I had wanted to get my belly button pierced when I was a freshman in high school. I had planned on getting it the day I turned 16. I talked my parents into it (which, believe me, took a lot of work), shopped around for different studios and had my jewelry picked out and everything. (When I get my heart set on something, I go all out!) Then Britney Spears got her's done, and then everyone and their neighbor did. I'm one of the youngest of all my friends so they all got theirs done before me. By the time my birthday was nearing, I had become completely disenchanted with the idea of my navel being pierced and looking like everyone else, so I decided I wouldn't.
At A Glance Author SaraBara When A week ago Artist Renee Studio Splash of Color Tattoo and Piercing Studio Location East Lansing, Michigan
Around the end of my junior year, I had become a little more edgy and alternative and was set on getting something pierced, or maybe even a tattoo. I wasn't old enough to get a tongue ring, and wasn't interested in a nose ring. I figured I didn't want something as permanent as a tattoo, so I decided I wanted my eyebrow pierced. I even took a personality test online titled "What Piercing Should You Get?" and my result was an eyebrow piercing so I decided that it was fate! I had wanted it for several months when I finally got the courage to ask my mom. The only reason my mom was okay with me getting my navel pierced was because it could be hidden. I knew a facial piercing would take a lot more convincing. Before I even asked her, I did a lot of research and looked up a lot of pictures. I printed off a bunch of pictures with really small and discreet piercings so I wouldn't freak her out. I talked to her one night when we were watching a movie together. My birthday was in a mon th and she asked me what I wanted. I told her that there was only one thing I wanted for my birthday. "What's that?" she asked. So I brought down the pictures and showed her. She was actually pretty cool about it. I thought she would say "no way!" right away, but she never even said "no". She agreed that she would pay for it as a birthday gift for my 17th birthday. So a few days later, I made an appointment at one of our local tattoo and piercing studios.
The place I went to (Splash of Color in East Lansing, Michigan) is pretty well-known in my area because most of the high school kids and college (Michigan State University) students go there. I've know several people who went there for piercings and tattoos and they all had positive things to say about the place. When we got there, they informed us that is was Customer Appreciation month so we would receive $10 off of the piercing fee. It came to $45 total. I had heard it was a clean studio but was still surprised at how much the individual rooms reminded me of a hospital or doctor's office. I met my piercer and thought she was really nice. She was really good at explaining everything to me in detail. I was never really nervous about the experience until I actually lay down on the table. I had only had quick, painless procedures on my ear with a piercing gun and was sure that this would hurt a considerable amount more. She opened all of the packages in front of me and explai ned all of their cleaning and sterilizing techniques. She then marked my eyebrow and let me sit up and look at it. At first, I thought it was too far inward but she explained that there was more tissue there so it would be less painful, healing time would be faster, and it would have a lesser chance of migrating out. That convinced me. She laid me down and then I really started getting nervous. I had my mom come over and hold my hand. She massaged my eyebrow and then put the clamp on. She then counted to three and then pushed the needle through. Surprisingly, I hardly felt it! It really didn't hurt much at all. She then pushed the jewelry through (18g stainless steel curved barbell), and tightened the ball. She asked me how I was doing and I said "fine". My mom, however was not doing so fine. She looked like she was about to faint. She had to sit down while my piercer went and got her some juice and a cold compress. We then got an aftercare kit and all of the instruction s. We left the studio and I was so happy! My mom took me out to eat an d then we went home. I had to work a few hours later so I just hung around the house. I was nervous about what people's reactions would be at my job because they are like my second family. Believe it or not, only a few people noticed! But everyone did like it. Even when I saw my best friend the next day when she came back into town, I was talking to her face-to-face for at least five minutes before she even noticed. Then she couldn't stop talking about how much she loved it on me and how jealous she was. I went to a party that night with a bunch of people from my school I hadn't seen all summer and they all loved it too.
This piercing is by far my favorite. I couldn't stop smiling for a whole week after I got it done I love it so much. If anyone is considering an eyebrow piercing, I say "go for it" because it's such an awesome thing that made me so happy.