Hi, my name is CJ, and if you look past the crazy hair, ripped jeans and "NAZI PUNKS FUCK OFF" t-shirt, I'm an incredible pussy. Apart from messing around with some real pervy stuff (razor/scalpelplay) with my ex., Ry, I've never really done the whole puncturing – myself – with – needles thing. I pierced my own nostril (stupid thing to do, got all infected and nasty) and Ry pierced my septum (yes, he was qualified, dont do this one yourself kids), and I have the whole ear thing done,, but I was in the city a few weeks ago and thought "Fuckit. I want a REAL piercing done."
At A Glance Author resindawg Contact resindawg@bme.anon When A week ago Artist Some nice goth chick Studio Primal Urge Piercing Location Perth City, Western Australia I asked around, and most of my friends said eyebrow, labret, nipple. I also thought about getting my septum re-pierced, properly this time, but I decided the scar tissue would be really tough and painful to get through The other three suggested piercings have kinda been done to death here in Perth, but then I remembered an old friend of mine has his lip done on both sides, I think it was a 14 or 16ga. I decided to get one side of my lower lip done (the right side, since my 12ga and 14ga ear piercings are on my left ear – some sort of fucked up attempt at symmetry.)
I called up and asked the usual questions, "how much does it cost?" "how long does the procedure take?" – I stopped just short of asking the obvious "does it hurt lots?", realising how lame that question was.
An appointment time was made, and on the morning, I skated down there with a friend, who claimed he was only coming along to watch me faint or scream. It was good he came along because (a) he stopped me chickening out, and (b) I wanted to show him I was some sort of big man, ha ha.
I showed up early, went through the usual disclaimers, and paid for it. After I paid, and the nice goth chick (lets call her Lenore) went off to autoclave the jewelry I decided on (12ga SSS captive bead ring), that I really began to freak out. I've never crapped on so much, so rapidly, in all my life. As an ex nursing student, you think this shit would be easy, huh?
I was called into the little booth (where I'd been once before to re-site a migrated nose piercing), and Lenore sat me down and stared at my lip for a few moments. I even flinched at the damn marker pen! We decided on a nice cosy spot about 1cm from the right corner of my mouth, and she clamped up the lip.
As she talked casually about her plans for the week, BAM! A moment of intense pressure, a grunt of "HnGnk!" from me, and it was in. The pain wasn't that bad at all, but a huge wave of nausea came over me. Lenore freaked a little, chanting "If you're going to throw up, you're cleaning it up." But after heaving in front of the sink for a few seconds I was fine. She slipped the bead in and I was off out the door with my little bag of goodies (piercing care guide, bottle of 10VOL peroxide, "Pierced 'n' Proud" sticker). I was so excited and proud of myself I must have strutted all the way through the pedestrian mall.
To be honest, I wasn't anticipating some of the changes I had to make in my diet. For about 2 weeks, I couldn't drink out of a can without spilling it down my shirt. Corn on the cob was impossible, as was anything that involved chewing n the right side of my face. There were a lot of embarrassing experiences eating. I always managed to forget I had a lip ring and try and drink out of a wide glass. It took me about 8 or 9 days to remember not to wear a white shirt when eating or drinking. It didn't help that my lip was so swollen.
I'm impressed by the way it healed. On the outside, it did get pretty crusty for the first week and a half, but I knew this was just lymph, and I kept cleaning it. My piercer had told me not to turn it, and I was paranoid about it moving around too much, but it seemed to do it the world of good! You know when something is supposed to be gross and freaky, but you enjoy watching it anyway? That was me dabbing peroxide onto the outside with a Q-tip. The foaming felt kinda funky, but was awesome to watch. I don't know, maybe I'm just sick or something.
It did ulcerate for a week or so, but a combination of Cepacol mouthwash and SM-33 anaesthetic gel took care of that. Lignocaine is your friend. I'm just so damn stoked I went through with it. I'm definitely going back for more. Hmm, frenum maybe?