I finally got a below-the-belt piercing, and still don't quite know what to think about it.
At A Glance Author Phoenix Contact Phoenix@bme.anon IAM phoenixtx When It just happened Artist Lisa Studio Adorn Body Art Location Portland, Or I had been pondering a VCH piercing for a couple years now, but it had never been at the top of my list. I forgot about it for a while, as my fiancé is not a huge fan of me poking more holes in my body. He'll accept the tattoos, but would prefer no more piercings.
Until, that is, last month.
For some reason, he changed his mind all of a sudden and started to beg me to get a VCH. I brushed him off for a while, saying that at some point, yeah, I would get it done. He pouted a few times, saying that I shouldn't get a tattoo before I get a VCH. Seeing as I wasn't planning on getting my next piece until February, I figured I had plenty of time to get around to flashing my bits to a near-stranger.
The other day, though, after listening to him once again wax poetic about how wonderful the piercing would look, I caved. I promised that I would call Adorn to double-check that they do VCH piercings (not all piercing places, I've discovered, do genital piercings), and then I would head down there.
So this morning I called, 10 minutes after Adorn opened. They did indeed do genital piercings, and it would set me back $85 to $95.
So, about half an hour later, I headed out the door, walking the mile to Adorn.
I greeted the counter girl (she must be knew, I thought, as I didn't recognize her) and asked if I could get a VCH. I felt a little awkward asking, as there was a middle-aged man sitting on the couch behind me. I did feel stupid for feeling awkward, too, as I'm certain he wasn't trying to hear what I was getting, and even if he was - why should I care if he hears I'm getting a piercing?
The counter girl asked if I wanted a gem or not, and after pondering for a second or two, I decided to go for it. I wanted pretty bits! so, I picked a baby blue gem that would match my navel.
I filled out the form, handed over my I.D., then sat down on the couch for a few minutes while waiting for Lisa, as she was busy piercing some other girl(s).
After a few minutes Lisa came out and called my name. She introduced herself, then remembered that we had met before, when she changed out some jewelry for me.
We got into the piercing room and she asked how I was doing. "Terrified," I answered. She smiled, "So you're doing normal. Okay."
I was then told to remove my pants and underwear and to sit atop the table, legs straddling it. As awkward and slightly embarrassing as it was, I am slightly getting used to being half-naked in front of people. So, it wasn't as bad as I had feared it would be.
As I laid on the table, Lisa made sure to reassure me that the piercing is really not that bad - "it's more of a mindfuck than anything," she mentioned at one point. She also made a point to tell me to breathe.
I asked her if it (the breathing) was the same as when getting ribs tattooed. She blinked, then laughed a little bit: "yeah, it's just like that!"
Breathe in, breathe out.
While I was busy breathing loudly (she wanted to be able to hear me breathe) she was busy staring at my vulva, telling me what she was doing and what she was about to do.
At this point, she had already cleaned it and now was ready to stick a receiving tube up my hood. She warned that it would pinch a little bit, and she was quite right. And now - the actual piercing.
"Ow!"
Truth to be told, while it wasn't the worst pain I was expecting, it's not something I would readily choose to go through again. It's the only piercing that I've had any vocal reaction to - as I yelped out in pain, my body hunched forward a little bit, too.
Lisa told me to lie back down again, the worst was through, and now she was going to put the jewelry in. Compared to the needle, the jewelry was nothing at all.
The color had drained from my face, and I felt a little light-headed. I wasn't allowed to get up or get dressed yet, but Lisa was kind of enough to get me a Capri-Sun to drink. At this time, she also changed my navel jewelry for me, as it was too long. (She even matched the gems to my VCH!)
After a few minutes of small talk, she allowed me to get up and attempt to get dressed. Walking was a little weird, and she said the sensations are going to be quite intense for a few months. I guess I can handle that - and healing is a few weeks to a month, but "a month is really rare; most people heal in about two weeks."
After paying and leaving a tip, I slowly walked down the steps and called my fiancé, begging for a ride home. I really didn't want to walk all the way back. After he brought me home, he asked to see it. His first response?
"You have sparkly bits!"
He loves it, though he's being good and not touching it until it heals. Meanwhile, I'm warming up to it. It's pretty and dainty, and I'm sure I'll love it once the little bit of pain finally fades away.