My boyfriend had always talked about getting his nipples pierced and every time it came up I refused to even consider getting mine done. At the time, I refused to stray anywhere from my ears as regards to piercing. Needless to say, that ideology did not last long.
At A Glance Author Alex Contact Alex@bme.anon When It just happened Artist anonymous Studio Class Act/ Nemesis Location Iowa City, IA My boyfriend's birthday was coming up, and although I was helping him pay for his tattoo as his gift, I thought I could get something else for him that would benefit us both, which is how the idea popped into my head. I thought it would be a good surprise, he would have never expected it. So after I had made my decision to do it, I started to do a little research. I looked up some photos online to see how it would look, after all I had only seen nipple piercings on guys, so I was not quite sure what to expect. And then I called one of the local tattoo and body piercing shops, Class Act. I had heard pretty good things about them, and had actually been in the shop before so I knew how clean the place was. I asked a lot of questions over the phone, regarding the jewelry they used, healing process, etc. The gentleman I spoke to was very friendly and helped me very much in regards to the information I requested. It was then the next day, I believe it was last Tuesday, that I decided to head over to Class Act with just the intension of looking at photos of some of the work that they had done, and confirm information I had heard over the phone, however that plan changed.
As I was asking the lady at the desk a few question, she said her husband was almost finished with a tattoo he was working on and said I could get it done now if I wanted to, which I ended up doing. I figured it was better to just go ahead and get it done and over with, instead of walking out and changing my mind later, after all I really did want it done after thinking about it constantly for a couple of days. So the gentleman that was going to do my piercing walked me back into the private room and began setting up. I took off my shirt and bra as he began to set up all the tools he was going to use, letting me know each thing he was sterilizing. The place was extremely clean, so much to the point that you could smell it. I was pleased that I had chosen a good place.
Before I had thought about getting it done at another place I had heard great things about, Nemesis Tattoo and Body Piercing, but I was not sure about their experience and the cleanliness of the store, I had been in there once before and I was not too sure about it. So I was actually very pleased that I had chosen Class Act.
To continue, the gentleman was very professional, but at the same time he did not seem too concerning of me. He kept telling me to make sure I did not touch him, grab him, or make any sudden movements. I am sure a lot of this was for my safety as well, but I felt a little attacked. He had me lay down on the chair, telling me to relax which was hard, I was shaking all over. When he was ready to begin the piercing he did not tell me it was coming, he just did it. And it actually didn't hurt too much, however it did bleed quite a bit. Then he did the second one not warning me yet again, however this time it did hurt, and it seemed to take a little bit longer, and like before, it too bled. I can't remember too much, because I wasn't looking part of the time, but I don't even remember him using a clamp. After he was done and had put the rings in, I was very relieved and very excited. He explained that I should use saline solution in aerosol form to clean them and then sent me on my way. For only $50 I thought this was awesome and by far the wildest thing I had done. I walked out of the shop extremely excited, I couldn't wait to tell my friends.
The first person I told was my younger sister and she freaked out. Telling me how gross it was and I just laughed saying one day you'll understand what I'm talking about. The second person I told was my boyfriend. Yes, I know it was supposed to be a surprise for when he was going to visit me that coming weekend, but not only could I not contain my excitement but he was having a bad day, so I thought it would raise his spirits a little. Of course he didn't believe me until he saw them for himself when he came up that weekend.
The piercings hurt for a couple of days but the pain wasn't intolerable. I couldn't believe that I had done it. I was excited and told damn near everybody I knew.
On Thursday night, when my boyfriend managed to come up a day early, he saw them for the first time and was still surprised that I actually did it. He mentioned how they didn't look like he thought they would, and I just said that it was because they probably pierce women different then men. And after that neither of us thought anything of it.
Then last night came around, Tuesday, it had been a week since I had them pierced, and they were itching like crazy. It was late and all the places were closed, so I decided to do a little research online and make sure that nothing was wrong. Of course itching was a common side-effect and it was nothing to worry about, but on that same site they had tons of information about risks involved. I learned about improper jewelry size, piercing migration, rejection, infections, literally everything you wanted to know was found here. And that's kind of when I started to freak out. After I got out of the shower and started to clean my piercings I noticed that my rings were a little smaller than I had been seeing in the pictures. Then later that night, after I had been watching TV, I decided to take my bra off before I went to bed and found my rings to be pushed into the piercing as far as they could go and I had to pull them out, back to their proper spot. I didn't think that was right and I got really paranoid. I began to look up more and more online, and then realized that my rings were too small, they stuck strait out from my nipple and I wasn't able to move them up and down, like a door knocker, like I should have been able to. For the past week I had been taping them down in order to keep them from getting pushed back into my nipple, because I thought it was normal, but now I knew something wasn't right. That night I couldn't get too sleep, mainly because I was pissed that something was wrong, and I really liked them.
