I've been on BME for a while now, not too long but long enough. It started out on Google. I was trying to research a piercing that I wanted and all of these wonderful experiences were showing up in the search results, all of them from a "BMEzine.com".
At A Glance Author Corrina Contact Corrina@bme.anon IAM xCoryx When A month ago Artist Matte Studio Alpha-Omega (kissmytattoo.com) Location Fairfield, CA I finally put two and two together and decided to just check out the site. It was wonderful: Photos, experiences and articles, all pertaining to one general subject. That subject being: Body Modification.
I'd always had an interest in body modification. When I was young it was different because it was self injury but as I grew out of that phase in my life, I started to get into many other things, one of those things being piercings.
My love for BME started out as pure voyeurism. I wrote an experience and got my ticket to see all I wanted to see. But when my experience was posted I felt like I wanted so bad to know more. I read experience on top of experience and looked at picture after picture and I fell in love with many different piercings.
I soon got a membership to IAM, BME's online community. It was even better than I though it could be. There were so many people to connect with. People I could relate to. I started reading articles and recommended experiences and soon I felt like a full on member of this community. BME helped me find my path. Or at least that is how I feel about it.
I've had my fair share of piercings, and I'm always in search of something new. A few months ago I decided that the something new that I was looking for was a smiley. I researched it and looked at it and read experiences until I was certain that I wanted it. I met a piercer on IAM through my forum IAM:California. I decided that since he was in my area I would ask him if he'd ever performed a smiley. I contacted him and asked him some questions and he responded by telling me that he'd never done a smiley before but was sure he could do one because he's done tongue webs before and it was seemingly similar.
I had confidence in him because a) he was experienced, and b) he was confident in himself. It wouldn't have been hard for him to win me over anyway because I wanted my smiley so bad.
So I went to Alpha-Omega with my boyfriend and my sister. When I got there I was ridiculously nervous, but Matte made me really comfortable. He prepped me by letting me do a Listerine rinse, and then I sat in the chair. It was the most nerve racking thing because some experiences said that it hurt and others said that it didn't so I wasn't really sure what to think. He had everything ready to go and then he realized he wasn't going to be able to hold my lip up and pierce at the same time so he called Tony in. I'm not sure if Tony was a piercer or an apprentice or what exactly, but he was called in to hold my lip. So once again he had everything ready to go and then Tony's phone started ringing. This was probably the best part of my whole experience at Alpha-Omega, because we all just stayed in our places and started dancing to this funny salsa-esque ringtone. I was in my chair, Matte in front off me, my boyfriend, etc. we all just started dancing. After the little dance break I felt a lot calmer. It was fun and after I was ready to be pierced.
So to give a bit of background info, I'm a leg shaker. I bounce my leg when I'm restless or nervous or anything. It's shaking as I type this experience. So Matte had to straddle my leg to get to a good position to pierce my "lip-web". He had the receiving tube in position and he asked me to please not bounce my leg. as hard as it was to stop bouncing i did. So he had the receiving tube and needle at opposite sides of that thin layer and I was sitting there, not nervous at all. I was ready.
Tony was holding my lip and Matte said "deep breath in.... and out". nothing. once again he said "deep breath in..... and out (pop) ." The needle was in. In my face. In the receiving tube. Just in. I may not have seemed like it, but despite that fact that the needle was a bit uncomfortable (it felt to big to be where it was (the lip web or frenulum or whatever you like to call it felt slightly stretched rather than pierced), I was elated.
Now as for jewelry, I originally wanted a CBR or circular barbell that would actually SHOW when I smiled, but I found out the day before that I was scheduled to take pictures with my daddy the next day. My Mexican and Catholic daddy who would be highly upset with me if I "ruined" a picture shoot with a new piercing. so I at first I asked for a barbell but the smallest one he had seemed too big. He then suggested a CBR he had custom made. They were 16ga but very small in diameter. I can't remember the exact diameter but its a CBR that doesn't even slightly show when I smile. Yeah, pretty small.
It was really uncomfortable when he slid the ring in only because it was such a small opening for him to get it in by. When he put the ball on, I won't lie. That hurt. Imagine a tiny bead + saliva. I don't care who you are, thats tricky. He was gentle the whole time but a little tugging is inevitable. especially with such small jewelry. It didn't hurt too bad, but it did hurt enough to be considered a slight pain. I even wimpered. But soon enough, the bead was in. and that was that. I loved it. No, actually i LOVE it. As in present tense. It's my favorite piercing, because Its just for me. No one can see it (yet). but once Matte gives me the okay I want a bigger CBR. I want it to be visible. So that everyone else can love it as well.
Matte was friendly and he and Tony both made me feel very comfortable instantly. Anyone in the area: I recommend Alpha-Omega. I REALLY do. Anyone considering a smiley: the piercing doesn't hurt a bit, but If you choose a difficult piece of jewelry, keep in mind that it might be cause for a difficult insertion.
You should also be aware that this piercing is notorious for not lasting long. If you are thinking about it you should definitely seek out a piercer either locally or on BME and learn as much as you can before hand. I chose it anyways because I've never kept a facial piercing longer than five months. I get pierced and go through healing and then get rid of the piercing all together shortly after. This is why I came to believe that I'm in it for the experience. I love the adrenaline, the process of healing. I love it all, but once the 'experience' is over, I'm usually over the piercing soon after. Well, I guess we'll see how it goes!