Ever since I was little, I dreamed of one day being covered head to toe in piercings and tattoos. Of course, that's never something you're parents want to hear. In my case, my grandparents. They told me I'd look like a freak and I wouldn't be able to hold a decent position in society. I knew that they were wrong, so I continued to dream of the day I would be old enough to modify my body.
At A Glance Author XcesX When A year ago Artist don't remember Studio Exotic Piercings and Tattos Location Anne Arrundel County? Maryland Then last year, my father was working his way back into my life. My father is an individual who has no piercings, but at least nine tattoos. He had gotten a tax return and wanted to be able to take part of the money and use it for things I wanted to have. Never being one to get into clothes, and always having the opportunities to buy new music, the only thing I could think of was a piercing. Only problem was, getting around my grandmother. So, my dad had a talk with her for me and by the end she was convinced enough to the point to where my father could take me to get a piercing.
That day, my step mom, dad, and younger sisters got together starting it off with a meal at a local pizza joint. At that time, it didn't click that it was a Sunday and many of the piercing/tattoo shops have limited hours, if any at all. I was so anxious to get my piercing, but afraid at the same time I wouldn't be able to get it. After pizza, we went on an adventure. And believe me, adventure is simply underestimating the situation.
We went to several parlors and shops only for them to have signs on the doors saying they were closed. We made pit stops occasionaly to search the phone book for one that was opened. Most of the ones that were actually opened were strict with letting minors get pierced. Even if you had a parent/guardian and proper identification they wouldn't accept just that due to the fact that my father and I have different last names.
Finally, after a three hour search we find a shop near Glen Burnie. They were still unpacking from their previous location but were excited to get business from us. They understood the deal, and even though they were normally closed at that hour, were cool about doing the piercing. Identification wasn't even a big issue. That's when I decided for sure my lip. I had really wanted my septum pierced, but when talking to my grandmother earlier, she wasn't fond of that idea. I thought it was nice of her to even let my dad take me to do this, so I wanted to respect her as much as possible through the process. The lip was more mainstream anyways and had more of a "beauty" to it. The piercer himself even agreed that it would look good. I found it humorous however that he said it wasn't 'mainstream'.
The actual piercing itself hurt for two seconds. That being the part where the needle was going through. Granted, I thought it'd be much easier for it to go in, but it seemed as though he had to apply a lot more force than I thought. It was uncomfortable at that very moment. However I have a high tolerance for pain. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I just squinted really hard and took controlable breaths in and out slowly. My dad stood by watching, laughing, telling me how funny I looked.
I looked in the mirror at my lip and was very satisfied. It felt so wierd to finally have it but i was ecstatic. Everyone always told me I would look good with any piercing that was in the center of my face. They were definitely correct. The lip piercing sat very well in the center of my bottom lip. The next day I got a lot of compliments on it, but people weren't shocked at all. They knew my desire to be covered in mods one day. I learned a few days later in my sociology class, that lip piercings and stretchings were considered in some African and South American cultures as a sign of how beautiful a woman really is. After I heard that, I was even more excited that I chose the piercing that I chose.
It took a while getting used to though. When I spoke, it would hit against my teeth and my speech was "mumbly". People had more difficulty understanding me after the fact. I was constantly repeating questions and answers in class. Then there was the whole eating issue. If something didn't get stuck in or on the ring, I was biting on my lip while chewing. So eventually, I ended up taking it out. Though it was extremely beautiful, it just wasn't worth the annoyance it caused.
Looking back, I think it was very well worth it. It landed me an article for the school newspaper about piercings while my best friend did an article on tattoos. Also, it provided me with the experience of knowing what to expect when getting a piercing so I'm not completely dumb-founded the next time around. It also made me realize that just because a piercing looks good on other people or they are comfortable with it, it doesn't mean it's going to be the same way for you.