| At A Glance | |
| Author | Dimruthien |
| Contact | Dimruthien@bme.anon |
| IAM | dimruthien |
| When | It just happened |
| Artist | Lori St.Leone and Sana Stanton |
| Studio | Vogue Body Piercing |
| Location | Darwin, NT, Australia |
Piercing: Outer labia
Jewellery: 10g Industrial Strength candy-striped titanium barbells. 1/2" long.
Studio: Vogue Body Piercing
Artists: Lori St.Leone, Sana Stanton
I've had a lot of piercings in the past, and I felt that I'd like to add some outer labia piercings to my collection. The main aim was to get enough piercings so that I could lace them up into a genital corset at a later date.
I was originally going to get six in this session, but I had the option of going with six 14g PTFE barbells, or the four 10g barbells in the super nice colours. I really wanted a larger gauge and the colours sealed the deal for me. =)
I was extremely nervous, and was feeling quite anxious in the 24 hours before the piercings, with my anxiety peaking as I was being marked up. I feel that my anxious state of mind contributed to the discomfort and pain I felt while being pierced.
I had some lunch before we headed to the studio, as it wasn't a good idea to get pierced on an empty stomach. I spent the morning with Lori and her presence helped control my anxiety a lot more than if I had of spent the day alone.
For interests sake, I was wearing a skirt, and some loose boy-leg underwear. I felt that wearing pants would have made the aftermath quite unpleasant, so this is why I opted to go with the skirt and loose underwear.
I sat on the bench with my feet together (sort of a tailor seat position) and then laid back. This position was more comfortable than I anticipated!
Lori and Sana then proceeded to mark me up. These were Sana's first attempt at genital piercings, so Lori assisted with the marking up. Lori marked up the top pair, explaining the process to Sana as she did. The marks were slightly offset from each other so that once pierced the jewellery would be more comfortable in it's default position (see picture). Sana then marked up the bottom pair. I had a small, hand-held mirror that I checked the marks with, and gave the go-ahead.
At this stage, my anxiety peaked as it was time to start the piercing. I was fortunate to be among friends, and Lori and Sana did try valiantly to get me to relax. The first pair (the bottom ones that Sana had marked) were performed by Lori. Lori explained she tended to start at the bottom and work up so she didn't bump the ones she had already pierced, which would have happened if she started at the top.
The piercings were performed using forceps, but the forceps were not tight, nor painful. I barely even noticed they were there (I was too terrified of the needle!). I gave the okay and was instructed to breathe in and then out, and I was pierced on the exhale. It hurt, and I believe I cried out something to the effect of "Aaaargh! FUCK!". I distinctly remember feeling the white-hot pain of the needle entering, the traveling through and then another shot of white hot pain as the needle exited. The traveling through was not painful, but I could definitely feel it pass through.
At this point I should mention that the way Lori was positioned to do this was half on the bench with me, with her forearms pressing down against my legs. This was to keep me in place, because my instinct was to bring my knees together.
We paused, because I was freaking out a bit, but we had to get the second one out of the way. Lori was quick and adept at a fast piercing and jewellery transfer, which made it a lot easier to bear. I definitely remember the second one hurt more than the first, but I can't remember if I cried out. I assume I did. I also remember after the second one was pierced, I felt my eyes fill up and I tried desperately not to cry.
This was embarrassing for me, because never have I ever had a piercing that made me want to cry. I felt that it wasn't just -hurting- but that it was taking a toll on me emotionally. I don't know if that sounds silly, but that's what it felt like.
At this point we're halfway through and it's time for Sana to get her feet wet. After a bit more fussing from me, we pierced the third one, with me firmly hanging onto Lori's hand. I screamed. With each piercing it had started to hurt more and more, so at this point I was glad we didn't have 6 pieces of jewellery!
Sana's technique was different to Lori's, simply because this was Sana's first go at genital piercings. I felt that she wasn't sure, and her piercing wasn't as quick as Lori's. I don't believe it made it hurt more (I think that was due mainly to my anxiety and because my labia were getting quite cross with me), but it gave me time to take a breath and pause before I once more cried out at the white-hot pain of the needle exiting.
