Here's my short story, as far as body piercing goes: Other piercings and tattoos aside, over the past few months I have very much wanted to have vertical lowbrets done. They have been, in a sense, a 'goal' for me. The pain and obscurity that comes with them only added to their appeal. Albeit they are not, by definition, 'shamanistic' or 'traditional' piercings, I think they look amazing and really add to the symmetry of one's face. So, after getting a bit of cash together, I decided this weekend would be the right time.
At A Glance Author Steve Taylor Contact Steve Taylor@bme.anon When It just happened Location Philadelphia I went to my local piercing shop (whose name I shall leave out of this, although it is a wonderful shop) and told my piercer what I wanted done. He checked out my gumlines and determined that I'd be better off with ordinary lowbrets, not vertical ones. This guy is extremely professional as a piercer and, essentially, likes to play it as safe as possible when it comes to his job. (I guess all piercers are supposed to be like that) So I figured, "what the hell" and decided to go along with his suggestion of ordinary lowbrets.
The piercing process was no problem whatsoever. Because I am fortunate enough to have a piercer with years of experience, having two needles pushed through the flesh above my chin hardly hurt at all, and putting in the twelve gauge jewelry felt like nothing. Both lowbrets were perfectly positioned and evenly spaced with respect to the corners of my mouth, each other, and my chin. Overall, the quality of the piercing I received was great.
Sadly, in the hours afterwards I was very displeased with the way I looked. I'm not sure if having my heart set on vertical lowbrets was my problem, or I simply don't look good with this particular type of piercing. I don't really know. I slept on it, and still was unhappy the next day. Surprisingly, I got used to the feel of the lowbrets very quickly. The way they rubbed against my gums was annoying (and a bit painful) at first, but within twelve hours' time they felt like part of my mouth. I was happy about that. But every time I looked in the mirror, I simply wasn't as happy as I thought I should be.
Something I had always liked about vertical lowbrets was their low visibility (compared to lowbrets and labrets). I think they are slick because while they aren't everyday piercings, they don't always jump out at people upon first glance. They exist as part of the outline of your jaw, along the perimeter of your face. From what I understand, people don't always recognize them as jewelry right away. They have a bit of deceitfulness about them. My Madison (neck) was the same way. People would glance at me and assume I was wearing a necklace. I like that moment of deception. Maybe some of you know what I mean.
In any event, I decided to take my lowbrets out, give my lip a week or two to heal, then try and consult another nearby shop (I live outside of Philadelphia) about having true vertical lowbrets done. I am confident in my knowledge of my own mouth, jaw, and gum structure, I have a steady hand, and a decent tolerance for pain, so I am convinced that with a bit of prudence I could do the piercing myself. Nonetheless I would prefer to have it professionally done.
I suppose all of this is a bit frustrating not because I spent a respectable chunk of money on a piercing procedure that I undid only a day later, but because I've been waiting for this so long. I figured yesterday would be the day I'd finally get the piercing I had wanted for the last several months, but it did not turn out so. Perhaps I was not as patient as I should have been, settling to get a piercing which was not precisely what I had wanted. I have told myself that above all, this has been a learning experience, and being supremely pleased with every piercing I get involves a great deal of luck, no matter how much planning is involved, or how good your piercer is.
As far as advice goes, I have this to say: There is no such thing as having too much patience, or 'waiting too long' to have a procedure done. I have learned the hard way that getting a piercing 'similar' to the one you truly want just doesn't work. So many of us have a specific scheme or balance we are aiming for. I know I did. It was much easier than I thought to betray that balance.
Additionally, don't be afraid to go to more than one piercing shop and get a second (or third) opinion, even if you have traditionally gone to only one place to have all your piercings done. You need to explore your options. And that's that.
I will be writing an update to this soon, when I get my vertical lowbrets.
Peace.