I've been a lover of piercings since I was a really young child, though it took me many years to work up the courage to get a piercing, at the mall, when I was around 8. Then last year I got the urge for more, so I got my second holes, again at the mall. Now, I was feeling the itch again, but needed to decide what holes I wanted put into me. My parents weren't exactly and issue as they are just happy I haven't asked to get a nose ring (it's only because my nose has the wrong shape, and it would look stupid).
At A Glance Author Bre Contact Bre@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Boney Joe Studio Boney Joe's Location Zelienople, Pa It during my research on various ear piercings that I stumbled across BME and their article about piercing guns, which suitably alarmed me, as it would any sane person. I'd had both sets of lobe holes done with a piercing gun, and was now firmly set against one of those coming near me ever again. So when I decided on what I wanted I had to do my research and find a place that would not use a piercing gun. This in its self was an issue. There are only about four places in my area that will pierce ears at all, two of which were large chains that I knew for a fact used piercing guns. So next was the search for a tattoo/piercing parlor that I could trust to use a needle. Finally I settled on Mickey's which was conveniently right down the road and relatively cheap.
I was a little disturbed when I walked in, having read countless articles (I'm very anal about cleanliness when we talk about sticking stuff in my ears) on cleanliness. It seemed alright, not the best, (I've seen better lighting in bars) but I'd never been inside a tattoo parlor so my thinking was along the lines of "hey, what do I know?". However, they required a birth certificate to prove I was my fathers child, and they would take absolutely nothing else. So that was the end of Mickey's (my birth certificate went A.W.O.L last summer). Leaving thoroughly disappointed I went to the phone book scouring it for any place that would take a student ID and a social security card rather than a birth certificate.
I was almost to the point of giving up hope when I came across "Boney Joe's". I checked their website and saw I had the requirements needed (as long as I brought a parent along) to get a piercing. So off we went, my dad grumbling the whole way about going far out of the way just get pierced using a needle, me listening to music trying to calm my nerves.
When we got to Boney Joe's I fell in love with the studio. It was a piercing fetishists dream, not a speck of dust to be seen. It was cleaner than my doctors office, with excellent lighting. Trust me, I looked around for any sign that this might be a bad place, but it was perfect. There were many earring choices, from stainless steel to niobium. Pictures of healed tattoos and piercings hung on the wall to show the quality of the work (in a word, amazing). I was doing a the mental checklist that I had compiled after reading so many BME articles.
Boney Joe himself came out to do my piercing, and after checking out that I really was my fathers child, led me off to his piercing temple. It was also well lit, the gloves were the kind you see in hospitals, in a sealed container. Best part of it, not a piercing gun in sight. However, I was still checking for signs that I should run out screaming like my hair was on fire. Boney Joe was a great guy, tattooed and pierced from head to toe. He was obviously knowledgeable about his practice, able to answer any question I threw at him without blinking an eye, and he was completely honest with me. He asked where I wanted my piercings (I'd decided at this point on two helix in my left ear) and I told him that I didn't really care (hell, I'm not picky). He picked the perfect spots, two little purple dots about 1 cm apart from each other were put on upper ear
Then came the proverbial moment of truth. See, there is always one tiny variable in the equation of piercing that I always leave out and that leaves me scrambling to figure out how I always forget it. That variable is split into two parts, I hate pain, and I don't like needles. Anyone reading this has probably seen a piercing needle and knows they are fairly big as far as needles go. I was happy to see these two were in their clear plastic sterilized packages, but they are BIG suckers. My heart did its little leap into my throat that it likes to do whenever I sense pain becoming involved. This is where Boney Joe becomes totally amazing. He engages me in a conversation on the evils of the piercing gun while gathering supplies, two needles (*gulp* check), two CBRs (check), one pair CBR opening pliers (check), one pair CBR closing pliers (check) all in sterilized packaging (check). His tactic of distraction worked fine until he snapped on the gloves and opened the first needle, I gulped and fell silent.
He asks me to turn my head and look up and to my right, deep breath, and CRUNCH. I know cartilage piercings are some of the least painful piercings you can get. I don't care, it only hurt for a few seconds but my threshold for pain is practically zero. Besides, I wasn't expecting the crunching noise it made, I've always heard it described as a "pop" this was defiantly "car wheels on gravel" crunch. So I squeaked a bit, and tried not to look in the mirror so I don't see the needle sticking out of my ear while Boney Joe gets my CBR out. After he slides the CBR in he gives me a few moments to regain my composure and to start breathing again. When I was ready again (I may hate pain and needles but I am a champ at sucking up and going ahead with things) he did the needle thing again (no squeak from me) stuck the CBR in and was done. No blood, no mess. I felt a little faint, but that was from thinking of the needles and the crunch and the fact that I'd just had needles put through my ears.
I must say though, anyone who argues on the side of piercing guns should be pierced with one, over and over and over. The needle was much less pain than I'd have experienced with a piercing gun, and it stopped hurting long before the ones with the gun had. The needle experience was an exciting thrill for me, and I'll be going back to Boney Joe's in a couple weeks to get a helix in my right ear (Valentines Day present from my parents) to even things up because the four rings in one ear and only two in the other looks a little lopsided. But they don't burn anymore and only sting a bit if I bump them. I already love them more than my lobe piercings, and I can't wait to add more piercings.
I recommend Boney Joe's to anyone in the Butler Area (its located in Zelienople) because it's a wonderfully clean place, and Boney Joe personally pierces and tattoos all his customers. He'll answer any question and is perfect if its your first time being pierced or, like me, your first time with a needle.