Since the age of 16, I've developed a complete and utter obsession with body piercings. From the age of 4 to 12 I had my ears pierced twice each and my navel. At 16 I got my nose, Madonna (which I have since removed), tragus and tongue. It has now been 15 months since I got my tongue pierced, so I decided it was high time I got a new one!
At A Glance Author breeza232 Contact a_way_with_words_@hotmail.com When It just happened Artist don't know Studio Cosmetics Plus Location Caloundra
I've got a list of piercings that I want, but it took me ages to decide which one to go with first, hence the enormous gap between my tongue piercing and my most recent additions. However, last Friday I was in my local cosmetics store (which also happens to be a piercing studio) with a couple of friends. We went to leave, but noticed a sign out the front advertising $10 piercings for just 3 days. We didn't think twice about it, and went and booked our appointment for the following Thursday (which was yesterday).
I had booked myself in to have my anti-tragus pierced. I've only ever seen it on one other person (who has since removed it) so I thought it would be pretty sweet to have a piercing that is so uncommon.
So the week went by and Thursday came around, and it was time for my piercing. We arrived at 9.15am, which is when I was booked in for. I filled out the consent form & headed straight into the piercing room. I was surprised to see two girls in there... it turned out one was in training and today was her first day of practical piercing (hence the cheap piercing price)! She'd had 2 days of piercing theory and now it was time to do it for real. I'm not sure, but I think I might have been the very first.
Despite the knowledge that I was basically a test subject, I wasn't any more nervous than I usually would've been, waiting to have a razor sharp needle jabbed through my skin (or cartilage in this case). I sat on the chair while the trainee and her supervisor got the bar, clamps and needle ready. I couldn't bring myself to check and make sure everything was sterile (I never can) but I wasn't worried – I've had 80% of my piercings done at Cosmetic Plus, and I've never had any major troubles with any of them.
The trainee cleaned the area that was to be pierced, marked the spot to be pierced with a pen, checked it was ok, marked it again, then pierced it. I had my head resting back on the chair and the supervisor held my hand (sounds lame, but it really helps), while the trainee shoved a 16g needle through the cartilage that is my anti-tragus.
Apparently they're one of the more painful piercings, however I don't agree. Maybe I just have a high pain tolerance, I don't know, but I actually found it to be quite bearable – nowhere near as bad as I'd anticipated. Sure, it hurt, but nothing that I couldn't handle. I mean, I'd do it again if I had to. And supposedly most people bleed quite a bit when they get their anti-tragus pierced? I didn't bleed one drop. I swear my body was designed specifically to be pierced! I've never rejected a piercing, never experienced unbearable pain, never bled at the time of piercing.
Anyway, the needle part was over, so then the piercer threaded the 8mm bar through (doesn't hurt, is just a little uncomfortable). She struggled a little bit with screwing the ball on but cut her some slack, it was her very first day!
Before I got up to have a look at my gorgeous new piercing, the supervisor gave me a jellybean...this keeps your blood sugar levels up, which stops your body going into shock... I think. Then I was straight to the mirror, with a huge grin spread across my face – I loved it even more than I thought I would.
The only downside of this piercing (so far) is sleeping... I can't sleep on my left side, which sucks because I'm a real tosser and turner. Last night I had to sleep on my back (couldn't sleep on my right side either because I actually got another piercing straight after my anti-tragus, on my right ear) and I woke up every few hours.
But don't let a little thing like that put you off getting your anti-tragus pierced! I absolutely adore it, would go through it all over again if it came down to it! So if you're considering getting it done, I say go for it. Hardly anyone has them at the moment (well not that I've seen and I know loads of piercing-obsessed people), so if you're looking for an unusual/uncommon piercing, the anti-tragus should definitely not be disregarded.