At around 1:30 Wednesday afternoon (today), I decided to go get them checked out. I kept thinking that a professional would know what he's doing so they have to be ok; I just kept telling my self I was just being paranoid. I thought it was best to go to a different place just as a second opinion to see if that's how they should be, assuming that the guy who originally did them was probably going to stand by his work. So I stopped in a Nemesis Tattoo and Body Piercing. The moment I walked in the guys were really nice and very funny. I asked if I could get somebody to look at my nipple piercings and a customer getting a tattoo joked around saying he'd look at them for me. It really made me at ease because I was really nervous that something was wrong. I tried explaining what the problem was and then a guy by the name of Steve took me to the back room and had me take off my shirt so he could see what the problem was. Well, I found out that my paranoia wasn't without reason. The minute I took off my bra Steve said "You poor girl." I pretty much then knew all my assumptions were correct. He was so kind; he even asked to make sure it was ok that he touched them to see what was going on. He didn't do anything without my permission, and made sure everything was ok with me and told me what he was going to do. Steve said that they not only had been pierced way too deep, but my rings were way too small, which is why they were probably sticking out. It was a ring that people use for healed eyebrow or lip piercings. He asked if they bled when I got them done and I said yeah quite a bit and he said that they shouldn't bleed and if so a drop at the most. He asked where I had gotten them done and when I told him he said that I should go back and ask for my money back. He showed me pictures of a girl that he pierced not too long ago and said that's the deepest they should be pierced. Mine was beyond that.
I took Steve's advice and went over to Class Act right after I left Nemesis. It was a different guy working at the time, and when I talked to him about it, he just said it was another shop talking crap. He took me in back so he could take a look at them and he even admitted that the rings were way too small so he switched them out for barbells for free. He told me that was how deep they were supposed to be pierced and that a lot of people have them pierced deeper than that. At this point I was confused who to believe; after all they are rival shops.
On my way back to my car I stopped back at Nemesis to talk to Steve about it. He took a look at them again and said they looked a little better with the barbells in because it was appropriate size jewelry, but he said they were still pierced too deep. He said that women can't be pierced as deep as men because of healing factors. He explained to me that I could keep them if I wanted to, but the likely hood of them ever healing was very slim. He had a friend who's were pierced too deep and she had to take them out because they weren't healing properly and they still have yet to heal. Steve said he has nothing against Class Act, that he had never even met the guys that work there. He said that he knew me better then he knew them and he was just looking out. He made it very clear that he wanted this to be my decision and that he didn't want me to feel pressured to take them out. He was just giving me his advice at what I should do. He even marked where they should be pierced, which is right at the base of the nipple when it is erect. Needless to say that spot was quite a bit shallower then where they were. After what Steve told me, I was very pissed off and made the tough decision to take them out, which he did for me. When he took them out, they bled quite a bit, and he said that they shouldn't bleed like that. He told me that I should let them heal for about two weeks, continue cleaning them, and then to stop back in after Thanksgiving break to see when I would be able to get them re-pierced. I really appreciated his professionalism and advice; I felt that I could trust him.
A couple hours later I had a doctor appointment with Dr. Evans for a problem I had been having with my big toe. When I went in for my appointment I asked if he could take a look at my nipples to see if they would be ok as far as healing goes. He kind of laughed at the story, after all its kind of an embarrassing thing to tell your doctor, but it made me a little more relaxed. When he took a look at them he said as far as healing goes I'll be fine especially with the antibiotics he was giving me, which was a big relief. He too said it that they had been pierced too deep and too wide. After I told him the story of everything I had gone through, he recommended that the second guy I spoke with is who I should go back to, which was Steve.
After my eventful day, I am a little more at ease. I'm still pissed off that I had to take my piercings out and wasted $50 but its always better to be safe than sorry in cases like this. I've seen pictures of people who ended up with split nipples, piercing migrations, really bad infections, and I really wasn't going to have any of that happen to me. I guess my story is just to foreworn people that looks can be deceiving. And that it's always a good idea to research the place you're getting your piercing done at as much as possible, and know what is right and wrong when it comes to your piercing before hand, because I apparently lacked in this department. And from my experience the minute you notice something that doesn't appear to be right, get it checked out right way, instead of waiting till it's too late.
Needless to say Class Act is no more for me. I want to thank Steve for his advice. He is now somebody I can trust with any of my piercings, and I'm even planning on getting my first tattoo done at Nemesis. Thanks Again!