I've been browsing BME and other piercing sites and I've been really interested in getting a new ear piercing for a long time. For a while I thought I'd just get a plain cartilage piercing, but then I saw an industrial and I fell in love. I decided to wait to see if the feeling went away, but I kept on seeing pictures and longing for one.
At A Glance Author acute When It just happened Artist Scott Studio Totally Pierced Location Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia Today after work I decided to pop into Totally Pierced, which is just off Oxford Street in Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia. I was tossing up between TP (as it was easy to get to and seemed very nice) and Polymorph in Newtown (which has been highly recommended on BME and by friends). I was planning to browse, but on a whim I decided to go through with it and just get the piercing!
Scott, who was my piercer, patiently handled all my questions, as well as the questions for the people before me. After that, he was free - it was a sign! I was planning to get my lobe piercing fixed as well, as I have multiple ear piercings. One side has evenly space piercings and looks fine, the other is uneven (the piercings are too close together) and looks a bit weird. I had had it done at a pharmacy with a gun (BAD BAD BAD!), hence the dodginess. However, Scott said that since the piercings were too close together, he was extremely reluctant to pierce a new hole too close, as the holes could potentially join. I was pretty sad - now I have one dodgy lobe that can't be fixed for now :(
I asked Scott about the shape of my ear, as I thought the top of my ear was a bit weird and maybe it wouldn't suit an industrial piercing. However, Scott said it was good, as there was plenty of skin surrounding the cartilage.
I filled out a form about my medical history and a consent form. I also told Scott that I sometimes felt a little faint and dizzy after needles, and he took note of that (I wrote it on my form as well) and said he'd take extra care. For jewelry, I chose a plain stainless steel barbell with balls on the end - I suppose I can always change the jewellery later. I was a bit disappointed to see that they didn't use Anatometal jewellery, but everything seemed good nonetheless.
The set-up of the piercing area was EXTREMELY professional. It was sleek, and even cleaner than a doctor's office! Everything was neat and organised, and all of the equipment for the actual piercing was in individual packaging. I watched as Scott unwrapped and prepared all his equipment and disinfected everything, not even using his gloves twice - a good sign. There was a nice big doctor's surgery-style bed/lounge. Scott then carefully marked my ear to choose the placement of my piercing. He even made sure that the industrial would not bump my glasses, which I thought was great and showed how thorough he was.
After a whole lot of cleaning with Betadine, he asked if I wanted him to count before he pierced, and I said yes. 1.. 2.. 3.. the first needle was in. It did hurt, but it only lasted a second or two and I didn't scream, and it was bearable. I took a few deep breaths while Scott prepared to pierce the other hole... whoops, he forgot to count! That was ok, I was more worried that I would tremble and he would miss. He then put the jewellery in, which hurt a little bit, but not as much as the actual piercing itself.
I felt a bit dizzy so I lay down for a bit as Scott cleaned up and prepared my aftercare instructions. After I felt a little better, we went through aftercare procedures. He walked me through everything and gave me a bottle of disinfecting liquid - not sure what it is, but he said it was fine to use instead of salt soaks. I left with a gleeful smile due to my new piercing adrenaline rush and my student discount.
In terms of pain, I was expecting a fair bit of pain since the needle would go through cartilage. It was pretty painful, but bearable. Probably a 6 or 7 out of 10. It's still throbbing a bit now, three hours later, but it doesn't hurt. I think I'm done with piercings for now, but I really do want to get my lobe piercings fixed, especially since the uneven ones are on the same side as my industrial :(
I would definitely recommend this place, especially for people getting pierced for their first time. Totally Pierced are very professional, kind and extremely hygienic. Awesome experience!