I had been thinking of getting this naval piercing done for a couple of years, but I didn't have the money to do it, or the opportunity to do it. Finally, when a friend of mine introduced me to Britt, I figured I would go through with it.
At A Glance Author becky^ Contact becky^@bme.anon Artist My roommate Britt, who is also a pro piercer Studio In Britt's bedroom Location Near Boston, MA Britt held a job at a tattoo/piercing studio for a few months before he moved on to get a job at an internet help desk. Despite him using his bedroom for a studio for a while, all his equipment was pressure-cooked for sterilization and every precaution was made for a clean piercing (I'm an EMT, so I know what a sterile environment is, and what isn't). Britt had all the right equipment for the procedure as well, having bought all of his materials while he was working as a piercer.
Britt's experience was also exceptional. He began his career with experimenting on his uncle's face and tongue, and later when he got good at it, he pierced his own face, naval, and genitals. He had someone else do his spinal piercings for him, one bar on the top of each vertebrae down his back. All of the piercings on his back rejected, though. So I suppose he's got experience with piercings that plain just won't work, too.
The night of my piercing was December 31, 2000 right before I went to a party. Britt had just got done doing a nipple piercing and piercing someone's earlobes with a needle (guns are for pussies, by the way). The hour leading up to the moment, I kept pinching myself where the piercing would be, and telling myself it wouldn't hurt at all, I could barely feel the pinching.
My memory of the exact moment is a little fuzzy. I recall getting cleaned off, but I don't remember if it was with iodine or alcohol. I do recall, however, the clamp of death. This thing clamped the part of my skin that was getting pierced and just wouldn't let go (Man I'm such a baby... this thing hurt too!). Then comes the cork. Britt placed the cork under the back of the clamped skin, so that when the needle went through it would get stopped by the cork. Everything went perfect except for me screaming and hollering in pain like a little pussy.
I was a real baby when it came to the pain. Poor Britt apologized profusely when I screamed and practically broke his girlfriend's hand as the needle went through, but I was glad I did it. The rush afterwards was incredible and the electric feeling you get when something touches the metal of your piercing is indescribable and irreplaceable.
However I didn't take care of my piercing the way I should have. At first I was very dedicated to keeping it clean and not aggravating it, but I quickly got lazy. This piercing generally takes 3 months to completely heal with the correct treatment, but now its been 4 months for me, and its still sore and when I squeeze around the ring, puss comes out. Sorta gross and slightly painful when getting intimate with a significant other.
Britt had told me to soak it every morning and every night with warm salt water, and generally just keep it clean and "don't touch it." That part was very difficult. When you have a new piercing, you like to show it off and play with it constantly. Especially if its your first 'real' piercing with a needle, which this was for me.
My brother had gotten his nipples pierced before I had my naval done, and he had used betadine. This helped him heal up rather quickly, but I couldn't find the same stuff in any of my local drug stores, so I had to settle for Neosporin.
The way things are going now, my belly is finally getting better, because I've resolved to not play with it and to keep it clean, AND to not wear restrictive clothing that could agitate it too much. On top of this, I apply limited amounts of Neosporin and make sure to clean the piercing twice a day. I could be doing more, but I'm lazy, as I have said earlier.
My other stuff:
I got my ears pierced with a gun for the first time when I was twelve, and it fascinated me. But then I developed an allergy to any metal that wasn't surgical steal (but only if it was with a piercing... I'm fine wearing silver rings on my fingers for some reason). One of my ears got infected and pussy, and a large sore developed on my whole earlobe. This sore spread down my face when I refused to take out my earrings. Finally I caved in when the sore was too gross to bear. I took out my earrings when I was 19 and the piercings closed up.
When I was 21, I decided to get my ears re-pierced. I went to Claire's to get it done (mistake), and the lady there was pretty damn incompetent. So much so, that I refused to let her do it, and demanded the other worker do it, who exuded TONS more confidence and experience. But alas... I whimpered and whined and acted like a child through this as well. Piercing just doesn't do it for me, I guess.
However, before I had gotten my ears pierced, I had two tattoos done. One seven pointed star on the back of my neck, and a yin yang on my Zyphoid Process (located at the meeting point of your lower rib-cage). I absolutely LOVED getting the tattoos done, and am looking forward to getting more elaborate work done (as soon as I can afford doing it).
As people have told me, they would prefer the piercings to the ink. I'm totally the opposite... and I have no explanation for it. ;)
So that's my story!
-becky^