OUCH! Was that it??

At A Glance Author Angelina Jolie Contact Angelina Jolie@bme.anon Artist Brian Skellie Studio Piercing Experience Location Atlanta, GA

Looking at me, you would never, ever guess that I have, as of an hour ago, a vertical hood piercing. I have a really normal, conservative job. I have that "normal" look, you know what I mean. Underneath it all, though, I feel anything but normal! It all started with my first piercing, which was, of course, my belly button. I loved it, cliche as it may have become. I was married at the time, and my now ex-husband was just barely tolerant of the piercing. I thought it was great though. It was actually the second time I had it done...the first time, I'd taken the jewelry out and wasn't able to get it back in, so it closed. I was 18 at the time. The second time, I was 23.

After this piercing I was thinking constantly about body art. I wanted more! It's just as addictive as they say. I wanted my tongue pierced, but my job is very conservative so I wasn't sure I could get away with it. Well, once I get something in my head, I can't get it out, so I did it, and so far so good at work. a few people have noticed but nobody "important". In between the two piercings I also got my first tattoo, a large purple and green tribal dragon on my right shoulder blade. It was done by K.C. at the House of Color in Marietta, Ga, and he is fantastic.

I got on BME and started looking for a new piercing. I never had really seriously considered a genital piercing, but my boyfriend got a Prince Albert and I got to thinking about it. I knew I didn't want my clit pierced because of the risk of losing feeling (NOT a good place to lose feeling!). At first, I decided on a horizontal clitoral hood piercing, because I liked how they looked. After more reading, though, I decided I'd probably prefer the vertical with a curved barbell.

I found some very positive stories on BME about Brian Skellie at the Piercing Experience in Atlanta. I decided to feel him out a little so I found the web page, which was VERY impressive (I don't remember the address but you can do a Yahoo! search and find it). I emailed him with some general questions, mostly just to see what he would say and how quickly. Brian responded to me very quickly, and was so informative. I decided beyond a doubt, even without meeting him, that this was the place for me. I was right!

I got to the place tonight about 7:45. Brian knew who I was because I'd called in ahead of time to tell him when I wanted to come in. I filled out some paperwork, gave him my drivers license, and paid (actually my credit card didn't work! So my boyfriend paid..oops!). He took me back to a private room that was just like a doctor's office. He had me lie back and spread my legs, which I expected to be very strange, but he was really easy going and it wasn't nearly as strange as I expected. He took a look and felt around (some girls have said they were turned on during the cleaning/prep...I was not!!! I was really damn nervous, shaking, and incredibly tense, nowhere close to turned on). He told me exactly what I had hoped to hear: I was built for a 12 gauge vertical curved barbell. Yea!

Now back into the lobby area. I picked my jewelry (purple balls of course) and he took it back to be sterilized, etc. This took a really long time, or it felt like it did. I was very nervous but there was a really cool chick in the lobby who'd known Brian for years, and assured me there would be no problems.

Finally the jewelry was ready. We went back into the room, and I lay back down on the table with my legs spread once again. He put some goo on me, wiped me off. Then he said he was going to line everything up, have me take a deep breath, and he'd pierce on the exhale. I felt him getting ready, and i felt the tip of the needle on me, not pushing, just waiting. He said deep breath, and he pierced. It hurt like HELLFIRE AND DAMNATION, I kid you not. OUCH! Almost before my mind could register the pain, it was over. The jewelry part was no big deal. I bled quite a bit, but it's stopped now.

Brian doesn't use clamps at all, and he uses tissue massage, etc. to make things easier. He's great! He was very knowledgable and totally put me at ease about getting half naked and felt up by a complete stranger. The pain of the needle is very intense and over very quickly. I think it will definitely be worth it.