About 14 months ago, I got my first piercing: a snug. I am originally from New Brunswick but was visiting family in Alberta when I brought up the snug piercing to my mom.
At A Glance Author anonymous Contact anonymous@bme.anon When A year ago Artist Not sure Studio Immaculate Concept Location Calgary, Alberta She was always dead set against body piercings but said that I could get "anywheres on my ears". Little did she know, there were "weird" places to pierce an ear too instead of just plain rim piercings.
I printed off a picture of the snug and showed it to her. To my surprise, she even thought it was a little cute. She told me that I could get it done in a few days while we were still on vacation.
I did some research on piercing parlors in the area and decided to go with a place in Calgary that my uncle had suggested-Immaculate Concept.It was formerly known as Symbols Of Strength, a place which I had heard very good things about.
Two days later we made the appointment. I was to be pierced with a needle for the first time in two hours.
We spent sometime downtown Calgary for awhile and shopped around and when 3:30 began to approach we left for my piercing. It was very busy there, mainly people getting tattoos. I went up to the front desk and told the guy I was here for a snug piercing. He found my appointment and told me to wait for the piercer. She showed up about 10 minutes later, I never did catch her name, and we talked about what exactly I wanted pierced as they were confused as to what a snug was. I showed her where I wanted it and she told me that they called it an anti-helix.
She showed me my choices for jewelry, either a stainless steel 16 gauge circular barbell, or the same size except in a tinted titanium. I picked the plain stainless and she told me to wait while she set up.
Five minutes later I was let back into a cubicle blocked off by a curtain-they had several tattoo and piercing stations. I sat down on a doctors table and watched her take the needle and sterilizer out.
By this point, I was quite scared. The needle was bent into a sort of fishhook, the look of it literally freaked me out! I had to get my mom to come back and comfort me, and I felt bad because I was being a wimp.
The piercer did not make me feel too much better. She was making rude comments about how my mom should "remember this next time I want to get pierced".Not once did I ever say I wanted to back out, I never gave her a hard time of piercing me, or told her to wait, I had no clue what her problem was, and I doubt I wasn't the first person to get nervous before they had a needle shoved through them for the first time.
She marked my ear and then told me to take a look at the placement. It was exactly where I wanted it, right in the center. I told her it was great, sat back down, and she proceeded to pierce me.
It hurt horribly, I did let a little moan out in pain, but she was very quick at it. The most painful part was when she was trying to place the captive bead on the ring, but yet again, it was quick.
I took a look at it again in the mirror, and noticed I had bleed a little bit. She told me that a little bit of blood was normal.
I asked her if I could switch it to a curved barbell after it was healed and she said no, that I could only have a circular barbell.
I cleaned it twice a day with a topical spray they had provided me called Dragon Mist.I hurt a lot to turn but eventually the hole loosened up and it was slightly more comfortable.A few months rolled by and my piercing was still giving me a lot of problems. I still couldn't sleep on it and at one point it got so infected that puss was coming out of the back of my ear! I then decided that the captive bead ring was just not working for my ear. I went to Ardene in the mall and bought a 16 gauge 3/8" length curved barbell. When I got home I tried to remove the ring but I couldn't! I tried to open it with pliers but it was in too much pain to even touch it.
I told my dad that I had to go to a piercing studio and get somebody to change the jewelry for me. He told me that I'd have to wait until next week, which upset me quite a bit because my ear was hurting so bad by this point.
I waited the week. Since I was back in New Brunswick, I had to go to a different studio. I chose Epidart because really it is the only reputable place in my area. We called in and the guy said to come in at anytime that day as it would only take a few minutes to change jewelry. When we got there, the piercer, who I believe is named Shawn, took a look at my ear.
At first he asked me if I was using peroxide on it and I had to admit I was even though I knew it was bad because it was the only thing that would relieve the pain. He told me to stop using it because it would "eat the tissue" and it was seriously drying out my piercing.
He also told me that the ring I had in it was too small, causing excess pressure on my ear which was why I couldn't sleep on it still. He then proceeded to change the jewelry. I was surprised that I could not even feel it while he was doing it because I had been in so much pain. He inserted the little barbell I had bought and then applied pressure to my ear and asked me if it hurt. I said no, that it felt a lot better. He told me that I shouldn't have any problems anymore and that it would heal up nicely.
About two weeks later, the scarring and swelling had completely disappeared. Six months after the initial piercing I was completely healed.
I later learned that Immaculate Concept is not the most reputable place to go to. I have not heard very good stories about them and as the people were quite rude to me there, and pretty much messed up my piercing with their lack of knowledge, I would not recommend them to anyone.
Epidart on the other hand is a great place. The people are very nice and I have gotten pierced there many times now without any problems. Any one looking for a good tattoo and piercing studio in the Moncton region should check them out.
Overall the snug is a good piercing. Though it is very painful, the most painful piercing I have ever gotten, it isn't unbearable and is a beautiful piercing so anyone thinking about getting it should go for it (just make sure the people piercing you know what they're doing.)