to the section with all the sewing stuff and bought the biggest sewing needle I could find and a barbell then went back home, very excited none the less. Once I got back home, I really didn't know where to begin, so I sat waiting for the needle to sterilize in alcohol. I sat for half an hour then finally decided that it was sterilized enough and that I would pierce. After I washed my hands and marked my nipple, I ran the needle across the flame of my lighter, sat down on the bed, closed my eyes tight and pressed the needle against the mark. Looking back, closing my eyes may not have been the best idea in the world, but at least it came out straight.
Unfortunately, I thought the needle would have been sharper but, since it was not hollow like a piercing needle it took a little more persuasion. Four hours of persuasion was more than I bargained for. I really didn't expect it to take that long. I got the needle through the first section of skin and then I got to the middle part of the nipple, which surprisingly is very tough. That is the part that took the longest. Going through that center part made the nerves in my chest twitch. The pain, although minor, was very different from the pain from going through the first layers of skin. Forceps/Clamps would have done me wonders that night, but once I got past that part it was smooth sailing. I'm just glad I had lots of adrenaline pumping because if I didn't it probably would have hurt a lot more, but I can't remember too much pain associated with it, although I did accidentally stab my finger which didn't feel good at all. It didn't seem like four hours , I guess because most of it was spent wishing I had a third hand to hold my nipple out since I didn't have forceps, and stopping every few seconds to make sure it wasn't crooked.
When my piercing was done, I guided my barbell through the hole, which would have been a lot easier with a hollow needle. Luckily I did not get the barbell lost in the piercing, although it did take a little to get it through. I suppose I shouldn't have bought body jewelry from Wal-Mart. The barbell was not guaged correctly, so it was a bit large for the hole. Once I finally had the jewelry in, I was ecstatic. I must have stared in the mirror for ten minutes straight. I was also happy because it didn't bleed at all, but there was some clear stuff. I'm not exactly sure what that was.
I expected it to be sore the next day, but it wasn't sore at all. It was never sore, it actually felt kind of nice. It hurt a little when I went in the freezer at work the next day and the time I snagged it on my bracelet. It definitely took some getting used to. I had to remember not to take my shirt off too fast and things like that but after about three days I was showing everyone from my girlfriends to my boyfriend's buddies. Many of them had me pierce their nipples as well.
I had the piercing for about a year and I recently had to take it out because I planned to breastfeed my baby when she was born. When I took it out, I wasn't aware I could successfully breastfeed with nipple rings. My now-husband was very happy with the effects it had on my sensitivity and wants me to get it done again. I am hoping to re-pierce soon, and for all of you who are seriously considering a nipple piercing, I would recommend it. I just don't recommend using a sewing needle. (It worked a lot better when I pierced my left nipple with a 14 ga. surgical needle)
I also warn that self piercing is addictive, but if that is what you are into, HAPPY PIERCING. Please be careful though because I hate to see people whose nipples have been split in two, or they have these awkward lump scars on either side of their nipples where the holes were. Getting all the information you can is always your best bet. Being happy with your piercing is very important because if you're not happy with it, that sometimes leads to neglecting it. That lets infection get in and having an infected piercing is never easy or fun, and besides, if you're not happy with it, you went through pain and money for no reason, so make sure to think it through. Other than that, enjoy your piercings, you only live once.