At A Glance Author Republik Contact TheseParisRoses@hotmail.com IAM Republik When Six months ago Artist Niki Patterson Studio Tiki Tattoos Location Groton, CT The Christina piercing wasn't my idea. My piercer, Niki Patterson, talked me into it when she poked her head out from behind a curtain at Tiki Tattoos in Groton, CT, and told me that if I did it, "we can put some really cute balls with black gems on the ends."
That day, I had been at the shop with another friend who was less educated about the health and safety issues which accompanied piercing than I. She had wondered out loud if a piercing on her toe would be safe, even if she joined ballet club. Despite doing my best to dissuade her, I took the opportunity to pay Niki a visit, and it was then that the possibility of a Christina piercing took root in my mind.
I spent the week that followed considering a pertinent issue: Should I let my friends watch? Though I'd accumulated about a dozen piercings prior to this one, they had all been on my face, ears, and navel, and the issue of whether or not I was prepared to drop my pants in front of a crowd of people had never presented itself. After some discussion (and an overwhelming majority in favor of opening the procedure up to spectators) I selected a few friends and we headed down the highway towards Tiki Tattoos.
My Christina piercing was by no means the first piercing I'd had done by Niki. By the time I pulled up on the day I decided to do it, I'd already dropped a hefty sum of cash on various piercings at her shop. I'm not easily pleased when it comes to sterilization and bedside manner, but from day one, Niki has impressed me. I've never met anyone who does such a good job of relaxing the clients, of explaining the procedure to any extent the customer desires, and of paying close attention to detail. I have yet to meet another piercer who rivals the experience she provides to all of her customers, and as such, Tiki Tattoos has become somewhat of a home away from home in my years as a student in Connecticut.
We wasted little time, and shortly after I walked in the door, I was pants-less and spread eagle in on Niki's piercing chair. The friends of mine privileged enough to have been invited were clustered apprehensively in the corner, as if the needle might suddenly turn towards their own genitals. Niki set up her supplies and, as this was my first experience using PTFE in a piercing, gave me a little demonstration of the material and how to shorten the barbell myself. Of course, she used some extra PTFE lying around – not the stuff she was about to use in my new piercing!
The marks were made, tested, and re-made a number of times. Niki was entirely professional as she searched for the perfect placement. Before showing up, I had been concerned as to whether or not my anatomy was suited to this particular piercing, but Niki assured me that she had never seen better, and that if I took proper care of it, my Christina piercing would be at a low risk for rejection. That said, we cut to the chase and got piercin.'
This time more than the countless other times I've heard her say it, I paid close attention to Niki's breathing instructions. It occurred to me about half a second before the needle went in that this was going to be simultaneously the most intimate piercing I've ever gotten and the piercing which would travel through the most amount of flesh. Too late now – the needle was in and out faster than I could further contemplate the issue.
Pain, for me, has never been as issue in any of my modifications. My Christina piercing was no exception, though I can definitely say I felt the needle travel through every bit of my flesh. I would use the term "intense" to describe the feeling I know so many readers are skimming this essay in search of.
When I stood up and examined my newest modification in the mirror, I felt an overwhelming sense of completion and satisfaction. Niki had, as always, done an outstanding job.
Healing was fairly uneventful. I had a considerable amount of swelling, and as it went down I returned to the shop to have the PTFE barbell shortened once or twice. There's some keloiding currently, but it's disappearing faster than I expected with daily vitamin E oil massages. I've heard a lot of concerns from women about shaving/trimming pubic hair after a Christina piercing, and I can honestly say it hasn't been much of an issue. Just, you know – be careful.
All in all, I'd say my Christina piercing experience was one of my favorite piercing experiences, and I can't even fathom what it was like before I had it. If you have the anatomy and a piercer with the know-how, go for it!