Let me tell you right now that I hate needles. They freak me out to no end. However, I still found myself sitting on a doctor's room-style examination table talking to a piercer named Sonya about where I wanted my snug placed. Let me back up.
At A Glance Author Monique When Three months ago Artist Sonya Studio Outer Limits Location Anaheim I have three lobe piercings in each of my ears, and if you know anything about piercings, you know those are tame. So I'm no avid piercer or anything. About three years ago, I got a helix piercing (pretty much right next to where a rook would go) done at a very irreputable looking establishment where the piercer was totally not friendly. To make matters worse, I touched my piercing with my unwashed hands ( I know! I know!) quite a bit, so needless to say it got all swollen and messed up beyond repair and I had to take it out.
As time passed, the piercing itch started to return to me. I began checking out piercings, looking for something different. I figure if I'm gonna get a piercing, it should be something interesting and not the same tired old thing that everyone else has. I became enthralled with snug piercings and thought that they were just about the cutest thing there ever was. So I made the decision. I was going to bite the bullet and get a snug.
So my main concern was, where to go? My friend Katie had had quite a few tattoos done at Outer Limits in Anaheim, and she spoke wonderfully of them, so we decided to go check it out. They said we wouldn't need an appointment since it was a simple piercing, so we headed down there one afternoon. I was very pleased to find that it was well-lit, clean, and highly reputable. Sonya, whom I mentioned earlier, approached us and asked what she could do for us. I said that I wanted a snug, but I was slightly apprehensive about the pain. I mean, that's a lot of cartilage to shove a needle through. She said that everyone reacts differently, and she would make sure to do it in a way that would give the least chance of rejection. I said okay, signed the papers, and she took me into the piercing room (which really looks like a doctor's office) to mark me up to see where I wanted it. We finally settled on a location, and she asked me to wait about 10 minutes so she could set up the autoclave and get everything ready.
In the meantime, I'm mildly freaking out. I can feel my blood rushing. My friend Katie is trying to calm me down, but to no avail. I consider bolting for a split second, but then stop and think: I already paid for it. I already signed the papers. Everything is going to be fine.
Sonya calls us in there to begin the procedure. I insist on having Katie in there so she can hold my hand ( I know, I'm a chicken.) Sonya suggests having me lie down so she can get a better angle, so I do so and get ready. She does all of the necessary sanitary precautions, gets the needle, tells me to take in a sharp breath and then release it just as quickly. In that time, she shoves the needle through my ear and almost instantaneously inserts the jewelry ( a 16g curved barbell.) It really only hurt for a split second, after which all I could feel was the pressure of the needle going through. Sonya did a MARVELOUS job and I have nothing but praise for her. The procedure was flawless. My ear felt extremely hot and I felt a little lightheaded afterward, but there was no blood to be seen and my snug looked adorable in my ear. She sent me off with sea salt and told me how to use it (something that the guy who did my previous piercing neglected to do), and I went home.
This time, I was extremely careful with my new piercing. I did sea salt soaks twice a day for ten minutes at a time, and washed it in the shower with a very gentle, mild soap. It really didn't hurt at all until about three days later, when it would get very tender and throb at times. I just continued what I was doing, and after about a week it was back to being pain-free. I was also very glad to discover that Sonya had done such a great job that the needle didn't go through the back of my ear; the jewelry is entirely self-contained in the cartilage at the front. I've had it for two months now and I love it. I get compliments on it all time. I think it was a completely worthwhile experience.