So here it goes. Every year I ask my parents for one big gift at Christmas time. Last year, I asked for a skateboard and ended up not even using it. So this year I had to come up with something to make up for last years mistake. I was thinking about getting a new piercing, but I wasn't 100% sure until I stumbled upon the industrial. It looked so much different from any other piercing, I had seen before. I had to have it.
At A Glance Author Danielle Bostic When It just happened Artist Michael Hayes Studio Checkered Past Location New Cumberland, Pa I asked my parents about the piercing and their first response was "NO!" But I knew if I was persistent and showed them all the positive aspects they would say yes. It took about two months to convince them but I finally got a yes! A few days later I called Checkered Past and set up an appointment for the Friday before Christmas.
The entire car ride over to the piercing place I was a complete wreck. I would say, "I'm scared", and my mom would say, "You don't have to get it done." That didn't help at all. I just wanted to get it over with and have the piercing done already! We arrived exactly at the scheduled time and filled out all the paperwork. I was just minutes away from having a huge needle shoved through my ear not once but twice and boy was I feeling nervous.
My mom and I stepped into the tiny piercing room and shut the door behind us. The first thing Mike (the piercing guy) said was, "Ok the first thing have to do is rinse with a mouthwash." I immediately said, "I am not getting my tong pierced!" Mike apologized and explained that he took a quick look at the jewelry and thought it was for my tong, not my ear. He even commented that because I wasn't getting my tong pierced it would take a half-an-hour less to explain everything. With that misunderstanding out of the way he marked my ear and went over the procedure and aftercare instructions with me. As he talked me through what was going to happen, I began to shake. But it was my nerves getting to me.
I chose to get my right ear done so he had me lay on my left side. My mom held my hand the whole time as I concentrated on breathing. I could feel the point of the needle against my skin and Mike told me to take a deep breath. As soon as I let out the breath he pushed the top needle thought. It was not painless but it actually didn't hurt as badly as I imagined! He inserted the jewelry into the top hole. Between the top and bottom hole my mom said to me, "I wonder what your Pop-Pop is going to say." I just laughed and tried to picture his face. Then we did it all over again on the bottom hole – breath, needle through, and insert jewelry. I don't think the bottom hurt more than the top like most people have said. To me the pain was about equal for both.
The shaking returned once I sat up but Mike reassured me it was just my endorphins kicking in. He once again went over how to clean it and the products Checkered Past had like satin soap and Dead Sea salt. My mom and I had to sign a paper stating we saw Mike dispose of the needles and that he went over all of the information with us. We thanked him and I even got a Dum-Dum lollypop (grape). My mom had already paid for the piercing and, after buying the cleaning supplies it was off the Cold Stone to get the best ice cream in the entire world! I got the "got to have it" size of: chocolate cake batter ice cream with white chocolate chips and Reeses peanut butter cup. It didn't make my ear feel better but it tasted amazing!
It is the day after getting my industrial pierced, and I am actually in more discomfort now than yesterday when I got the piercing. Trying to shampoo my hair in the shower and putting on/taking off shirts has been the hardest part. Cleaning my piercing is not too bad but the area is still very tender so it does hurt a little. I figure it can only get better as time goes on.
I would totally recommend Checkered Past as a piercing and vintage clothing studio! They are very professional and their piercing facility/shop is very sanitary. Also if you have been thinking about getting your industrial pierced – go for it! Besides Mike told me in 10 or 20 years if I don't like the piercing anymore simply remove it and it will close. So what is there to lose – nothing!