So this is the story of how I found my new love... my brand new vertical labret!
At A Glance Author Aly Contact alicejoughin@hotmail.com When N/A Artist I think he was called Paul? Studio Pro Body Piercing Studios Location Bradford, UK It all started about 5 months ago when I was at uni and was looking for something to do to fill the boredom. I thought I should get something pierced or tattooed in order to mark my time as a student and as it was the first time away from home, it would be a good way to shock my parents when I returned. So I eventually decided upon getting my nose pierced. This went on for some time with nobody actually believing I would ever do it... and I didn't.
I left uni without any metal to speak of and discontent. Then, a few months ago I met a friend through a friend with a vertical labret and thought it looked so pretty; different but not offensive. I then spent months on the internet looking into how the piercing is done, the health risks and the cost (because I'm one of those people who likes to know what they're putting themselves in for before they go to get it done).
I decided upon a vertical labret not solely because of how damn hot they look, but also because they don't carry any of the dental risks a lot of oral piercings such a tongue piercing or a regular labret does. As they don't actually go inside your mouth, there's no risk of tooth or gum erosion. And you're not *quite* as tempted to play with them with your tongue (although the top ball provides a good source of entertainment when you have nothing better to do as you can push the barbell up and down which feels weird but nice).
So, anyway, I told everyone that I had my heart set upon a vertical labret and everyone just thought it was going to turn out like the nose piercing story; that I'd go on and on about and never get round to having it done. Well, I'd decided on a date (Fri 25th May 2007, a week after my 19th and leaving me enough time for it to nearly heal before I go to France) and as the day approached I got more and more excited but also, if I'm honest, started to doubt I'd go through with it in the end. I went to see the studio where I was going to get it done and had a talk with the piercer. Then, yesterday finally arrived.
I spent hours thinking about it but finding other things to do to keep me busy (possibly in the hope I'd never find time to get it done), but surely enough, at around half three I found myself at the piercing studio, anxious but buzzing with adrenalin at the thought of getting it done. Unfortunately, just as I was about to go into the piercing room, a big group of school kids came in so I made them go first as I didn't want any witnesses to my screams (I thought it was going to kill!).
Then, the piercer came out and asked me if I was ready to go for it. I said yes, but have a feeling my expression was telling another story, and I doubt the involuntary shaking made my 'yes' any more convincing.
When in the room the piercer (who was the nicest and most understanding piercer ever can I add) made me feel completely at ease. He explained everything to me again, and also told me that everyone feels scared before getting pierced but that he'd look after me and make sure nothing went wrong.
He then got some sterile gloves out of a new sealed packet and numbed my lip and marked on where the bottom would be... then asked me to check the positioning. It was fine, then he marked on the top and again asked me to check. It was fine as well. Then he removed a needle from a new packet and told me he was about to pierce. I was still contemplating whether or not I wanted to close my eyes when he told me it was through. I thought "was that it?! Surely that's not it over with?". He then said he was going to put the jewelery in, and that was as painless as the actual piercing had been. I turned to my side and looked in the mirror and it was honestly love at first sight. The piercer was laughing at me at this point as he said I couldn't stop smiling when I saw it and that I'd been one of the easiest people to pierce he'd had so why had I been fretting so much?
I've now had my piercing for just under a day and would say to anyone thinking of getting it done, go for it! Mine didn't hurt at all (and I have a low pain threshold so if I could do it without feeling it, anyone can). It also hasn't swollen and just looks as if it belongs. I'm going to get a smaller bar on Tuesday as you have to leave it for a few days before down-sizing but I have had a good 1/2-1 cm spare of bar since getting it done as it just didn't swell at all, which I'm so glad about because I was preparing for a huge fat lip.
Eating presents no problems either, it's just I'm not going to bite anything for a few days or a week as I don't want anything getting in the new piercing as I don't want an infection. Drinking is also easy. I went out last night and used straws most the time I admit, but when I forgot to on the odd occasion it was fine, just made me laugh when I heard the glass knock against the metal. I've also slept with it now and that presented no problems either. And I know this shouldn't influence your choice on whether or not to get it done, but the guys out last night kept complimenting me on how sexy it looked; unusual but hot. And it also differentiates you from all the other girls and guys in the room (which is good for me as I'm a pretty big extrovert!)
All in all, despite only having had it for a day so far, this has been a less painful and one heck of a more interesting and attractive piercing than my lobes, which I got done about 8 years ago. I still remember having pain from them as the anaesthetic wore off, but I won't have any bad memories about getting this piercing done.
I'd also just like to thank and mention the studio where I got it. Pro Body Piercing Studios in Bradford. It's all clean, hygienic and welcoming, as well as being more than reasonably priced. And the piercer truly was the nicest guy. He was reassuring, understanding and making jokes all the way through the procedure to make me feel at ease and it worked a treat.
So, my beautiful new piercing and I are now off to show the world as hardly anyone has seen it as it's new. So thanks for reading my story, and I hope it provided answers to any questions you had about this particular piercing. If you want any more information about my experience of getting it done, feel free to send me a message and I'll try and tell you as much as I can from what I went through.