At this point I needed to sit up and catch my breath, and I had a mouthful of my drink. Between piercings, Sana and Lori talked to me, made me laugh, and I'd relax until I knew the next piercing was coming and my anxiety would spike again. I cannot stress how much anxiety can impact a piercing experience. It made me tense and hyperventilate, which ultimately made it hurt more.
Time for number four. Only knowing that this was the last one and with encouragement from Lori and Sana could I get through this one. I did it, but fuck did it hurt. I screamed and then had to fight off the tears again. But it was done. I'd done it. Sana had done it, and what a fantastic job she did.
One other thing to add about the piercings is that usually I find the jewellery transfer to hurt more in a piercing experience, but it wasn't that way for my outer labia. The piercing itself hurt the most, and the transfer didn't hurt nearly as much as I expected.
At this point I was cleaned up and any pain or anxiety I felt disappeared when it was remarked what a fantastic rainbow I had going on. I immediately had a look in my mirror and I was so happy. They were beautiful! That in itself made the experience worthwhile to me. Photos were then taken for Sana's portfolio.
Now I had to figure out how to get off the bench. The floor seemed very far away, but with Sana's arm to lean on I managed to get down and then in a stiff-legged manner dressed myself and learned how to walk. I didn't quite have a bow-legged cowboy walk going on, but I definitely felt like I had a pole up my ass and I moved very stiffly!
The shop was closed up and we went outside. Sana and I recuperated by having a cigarette together and then we parted ways.
I found that the piercings were slightly tender, but not particularly painful. I had to sit with my legs slightly spread to avoid crushing my very sore labia. I had minor spot bleeding, which was expected.
Now, I highly suggest you wear loose, comfortable underwear. I've been walking around today in tighter underwear and while it's uncomfortable to walk, when I sit down it pulls tight and really presses against the tender flesh. I actually went out and bought some granny undies just to get me through the initial tender phase.
I am also a big girl, with chunkalicious thighs, and I sleep on my side, so I found putting a cushion between my thighs while I slept was a lot more comfortable.
My aftercare regime is limited to using mild Satin soap in the shower. My body heals best with a LITHA method, and I feel that using the mild soap is all I need. Lori also warned me that if I use a warm sea salt soak I'll start to bleed, so I'm avoiding that!
There is definitely some swelling going on down there. Not an insane amount, but it's definitely noticable! I haven't had a closer look to check for bruising, but I'd imagine it's starting to bruise up. I've be insanely surprised if I didn't get any bruising.
Post-piercing I felt, for lack of a better term, tipsy. I felt drunk, slightly off-balance and loud. Around 8 hours after the piercing I started to feel quite gloomy and cried for about 30 minutes. I can only assume this is a come-down effect of the endorphins, and the fact I found it to be an emotional experience.
All in all, while it was a distressing experience, it wasn't a bad one. I've learned a lot from this, and I don't think it's put me off from completing my project. I will just be better prepared to cope next time.
So, cliffnotes: It hurts, but pain is definitely amplified by anxiety. Advise that you learn some deep breathing methods and listen to your piercer's advice in regards to breathing and calming yourself. Wear loose underwear and don't walk around too much. Drink plenty of water, and if you're a bigger lady use a cushion between your thighs when you sleep.
Lori also recommended that to urinate I should sit on the toilet with my legs spread fairly wide and then lean back. This causes the urine to run downwards, instead of splashing up onto my piercings.
Sana did a great job, even when she was nervous about my screaming, and Lori was cool as a cucumber, and was a great support.
Thanks to Lori and Sana. You two are great, and I know I was hard to deal with, but you did make me feel comfortable, and less ashamed of my emotional outbursts. I really can't thank you two enough for this. =)
This photo demonstrates why the piercings were "staggered". You can see how in the normal state the balls on the inside stack neatly above each other. This is for comfort, as I doubt it'd be very comfortable to have balls hitting each other as I moved!
