I have an addiction to piercings. I don't know exactly what it is but something about them makes me go back for more, time after time. Maybe it's the pain or the adrenaline rush or maybe it's just the buzz from knowing you're leaving the studio a changed person, whatever it is- I like it. Before my last excursion to Punktured down in Brighton my piercing tally was up to 19 - One less than the years of my age.
At A Glance Author Lexy Corpsey Contact allergy_2002@hotmail.com When It just happened Artist Tom Studio Punktured Location Brighton, East Sussex Anyway, this particular piercing story begins with my friend desperately wanting her lip pierced and me offering to go and get one with her. Sadly due to events out of her control she had no ID and I was stuck with a dilemma- Did I get my lip pierced without her, wait to have my piercing fix fulfilled or get something else pierced in the mean time?
I finally decided that waiting wasn't a sensible option for me as once I wanted a piercing I had to carry it through or I would drive myself insane until I went through with it.
I had considered getting my tongue repierced, I had had it pierced a couple of years previously but had taken it out after some very impressive scare tactics from my dental hygienist convinced me that if I kept it in I would lose my teeth but since having my lip pierced and had no dental issues I fancied getting it redone as I really had missed it, but as with getting my lip pierced for a second time I had promised I would go with a friend as a moral support when she got her tongue done so that was out of the question.
My thoughts moved to my ears, which already contained 18 various piercings, and I recalled the anti- helix (or whichever suitable alternative name you wish to call it) but I like to have the same number of piercings in each of my ears without the piercings themselves being in the same place but finally I came around to the idea of piercing both as a kind of balance to having my ear lobes pierced (four times in each ear). I browsed BME for some pictures to make sure I really did like it, and after seeing just a couple I decided this was the piercing for me. As for getting piercings on both sides of my head at the same time, I was mildly concerned about sleeping but I reasoned with myself saying that I was such a fidget I was bound to sleep on whichever one I got pierced at some point through the night so I may as well go through with it and get them both done together.
Fast forward two days and my boyfriend and I find ourselves in Brighton, home of the only piercing studio I trust to pierce me despite living an hour and a half's drive away. We followed our usual routine and headed straight for the junk food, if I was going to get pierced I wanted a full stomach and to have a lot of sugar; I've never fainted during a piercing and I didn't intend on starting now! In the queue I gave Punktured a quick call to make sure they had some appointments still available, being a Saturday in June I didn't want to be disappointed. The nice guy on the phone told me I could be pierced at 4 and to make sure I had ID with me.
A couple of hours later and we'd met up with our friends and headed to Punktured for the big event. I showed my ID and Mike (I think!) ran through all the general aftercare that goes with piercings (don't touch it for the first day, saline solution soaks twice a day and be careful when washing your hair) then I filled out my form and was told to sit and wait until Tom was finished with the client before me.
I waited for a couple of minutes, and when Tom emerged to find my form he didn't realise it was me as for some reason I'd filled in my full name which I never do. My boyfriend and I followed him into the back room I knew so well, the big dentist chair in the middle with a stool in one corner and an autoclave in the other.
Tom and I exchange the usual pleasantries before he asked me what I wanted to get pierced this time. I told him I wanted both my anti- helix's pierced and he asked me if there was actually any room left in my ears for any more piercings and said that he liked anti-helix's as they aren't something he gets to pierce every day.
He opened both the needles in front of me and showed me that the two BCRs were in sealed, sterile bags and then began to clean up and mark up my ears for the piercings. After a few adjustments we were ready to rock, Tom told me to breathe in deeply and as I slowly released the breath he pierced my right anti-helix. I won't say it was painful because it was exactly what I was expecting a pain much like having a flu jab at the doctors but my ear did get hot instantaneously. Then we used the same breathing technique again as he put the jewellery through and clipped in the ball. He repeated the procedure for my left ear (which inexplicably hurt less than the right ear) and I was ready to see my new metal in the mirror. I hopped down and gazed about my latest piercings- Perfect! They sit kind of in the depression just above where a rook piercing would be and look as if that spot was meant for them.
I said my thank yous and goodbyes to Tom, knowing it wouldn't be long until I was back having more holes punched in my body.
I've had them pierced for 3 Days now and other than a bit of crusting they have been healing fine. Sleeping for the first night was a lot easier than I was anticipating as the piercings aren't really as sore as others have been in the past but I do notice them when I put my glasses on.
I'd definitely recommend having them pierced as for me they were something a little out of the ordinary but not something that is fiddly and is difficult to care for like some of my other ear piercings. I would certainly recommend Punktured to anyone considering any piercing as the staff are always lovely and very knowledgeable and the studio is immaculate.