I was seventeen years old, and still in high school. I hated it. All I ever wanted was to stand out, to be different from the crowd - and then I got it. I started dating another girl for the first time.
At A Glance Author Echo Contact Echo@bme.anon When Six months ago Artist (don't remember) Studio Spider Bite Location Manchester, NH At that point I realized that it wasn't the general public I wanted to differ from, it was the "vanilla" life I'd been leading. Yeah, I had my tongue and my navel pierced, but so did every other blond-haired bimbo. I wanted something dangerous, something risque. I asked my girlfriend (also very into body mods), and she suggested a genital piercing.
I thought about it, and thought some more, and decided I wanted it. By the time I had picked a studio, I wanted it so bad I could smell the sterilizer they (I hoped) would use. But, alas, I still had eight weeks until my eighteenth.
So I waited, and I looked on bmezine.com for information. I found it, and what I read scared me a little. I hadn't considered that I was going to open my legs in front of a stranger and let him touch me. But when the day came, we drove the two hours south to Manchester.
We got to the studio, fed the meter, and strolled in. I asked the receptionist about the wait, and then my stomach knotted up. We waited for less than an hour - in fact, we only waited through two giggly girls to get their tongues pierced. I showed ID and signed the necessary release forms, and we sat down.
I was thoroughly impressed with the cleanliness and quality of the studio. The floor was vacuumed and the display cases, full of jewelry, were sparkling and neat. The receptionist, piercer, and tattoo artist were friendly, professional, and knowledgeable; I felt very "at home".
When it was my turn, I gave Sarah my best gung-ho smile and we walked into the anteroom. My stomach started to turn over and over, and I could feel my breathing tighten up. I wanted this. We discussed aftercare, cleanliness, and whether I was sure, and we decided that I was ready.
So I laid down, belly up, feet practically in stirrups, and then I smelled the sterilizer, the stuff I had been thinking about. It was cold! He pinched me with the "tongs" - it's standard procedure, but what I was doing hadn't really truly sunk in until then.
And then, before I could change my mind, the sharp stab of a needle and the burning of the disinfectant in the new wound invaded my mind like an army of Visigoths. It hurt. Badly. In fact, when the poor piercer got the jewelry in, I had to lay down for a few minutes so I could quit freaking out. The combination of the adrenaline and the pain (which lessened VERY quickly) made my heart race and my mind pump curses at myself. All in all, the piercing procedure itself was very quick. It took about thirty seconds, once I was settled and "ready".
I paid (and secured the receipt in my scrapbook), and relaxed on the couch for a while. I wanted my heart to slow to a normal pace and for my head to stop sweating. They did, and we drove home. Simple as that.
The aftercare of my piercing was very easy - clean it very gently with a special soap when in the shower, turn the ring, and, after urinating, to wipe the area with a disinfectant. The piercing healed with no complications, very little irritation, and plenty of joy. The most difficult thing was abstaining from sexual contact until it was healed enough to avoid infection. It's important to wear cotton undies that breathe. Panties will be the most comfortable and least irritating underwear. I promise. Thongs and synthetic fabrics are some of the worst things you can wear, post-piercing, until it is fully healed.
One of the hardest things to get used to has been learning how to sit again. Most people, especially when they sit on a stool or high chair, slide sideways into it. Do not, for the love of your new piercing, do this. It WILL pull on the tender skin, pinch the jewelry, and just generally make you feel like you've been kicked. It took me several mishaps to fully comprehend what I was doing wrong, and I hope you learn from my misfortune.
I have never regretted the experience. Getting my hood pierced satisfied that irrepressible need to be "different", and if I need to, I can easily hide it from people. It is much easier to clean, change, and is much more entertaining than a facial piercing. Since that day, I have acquired several other mods, and I believe that my hood piercing was the beginning of a beautiful journey!