My very first piercing experience was having my lip done when I was 18. And although I have a bit of a problem with needles (I have never had blood taken without passing out) it went perfectly smooth. It never healed correctly, however, and I had to take it out to keep my job. So, 9 years later, when I have reached a point where getting a piercing doesn't mean loosing my job, I decided to get pierced again. I had decided to get a vertical eyebrow bar when I went home during vacation to Asheville, NC. My sister wanted to get her tongue done the same day, and I decided to do that with her as well. My sister asked around about parlors and got several recommendations for Liquid Dragon.
At A Glance Author beat_box Contact beat_box@bme.anon When A month ago Artist the guy Studio Liquid Dragon Location Asheville, NC So we got to the parlor and had to wait a while, which was good because I got to meet a lot of people as they came out from getting piercings, and talking to them helped ease my anxiety a bit.
For some reason this time around, even though my first piercing went very well, I was extremely anxious. Really most of the anxiety was about the tongue piercing, but this segment is about the eyebrow, so...
I had heard that the eyebrow piercing was cake. As a matter of fact I heard that it felt like plucking your eyebrows. So, I was planning on getting that one out of the way first and having him follow with the tongue piercing.
Finally, it was my turn, and I was a nervous wreck. First of all, I have to say that the great people at Liquid Dragon made it the most comfortable experience it could have been. The guy that pierced me was extremely professional, meticulous, and gentle. The place was very clean and I highly recommend this parlor. The only thing I was displeased with was the aftercare information given to me- as there seems to be more well-informed information available.
So, back to the story – I chose a 14 gauge curved barbell and climbed into the chair. He quickly prepares the area, and before I know it the needle is in. I must say, it was not frigging cake! Actually it hurt like hell. The needle breaking the skin didn't really hurt, but the pressure as the jewelry was inserted was rough. Of course, as it is with the pain of being pierced - the pain only lasted a split second and I was fine, except that I about passed the hell out! I came very, very close to hitting the floor. It all went fuzzy. However, I believe that I almost passed out from the relief of all the anxiety that had built up in me previous to doing the piercing rather than from the piercing itself. Needless to say, he gave me a minute before moving on to the tongue. He brought me some juice, and gave me a few minutes to recoup.
So, anyway, I love the piercing. It looks fantastic, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I really believe that I wouldn't have felt so faint if I had been relaxed. So I look forward to my next piercing as I don't think that I will be quite as anxious the second time around. As a matter of fact I am so happy with these piercings, and so infatuated with the process of being pierced that I will most likely be super excited when getting my next one. It has been three weeks and I'm thinking about getting the other eyebrow done soon, so I can be symmetrical and all.
A bit of advice, if you are reading this with plans to get a piercing: As I stated earlier, my first piercing – a lip ring - never healed correctly. Comparing this piercing to that one I'm not surprised. I was given poor aftercare instructions for my lip and was very irresponsible with it. This time I have tried to be as easy on my body as possible during the healing time. I have refrained from alcohol, cigarettes, etc. (as much as possible), and have eaten and slept well. This piercing, apparently as a result of this, has healed much, much faster. There has been minimal redness and irritation, and there has been absolutely zero puss and thankfully I haven't gotten the dreaded bump. As I mentioned earlier I had my tongue done the same day as my eyebrow and it too has done very well. My sister, who had hers done at the same time as me has taken longer to heal, perhaps due to the fat that she resumed smoking a week after the piercing was done.
Also, I found that there is a lot of aftercare information out there. The problem is many people say many different things about what products and procedures to use for aftercare. Talk to as many people as you can on online forums, etc. as there are people with experience that can help you decipher all the info. I highly recommend checking the APP (Association of Professional Piercers) website. God luck and have fun.