In my last year of high school the piercing trend hit our school and people were poking themselves with needles left, right and center. My best friend at the time got a 'smiley' (which no one had ever heard of and thought was sooo cool!), about half a dozen people got tongue piercings and the occasional person pierced their own lip. Personally I wanted an eyebrow piercing, and even went so far as to buy the jewellery so my dad could pierce it for me. He had already re-pierced my ears and my mum's navel. But I chickened out.
At A Glance Author Helen Contact Helen@bme.anon When A month ago Artist Darren Studio Skin FX Location Surfers Paradise, Australia
Fast-forward 3 years to nearly two months ago. I had been tossing up the idea of getting a piercing or a tattoo for a little while and had spent time browsing the tattoo palours in Vancouver while I was on holiday there, before I decided to try the shops in my home 'town' (the party circuit of Surfers Paradise, Australia). After expending some energy at the arcade (yes we are dorks!) I and a mate stumbled into Skin FX to check out the tattoos on offer. Nothing drawn appealed to me but on the way out I spotted the jewellery cabinet. So pretty!! The scrotum weight caught my eye (according to Darren: made for "the gifted") before I spotted the price list. Oh goody, piercings are cheaper than tattoos!! But what did I want??
I spent a good 10 minutes umming and ahhing about the options (labret, eyebrow, or tongue?) before settling on getting my eyebrow done. I really wanted the labret piercing but work would hate me for it and I figured that I could at least hide my eyebrow with my fringe. I was also too chicken to get my tongue done (now successfully overcome!) On deciding I let Darren know that I also wanted it done with a metal that didn't contain nickel, copper or tin (I am slightly allergic) to which he suggested either titanium or zircon gold. I found the gold more attractive than the multi-coloured hues of the titanium and told him to get one ready for me.
While he set up in the next room I started freaking out. I am absolutely hopeless with pain and was terrified of the piercing procedure. Why the hell did I got through with it then? The adrenalin rush is so worth it!! Every time I freak out like a tool but am always extremely happy with the results and sit a high for the rest of the week. I can conquer my fears!
When he was done Darren called me into the room while my friend waited at the door. Her face was whiter than mine!! Darren told me to sit down on the bench so he could prep my eyebrow. He wiped it with something that made it tingle and go numb ("is it going numb? I asked. "Is it?" he laughed). To stop myself from fidgeting I studied Darren's face and the piercings he had: three in his lip and huge flesh tunnels in his ears. He was also wearing funny looking shoes (which I have come to realise are a constant feature on his feet!) He is also extremely cute so I had no trouble occupying myself with that fact while inside I freaked out.
While I was busy amusing myself in fantasy land Darren measured my eyebrow and the jewellery he was going to insert. The barbell was too big so he grabbed another one from the autoclave and measured it. Just right!! He then spent a good couple of minutes searching for his marker (stolen, he insisted, not lost) before grabbing one from the guy over from him and using it to mark two spots on my eyebrow. He then gave me a mirror so I could look at the position and, not knowing what the hell I was looking at, I agreed and he took it away. My friend at the door told me not to scream because it would make her faint and I said I wasn't a screamer anyway. "Aren't you? Bummer" was Darren's reply. That made me laugh which eased my nervousness somewhat.
He asked me to lie down on the bench and when I had positioned myself he picked up the needle and asked me if I was ready. I thought no but said yes. He then asked if I wanted it done with eyes open or closed and I decided open. I can't see it anyway, so what does it matter? Wrong. Picking up the clamp he positioned them on my eyebrow and pulled the skin taunt. Not as painful as I was lead to believe, just uncomfortable. Darren then asked me again if I was ready. Yup.
In went the needle. Ouch!! Sharp and sweet, it was over in a split second, but the feeling made my eyes water, especially the one over which I was getting the piercing. "You're crying!" my friend taunted from the safety of the doorway, and I insisted that I wasn't, that my eyes were only watering. Darren laughed and turned to pick up the barbell while I laid there looking at this huge needle sticking out over my eye! I could see it which was weird. He told me that putting the barbell in would take a little bit of time because he did it a bit differently in order to avoid blood leaking out of the wound (I can happily say that I didn't bleed a drop the entire time!)
I'd have to say the most uncomfortable moment was when I found his thumb in my eye. Thumbs don't look like more than a pink blob so close up! I tried not to squirm as he pushed the barbell through (it was uncomfortable and slightly painful) but before I knew it the process was over and I had a shiny new piercing. Woohoo! Darren then took a moment to wipe the tears from my cheeks (oh so cute!) and told me it was all over. He gave me back the mirror and I had a gander at my new addition. Perfect!! I was thrilled with the results. Darren was also happy and asked if he could take some pictures for the website as it was his first done with gold, to which I agreed. Funnily enough I have yet to see those photos...
Anyway he gave me a sheet of paper that outlined the healing process and cleaning procedure, and ran through it with me. I then paid my money and breezed out of the tattoo palour, a huge grin on my face and adrenalin pulsing in my veins. I had done it, I had conquered my fear of piercings! And I was addicted. Though the wind hurt when it hit my piercing, and it throbbed like a blind pimple, the healing process was quick and painless. I have had absolutely no trouble with my eyebrow piercing and am extremely happy with the result. The positioning is perfect and I love the gold barbell.
Since then I have had my ear lobes pierced again (a complete non-event as far as pain and adrenalin goes!) and my tongue pierced. I am now tossing up between a variety of options for my next piercing, and if it wasn't for work then I would run out and get an anti-eyebrow piercing right now. So ends the beginning of my obsession...