Hoodwinked!

At A Glance Author Meghan Contact meghan@bmeworld.com Artist Ron Garza Studio Body Rites Location Austin, TX (500b E. 6th St.)

I knew I'd eventually get around to piercing my hood, but I left the particulars to be determined at a later date. It's a very appealing pierce, both aesthetically and functionally. At the time I had fourteen other piercings, and my hood was never on deck as a priority piercing, though I knew I'd get it done. But after my last tattoo, I held off on piercing while it was healing.

I took my good friend Teal to be pierced at Body Rites Austin; while I hadn't had anything done there, I knew both Ron Garza and Chris Kane (the owner) and knew how professional they both are, so I trusted them with her. Also, I'd witnessed a friend's frenum piercing there, so I had seen their procedure firsthand. Right before Teal was pierced, I had Ron put a 10 gauge hole in my lobe for a septum retainer given to me by the person I'm dating (sort of our equivalent of wearing your boyfriend's class ring).

I needed to return the next week, as my latest septum jewelry (10 gauge circular barbell) hadn't come in when I was there with Teal. I didn't mention it to Ron, but I decided I'd have him pierce my hood at that time as well. I'd be getting the piercing right after my twenty-first birthday, so it was sort of a present to myself.

For quite some time I'd wanted a triangle; however, horizontal piercings in that area would be hindered by my labia (also, my partner has an apadravya, so you can imagine the horrors resulting from that barbell snagging on a hood ring during sex!). So I decided I'd go ahead and get a vertical, which was a little less aesthetically appealing to me but held the promise of added stimulation (never a bad thing).

Teal and I went back to Body Rites on March 27. The night before, my ferret had been licking my ear while I was asleep, and had knocked the retainer out of my lobe. So I had to have that put back in, have my septum stretched, and have my hood pierced ... quite a full evening.

After chatting with Ron and killing time while the jewelry was autoclaved, it was time to get started. I decided to leave the best for last and have the mundane stuff taken car of first. Ron put the retainer back in my recalcitrant ear, then did my septum stretch. Both were very quick and easy.

It was time for my hood. Ron explained the procedure and I got undressed from the waist down. Suddenly Ron realized that the jewelry he needed for my hood hadn't been autoclaved yet! So he put it in, I got dressed, and we sat in the piercing room and listening to the shrieks of someone getting tattooed outside. But soon enough the jewelry was ready, and I stripped again and arranged myself in those damned gyno stirrups.

Ron cleaned the area (man, that stuff is COLD), and began to delicately poke around to find the right placement. With the end of a halved cotton swab, he felt around my clitoral shaft under the hood and touched one area on the right side. My reaction: "Ahhhh!" He touched the other side but didn't elicit such an enthusiastic response, so we decided to place it to the right.

It was time to lay down, and I did so, with Teal holding me gently (the way I did when she was pierced). Ron told me what he was doing as he slid the receiving tube in and prepared to do the piercing. We did the standard "inhale ... now exhale slowly." Wow! I'm known for being stoic during my piercings, but I really felt that one. (Others feel like pressure, this one felt. ) I did give an indignant "Ow!" as Ron put the needle through, but that was it. It wasn't bad, just strong, and it was over quickly. I couldn't even feel it as he slid the tiny (half-inch, 12 gauge) barbell in.

I put a gauze pad against myself to catch any blood, and got dressed again. Ron explained aftercare, gave me some Provon, and sent me on my merry way. I walked a little strangely as I got used to the barbell and was aware of the gauze pad. After about an hour I'd gotten accustomed to it, and now I don't think about it unless it's being manipulated; no worries about constant, uncontrollable stimulation.

There was some bleeding the first night, but it let up soon. The bruising makes it look pretty unhappy, but it feels fine (no soreness or pain).

Body Rites Austin is an excellent shop, and I recommend it highly. Their website is http://www.bodyritesaustin.com; anyone in the Austin area should drop by. In addition to piercing, they also do scarification (Ron Garza has a portfolio on BME).

Feel free to check out my other mods at my bodyart site:

http://www.bmeworld.com/meghan