Bad Triangle

At A Glance Author anonymous Artist former employer Studio anon Location anon

I worked at a tattoo and piercing studio for a number of years before I finally worked up the nerve to get a genital piercing done. I had decided on a triangle because another woman at work had hers done, and had nothing but rave reviews for it. It took me a while to ask my boss, the head piercer, to do the procedure, because I had known him for so long and it felt strange to have him between my legs. When the day finally came that I was ready, he leapt at the opportunity, seeing as it was a piercing that he did not often get to do.

I had already decided to do it with a 12 gauge ring, and we sterilized 2 of them, one in 1/2", another a bit smaller, just to make certain that the ring would accomodate my anatomy. I was very nervous as I entered the piercing room, and my piercer made jokes and small talk to calm me down. I hated taking off my pants and underwear, keeping my back to him and blushing all the while. Giggling like an idiot...

Anyway, I laid down and he had me bend my legs with my feet together, and then open my knees with my feet pressed together. This was so that I could push my feet harder when the needle went through, which told me that this was to be a painful experience. He had all the tools necessary ready at hand, and started to mark entry and exit holes with a surgical marker. I was staring at the wall away from him, trying not to think about what was going on. After a few minutes of poking, feeling, marking and re-marking, I was asked if I was ready. I quietly answered in the positive, and he said ok, breathe deeply, and I will do it on your exhale. Deep in...deep out...in...out,and the most excrutiating pain ever in my life overwhelmed my entire being. I screamed so loudly that a guy working in the back room, with the door closed and the stereo blaring came out and asked what was wrong! The jewelry was inserted, and I dressed, whimpering the entire time.

I already knew about aftercare, and knew that I was going to use salt water soaks during healing. I ran a warm bath at home that night, dumped in a cup of salt and stripped down. My new piercing had bled a bit, not that that was a surprise, just a little disturbing. I hopped into the tub and felt my new ring. To my great dismay, I realized that my piercer had missed his mark. The ring actually went right through the bottom of my clitoris. No wonder it had hurt so much! I finished my bath, went to bed, vowing to talk to my boss about this first thing the next day.

Which I did, except that piercer egos being what they are, he totally denied doing anything wrong, and told me I would be fine. I was mad, I knew my anatomy, but I trusted his word. For about 24 more hours, during which time my "triangle" bled constantly.I had to go to the airport that evening,and had to keep rushing off to the bathroom to clean up the blood. I worried that I would miss my friend's flight!The next day, back at work, I mentioned it again and again to my boss/piercer, and was brushed off each time. Everything I did seemed to affect the new piercing, sitting was so painful,breathing even hurt. Eventually I called another piercer in my area, a female piercer, and she told me to take it out, that it would never heal properly, that it would always be pinchy and uncomfortable. She also told me that she would re-pierce it when I healed. So, sadly, I took it out, much to the relief of my clit. I was worried at the time about lasting problems, but I healed fully from the experience. I never did follow through on her offer though, I guess that I was more deeply scarred by the experience than I thought.

One day I hope to be ready to get this done again, by an experienced piercer, male or female. The thing is, after working in the industry for so long, I know all the decent piercers in my area, and would have to go through the same embarassment again. What I know now is that I have to trust my instincts, and that when something feels really really wrong, something probably is wrong. I knew from the second he pierced me that the placement was off, nothing could possibly hurt that much. And it was not like I was inexperienced in the world of piercings, I had had many others done, I know what they feel like.