Just like almost everyone else, I've been interested in and fascinated with piercings ever since I can remember, etc., etc. Nipple piercings had been a part of my plans for quite a while, and I decided I would have them done, vertically, for my seventeenth birthday. My wonderful boyfriend, Justin, made this his birthday present to me. In case it's relevant, at the time of my nipple piercings I also had an assortment of lobe piercings (at 7/16", 0g, 6g, 10g and two at 16g), a 14g standard industrial, a 14g nostril piercing, a 16g inner conch piercing, and a 16g vertical labret. I did spend quite a while trying to choose a studio – because of where he's located, my regular piercer, Mike at Iron Legends (in Smiths Falls) probably doesn't have as much experience doing nipple piercings as someone from Ottawa. However, in the end I decided that I would go to Mike because I was much more comfortable going to him than to someone who'd never pierced me before. And he has been piercing for quite a while – somewhere in the realm of 25 years. I stopped by a few weeks before my birthday to consult with him, and everything was a go.
At A Glance Author Zerstoerte Contact Zerstoerte@bme.anon IAM Zerstoerte When A month ago Artist Mike DuHamel Studio Iron Legends Location Smiths Falls, ON, Canada So on my birthday, January 25th, Justin picked me up after school to take me to Smiths Falls. (I live in Carleton Place, about half an hour away.) Accompanying us were two of my closest friends: Dani, who was also planning on getting a piercing (her right eyebrow, twice), and Devon, who is like a brother to me. We stopped at Subway to get something to eat – for those who don't already know, being pierced on an empty stomach is generally a bad idea – and made it to Iron Legends around 3:30.
I have to admit, I was nervous. Usually this doesn't happen to me, but the thought of nipple piercings did seem a bit daunting. I know this may sound odd but I'm not sure what it was that was scaring me. Of course I knew there would be pain involved and thinking about that didn't bother me – it was something else I was scared of, and like I said, I don't know what it was. I knew this wouldn't stop me from going through with it (or, at least one), but I did have unpleasant dreams the night before about having my nipple piercings horribly botched.
When we entered Iron Legends, Mike was busy, so we wandered around the shop for a while until he could see us. Then he talked with Dani, who wanted to be pierced first, and set up for her piercings. At this point, Dani's mother arrived, and she was pretty angry. I don't understand what happened – she told Dani it was fine to get her eyebrow pierced, but she was livid nonetheless. She informed me that getting my nipples pierced was "fucking stupid," which bothered me, since I barely knew her, wasn't talking to her about it, and wasn't going to be pierced in front of her or anything.
Happily, once Dani's piercings were finished – which looked great – her mother left, taking the heavy, negative atmosphere with her. Mike cleaned up after Dani's piercings, and came to consult with me about the piercings. I had very small nipples then, and he didn't think 12g was a great idea, so we decided on 14g stainless steel barbells. I was offered the option of freezing, but declined; I believe the pain is an integral part of the experience. I also gave him my tip then – the usual peanut butter cookies, which usually turn everyone in the shop into my new best friend – and made sure it was okay for Dani to take pictures during the piercings.
The jewellery was already autoclaved and he set up for me quickly. Once he was ready, Justin, Dani and I came into his "piercing area" (Mike wasn't comfortable with Devon watching, since he's [obviously] male; he was more comfortable with Justin, however, since we've been dating for so long). Mike won't do nipple piercings on a girl between sixteen and eighteen without a parent or female friend present, which I think is a good sign.
At this point, I confessed to Mike that I was nervous, and he reassured me, saying that I would be fine. I told him I was worried I might jump – I never have before, but I didn't know what to expect – and he swore that he'd get the piercing done "even if I was running out the door." I sat down, took off my bra, and lifted up my shirt. Mike very carefully marked them; he cleaned them, made preliminary marks, waited for them to become more erect in the cold room, and made his final marks. I requested that the left one be pierced first. My reasoning behind this was that in case I found it too painful to have them both done at once, I would rather have had the just the left one pierced than just the right one. Justin held my hand, and Dani stood behind me with the camera. Mike clamped my nipple as gently as possible; every time I'm pierced by him, I'm reminded of people who say that the clamps are the worst part, and feel extremely grateful to have a piercer who knows how to use them properly. It was little bit uncomfortable, but certainly not painful.
Mike then took the first needle from its package, dipped the tip in Xylocaine (for lubricant; I didn't think it would numb me much if at all, so I agreed to it) and then very quickly pierced the first nipple, from top to bottom, I believe. The pain was quite sharp and intense, but still enjoyable. Dani got a good picture of my nipple with the needle through. I began shaking quite hard immediately afterward, partly from the cold of the room, and partly from the shock, I think. The jewellery insertion was also very fast, and while it was also uncomfortable, I wouldn't go so far as to call it "painful." Once the first one was finished, I requested a short break before the next one. Mike suggested I get a sugary drink from the cooler, and Justin went and got me a Monster. I had actually meant only a break of 30 seconds or so, but I guess Mike thought I meant longer, as he left and told me to call whenever I was ready. After a few sips of my drink, I asked Justin to go get Mike.
The second nipple piercing was much the same as the first: brief discomfort from the clamps; fast, intense pain; more mild discomfort as the jewellery was inserted; shaking. I stood up and went to the mirror to look at my new piercings, and of course I was in love right away. My nipples were quite swollen but looked gorgeous. I gingerly put my bra and shirt back on, and Mike gave me some cotton to place inside my bra. Justin paid, and we talked to Mike and Doug (who works at the counter) for a bit, then left.
The car ride home was less than pleasant. I was in quite a bit of pain, and every bump in the road made it feel worse. It was an intense, throbbing, burning feeling. Justin dropped me off at my house and took my friends home, before coming back, since we were going out for dinner. I took two ibuprofen, which I believe helped with the pain and the swelling. The more intense pain lasted maybe two or three hours. After that, my nipples were sensitive for the next few days, but only painful if I bumped them. I wore clean cotton pads inside my bra, which I plan on doing for the first month or two. As aftercare, I've been doing two sea salt soaks a day, and the piercings are looking very healthy so far.
My nipples did enlarge quite a bit (maybe 50%, which is fine with me, as now they actually look like nipples – as I said, they were very small before), and after a few days the initial jewellery (3/8" barbells with 3mm beads) was a bit too short. I was worried about the beads sinking in, so I went back to Iron Legends and had them changed to 1/2" titanium barbells with 4mm beads. The change was quick and mostly painless. There's a bit of room on the new jewellery, but not enough for them to snag on anything.
I've had my nipple piercings for almost three weeks now, and I adore them. They look amazing, and I feel very confident knowing what a beautiful secret I have under my shirt. I've had a lot of people ask me, "How could you do that? Didn't it hurt?" In my replies, I try to help them understand that the pain isn't really very important at all. Of course it was painful, like almost any other piercing, but it was completely bearable and I wouldn't hesitate to have it done again. If you're reading this experience because you're thinking about getting your nipples pierced, by all means, don't let the pain be a factor. It's such a wonderful experience, with such beautiful results, and it's way more than worth any discomfort you might experience.