So, I was 17 and getting my hairstyle 'tested' for prom later that week. My mother insisted that I get my ears pierced. Now, she'd said on many occasions that if I'd wanted my ears pieced, she'd be glad to go with me to get them done. I didn't particularly want them pierced, but I saw how excited she was about this and I couldn't help but agree. However, being the mischievous little child I am, I stuck in a condition. My condition was that if I got my lobes pierced now, she'd have to pay for an ear piercing that I wanted later. She agreed and the hairdresser pierced them with a gun. Ouch. Seriously.
At A Glance Author Elitelink Contact Elitelink@bme.anon When A month ago Artist Mark Studio Nighthawk Location Guelph Now we skip ahead 6 months. It's November. After you get anything pierced, you cannot make a blood donation for 6 months. I'd been waiting patiently and finally I could donate blood again. So I did and said to myself. 'I think it's time to get that other piercing!' That's when I started looking thing up on BME.
I really liked the industrial at first. One of my co-workers had one and I asked her about it. (My gun experience was holding me back from diving straight into any more bodily stabbings.) She told me that she wasn't able to sleep on that side for three months and that it bled everyday for the first 2 weeks. Well, that wasn't reassuring. So I waited and looked at more pictures. Christmas came and went before I finally decided on just getting one helix done. I'd want the other one done eventually, but I decided to start off small.
January had rolled around when I finally found the time to go and get anything pierced. In the meantime, I'd ordered a really cool spiral barbell from Ebay and decided that's what I wanted to put in there. I also found there are 2 tattoo and piercing parlors in Guelph (I think there's a few more but, whatever) and all my co-workers recommended Nighthawk. So, I called them up and asked how much an upper ear cartilage would be. $30, they said. I asked if I could bring in my own earring. They told me that if I dropped it off a day in advance (so they could sterilize it) then the price would be $25.
Now, despite all these preparations, I didn't really want to go by myself. I'm a wus, I know. However, I knew one of my friends would probably get something done if I asked her to go with me. So I did just that. After clearing it with her parents she told me that she'd get her eyebrow done. (I recall her telling me that they said something along the lines of "Well, we don't want you to do it, but it is _your_ face".) Anyway, we set a date when I wasn't working (full-time, don'cha know) and when she could get out of school. That date was two weeks away and I was totally psyched the entire time. In fact, I was so pumped about it that I convinced myself to get two helix's (one in each ear) done at the same time. I'd read all the problems people had: phones, sleeping, taking on/off shirts. But I didn't care. I REALLY wanted them both done. FINALLY the day came. I picked her up from school and with one more friend to video the entire thing, we set off.
Downtown Guelph is a nightmare to park in, so we parked at my dentist's office! It was a short walk to Nighthawk and when we went inside there was only one guy before us. He was sitting on a chair looking at tattoo designs, so I figured he wasn't going to get anything pierced. After walking up to the counter, signing our forms, and picking our earrings, I was getting nervous. But I had my friends there and I couldn't chicken out now (it was my idea, afterall). Mark stepped out of a little side room and asked who was first. I knew it had to be me. So in we all went, the three of us, (Well, four, including Mark) into an awesome little blue room. It had so many action figures and pictures. Man, that room was amazing. Anyway, after telling him what I where I wanted what, he marked my ear and everything was set. I was going to get my left ear done first. The earring was going to be at the middle of the ear, rather than the top. My right was going to be at the top, though. (It was all planned out so that I could wear the nice earrings I got from Ebay.) He told me to focus on my breathing and without counting (I hate when they count) he quickly pierced the ear. It hurt, but not nearly as much as my lobes with the gun. Odd? He turned me around and we did the next ear. Again, it hurt, but only enough to be uncomfortable. The only thing I did to indicate pain was clench my teeth slightly. We went back to the first ear and he put in the jewelry. It hurt only a little. When he put in the earring for the second ear, it actually hurt more than the piercing itself. Still not a lot though.
After my friend got her eyebrow done, we paid and then walked out of the store. I felt the winter wind go through my piercings, but it didn't sting like everyone says. In fact, it was very refreshing. That night, I couldn't sleep on them (obviously) but it was only about a week later that I could lie on my side (carefully, mind you). Phones are only a slight problem; I just have to be careful not to slam them into my ears. Shirts are the same, just be careful and put one ear through at a time. They're healing nicely now. Just remember to do the saltwater soak. I wasn't soaking them (only cleaning them with Q-tips and saltwater) and one of the piercings was getting swollen. I soaked it and the swelling went down.
So, if you're thinking about getting your ears pierced don't listen to people that say it'll hurt a lot/not at all. It all depends on the person. Yes, it will hurt. If that's going to stop you from getting it, you don't really want a piercing that bad, do you? And don't worry if you get both ears done. You might have to change sleeping positions, but when you're actually asleep, you won't feel it. Good luck!