I had booked my nipple piercings about a month in advance. It gave me a chance to ponder the reasoning behind my desire to get this particular piercing at my age. Hey, I am no longer 20 years old and the 'old girls' are kinda hanging out in their own way now. They're not as pert and perky as they used to be, alas! But, nevertheless, they're part of what makes me who I am and I have every right as my 20-something counterparts to have them look pretty and I truly believe 'adorned' boobies are happy boobies.
At A Glance Author gryph Contact gryph@bme.anon IAM gryph When It just happened Artist Dan Studio Hemp 2000 Location Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada But as I meditated on the rationale behind this decision, I realized the decisive factor, for me, had to do with empowerment. I am the one solely responsible for what happens to my body. No one should be able to tell me what I can or cannot do to it based on the edicts of mainstream society. It shouldn't matter that I am 43 years old or that I weigh more than the 'average' person (what the hell is 'average' anyway?). It shouldn't matter what my friends think or what my family thinks. The only one who truly matters in this scenario, is me! And that is the most empowering feeling one can have.
So, it didn't take much thinking to make the final decision. Having moved to a more remote area of British Columbia, I did some research on area piercers (let me tell you there aren't many). I spent evenings poring over nipple piercing stories which were strangely contradictory. Pain is a subjective thing, isn't it? Something that can send someone into a painful tizzy can seem like a mosquito bite to another. Funny, that.
Anyway, I found my piercer, Dan, at Hemp 2000 in Cranbrook. He is a soft-spoken biker-type with a handle-bar moustache and long, ponytailed hair. The shop sells very cool hippyish clothes and cool jewellery. The piercing room is located in the back. It's small, but clean, bright and welcoming with photographs on the wall and a very interesting world map on which Dan has marked each place where a person he has pierced has come from. It was rather astonishing, actually. The only place unmarked pretty much is Russia.
Being an editor of a newspaper, Dan and I started gabbing about stuff unrelated to my soon-to-be pierced nipples. As we chatted, he began to prepare all the gadgets he would need -- clamps, jewellery, needles, cotton balls, cleanser, etc. I hiked my top up and there they were in all their glory -- my once pert boobies, slightly drooping now, but still pretty. I had talked to Dan prior to this occasion and mentioned my trepidation regarding my smallish nipples. We decided on piercing using 12g instead of 14g to minimize the risk of rejection. He wasn't sure it would work because of the size of my nipples, but once he got the clamps on, he decided it would be OK. I left that decision to him because he's the expert and has pierced countless numbers of people and I instinctively trusted him.
I quickly got used to having 'my girls' out and about since Dan was nothing less than professional. He marked the spots for my 12g horizontal bars and I hopped up onto the doctor's style 'bed.' (That's after he disinfected and cleaned the areas). We were still yapping and I was definitely NOT thinking about the needle at this point since with any piercing I got before, the piercer told me to breathe in and out and usually on the third breath out, I would get stuck. Not so here! Dan just let me have it. Wham bam, thank you, ma'am! I didn't have time to think about the discomfort. And yes, there was that. It hurt. He did the right one first. The left nipple was even more uncomfortable. Having the jewellery put in did not bother me at all. Dan explained aftercare to me, we yapped a little more, I paid and tipped him and I was on my way.
My husband drove home (about 11/2 hours) and they really began to be uncomfortable, especially the right one. It's now about seven hours later and they hurt like a bitch. I know they are going to be bruised and I look like I have a weird affliction typing this because I don't want my arms to hit the sides of my breasts and brush up against my fresh piercings.
But, they're lovely and they make me feel strong, sexy and in control. I had this done for me and like Dan said, age doesn't matter. One knows when it's time and it was my time. I am glad I gave it such introspective thought, though. I would do it again in a pinch (literally).